GEC #82 Ratcliffe, kinda sorta ...

[jerryd6818]

Greg, you got a button with yours? I didn't get one with mine. No big deal. Just think that's odd.

[Railsplitter]

Greg, you got a button with yours? I didn't get one with mine. No big deal. Just think that's odd.

Jerry, there have been a few SFO's in which every knife included a button but for regular production models GEC's inclusion of a button is completely random. They just drop one in a tube here and there.

[jerryd6818]

I'm okay without it, Rick. I don't feel slighted in the least.

[Tsar Bomba]

Thanks Rick. I think his effort scale is misleading especially so because the explanation of 7 being par is not given on the same page as the description. Just posting "overall effort 7" leads one to think there are some 'issues' with the knife. Also as you say, average effort for GEC is very high, all the knives come out pretty well 'just right'. Hence a GEC 7 is likely a very fine knife and better than say a Case 7. Maybe even better than a Case 9, even though a natural assumption would be that a '9' knife is better than a '7' knife.

I've never seen a GEC higher than 8 on the Latham "effort" scale since I started buying GEC first-runs through CK in 2016. My EDC 81 Bull Moose was a 6 on the scale and my treasured smooth orange 43 trapper was rated a 7. Both are outstanding mechanically and in F&F.

[Lansky1]

I received my elderberry #82 Possum Skinner today ... fit and finish are very nice, no blade rub whatsoever. Most noticeable aspect is the "thin-ness" of the knife, which is nice. Spring fit to liners is exceptionally good. There were however some issues ...

- Most importantly (to me), the snap closed is sub standard. I'm very familiar with how to free up blades to get them to snap closed - I worked mine open and closed for 15-20 minutes per blade and got it to snap closed a tad better, but still would be considered sub par for any Case knife I own. Snap is important to me - this is a disappointment I'm not sure I can overcome.

- I've never had a knife with the "basketweave" type jigging pattern. It's different, interesting and well crafted / executed, but I don't really care for the feel or look of it it as compared to more conventional jigging. Just a personal opinion...

I guess the lack of acceptable snap for what I would expect for a knife in this price range soured me right off the bat. Disclaimer ... I'm not a GEC guy - only have a few of them, so I don't know how this #82 compares to most of their patterns ... but I will say that if snap is important to you, either cross your fingers you happen to luck out and get a good one or find a way to try it out first before you buy ... I wish I did. I didn't intend for this review to become a hatchet job, but I'm just very disappointed for what this knife cost. I don't think my expectations are too high ... I have so many Case knives of every era post 1970 that have dramatically better snap closed than this knife at far less than half the cost. Anyways, I have to sleep on it if I'm even going to keep it ...