All About Pocket Knives

Today's mail was a whopping success.

Really wanted the GEC #13 Office Knife. It's even better in hand than in pictures.
The Orange Ganzo is kind of neat too. That hole in the blade makes it real easy to open.

Knice bomb knife Mike! Well done!!

Knice haul Garry & Jerry!

These just arrived...

I believe that Henckels is horn handle......

Here are a couple of old Queens, no tang stamp but a little etch remaining, a #2 and a #37 both thanks to TripleF. The #2 came today and the #37 got here last week .
Treefarmer

Those are great Philip!

The mailman came to my house today too. He brought my $40 BIN adventure. I bought a pile of knives to get one! There were a couple of real stinkers in the pile. Here's the three "gooder'uns". First is a Buck 100 years 112 with a broken blade that'll go back to Buck for some rehab. Second is a CASE 3299 1/2 XX USA no dots, that has been WELL used but is still tight and snappy. I'll pack it working in the yard. Third is a 5 dot CASE 3299 1/2 with scratches but 100% full blades. A little clean up and I think they'll shine like new pennies.

jerryd6818 wrote:Really wanted the GEC #13 Office Knife. It's even better in hand than in pictures.

That's the one I lost out on when my reservation was bumped at my main dealer. Disappointing. It's even nicer than I thought and it would make a fine EDC. I may have gotten nicer stag going to another dealer but I will ultimately have to pursue an Office Knife on the secondary market and I'm sure the short run will account for some serious inflation...

Cuz, ya done hit the mother lode.

Not sure what's happened to the GEC market the last year or two. I don't recall them being so difficult to buy as they are today. You gotta really want to buy one and get on a list before you know what it's actually going to look like. For the occasional buyer, even then it's like Black Friday sales when they hit the market. Ya gotta stand in line at 3:30 in the morning in freezing cold, waiting for the doors to open and you still might miss out.

Jerry, your new GEC Office Knife is a fine looking pocketknife - I think GEC really captured the vintage look with their variation. OH

Case mini copperhead - love the swedge grind on the wharnie ! Huge snap for a small knife too ...

Lansky1 wrote: Huge snap for a small knife too ...

Wow, you can see it. Look at the rise on the main blade end of that back spring. Holy cats! It's a monster.

The buying frenzy for every new GEC release is due in part to Bladeforums. For the last few years the Traditionals forum has been dominated by threads on just one brand: GEC. The positive posts become infectious and ever more readers join the stampeding herd.
The other reason is that GEC is making the best Traditional style folders we have ever seen. Hence all the happy, thrilled, juiced up BF posts.
I don't like to rush into a knife purchase. I much prefer to be able to look at numerous examples, select a few and think about them for a day or so and then select one and buy it. This cannot be done with GEC. To get one you have to be alert to dealer's announcement of incoming knives pending in 1-2 months and quickly get on their early reservation list; i.e. commit to buying a knife you have not seen because it has not yet been made. Or, sit by your computer and log in to dealer site at the exact second the new GEC knives become available and quickly choose one and pay immediately. You have less than 2 minutesto complete all this because after that, all will be sold.
To me this is nuts and i'm not playing anymore.
kj

kootenay joe wrote:The buying frenzy for every new GEC release is due in part to Bladeforums. For the last few years the Traditionals forum has been dominated by threads on just one brand: GEC. The positive posts become infectious and ever more readers join the stampeding herd.
The other reason is that GEC is making the best Traditional style folders we have ever seen. Hence all the happy, thrilled, juiced up BF posts.
I don't like to rush into a knife purchase. I much prefer to be able to look at numerous examples, select a few and think about them for a day or so and then select one and buy it. This cannot be done with GEC. To get one you have to be alert to dealer's announcement of incoming knives pending in 1-2 months and quickly get on their early reservation list; i.e. commit to buying a knife you have not seen because it has not yet been made. Or, sit by your computer and log in to dealer site at the exact second the new GEC knives become available and quickly choose one and pay immediately. You have less than 2 minutesto complete all this because after that, all will be sold.
To me this is nuts and i'm not playing anymore.
kj

The trouble with all this is GEC will have an increasingly small group of buyers and less and less market share which wont be good for them in the long run.

ken98k wrote:

kootenay joe wrote:The buying frenzy for every new GEC release is due in part to Bladeforums. For the last few years the Traditionals forum has been dominated by threads on just one brand: GEC. The positive posts become infectious and ever more readers join the stampeding herd.
The other reason is that GEC is making the best Traditional style folders we have ever seen. Hence all the happy, thrilled, juiced up BF posts.
I don't like to rush into a knife purchase. I much prefer to be able to look at numerous examples, select a few and think about them for a day or so and then select one and buy it. This cannot be done with GEC. To get one you have to be alert to dealer's announcement of incoming knives pending in 1-2 months and quickly get on their early reservation list; i.e. commit to buying a knife you have not seen because it has not yet been made. Or, sit by your computer and log in to dealer site at the exact second the new GEC knives become available and quickly choose one and pay immediately. You have less than 2 minutesto complete all this because after that, all will be sold.
To me this is nuts and i'm not playing anymore.
kj

The trouble with all this is GEC will have an increasingly small group of buyers and less and less market share which wont be good for them in the long run.

...only have a minute here, but I agree with all of this....

kootenay joe wrote:The buying frenzy for every new GEC release is due in part to Bladeforums. For the last few years the Traditionals forum has been dominated by threads on just one brand: GEC. The positive posts become infectious and ever more readers join the stampeding herd.
The other reason is that GEC is making the best Traditional style folders we have ever seen. Hence all the happy, thrilled, juiced up BF posts.
I don't like to rush into a knife purchase. I much prefer to be able to look at numerous examples, select a few and think about them for a day or so and then select one and buy it. This cannot be done with GEC. To get one you have to be alert to dealer's announcement of incoming knives pending in 1-2 months and quickly get on their early reservation list; i.e. commit to buying a knife you have not seen because it has not yet been made. Or, sit by your computer and log in to dealer site at the exact second the new GEC knives become available and quickly choose one and pay immediately. You have less than 2 minutesto complete all this because after that, all will be sold.
To me this is nuts and i'm not playing anymore.
kj

Roland you are very correct. I have to say I'm a big fan of gec, but I'm pretty selective with them as I do not want every pattern they come out with. As a result I don't buy them often, I don't like waiting years for them to produce a pattern I like. Such as the 81 stockman or 73 trappers.

I gave up buying GEC's because of what others have just said. I have a few that I really like and I really don't need any others. The key word is need. If one comes along that I want, I'll probably try to buy it. The key word there is try.
I think one of the the problems with not being able to buy a new GEC pattern when it comes out are the "flippers". Many buy more than a few and then flip them to make a small profit. Not a problem if thousands are being made but a problem if only hundreds.....or much less.

kootenay joe wrote:The buying frenzy for every new GEC release is due in part to Bladeforums. For the last few years the Traditionals forum has been dominated by threads on just one brand: GEC. The positive posts become infectious and ever more readers join the stampeding herd.
The other reason is that GEC is making the best Traditional style folders we have ever seen. Hence all the happy, thrilled, juiced up BF posts.
I don't like to rush into a knife purchase. I much prefer to be able to look at numerous examples, select a few and think about them for a day or so and then select one and buy it. This cannot be done with GEC. To get one you have to be alert to dealer's announcement of incoming knives pending in 1-2 months and quickly get on their early reservation list; i.e. commit to buying a knife you have not seen because it has not yet been made. Or, sit by your computer and log in to dealer site at the exact second the new GEC knives become available and quickly choose one and pay immediately. You have less than 2 minutesto complete all this because after that, all will be sold.
To me this is nuts and i'm not playing anymore.
kj

Really ?!? Boy, that is interesting, but sure isn't me. I only have 2 GEC's and the only reason I have those is I practically STOLE them on eBay (poor pictures, bad descriptions, unknowledgable sellers, etc). I just can't stomach paying what they ask for new GEC's (knives are only one of a half dozen more expensive hobbies I have), and that's ok. I'm plenty content with scouring eBay for deals on nice late model Case knives ... I guess the fact that I'm a user and not a collector prevents me from big knife purchases. I am amazed people stand in line to pay what they ask for their knives - which is a good thing, it just surprises me.

Good point KJ. That is the reason I don't have but one GEC myself. I got mine from a friend. I'm not going o play that game.

And I agree. That kind of business model will not grow the company's market share.

I think I will just let Bryan order my GEC's.

Been a long time since I got a new knife. Broke the dry spell with this bent gunstock made by Ian van Reenen. The blade is CPM 154 and the scales are turquoise Westinghouse glass weave micarta (basically G-10). At almost 4.25" closed, it's a bit bigger than most knives I carry, but I love the pattern.

Note: I have to thank Kaleb (muskrat man) for his help. He cut a block of the handle material for me before I sent it to Ian van Reenen. Thanks, Kaleb!

Got me a Walden 8OT in today. It's a perfect candidate for a boney upgrade. Has excellent snap and full bades. Original owner had engraved his name in the scales so I got it dirt cheap.

A prime candidate for a Herman Williams makeover.

ken98k wrote:The trouble with all this is GEC will have an increasingly small group of buyers and less and less market share which wont be good for them in the long run.

This is, however, a self-inflicted wound.

GEC seems to swing and miss on quantities a lot. Barlows aside, it seems like they vastly overbet on that #15 Navy knife, plus the boy's knives and even the crown lifters were still floating around at dealers. They got a little luckier with the #14s but the #18 was a total washout from all the stock that is still available even to this day. Meanwhile, trying to get a Barlow was like buying a Furby at Christmas back when those things mattered worth a damn. Both times I've missed out on a sure thing reservation for a GEC were when the numbers sent to the dealer were lower than anticipated, so either they're having issues keeping up with demand on some of these patterns or they're running short to keep values pumped up.

Meanwhile, I just want a well-built, good-looking knife...Got a #77 NFin the pocket right now that has and will continue to get plenty of use. I'm almost afraid to use my #15 TC because who knows if/when Charlie will run any more of those, and I have no interest in paying $225 for one that spent the last year in a tube with the occasional photo shoot. The #13s being limited disappointed me, I had been looking forward to the pattern since the announcement, I would have preferred the Tid Office Knife to the beautiful stag NF I ended up with. Either way, you pays your money and you takes your choice. KJ chooses to patronize other cutlers and some of us still end up participating in the lolly scramble or reserving $150 knives sight-unseen.

They sure are some nice blades, though.

I like the GEC products, but I don't play those games either. I will never sit at my computer trying to get a reservation for a certain model. There are a few patterns that I HAD to have, like the 38 whittler. I missed the original frenzy, but was lucky to find one from a dealer. I also was fond of the 33 Conductor.

The other one that I'm digging is the 55 Houndstooth, but you can't find those anywhere. I don't own a TC barlow, but I'd love to.

I have no love for flippers, but I understand that it is part of the game, and their right to do so. Until manufacturers and dealers take steps to keep people from buying handfuls of knives and then turning around and jacking up the selling price, things won't change. Supply and demand, I guess...

I was lucky and got interested in GEC right from the beginning. My first knife was a 2006 Stag # 73. My all time best most amazing GEC is my ivory # 33 Conductor, magnificent knife. I got these and a whole bunch of others before the feeding frenzy got intense. Having many excellent GEC knives already makes it much easier to sit on the sidelines now.
A word about my take on low production numbers. I don't think this is to boost prices. I think it is to maintain quality. With the staff & equipment they have this is the number of knives they can make and have every one properly made & finished. If production was increased, time per knife, & therefore quality of workmanship, would decrease.
I really hope GEC continues on this path of quality before production numbers.
kj

glennbad wrote: Until manufacturers and dealers take steps to keep people from buying handfuls of knives and then turning around and jacking up the selling price, things won't change. Supply and demand, I guess...

As far as the manufacturers and dealers, it's the same figure on their bottom line if they sell three to one individual or one to each of three individuals. What's their incentive to go to all the trouble of limiting sales? It's not in their best interest.

Speaking of the 55 Houndstooth, it is a lovely piece of hardware. (shame on me)