All About Pocket Knives

It's hard not to really like gec. Their knives are so well made and they have the flair of old knives unlike any other current day traditional manufacturer. They fill a niche that needed filling. When bought for regular non inflated prices they are an excellent value for the money. I have wonderful gec's for the collection and some wonderful users that I will probably never part with. I will always be a fan of gec and hope they continue what they are doing for many more years.

Currently I have 109 Gec/Northwoods in my collection. Unfortunately I never heard of them until around June of this year and the quality is second to none. The high prices are due to their popularity and limited amount of of runs and number released each time. I have yet to get one on the drop and have had to pay secondary market price on all most all of mine. I do have about 15-20 that I am trying to sell as I have too many. I have been lucky to have gotten several at higher than retail, but a lot less than they are worth in today's market. I wish I could keep them all, but have settled on a few patterns to collect and plan on leaving them to my 6yo grandson someday.

This is some of what I have (100) not counting Northwoods

Pitiful Gary, just pitiful, can’t you try harder to get more?

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 3:13 am Pitiful Gary, just pitiful, can’t you try harder to get more?

Mark I will post a recent photo Later with a few more

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 3:13 am Pitiful Gary, just pitiful, can’t you try harder to get more?

Update Mark 142 GEC & 22 Northwoods not all the Northwoods are GEC I think everyone can tell the GEC From The Dave Shirleys

kennedy knives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 5:16 pm

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 3:13 am Pitiful Gary, just pitiful, can’t you try harder to get more?

Update Mark 142 GEC & 22 Northwoods not all the Northwoods are GEC I think everyone can tell the GEC From The Dave Shirleys

You win!
Impressive, very impressive.

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:13 pm

kennedy knives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 5:16 pm

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 3:13 am Pitiful Gary, just pitiful, can’t you try harder to get more?

Update Mark 142 GEC & 22 Northwoods not all the Northwoods are GEC I think everyone can tell the GEC From The Dave Shirleys

You win!
Impressive, very impressive.

Mark I found 27 more GEC'S that are not in photo making a total of 169 may find more later it's Christmas

Merry Christmas to All

Gary you do have quite a few GEC's, almost like a reference 'library' of GEC knives. I bet not many people have more GEC knives. A similar thread at BF might turn up a few more 'big collectors' as there are more high rollers there.
Thanks for posting.
kj

kennedy knives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 10:48 pm

Sharpnshinyknives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 7:13 pm

kennedy knives wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2019 5:16 pm

Update Mark 142 GEC & 22 Northwoods not all the Northwoods are GEC I think everyone can tell the GEC From The Dave Shirleys

You win!
Impressive, very impressive.

Mark I found 27 more GEC'S that are not in photo making a total of 169 may find more later it's Christmas

Merry Christmas to All

Gary, I get it. I have picked up a lot for just collecting about a year and a half. I picked up a lot of extras for resell or trade down the road too. I especially like your Northwoods collection, I would love to see all of them opened and lined up. It would a good reference for those of us who didn’t collect Northwoods back when Dave Shirley had Queen making them.

I have 11. I don't buy one of every handle in a certain pattern, but I seem to have developed a habit of buying two different handles in each pattern.
My breakdown is:
2 #12 Northfields;
2 #29 Northfields;
2 #86, 1 Northfield, 1 Tidioute;
2 #14, 1 Northfield, 1 Cripple Creek*;
1 #82 Tidioute;
1 #38 Tidioute;
1 #71 Farm & Field.
Looking at this list, I seem to have a preference for Northfields. I guess I'm a sucker for fancy bolsters

*Not to get off topic, but as a fan of Bob Cargill, I kind of wish they weren't making Cripple Creeks. I have a handful of real Cripple Creeks and they were made by Bob Cargill. I bought this one second hand at a really good price (and its elderberry which i like ) otherwise I would have passed on it.

BTW Merry Christmas everybody! Its going to be in the 60's here in Missouri and I'm going for a motorcycle ride

Beavertail wrote: ↑Sun Dec 22, 2019 1:55 pm None.
I just can't justify to myself buying a knife for such an overinflated price that will get locked up in a safe.
I'm more of a knife user than collector.
Except for the different handle material used most of their patterns all look the same to me.

I respect and love your answer !

I have 54 GEC knives in my possession and 4 more on the way. I have a January pre-order on a camel bone banana shield #62. I joined two clubs that will be ordering a SFO GEC 2020 Trapper club knife. GEC will be making a trapper knife in 2020. The Oregon Knife collector association club knives have to be ready for the April Oregon spring knife show. I would assume the GEC Trapper knives would be made in March. The #62s are coming in January. GEC will most likey put out a small batch of something after the #62s and then the Trappers will prevail. I love to study , search for info , and take a guess.

I have eight. One is a Lick Creek boy’s knife (one of Lyle’s SFOs). The others are all AAPK annual member knives.

They’re well made knives. They just don’t do a lot for me, but I’m not that interested in new knives from any maker. JMO. I’m glad y’all are keeping GEC in business though.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 27, 2019 1:38 am I have eight. One is a Lick Creek boy’s knife (one of Lyle’s SFOs). The others are all AAPK annual member knives.

They’re well made knives. They just don’t do a lot for me, but I’m not that interested in new knives from any maker. JMO. I’m glad y’all are keeping GEC in business though.

Ken

Do you want to sell the 14 lick creek?

RAMROD wrote: ↑Sat Dec 28, 2019 1:34 pm Do you want to sell the 14 lick creek?

None of them are for sale. I bought them because they have association with AAPK, not because GEC made them.

Thanks anyway.

Ken

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Fri Dec 27, 2019 1:38 am I have eight. One is a Lick Creek boy’s knife (one of Lyle’s SFOs). The others are all AAPK annual member knives.

They’re well made knives. They just don’t do a lot for me, but I’m not that interested in new knives from any maker. JMO. I’m glad y’all are keeping GEC in business though.

Ken

Ken, there are 2 aspects to collecting GEC knives. The first is the knives themselves: all traditional patterns, very well made, attractive, feel great in hand and with actual sharp edges. The second aspect is "The Game": each new release is somewhat like an IPO from a start up company. Get in at the start and some will double or even triple in price within a year. Not all new releases, the game is to pick the 'winners'. But even the knives that do not increase in popularity, don't fall far, so there is little risk of a downside when buying new GEC knives.
GEC collecting is 'competitive' knife collecting. You need a smart phone and fast internet connection to compete at the top level.
kj

kootenay joe wrote: ↑Sat Dec 28, 2019 2:31 pm
Ken, there are 2 aspects to collecting GEC knives. The first is the knives themselves: all traditional patterns, very well made, attractive, feel great in hand and with actual sharp edges. The second aspect is "The Game": each new release is somewhat like an IPO from a start up company. Get in at the start and some will double or even triple in price within a year. Not all new releases, the game is to pick the 'winners'. But even the knives that do not increase in popularity, don't fall far, so there is little risk of a downside when buying new GEC knives.
GEC collecting is 'competitive' knife collecting. You need a smart phone and fast internet connection to compete at the top level.
kj

Thanks Roland, I understand. Just not my thing. I don’t dislike GEC at all. I appreciate fine cutlery craftsmanship and am glad they have a business model that works. I’m happy for those who have a hundred or more GEC’s.

I don’t collect knives to make money. I don’t want to lose any either. My enjoyment comes from finding a 50+ year old survivor, the older the better, made when collecting knives was unheard of, and certainly not a “ready-made collectible”. I’m old school. The leisurely hunt, browsing through flea markets, antique malls, gun and knife shows, meeting and talking to people (AAPK is a current-day proxy for that), and researching the cutlery companies, etc has been and continues to be what I enjoy.

Having spent my career in a highly competitive fast paced business, that “smart phone and fast internet” aspect doesn’t appeal to me. I quit hurrying when I retired.

Ken



Ken

Ken i was not suggesting you join in the fray. I was explaining the competitive aspect in case it is something you were not aware of. And certainly it is not for all collectors. I enjoy thinking about a knife before committing to buy it, but GEC's don't allow for the 'thinking about it' part.
kj

I look to GEC for patterns that I can't get from Case. Example ... I have more than enough Case stockmans and muskrats that are exceptional examples, so I'm not looking for anything else in those patterns. The few GEC's I have were all bought used at maybe 2/3 of retail, so at least I feel like I got somewhat of a "deal", which makes their cost palatable. The GEC's I have are undeniably exceptional knives in every way ... I'm just a cheapskate eBay bottomfeeder by nature & paying full retail takes the fun out of it for me (same has always applied to Case knives). Like somebody else we all know, I'm all about the art of the deal (when it comes to pocket knives anyways)

Last thing ... I gotta say I'm a massive fan of the new GEC toothpick single blade - that knife is phenomenal. Anyways, here's my little stash of GEC users ...

Nice group for sure ! John what is the middle knife with Abalone like handles ? a #38 ? single blade ??
kj

KJ - yeah, they call it "looking glass abalone". Basically a thin abalone veneer with clear acrylic overlay. I like the #38 alot - seem to be gravitating to slim single blade patterns in general lately ...

Current count stands at 24. All three blade knives except for a Mudbug, a Bull Nose, and an ebony Moose.

Fifty-eight Great Eastern Cutlery knives to date. (1/18/2020) I have giving two away to the deserving. I have four GEC knives on pre-order ! I lost all my guns in a boating accident ! 2020 Oregon Knife Collectors Association member ! [attachment=0]81795999_2051846534961763_479945106221170688_o.jpg

I've always liked knives, but I'm no collector. I do seem to accumulate them over time.

I was attracted to GEC because I wanted a high quality, American made knife crafted the old fashioned way. GEC scratched that itch. I got a few custom slipjoints before I got into GEC. Though not at that level of workmanship (despite what some overly excited folks might say), GEC does make a great knife. Had they hit their stride earlier I may not have ever felt the need to go custom.

I have owned eight knives, though I only have four left. I'm a user, I don't enjoy having a bunch of pristine knives that I'm afraid of peppering.

My only regret is that I sold my #15 PPP barlow spearpoint, stag #72 spearpoint, and #77 2014 forum knife too early. If I had held onto them a bit longer I might have been able to turn them into a couple of Case/Bose annual collabs.