All About Pocket Knives

Kootenay Joe: that's a beautiful knife I'd say you got a good deal!

Thanks for these comments. It is helpful for me to 'check in' every now & then to make sure my enthusiasm is not getting in the way of being a smart shopper.
kj

1890 I love the 25s, yours is a beauty. Sweet bone.
gsmith, great gunstock and 25. Love my 25 barlow like that one.
Doug, that's a great one too. Sweet pattern.
KJ, great bones, great blade, that's a looker. You stole it for that price.
An honor to be amoung this group. Like a dog to a bone, Kudu bone no less, I just keep coming back for another dose like an addict. All they have to say is Northwoods and Wharn and the spell is cast. That's it and I'm done, sirens calling, can't look away. Pretty soon I'm no longer in control of my senses and no matter what they say, or when, or how much: I do it as fast as I can and pay whatever price it is just happy I even got one. Hook, line, sinker, sucker caught.

I'm amazed at the variety of the Kudo bone I've seen. However, I will say that you got a nice for sure.

That kudu bone almost looks translucent in your photo's, and Wharncliffe...mmmmmmm

Nailed it doglegg, it has patches that are like a window down in, appears to be clear bone, inside you can see textures and colors galore, like I've never seen. The backside looks like Coca-Cola bubbles, appears rough, but is smooth. Depth like I've never seen or had in a bone before.

43 in cocobolo just arrived and it’s a beauty. It’s got a great forced patina.
Now this is my first 43 and it has a light pull. Anyone else experience that? While open it takes little pressure to close.

This is a first for me to the world of GEC from a very knowledgeable contributor to these threads cause of the penny that was included Antique yellow bone 1095 blade,MAN are these well made.

garddogg56 wrote:This is a first for me to the world of GEC from a very knowledgeable contributor to these threads cause of the penny that was included Antique yellow bone 1095 blade,MAN are these well made.

Gdogg, that is sweet! Nice pick up. You really can’t go wrong with GEC.

J1890 wrote:43 in cocobolo just arrived and it’s a beauty. It’s got a great forced patina.
Now this is my first 43 and it has a light pull. Anyone else experience that? While open it takes little pressure to close.
7A77A187-5DDD-48D8-B303-68C0C2A29ADB.jpeg

The 43 I have has a nice pull. Its not a nail breaker but far from what I would call light.

This knife hasn't arrived yet but I'm looking for some info...I can't find it in the GEC/Bulldogs lists...it was advertised as a proto but it has no markings to that effect, in fact it is has the S# 02 on it..I believe it is a 73 square end trapper.

Beautiful knife with abalone handles ! But i have never heard this term before: "I believe it is a 73 square end trapper."
"Square end ", are you referring to the flush & square joint ? or ??
kj

kootenay joe wrote:Beautiful knife with abalone handles ! But i have never heard this term before: "I believe it is a 73 square end trapper."
"Square end ", are you referring to the flush & square joint ? or ??
kj

kj, it's just a GEC term as far as I know

Wow ! I had not seen this GEC page before.
By "Square end" are they referring to "square bolsters", which LG4 defines as bolsters with flat rather than rounded surfaces ? I think this is in reference to the top edge of the bolster being flat rather than rounded, but not the sides of the bolster being flat. If so then the 73 does have square bolsters.
Or is "Square End" in reference to the joint which already has 2 names in use: "Flush & Square" or "Square & Clean".
"Square End" is not a knife term i have seen used before. I think this is another example of knife company's marketing people created their own term rather than use the existing term or word. Nothing new about this and it is in part why knife terminology has a fair bit of ambiguity.
To me the 73 (& 23) have a flush & square joint and a square bolster. I suppose when you put those 2 together you do have a "Square End".
kj

kj...I think what they are doing is just giving different names to models that are built on the same frame. The # 73 is the Scout Square End Trapper and the #74 is the Saddle Trapper...when you compare the two, the front bolster on the #73 is more square than on the #74...without that visual difference, collectors would be hard pressed to tell which was which unless they knew all the different blade configurations each had used over the years.
this is from an article by Gary Zinn
2014: 15 factory patterns used to make 236 knife models; 18,500 pieces total.
2015: 11 factory patterns used to make 168 knife models; 18,700 pieces total.
2016 (through 9/30/16): 12 factory patterns used to make 136 knife models.
here is a link to the article https://www.chuckhawks.com/gec_2014-16_update.html
this link takes you to the one he wrote a year before https://www.chuckhawks.com/great_eastern_cutlery.html
and a link to home page that the above photo came from. http://greateasterncutlery.net/blog/

dweb, thanks for explaining this. I had not heard of Gary Zinn or his articles. The 2014 numbers of 15 frame patterns making 236 knife models shows how complex GEC has become. So in 2014 GEC needed many names so as to identify each model. This makes their use of a new term like "Square End" seem most reasonable as it is a good description of a knife with both square bolsters and flush & square joint.
In the article by Gary Zinn he explains "knife model" (e.g. the 236 made in 2014):
"Starting with a given factory pattern, i.e., the size and shape of the knife frame, changing the blade steel, pattern of blades, or number of blades will result in different specific knife models. In addition, differences in handle materials used or a change in the size or shape of bolsters changes the knife model."
So a big part of this high number of "models" is that every handle option makes for another 'knife model'.
Although i follow GEC i had not realized just how much variety they offer, i.e. an average of 15 models per frame pattern in 2014.
Am i the only one who is surprised or even shocked by the number of 'knife models' ? The dedicated GEC collectors must already know this.
kj

I posted this on the general forum but wanted to share it here also. I got this late yesterday afternoon and took a quick picture. I like how the handle looks totally different in different light. Out of direct light it's more of a maroon purple color. Here it shows up more red. A GEC 78 Elderberry jig bone.

I like the darker look better. #78 is such a classic old USA pattern that it's official name is "Regular Jack", but called "American Jack" by GEC. I recently got a 782217 in very black Gabon Ebony.
Did you ever compare a #78 American Jack with a #77 "Yankee Jack" ? Same knife except for shape of front bolster (rounded in 78).
kj

Went to Northport P.O. yesterday and picked up a truly beautiful 281111 that languished on ebay for at least 2 weeks until i made an offer that likely was less than original price.
Although this pattern is likely seen as 'not correct' for our times now, it actually works well: feels comfortable in my hand and the boot is a bottle opener so is stoutly built for a pen knife. Because of it's smaller size, 3 1/4", i'm calling it a pen knife, but could also be called a jack. Either way "Ladies Leg" is the officially accepted name.
The handles are "Pink Awabi" which i think is a type of Abalone shell. Although it looks like bright acrylic you might see as a Barbie accessory, they are natural and this is why i bought this knife. (no, i do not collect Barbies)
I already had a 281112 with elephant ivory and the two make an attractive pair: Mr. Ivory with Princess Awabi.
kj

Very nice Roland!

kootenay joe wrote:I like the darker look better. #78 is such a classic old USA pattern that it's official name is "Regular Jack", but called "American Jack" by GEC. I recently got a 782217 in very black Gabon Ebony.
Did you ever compare a #78 American Jack with a #77 "Yankee Jack" ? Same knife except for shape of front bolster (rounded in 78).
kj

I like the darker look also. No I never compared them. The gobon ebony was the other choice I was considering in the 78. But I'm happy with the looks of this one. If I could find one fault it would be the pen blade rides a little high making it a little difficult to get to the nail nick of the main blade.

That really is one of the nicer legs I've seen. They need flamboyant handles. I now regret not picking any up. Yet. Perhaps. I seem to recall that particular shell is from an exotic locale like Tahiti or one particular region off Australia or New Zealand. Beautiful shell makes me wonder why we see so little of it these days. I have quite a bit of AAA+ mop from Queen's factory from the early '90s through til ~2010 but now what little there is has acrylic covers and is not common. Dangersss in working, cost, reliable supply?

In reference to the regular jacks there are a few additional differences. Out at the lake, but from memory the 78s are a bit thicker blade stock, and they originally were much stouter at the pull than the 77s. The recent run of 78s are much more nail friendly than the original run. Also the 78 is "rounder" all around while the 77 is more "angular". Small differences, but they feel different in hand. One of my carry knives is a 77 jack in cocobolo, it is one of the finest jacks from GEC. I have a 78 in ebony which is every bit as good. May be some proper 2 blades left at dealers, if I did not already own I would be hunting one down before they disappear.

I finally purchased a 47 harvester in ebony. I now have the jigged, stag, stag and ebony. Be a while before I retrieve it for a group shot. The relative affordability of the pruner 47 versus the Wharncliffe 47 baffles me. I regularly carry a pruner and for every day cutting tasks in my life, nothing is better.
And the Nortfields exhibit class like classic Sheffield returning.

Doug: "the pen blade rides a little high making it a little difficult to get to the nail nick of the main blade."
Try inserting your thumbnail from the top, not the side. As last resort gently file point of kick on pen blade. Check every 2-3 strokes because it takes very little to drop tip a lot.
kj

Roland,
That is a super pair. I always knew I was a leg guy!:)
Larry

Thanks Larry. The 28 is definitely under appreciated, in part i think due to fear of 'Political Correctness'. With the right handles it is attractive and the pattern actually works well, in hand and with cutting. I hope to pick up a few more,
kj