New Guy checking in... My first GEC: #55 Houndstooth

[arizonaranchman]

Hey all! Just received my very first GEC pocket knife and must say I'm thoroughly impressed with it to say the least. Outstanding quality and simply beautiful.

I've been browsing this forum and other forums the past few weeks after stumbling upon pics of GEC knives and was drawn by the obvious quality of them. The history of Northfield and other similar companies and the knives of that era became fascinating to me. Eventually I couldn't resist owning one of these classic beauties, with the intent of making it my EDC and constant companion.

After much browsing and drooling at pics of the various models available from GEC I went with Northfield and chose a single-blade (Spear Blade) #55 Houndstooth with Autumn Gold jigged bone. I ordered it from Old Hundred Collectibles online (having never even personally handled a GEC knife or even seen one other than in pics and reading your commentaries here) Thursday evening. It shipped Friday morning and I received it promptly on Monday morning at my PO Box - from all the way across the country - great job Old Hundred! It was well packaged in it's neat cardboard tube. Upon removing it I was stunned by it's absolute beauty and perfect fit and quality. The bone handles are beautiful and fit perfectly - NO gap or uneven fitting where they meet the metalwork of the knife. Everything about this knife is simple perfection. Even it's heft is just right and gives a sensation of holding something that's meant to last many, many years. The blade when closed centers DEAD-ON inside it's channel. The liner lock is even something I immediately appreciated (I remember as a kid having a knife fold on me under use and that's a scary thing). I've never had a liner lock that I can remember, so this was something that I found interesting and realized I liked. This blade SNAPS into place very positively and smoothly with an obvious half-stop along the way.

I'm not a knife collector by any means. I'm a few months shy of my 50th birthday now and I have perhaps a dozen knives of assorted types, most of which are fixed blades in fact. I only have about 4 or 5 folders including this one now. All are basically utilitarian tools. None of them are classic old fashioned ones like this. I didn't buy this one with the intent of having it as a safe queen, it was something I chose to be a daily and constant companion - a quality piece that would last me the rest of my life. I can say with confidence that this meets and far exceeds all expectations. I want to thank all of you and this forum for the fascinating and in depth knowledge it contains. It helped me discover and ultimately select a fine and beautiful pocket knife which I'll be proud to own and use.

I'll post a pic once I can get Photobucket to work. At the moment it seems to be out of commission.

[Classic Case]

to the site. Congrats on your new knife. Be careful these GEC's are addictive.

[313 Mike]

Welcome to AAPK Arizonaranchman, and congrats on what sounds like a fantastic knife! Looking forward to seeing some pictures of it.
Mike

[orvet]

Welcome to AAPK!
You don't have to have a PhotoBucket account to post pictures on AAPK.
Here are the instructions on how to post pics on AAPK: http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 56&t=12128

Welcome aboard!

[gino]

WELCOME!

[TripleF]

[Tennessee Dave]

Welcome to the gang and congrats on your knife. Willing to bet it's not your last GEC.

[arizonaranchman]

Welcome to AAPK!
You don't have to have a PhotoBucket account to post pictures on AAPK.
Here are the instructions on how to post pics on AAPK: http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 56&t=12128

Welcome aboard!

Thanks ORVET! Got it

And thanks to all for the welcome. I've really been enjoying the forum here and learning a lot.

Question: What's the edge angle on the GEC blades? I've got a Lansky system, is that the right type to sharpen these properly?

[arizonaranchman]

Welcome to the gang and congrats on your knife. Willing to bet it's not your last GEC.

I do like the #16 Canoe...

[Earl]

Welcome!!! Congrats on the 55,I like 'em myself. Gotta have pics

[IMBand]

Welcome to the best knife site on the web.....
That is a very nice looking #55 you scored, I am a big fan of that pattern.....as seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=35316&p=330539&hil ... te#p330539

IM

[arizonaranchman]

Welcome to the best knife site on the web.....
That is a very nice looking #55 you scored, I am a big fan of that pattern.....as seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=56&t=35316&p=330539&hil ... te#p330539

IM

A complete set of #55's! Nice!

Do the ones without LinerLock have a different type of blade lock or do they not lock at all?

[IMBand]

They don't lock......just a regular old slip-joint, but with nice crisp half stops.

IM

[arizonaranchman]

They don't lock......just a regular old slip-joint, but with nice crisp half stops.

IM

OK thanks. Were liner locks popular in the early folders? When did the LinerLocks appear in use (what year approx)?

You guys are awesome, I'm learning things by the minute here

[IMBand]

When did the LinerLocks appear in use (what year approx)?

Great question. I am not sure when they first appeared but remember them on the Old Timer and Uncle Henry knives that
I grew up with. Maybe Orvet or someone will come along with the answer to when they were introduced.

IM

[Wood-Guy]

Welcome to the addiction zone. Yep... Prolly not going to be your last GEC purchase either... but what am I talking about... All I have is 5 GECs...
Ehehehe...

[jerryd6818]

When the Hound Tooth first came out, it had me slobberin' all over myself. I couldn't wait to get my hands on one with a Wharncliffe blade.

[Jody744]

Liner locks have been around quite a few years
With gec, no linerlocks before 2006, and thats all i know

[jerryd6818]

Liner locks have been around quite a few years
With gec, no linerlocks before 2006, and thats all i know

Jody, that's funny.

With GEC, no knives before 2006.

[Classic Case]

Actually no knives before 2007, even the 2006 dated knives were not released until 2007.

[FRJ]

I doubt the early "Northfields" had a liner lock.
Those GEC's are nice looking knives.

[jerryd6818]

Actually no knives before 2007, even the 2006 dated knives were not released until 2007.

Thanks Chris. Added that information to the 2006 Production PDF. Good to have for poor memories.

[coffeecup]

Were liner locks popular in the early folders? When did the LinerLocks appear in use (what year approx)?

Sorry, just noticed this while doing some searches and happen to have an answer for you. Skipping sidebar discussions about some really bizarre predecessors, and some obscure patents, the first practical liner lock seems to have been the one developed by William F. Watson, apparently for Cattaraugus. Patent application was made on August 4, 1904; patent #825,093 was granted him on July 3, 1906. Cattaraugus was the first user.

In the early days it seems to have been most-seen on folding hunters, then was adopted to lock the screwdriver on "radio knives." The design saw wider adoption after the patent expired of course, and was eventually used on the near-ubiquitus TL-29. Given the production numbers of that knife during WWII, I suspect this design will probably always be the all-time most-used blade locking mechanism.

BUT it is important to not confuse this "liner lock" with the "Linerlock," which is Mike Walker's trademarked name for a different style of lock he developed in the early '80s. His work, he should get credit for it.

Jim

[jerryd6818]

Thanks Jim for that information. It made me take a left turn at Albuquereque and sometimes that's a good thing................ Squirrel!

While looking for an explaination of Michael Walker's Linerlock I stumbled onto this and thought it interesting enough to post. Wikipedia of course.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Wa ... nifemaker)


"Inventions
Walker has patented or trademarked over 20 different mechanisms related to locks and composite cutting blades on pocketknives. These include the "Lake and Walker Safety System" or LAWKS, BLADELock, Linerlock, Ball bearing lock, and Tough Lock.

Walker has collaborated with numerous companies in efforts to make his designs more accessible to the public as his original hand made knives are in demand and sell in the thousands. Some of the production companies he has partnered with include Spyderco, Columbia River Knife and Tool, Schrade, Böker, and Klotzli.

Walker's knives and designs have inspired many other custom knifemakers, notably Bob Terzuola and Ernest Emerson. Terzuola credits Walker with teaching him how to make a linerlock folder and Emerson has said that seeing a Walker knife at a gun show gave him the inspiration to become a custom knifemaker, himself.

In 2004, Walker was inducted into the Blade magazine's Cutlery Hall of Fame."


There was also a picture of some of his beautiful knives.

[arizonaranchman]

Thanks Jim, I appreciate the info. So it's definitely a system that's been around awhile. I know I like a locking blade, it can spare you a trip to the emergency room!