All About Pocket Knives

So I posted a few weeks ago about some issues I had with a #15. I thought I'd wait and see how GEC handled those issues before i spent GEC type $ but, I couldn't wait. I saw this stag #25 EO at a pretty good price so I pulled the trigger. Solid knife, great snap and pocket friendly. Only things that bummed me out are minor, kind of. The back side scale is super thin at the liner. I understand stag is a natural material so, no big deal. Right? Also the tip of the blade doesn't rest all the way in its closed position. I think if I file the kick down a bit it should be fine. Just wish I didn't have to do such a thing to a new knife. Anyway, I'll tackle that after work tomorrow and post results. Not giving up on these guys yet, to many cool patterns.

That is niiiiiiiiiiiiice!

I wouldn't mess with the kick just yet until it gets worn in a little, if you're going to EDC it. You can't put metal back on once it's gone.

I assume you checked for debris in the action that might be causing the blade to do this?

Yeah, the kick meets the backspring just fine.

The blade tip barely poking up above the liner is a fairly common thing with GEC knives, though I think they've gotten better about that over the years. Still, a lot of my 25s are/were like yours, especially a wharncliffe blade one that I took a file to.

Aren't those just the cutest little buggers. Nice stag too. Just knock that kick down a skosh. It won't hurt it.

So I filled the kick and all is well but the more I carry this thing the mismatched scales just don't sit well with me. A flea market or import sure but, this is GEC's Northfield collection right? I should expect more. They expect more $ from me so..... I sent an email explaining my concerns and after a week they replied. They'll fix it, no problem, for $25. Yep, that's right, I pay them to replace a sub-par product. I know it's a natural product and we can't control how it grows but we can control how we use it. I think the stag should have been tossed or the knife as a whole should have been marked as a second. I know, I know, I'm to picky and shouldn't expect a higher quality for an expensive US product.

Venting complete!

Hey terdl76__ not trying to be a smartAZZZ__but if the thickness of the stag (mismatch) is going to bother you__you better try another brand of pocket knives ****** i have several hundred GEC Stags, and that is just the nature of the natural scales__some are very equal on both sides,with average looks__others are,as you say ""mismatched"" and have some of the most awesome scales ,you will find ____ one of the main things I look for,when buying a stag knife on-line (from any maker) is a dealer that shows photos of back,front, & both sides !!!!! There are several GEC dealers that don't or will not do this ( that's why I don't buy stag from them, unless, I want to gamble on a really nice,one sided look ???) --- Stag scales are the best (IMHO) and each,has it's own beauty / finger-print___the beauty of stag,is in the eyes of the buyer___ wishing you the best,in your search for the ""perfect match"" _________________Monk

PS___ I personally,don't like the small #25 pattern,but the stag looks outanding on yours, from the mark side,you're showing !!!!!

Monk I never would of thoug u had several hundred stag gec The stag is nice on that one,If you want to see bad stag check out newer case stag yuck

No offense taken Monk and I hear ya, I really do. Not looking for "perfection", just decent. I'd probably feel different if this wasn't my second GEC and problems with both. I just think for the amount of scratch they expect for their knives "we" should expect attention to detail from them. Maybe your right, I should try another brand but the patterns they put out are "Old School" and very appealing to me. I'll chalk this up as strike two and wait for my next "gotta have it itch". Anyway, here's the results after filling and the backside.

WOW !!!!___________that #25 looks better,from the pile side !!!!! _____ As for switching brands,I was was just kiddin' __GEC is making the ""BEST"" pocketknife in the world** (IMHO) (not perfect nor custom,but the best !!!) ___the owner of GEC, Bill Howard, (from what I hear) will stretch a dollar$$$$$ around the world and still have 85 cents left over !!!!!___ my thinkin' is there is never a piece of stag,bone, wood or even a knife blade ,thrown in the trash can ___ again,I want to stress,when buying ""STAG"" knives, on-line ""GET A LOOK /PHOTO "" of front,back, & both sides__that's my #1 rule***____below is one of mine,that I grabbed for a quick photo __very,very thin stag on the mark side, but a pair of nicely matched scales on both sides__if you were buying this knife,you could not tell the stag is thin,from the first two photos ??? __good luck,Monk

I think you will have to look a long time to find a nicer stag 25 than the one you have. I have many stag knives (GEC and others) and I can remember thinking like you are until I had handled quite a few of them. Yours looks like it is well proportioned. Judging by the butt end of the knife, the scales are equal thickness. If you want the scale thicker in the middle of the handle the slab would be too thick at the butt end. I recently got a JBF Champlin eureka that has paper thin scales in the middle because it has a great amount of character (high and low points in the scale). If there is character to the scale it almost has to be thin at some points. This can even be the case with bone handles. To get close to perfect uniformity acrylic, micarta, or wood would be the way to go.