All About Pocket Knives

Besides me of course. I carry an UN-X-LD stag 73 and was wondering if anyone bought these to EDC.

I'm EDC'ing a Tidioute bakote scout that I got for my B'day. I really like the wood handled knives, especially after they take on that dark patina after a few years in the pocket . I haven't been babying it either, it's been a handy work knife that's done everything from whittling trim to opening boxes to skinning wires to butterflying a steak without a hitch.
I should add that I also have the 2006 collection that I don't plan on EDC'ing.
Eric

GECTECHMAN...I do not have a GEC...yet.

But that is a question I've been pondering. When I get one, will it be too nice to use or does it get used?

My thoughts...I'd rather have 4 or 5 great knives that I use, than a vault full of great knives that I don't use (or 10 or 11 crappy knives that I use).

I can't afford any knife that I wouldn't use, anyway.

Upshot...I'm gonna get me one soon, and put it in my pocket as much as possible.

When are those, what are they called, Cigars or Havanas or Cubans, due out?

And I quote...
"When are those, what are they called, Cigars or Havanas or Cubans, due out?"

Not until the embargo is lifted...then I'm gonna get a bunch of Hoyos, oh yeah... ...oh, and another GEC knife so I can EDC one.

Bill

Well, Fidel's still around El Lobo...so you may have to wait on those stogies...

I was talking about these, which our friend Mint Set Man made reference to a while back:

I have just been told that the next new pattern from Great Eastern will be a Cigar patterned knife. This will be called the # 53 Cuban ( after cigars , of course ) 4 1/8" closed 3 blades and even-ended. This knife will be offered in all 3 Trademarks and various handle material.

El Lobo wrote:And I quote...
"When are those, what are they called, Cigars or Havanas or Cubans, due out?"

Not until the embargo is lifted...then I'm gonna get a bunch of Hoyos, oh yeah... ...oh, and another GEC knife so I can EDC one.

Bill

Any excuse for a new knife or a good cigar, right Bill?
When I was in the Cigar business I had opportunity to smoke a number of genuine Cuban cigars. Overall I was disappointed with them. Arturo Fuente's mid range cigars are far better than any Cuban I have ever smoked, excepting one pre-embargo Muriel. It was a cheap cigar, but it was by far the best Cuban cigar (and one of the smoothest cigars) I have ever smoked.

The explanation of this is that when the embargo went into effect in 1961, the tobacco from the crop of 1959 was just hitting the market. The crop of 1959 was a once-a-century crop. The weather, soil, everything was perfect that year. So in late 1960 & in 1961, people were smoking these outrageously good Cuban cigars. Even the cheap ones (like Muriel) were superb. What people didn't remember, were all the mediocre years of Cuban tobacco.

After the embargo, the people who owned the companies fled with their key people like the growers & blenders, and with their seed stock from the crop of 1959. They went to places like Florida, Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, etc. The new soil & climatic conditions and good horticulture, improved the tobacco. It would be hard to find, (I am told by experts in the field), a cigar on the US market today that did NOT have tobacco in it that is genetically descendant from the Cuban crop of 1959.
Those seeds went all over the world. Cuba in the mean time, lost most of the seed stock & the best people who knew how grow, age & blend the tobacco.

There is some very interesting stories about the trials & triumphs of some of the Cuban Families who left to establish new companies in other countries. The Fuente Family is an excellent case in point.

What does this all mean when Cuban cigars come back on the market? Of course I will have to try one, & I will judge it on it's own merits. I just don't have great expectations.
But I will likely cut it with my GEC Primitive Bone Scout!

Yep, I have in rotation a 73 Tidioute in Bakote and a 73 GEC with the sheffield jig. Why? First and foremost, I like them (actually all but need to draw the line somewhere) and I enjoy folks trying to pronounce Tidioute. The Sheffield jig is fun also, especially when I tell them it was dyed in Tobacco juice, Copenhagen, I think.

Anyway, I have managed to end up with 2 of each of the first years release, one set for my son next year.

The ones I EDC are some that I have 3 of. I also use the 23 stag Northfeild, I ended up with 3 somehow, got a few through ebay.

When I graduated from high school in 1966, my Dad had a real estate partner named Jim Cramer. Jim was a high roller and a fairly wealthy man. He gave me a box of Cubans as a graduation present. The box is hand-made, walnut with dovetail joints and a lot of inlay work. It also has a key lock on it.All the bands are hand painted, each with a different picture, each signed by a different artist.
I still have the box and all of the bands, but they are somewhere, down in the "dungeon". I haven't seen it in several years and I have SO much "stuff" boxed up, down there. If and when I find it, I will post some pictures.
Can you imagine? A bunch of 18 year old kids, cruizin' the main drag, in Hereford, TX, in my old '55 Chevy, puffin' on genuine Cubans? We had fun .
...Those were the days CCBill...

The primitive bone handle material has looked quite cool on the ones shown here.

I will be interested in the Cigar pattern, and await it's unveiling.

Dale, you've been fortunate enough to have acquired experience and knowledge in two of my favorite hobbies, cutlery and cigars.
I too, will be awaiting the opportunity to legally try some cigars from the modern day "Island South of Miami." At one time I had around 600 cigars in my humidors. But, in this dry desert climate, it is quite difficult to keep them anywhere near 70/70. I'm probably down to around 200 now...at least I can manage that number. I do like most of the Fuente's offerings, but am partial to maduro Padrons, and El Rey del Mundos.

Sorry for the drift... ...hey, maybe the new Cigar GEC will have a cutter for one of the blades.

Bill

Bill, maybe they'll use the Sheffield Tobacco jigged handles
That was a great post Dale, quite the learning experience these threads are!

Eric

El Lobo wrote:Sorry for the drift... ...hey, maybe the new Cigar GEC will have a cutter for one of the blades.
Bill

AYE, we be a drifty bunch. Just a thought, It would be a fun marketing ploy to have those Cubans to be packaged like I see some single cigars in a tube. Don't know if those are any good or not, I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to cigars. OK OK, make that totally ignorant

Now I'm sorry for bringing the whole GEC Cuban thing up.

You cigar fans are making me jealous.

I quit smoking in January.

But now, 7 bucks a week (the price of 1 pack of smokes in Chicago!) goes into the "knife fund."

Is it the correct spelling Bokote or Bocote?
I see it most of the time with a K, but the price sheet they sent me from the factory has it spelled with a C.

I'm going with Bocote.....

http://www.anexotichardwood.com/cocobolo.html

Cool stuff!

Bill

El Lobo wrote:The primitive bone handle material has looked quite cool on the ones shown here.

I will be interested in the Cigar pattern, and await it's unveiling.
Bill

I can't bring myself to carry my primitive ------- yet.

I do not know about this Cigar pattern. We are doing customer knives now. I have seen some hunting knives taking shape too.

My model #73 Northfield Herringbone has made a nice EDC and gets a lot of attention when you whip it out to cut this or that...The size of this knife is great as its not too big for the pocket but just the right size for any job..

Sunburst

El Lobo wrote:The primitive bone handle material has looked quite cool on the ones Dale, you've been fortunate enough to have acquired experience and knowledge in two of my favorite hobbies, cutlery and cigars.
Bill

It was great fun Bill. Managing three stores, two of which were cigar (and pipe) stores that carried nice knives as a men's gift items, (mostly Al Mar, Kershaw & Benchmade). The third store was a full cutlery store & cigar store combined. We here the only cutlery store in Salem (the state capitol) for a period of time & well as the only cigar store. It was great fun. I loved all the salesman's sample cigars. I wish the cutlery salesman were as generous.

Sqg1 wrote:Is it the correct spelling Bokote or Bocote?
I see it most of the time with a K, but the price sheet they sent me from the factory has it spelled with a C.

Bill nailed it...........Bocote (no pun intended) but I think Bokote as an alternative spelling, especially for those of us who can't remember how to spell right.

Dale

I rotate my carry knife, but when I carry a GEC it's a #73 Northfield Herringbone. I have sharpened it and it sharpened very easy and is very sharp.

Okay.Here's a stupid question. I'm sure it means a user knife but what exactly does EDC stand for?

Every Day Carry

Of course it is . Boy is my face red