All About Pocket Knives

In my opinion, the 85 Bullet End Jack with Rotten Banana handles have too much Rotten and not enough Banana. I prefer the Rotten Banana Bone handles on the 66. Just proves the old adage "You can't please everyone".

Little too ripe for me too. I wonder if they have more buffing before they leave the factory?

I suppose that's a possibility.

For many of us it does not matter how ripe the banana is because they are unobtainable. By the time the email notification arrives in my inbox the newest GEC arrival being announced is gone. On 2 occasions i did get one in my cart but at PP was informed "item no longer available.
This is due to living in an area in which 'hi speed internet' is much slower than in more densely populated areas. The only way to get a new GEC or Northwoods knife is on the secondary market which means paying a higher price.
kj

I like the coloring, in order for it to be truly " rotten banana" it should be pretty dark...........otherwise it is just " slightly over ripe banana".
I do not like that shield though at all. Seems like something Rough Rider would do. If their buisness model is to make authentic old fashioned knives in an old fashioned manner, I am not sure a banana shield fits into that.

Different strokes. I like the shield. It's what drew me to buy the banana bone 35. To each his own.

Edit: I see your point about the darker handles fitting the name better but I still don't like them. But then, I don't like overly ripe bananas either. Ya just can't please everybody.

jerryd6818 wrote:
Edit: I see your point about the darker handles fitting the name better but I still don't like them. But then, I don't like overly ripe bananas either. Ya just can't please everybody.

Those dark over ripe bananas make the moistest most flavorful banana bread and muffins! Maybe they should have called it " banana bread bone" instead, they could have used a "steamin' loaf" shied... hot outa the oven!

313 Mike wrote:

jerryd6818 wrote:
Edit: I see your point about the darker handles fitting the name better but I still don't like them. But then, I don't like overly ripe bananas either. Ya just can't please everybody.

Those dark over ripe bananas make the moistest most flavorful banana bread and muffins! Maybe they should have called it " banana bread bone" instead, they could have used a "steamin' loaf" shied... hot outa the oven!

There ya go. You're pretty smart for a Jarhead.

313 Mike wrote: I do not like that shield though at all. Seems like something Rough Rider would do.

I agree whole-heartedly . . . just looks cheesy to me.
But as Bro. Jerry said, different strokes .....

Someone's gotta like 'em.

At 5:53pm I received notification from C. Risner that the knife was in stock.

By 5:55pm I had my 1-per-household selection in my cart and was making my way through the payment process.

At 5:56pm, when I finished entering my information and submitted my purchase, my cart was updated to "empty" because the knife was no longer available.

Less than 3 minutes from notification to sell-out.

None of those Tidioutes really appeal to me. I sure would like to snag one of those polished stag Northfields though.

I don't like spear blades and I thought that a knife designated as a "Jack" had two blades. Perhaps I'm confused?

As someone mentioned earlier, "to each his own."

MadTrapper wrote:I don't like spear blades and I thought that a knife designated as a "Jack" had two blades. Perhaps I'm confused?

As someone mentioned earlier, "to each his own."

I landed one of the rotten banana bones and that will be my only one from this run, I agree with you, this knife should have 2 blades, it would be a better looking and feeling knife.

If a single blade knife is over 3 1/2" closed it is called a "Jack", under 3 1/2" a "Pen" knife. But this definition is not rigidly adhered to.
The experience described above by t.b. of all GEC's being sold out within minutes of becoming available is more common now than the experience of successfully buying one.
Anytime in life something gets this extreme, it crashes before too long. I don't know what event might trigger the 'crash' here but the current state of 'manic buying' is not a good sign for the future of GEC. Slow & Steady wins the race, every time.
kj

I do concur kootenay joe with your thoughts regarding the "manic buying" of GEC knives. As it always does, time will tell and I have no doubt that it will be an interesting saga.

I got out of the GEC buying rat race a long time ago. Just not worth the hassle and aggravation to me. I still snag one from time to time when I find one available but I don't sit at the keyboard with a stopwatch when they first come up for sale.

Frankly, with the exception of the AAPK 14 and last year's AAPK Churchill,there haven't been that many of late that have interested me. I get a lot more enjoyment from certain models of Case knives and without the aggravation. I very much appreciate the fact that AAPK has been choosing GEC as the forum knife for us members.

Thanks also kootenay joe for the definition of a "Jack." I was not aware of that.

I have one GEC knife, a whittler, that I got from a friend. I like it a lot. I would like to have more. But, I refuse to play the GEC game.

And I agree with Mike. That shield looks cheap to me.

Just my Thoughts on GEC there producing 2000 to 3000 per Pattern with different handles . I talked to Christy and tried to order 100 SFO knives she wanted an order of 2000 to 3000 . They use to do a limited edition of not more than 100 and even less than that. Those are the one's I think will hold there value . Now Days everyone is jumping on the band wagon and trying to make a quick Buck . I'm guilty of that. Gary

Oh wow, that seems like quite a bit. I’m assuming that’s why collector knives is gonna have about 5 different handles for their SFO. We’re the 14’s set up like that?

kennedy knives wrote:Just my Thoughts on GEC there producing 2000 to 3000 per Pattern with different handles . I talked to Christy and tried to order 100 SFO knives she wanted an order of 2000 to 3000 . They use to do a limited edition of not more than 100 and even less than that. Those are the one's I think will hold there value . Now Days everyone is jumping on the band wagon and trying to make a quick Buck . I'm guilty of that. Gary

Odd that you were told that when the recent #14 run featured more that a dozen dealer SFOs, many with only 100 pieces of each handle material. The current #85 run has an SFO by a single dealer with five handle materials. The Early Reserve on these knives went so fast that I don't think they could have possibly represented 2500-3000 units.

KSF has previously said to the effect that they are limited to 500 knives per run give or take. Checking the production records for 2015-17 sfo runs rarely exceeded that level, and by insignificant numbers when they did.

Hi Ran a few numbers on 2017 GEC Total on Patterns . want to see while Christy was wanting me to order more than anyone else . I guess she just didn't want to take my order of 400 Cotton samplers said there had to be a least 2000 , don't know

13 Pattern 515 one blade, 972 two blades, 453 three Blades Total 1998
15 Pattern 551 one blades 79 two blades total 630
25 Pattern 1323 one blades
35 Pattern 3049 two blades
38 Pattern 2347 one blades
48 Pattern 1872 one blades ,1383 two blades Total 3255
54 Pattern 521 one blades, 954 two blades Total 1475
66 Pattern 2412 Three Blades
74 Pattern 1859 one blade
78 Pattern 400 one blade, 900 two blade ,224 three blades Total 1530

This is looking at Pattern #'s total that was listed on the GEC site for 2017 didn't do them all .
Gary

400, let alone 2000 Cotton Samplers would be a very ambitious order for one to take out. Great pattern mind you, I was studying my Northfield jigged bone and brass last week. I wonder if they would have a different tune if an order like that was alongside a larger planned run of 74s?
74 has spawned so many distinct knives. DLT mustangs, the Cotton Samplers, Northwoods Esky and Michigan Jacks, Saddle Trappers, were the big clips called Stallions?, probably a few more.
I'd like to see a run of clip and pen, or spear and pen 74 Jack's myself. To me it's preferable to the 73 as it's easier to access the blades.

MMMust have polished stag bullet end 85.

The polished stag does look attractive.
What is the best way to get one ? Are there any reserve lists with space that you know of ?
kj

Roland this is a SFO for Collector Knives only and reservations are closed. All I got was standby so we'll probably have to depend on the secondary market to get one.