All About Pocket Knives

We all have them. Let’s use this as a safe space to get them off our chests. No hate here, just venting. And remember, these are only shallow, superficial personal opinions. Luckily GEC has great variety in everything so we can all get exactly what we want. Here we go.

All acrylic covers are ugly, corny, and cheap looking. Bone is more exciting than wood.

The soft springs on the 97 ruined what could have been a great run.

Cam tangs feel cheap. I can forgive it on the 45/46.

Wharncliffes are overrated but coping blades are way underrated.

Barlow bolsters are ugly.

Thumbnail-rippin’ gator-snappin’ 23’s are the gold-standard for walk-and-talk and spring tension.

Cut swedges and long pulls are the most attractive blade dressings but they should never intersect and the long pull should always kiss the ricasso.

The #44 gunstock doesn’t get the love it deserves.

Whew. I feel much better!

No, we all can't get what we want.
They're over-priced.

HighPlains wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 4:12 pm We all have them. Let’s use this as a safe space to get them off our chests. No hate here, just venting. And remember, these are only shallow, superficial personal opinions. Luckily GEC has great variety in everything so we can all get exactly what we want. Here we go.

All acrylic covers are ugly, corny, and cheap looking. Bone is more exciting than wood.

The soft springs on the 97 ruined what could have been a great run.

Cam tangs feel cheap. I can forgive it on the 45/46.

Wharncliffes are overrated but coping blades are way underrated.

Barlow bolsters are ugly.

Thumbnail-rippin’ gator-snappin’ 23’s are the gold-standard for walk-and-talk and spring tension.

Cut swedges and long pulls are the most attractive blade dressings but they should never intersect and the long pull should always kiss the ricasso.

The #44 gunstock doesn’t get the love it deserves.

Whew. I feel much better!

You took so many of the main ones it’s hard to follow up with any. But I have a few. One they use the Wharncliffe blade way too much. Two, the brown coloring is overused by GEC. They have so many different shades of brown you would think that was the only color they know how to do. Three, the camel bone coloring is too inconsistent. Four, and this is a positive, their use of wood is underrated, they do a magnificent job on the wooden handles.
And finally, this isn’t a complaint about GEC but about the “drops”, it’s too stressful and not enjoyable having to fight for a knife. The frustration of having a knife in your cart and getting almost all the way through check out and finding that the knife is no longer available is maddening.
I have to disagree w/ you on the “thumbnail rippin gator-snapping”, I don’t like knives that make me think twice about opening the knife or losing my thumbnail. I find myself searching for another knife when I get one like that and need to use it.

This has been mentioned before elsewhere but when GEC announces a new bone color we have to imagine what it might look like. If it sounds good we reserve a knife so we can make sure we get one before they all sell out.

Then when the bone is produced it's not what we thought it would be and we're stuck with a reservation that we don't really want to honor.

If any handle material deserves a shield it’s stag.

HighPlains wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 4:12 pm We all have them. Let’s use this as a safe space to get them off our chests. No hate here, just venting. And remember, these are only shallow, superficial personal opinions. Luckily GEC has great variety in everything so we can all get exactly what we want. Here we go.

All acrylic covers are ugly, corny, and cheap looking. Bone is more exciting than wood.

The soft springs on the 97 ruined what could have been a great run.

Cam tangs feel cheap. I can forgive it on the 45/46.

Wharncliffes are overrated but coping blades are way underrated.

Barlow bolsters are ugly.

Thumbnail-rippin’ gator-snappin’ 23’s are the gold-standard for walk-and-talk and spring tension.

Cut swedges and long pulls are the most attractive blade dressings but they should never intersect and the long pull should always kiss the ricasso.

The #44 gunstock doesn’t get the love it deserves.

Whew. I feel much better!

Hey! Wait a minute!!
Barlows are BEAUTIFUL!

Steve Warden wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 4:18 pm No, we all can't get what we want.
They're over-priced.

X2 !!

I tend to agree with Steve and Chris but being over priced doesn't seem to slow down the popularity of GEC knives. Being the "cheapskate" that I am, I drive a Ford rather than a Lincoln, both will get me there. Same opinion for the knives, a new Case or a new GEC, both will cut my finger. Like our old pastor used to say, "It'd be mighty dull world if everyone just ate vanilla ice cream."
Personally I applaud GEC's marketing strategy, create a demand, keep production numbers low, price goes up. We can't say that about Case and their production of say run of the mill 3254 Trappers. If one store is out the next hardware, auto parts store or farm supply, down the road, will have one or come back in a week and they'll have one back in stock. The SFOs are a different story but I don't think GEC caters to that market, you know the purple Armadillo bone for umpteen bucks.
This is my shallow, superficial personal opinion. Thanks HighPlains for that factual phrase!
Treefarmer

With what we have available in pocket knives, GEC is easy to ignore.
In my opinion.

My biggest complaint is some what like Sharpnshinyknives had mentioned - GEC has seemed to become dull with all the browns & lack luster jigging. Look back at the early knives & coloring. Some amazing work. That being said, I realize its hard to do a knife like the #38 below in 500 pieces. They still make a darn good knife though. Just my 2¢

Some good responses here, many of which I 2nd or 3rd or whatever the case may be.

My issue is the inability to acquire a knife. This has been discussed and debated endlessly on various knife boards and I have no answers nor do I wish to open that can of worms again. Things are what they are and perhaps I simply need to get over it and be thankful that GEC is producing quality knives and that I may "not always get what I want", which is quite possibly the underlying theme to this thread.

If you're reading this, thanks GEC for producing the quality knives that you are!

My only complaint is that there aren't more manufacturers around like them. I had a few boxes of old knives out last week, GEC made were better than the Schrade Waldens, the Schrade Cut Co, Winchester, everybody. I've had likely 400+ GEC at one time or another. Not all perfect, but all had good fit and finish, quality blades - grinds and steel, and pleased me.
I agree about the wharncliffs tho, but they sell. Generally not to me, but others like them.
I'm not a fan of the lockbacks either, I get to keep my money on those runs.
On "drops", if I get one or four, fine. If I miss, I getto keep my money.
I enjoy what I have, and don't worry about that which isn't my business.

robbobus wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2020 4:04 pm I enjoy what I have, and don't worry about that which isn't my business.

Lots of wisdom in the above as well as the whole post.

The Governor of PA needs a butt kicking !

The 82 frame Dixie Stockmans are the best knives GEC has made. I only pay GEC's prices for combinations of blades in handle shapes and sizes that I can not buy for less from other manufacturers. The Dixie Stockman's combination of scalpel and Wharncliff secondary blades is unique among Stockmans. I know my opinion is unpopular because some of the Dixie Stockmans made in December 2018 are still at retailers at their original price. That happens to be another virtue for me. I was able to take my time picking out stag.

The 54 pattern 3 spring Whittler with 3 long blades is in second place. I do not know how fast they sold when they were new on the market so maybe likeing them should not be mentioned in this thread.

HighPlains wrote: ↑Tue Mar 10, 2020 4:12 pm [...] The soft springs on the 97 ruined what could have been a great run. [...]

The re-curved edge was worse. I strongly prefer stiff springs in large slip joints but despite their soft springs I live with a couple that are larger than 97s. I will not bring a re-curved blade onto the property.

Don't care for toothpicks, just don't like the shape. Also knives that are thumbnail breaking hard to open. ftd