Mystery GEC

[kootenay joe]

Here are pictures of a GEC knife that recently sold at auction on ebay. It is a #73 from 2007 although it is not marked with either year or pattern number.
The seller says: "This was bought new from an original owner of the company." And: "Handle material is natural smooth bone".
There is a "2" marked on the tang which seller says indicates a second even though he cannot find any issue.
I did ask the seller about the handles and was assured they are bone.
The Production Totals on GEC website for 2007 does not show any #73 with smooth white bone or ivory.
It was posted in a thread somewhere that Ken Daniels in the very early GEC days would have a knife or two made for himself and that these do not show up in production totals.
Here are a few pictures. What do you think the handles are ? Do you think the "2" indicates a 'second' quality wise ? or a "2" for some other reason, like 1 and 2 made for the boss man ?
Looks like a very nice knife and the slightly different history adds some interest.
What do you GEC specialists make of it ?
kj

[Tsar Bomba]

I can make no statements about those handles aside from tending to agree that it is 'smooth white bone' as GEC has released over the years. I don't think it is ivory and it definitely doesn't look synthetic. Being so early in GEC's history, some gaps in documentation for their production wouldn't surprise me - especially with rare/protos/one-offs and the like.

I have one GEC factory second, an AAPK club knife from 2017 with the "2" stamp but absolutely no flaw that my middling eye can see, nothing mechanically indecent, etc. Just a perfect GEC that became a user for me because of the deuce. Aside from the fact that there's no factory warranty available for 2nds, I don't see any difference between the safe queen "first" I bought and the second I use.

[biglmbass]

Smooth white bone. One of my favs from GEC

[kootenay joe]

Thanks for your posts. So what seems like a "mystery" to me is not a mystery to other GEC collectors.
So, smooth white bone it is. And also a 'second'.
I have a few GEC knives from 2006 and 2007 and all are tang stamped with the year in all 4 digits, e.g. "2006". So only remaining oddity is why this knife has no year stamping.
Seller says he bought this knife from Ken Daniels' son, Ryan.
It did not come with a GEC tube. Never had one. Maybe seconds are sold on their own, no tube ?
kj

[Tsar Bomba]

I did receive a tube with my AAPK #72, although that was obviously 10 years after the mystery #73 was built.

[Sharpnshinyknives]

Being a recent convert to GEC in the last few years this is all news to me. That white bone handle is gorgeous on that one. I like white bone a lot anyway, but this one is exceptional.

[Rusty1]

2008 they made some smooth white bone 73’s. If it’s not marked how did the was the original owner/seller know it was from 2007

[kootenay joe]

Rusty the original owner was Ken Daniels' son Ryan, and both were involved as part owners of GEC 2006-2010 ? Hence quite likely Ryan does know year it was made. I would like to know why it has no year marking. I think it is a knife that either Ken or Ryan had made for themselves. It has been posted that they did this on occasion.
The seller has said he will ask Ryan Daniels again about the history of this knife. I will post whatever i hear back.
kj

[Rusty1]

Gotcha, then thinking this was probably a trial knife seeing that there was no date stamp anywhere. Interested to here when you get a reply!

Russell

[kootenay joe]

Here is the reply, Seller spoke to Ryan Daniels and was told: "The knife was a limited run for NKCA national knife collectors association. I remember theirs had I believe an etching on the blade. Hope this helps."
So if i can find the years for NKCA knives, i will find the year this came out.
Rusty, likely the NKCA knife are the ones you were referring to; i.e. you nailed it !
thanks for the help & interest.
kj

[Rusty1]

Roland found this after some digging. It seems that it is 2007 and the run was 1of 50 going by the etch.

Russell

[Rusty1]

enlarged.

[big monk]

Here ya' go KJ -- this one was sold by an AAPK member***

https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/ca ... e-1-of-500

[Rusty1]

1 of 500 I was way off.

[Tsar Bomba]

The NKCA examples have a different etch than Roland's, which also lacks the famous NKCA logo (is it stamped or is it an embedded shield on the NKCA knife?).

Rusty, 500 was probably the count for NKCA knives from the same run, not including these unshielded mystery GECs.