GEC Enthusiasm

[kootenay joe]

Now that GEC is up & running again, i find my enthusiasm for their upcoming knives is gone. Maybe it is because the new releases seem rather ordinary (for GEC) to me ? Or, has the 4 months or so of no GEC 'action' contributed to the decline in interest i am experiencing ?
I did not ever buy every new release but i did very much enjoy seeing the online pictures of each new GEC pattern and handle options. It feels like a loss to no longer be experiencing the 'GEC excitement'.
Is this just me, maybe a sign of mild depression ? Or, are you also noticing a decline in your interest now compared to pre-closure ?
kj

[Railsplitter]

I'm just the opposite. I don't buy very many GEC knives and most of the time my interest in them is low or non existent.

Right now I'm pretty excited because the the #35 Churchill is my favorite GEC pattern and it looks like there might be some more variants of the #35 coming up in addition to the Bar Tool thingy. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

[Onearmbladejunkie]

I am happy , optimistic , and Thankful about Great Eastern Cutlery ! I just wrote Bill Howard cool letter and mailed it off.

[Onearmbladejunkie]

I'm just the opposite. I don't buy very many GEC knives and most of the time my interest in them is low or non existent.

Right now I'm pretty excited because the the #35 Churchill is my favorite GEC pattern and it looks like there might be some more variants of the #35 coming up in addition to the Bar Tool thingy. That's what I'm hoping for anyway.

Keep your eye on Maher & Grosh. GEC is making some knives for them very soon. In the 20s/30s , Maher & Grosh offered an "Indian Trapper" 3 3/4" closed knife. That #35 pattern is right up their alley for that knife. GEC is out of bovine cattle bone right now. There are rumors of a Maher & Grosh #35 Ebony wood knife coming up very soon. GEC is busy making parts for three different pattern runs , until they get rocking with the bone. (information not confirmed)

[mightyzaa3]

yeah, interest has faded a bit. started with Case in 2006 and then found GEC in 2009. not sure how many i have, guessing around 250 GEC knives. back in the day, most of the dealers had all different patterns in stock. like a kid in the candy store. now you have to fight tooth and nail to get a new release. gets real old real quick. and the old dealers now have only a few of the slow sellers in stock. and the whining on another forum will drive you nuts. don't even know what a crinked blade is. been buying a few Case knives lately and enjoying those. kinda glad the SFO's are gone for awhile at least. maybe Bill Howard will go back to his original game plan. i can only hope.

[kootenay joe]

Quote: "maybe Bill Howard will go back to his original game plan"
What was his "original game plan" and how has he deviated from it ?
kj

[Steve Warden]

don't even know what a crinked blade is.

Crinking - The process of bending blades mounted on opposite ends of a knife to the correct angle to allow blades to move freely without touching when the knife is closed.

From the Shepherd Hills Cutlery website http://casexx.com/Library/Dictionary.asp

Look down on the top of a stockman and you'll see the blade that rests in the middle of the well, usually the sheepsfoot, is slightly bent toward center.

[mightyzaa3]

been here for 10 years gathering knowledge from this wonderful forum. This place is so laid back and full of great info. another forum i frequent is just the opposite. Name calling and whining. But everyday i check out both. This will be only my second post here. But i have bought a few nice knives here at a fair price. Anyway, i started collecting Case in 2006, then in 2008 i found GEC. Back then any GEC dealer had a full stockpile of GEC knives. Like a kid in a candy store. Now those same dealers have nothing but a few slow movers. Anyway, in 2011 i met Ryan Daniels at a show in Columbus, Ohio. We talked for an hour or so and i got a decent deal on a few GEC's. Nice guy, but a true salesman. And not a knife maker. Or anywhere close. I could almost sense a division within GEC. He informed me Bill Howard was indeed a master at his profession. (Which i already knew). He also said Bill wanted only to make knives for using, Like in the early 1900's. Just wanted to made a top quality simple pocketknife. Ryan even said it took a lot of conversation between his Dad and Bill to even think of using stag. Thinking back, Queen used very little stag. In my opinion, the Daniels needed him more then Bill needed them. And of course, Queen is now gone. I honestly think this huge circus got so big, and so successful, that it caught GEC off guard. And i thing the man in charge wants to take a few steps back and make enough knives to fill everyone's pocket. Stopping the SFO's is one way to slow the speeding train a bit. The flippers and frenzy of the SFO's made a lot of money. But for the wrong people. The flippers. I think we will see more patterns and larger runs. At least i hope so. After all, Mr. Howard wants his knives in your pocket and not collecting dust in a safe. This whole writing is how i see it. It is my honest opinion. And i think that is his game plan. Back to the basics.

[Trouts]

I'm still excited for the new GEC knives, but I'm also hoping to see more knives available. Hopefully by dropping the SFO option helps some. Looking forward to some new patterns and some split back whittlers hopefully being made.
Its frustrating having to jump on a reserve list within 10 minutes just to get a pattern before you even see the final production pictures. At least you know you will always get a top quality product made by great people with any GEC.

[tongueriver]

GEC- been there; done that. I am over it and have been since it became a herd phenomenon. Great knives. The best. And now, to me, boring. When I get knife excitement it is most often over knives that are older than I am.

[Sharpnshinyknives]

kj, I agree. I guess I got out of the habit of constantly checking my emails for the drops, during the shut down that is. When I happen to check my email at just the right time I jump in and get a knife. But I’m not as focused on acquiring those like I was before. I have really enjoyed hunting A.G. Russell knives. It’s not nearly as stressful or discouraging. Currently I am focused on selling off most of my Case collection. But funny thing. The more I handle my Case knives the more I appreciate them. I am actually checking for Case Select knives everyday. I had forgotten how much I liked the Case Select knives. I also have been getting on several Boker made Henckels and Russell Green River Knives. I got so focused on GEC that I forgot how many other great knives are out there. Of course Moki and Mcusta are always on my list, that passion never wains.

[mightyzaa3]

yeah, i am enjoying my case knives a lot lately. just got a cv half whittler with smooth natural bone. in my pocket as we speak. But i always seem to go back to GEC. Just glad we have the choice. I agree, the herd mentality brings out stupid.

[Rotten]

I have a deep appreciation for GEC knives. That said I'm not feeling any excitement for what they've got coming, nothing against them just not my area of interest. I did pick up a couple of 23's but the last thing that I really liked was the 29's. It actually works out well for the knife fund, just biding my time until the next round of Abilene stockman or any stockman from them really. A cattle knife 35 would be nice though, we'll see, but I'm getting the feeling that Mr Howard is not wanting to just recycle things they've already done.

[kootenay joe]

Great posts here. Thank you all. Makes me feel a little better to know that others (not all) are also experiencing a decline in GEC enthusiasm.
Nothing lasts forever and i had many hits of the 'GEC High', a rush followed by a warm glow. It is a loss to see it go, but the upside is i already have many excellent GEC knives and 'should' not be spending money to buy more. Now it is easier to not spend my money on GEC knives.
kj

[Doc B]

I frequently try...but, get tired of the mad dash...to nothing. Just now, at the 33 drop, At C Risner, had one in the cart, within a second of going live. Within a minute, PayPal transaction was complete and it came back "Out of Stock".

[wingerac]

KJ - I know exactly how you feel. Although I was much later to the GEC circus (only about 2 years now) my enthusiasm has waned during the past few months. I do think it's a bit of depression from Covid, the political climate, etc. coupled with many of us not seeing our family and friends nearly as much as we'd like. Knives (and the frenzy we go through to get GEC knives in particular) don't seem quite so important.

Just last week, I considered selling all but a few of my knives. My wife actually suggested I wait a bit to be sure that's what I want to do. Boy - she had her chance and blew it!

At a minimum, I'll be more selective going forward and I'm only allowing myself to buy one knife per drop - Maximum - and that's only if it really interests me. Last year at this time I would have jumped all over that 35 Bar Tool Knife but now I'll politely pass and save my bullet for another 35 that will hopefully come along soon that I know I'll carry and use.

[Onearmbladejunkie]

I love my GEC Dealer. He is an AAPKs supporter and seller. Mr. Frank of Franks Classic Knives really looks out for me. He retired from his job in Florida and He moved to Waynesville , NC. Mr. Frank counted over 3,500 plus knives after unpacking. He decided to start selling knives at Gun & Knife shows for the first time. And he sells knives on the internet only now. He was a Queen/Schatt & Morgan dealer and then he jumped on the GEC band wagon. He is the only dealer that calls me on the phone and talks about knives. He is the kind of friend you want in Heaven. He is 75 years old and he is sharp as a tack ! He really wants everybody to receive the knives of their dreams. We all get disgusted buying knives and we get spoiled too. Great Eastern Cutlery and CASE XX knives took a big hit this year. GEC has 32 employees. Keeping a small business running ,fighting the government , and a virus is tough. GEC is out of Bovine Cattle bone. The BS never stops. Let's all pray for everybody at GEC. Bill Howard must be under Krazy pressure , I hope he does not have a stroke or a heart attack. Bill Howard is a Patriot and a job creator. GEC & Zippo/ CASE XX is fighting for their lives right now. "Business is War !" Bill Howard is not trying to be a jerk , he is doing the best he can. I am buying American ! If I can't buy the traditional knives that I am seeking , I will and have ordered a custom fixed blade 52100 steel knife. "Buy American or Starve !" I am up to 86 GEC knives ,right now. We are so blessed right now that we can even buy knives , right now. Most collectors are worried about feeding their families and not losing everything that they own. If you are online just looking at knives , you are blessed. I got really disgusted buying knives in 2018 & 2019. I mellowed out in 2020. I really changed my attitude after the shut down and all this virus craziness. I am in for five different GEC knives right now. I bought all NOS GEC that I wanted to catch up on during the shut down. Knives are my escape from crazy phantom pain and this crazy world we live in. Don't let the world steal your joy ! I have faith that some wonderful knives are coming ahead. The dealers are selling out all of the new knives coming in and that is a good thing.

[Onearmbladejunkie]

A #74 AAPK 2020 member knife is coming !

[Onearmbladejunkie]

Black Teal Natural Bone GEC#19 Little Rattler

[wlf]

Apparently GEC made AAPK knife interest isn’t waning.