#12 Small Toothpick

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BAX229
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by BAX229 »

Another GEC with a crack from the factory...what is going on?!?

I'm sure it's a "natural crack," right?
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Onearmbladejunkie »

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WillyCamaro
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by WillyCamaro »

Probably the bone they are using is very brittle. Also pinning it really low probably has something to do with it. Thin bone + pin + hammer + crack.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Modern Slip Joints »

My first GEC purchase was three single blade #12s. Favoring less expensive brands I had completely ignored GEC so all I knew was that at the asking price for the three I'd regret it if I did not jump on them. I got two Tidoutes with Turkish clip blades and a saber ground Northfield. While I prefer the broader saber ground clip and would prefer a standard clip over the Turkish clips slender blades are traditional in toothpicks for filleting fish. Large toothpichs are so popular with fishermen that they are the pattern most commonly offered with a fish scaler/hook remover/bottle opener tool. The long slender pattern is a natural for that role. In contrast #12s are a reproduction of pre-WW II Remingtons that have handles that are broader for their length than any other recently manufactured toothpicks. A broader clip better matches the #12 pattern.

I'm not good at numbering snap but I'd call the spring strength of all three of mine perfect for a 4" knife. It is likely GEC is stamping current springs out of the same metal so it is likely their snap is also nice. My jigged River Blue Tidoute #12 has the most attractive color that I've seen on pocket knife bone. However, with three in hand I will not buy another unless GEC makes some with more than one blade. In the past they've made #12s with an additional pen blade. Since the clip master already provides a fine point a standard clip combined with a sheep's foot would make a very tempting #12.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by kootenay joe »

Can you please post a picture of "My jigged River Blue Tidoute #12' ?
I have not heard of these handles and cannot find it on the GEC site.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

Got my aqua camel bone in yesterday. I love the color on this and size is perfect.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by robbobus »

That is a nice looking toothpick. I'm a little overspent or I would have picked up one.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Tsar Bomba »

Tsar Bomba wrote:
kootenay joe wrote:TB please be sure to post your evaluation of this knife when they arrive. One of the dealers gives 6.5 as pull strength which sounds about perfect for this knife. Hopefully all have a similar strength spring.
Similar to CK who says snap is a 6 while W&T is 4 of 5. I'll post my impressions when the first gets here (had to order from 2 dealers to get 2 knives). I turned out not to be too disappointed on the change from green camel bone to aqua blue and I think the size of the 12 is right in the wheelhouse for this pattern.
So I got my two #12s in smooth aqua camel bone. 2 different dealers, one via reserve and one via open stock.

My phone is on the fritz so no pics currently.

First, the reserved knife. Matched, deep blue-green bone with end-to-end color in various hues as commonly seen in camel bone. Perfect centering. Great W&T (4/5 might be an understatement). Run-up is great if not flawless (no visible bumps, feels smooth). Snaps well but not obscenely in both directions (I'd call it a solid 5 on both open and close). Good, GEC-quality F&F. Since I'm out of pocket on photos, I will say that this knife looks very much like the one pictured by Sharpnshinyknives today and not at all like kootenay joe's lovely "soft green" from before. BTW, the edge on mine was razor-sharp (though I have gotten GECs that required a few passes on a stone right out of the tube).

Second, the open stock knife. The mark side bone is like some of the 80s Case Appy knives that came out with very little absorbed dye except for small patches - in this case, a "stripe" down the middle of the handle in an almost perfect lien with the houndstooth shield, plus some random light dye towards the edges. This, for me, is not a problem, as this knife is intended to be a user (and as a general fan of camel bone on knives I kinda like the way it looks). But with the deep blue green color of the pile side bone, the knife could come off like a cobbled or half-rehandled knife to the unwashed. Construction is good with a couple notable exceptions. The blade veers pretty decisively to the left in the well when looking at it from above with the pivot end at the top. It doesn't rub the liner but it's nowhere near centered as some people demand from GEC. Again, not a problem for me on a user knife, but it's not as if I paid any less for this one than I did for the reserve/safe queen. Run-up is also disappointing - there is a noticeable bump between spring and blade tang, although the blade does open straight and true like the reserved knife. Finally, the action is rough. I haven't taken any quick release to it as of yet (this one just showed up today) but it's gonna require some work and I hope it doesn't have a permanent gritty condition like some of the late model Queens were famous for. Blade is also sharp although not as sharp as the first one (but not dull as KJ described his). Once I work the pivot a bit I'm putting the knife to an Arkansas stone.

Oh, and since it's become an issue for some GEC shipments lately, neither knife has any cracks in the handles.

Conclusion: With the drastic increase in output from GEC for 2019, I believe our worst fears are coming true. Consistency in QA appears to be suffering, badly in some areas, and I feel like they are treading a thin line that might stick them with the same kind of stigma Queen/Schatt & Morgan was burdened with near the end.

Really hoping the upcoming punch whittler is a shorter run than these (and that our AAPK #97 isn't rushed out to us without due diligence).
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by JohnR »

Got mine and really like it, pretty high quality, only negative is it could be sharper, they were coming through quite sharp recently so makes me wonder if they are training someone new, other than that exceptionally well made knife.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Tsar Bomba »

Looks like Roland's Jade green is the rarity in this run and the darker mottled blue-green is the order of the day for this variation. Also looks like this #12 run isn't really wowing the GEC collector base. ::shrug::

As a follow up to my review, I am finding the user knife to be quite excellent at what it was designed to do - cutting. The blade is broader than comparable Case medium toothpicks and about the same as the #112 from Queen. The 1095 is holding an edge rather well and it is slender enough to vanish in the LFP. It's a looker, too, really validating my preference for camel bone over bovine (sorry, cows) and drawing comments from bystanders. GEC has got their hooks on me when it comes to camel bone and houndstooth shields. I'm glad to have another muskrat clip in the user pile, too. Unlike some others I'm a little overwhelmed with standard clip masters like the GEC #1 blade.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

Tsar Bomba wrote:Looks like Roland's Jade green is the rarity in this run and the darker mottled blue-green is the order of the day for this variation. Also looks like this #12 run isn't really wowing the GEC collector base. ::shrug::

As a follow up to my review, I am finding the user knife to be quite excellent at what it was designed to do - cutting. The blade is broader than comparable Case medium toothpicks and about the same as the #112 from Queen. The 1095 is holding an edge rather well and it is slender enough to vanish in the LFP. It's a looker, too, really validating my preference for camel bone over bovine (sorry, cows) and drawing comments from bystanders. GEC has got their hooks on me when it comes to camel bone and houndstooth shields. I'm glad to have another muskrat clip in the user pile, too. Unlike some others I'm a little overwhelmed with standard clip masters like the GEC #1 blade.
I just added my 12 to my GEC display case and I have to tell you, it is the one your eyes go to now. Made me think I need to collect more of this pattern in different handle materials. This might be a very underappreciated pattern. Once people get their hands on them, I think they will pick up in popularity. I need to take a picture of the display and let everyone see for themselves.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

Here is my display case of GEC’s the other pic is of my spill over where my new ones go until they get organized. That toothpick stands out as does the Yellow Rose 97.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Doc B »

Nice lineup!
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by kennedy knives »

Great looking GEC's you have there Love that Northwoods also ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by m0nk »

You can probably hear the munching and crunching sounds now... that's the sound of me eating my words. I ordered my #12 Dark Chestnut SFO late Saturday night, and it arrived here today. As much as I disliked the look of the pattern/blade combo, three things happened that made me change my mind:
1. A couple of months ago my wife and I had dinner at a nice restaurant, which is a rare occasion for us, and we used these Laguiole-style steak knives. The #12 reminds me of those knives and the happy memories of that occasion.
2. On Friday I was eating lunch at work, using my #48 Improved Trapper to slice through some tough sausage casing. Made me think how good a muskrat blade is as a steak/sausage/pork chop/whatever knife. And I wished again that I had the single blade version for slimmer pocket carry.
3. And the real selling point for me was the pictures of that beautiful Dark Chestnut bone. Too nice looking to pass up...

But unfortunately for me, my knife does NOT look like the pictures! Once again I received a lighter than expected bone knife! First was my pale #43 Frontier Bone, now this #12 shows up not nearly as dark as the dark chestnut pictures suggest. Is it just my luck to get pale knives that don't look like the pictures? I can't be the only one. At least one of this run must be dark since it appears in the pictures. Sorry I don't have any pics to post at this time since this is my Father's Day gift so it's back in the tube for another month. And I don't want to discourage anyone else for grabbing one of these knives. The ergonomics are better than the looks - just the right size and shape for a pocket steak knife. Funny looking knife, but I'm going to use, use, use this thing. If you like muskrat clip blades and want to slice right through some tough meat, it's right up your alley.

Does anyone know if bone handle covers will darken over time with use?

- Lee
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by boykinlp »

Got my #12 SFO Toothpick knife from Frank today. I like it a lot. Great fit and finish, blade centered just right, and snap is perfect. This is my first Toothpick from GEC. I like the size of this knife.....feels really good in the hand.

Oh BTW, in the box with the knife was a surprise. Frank sent me this nice display! It has 2 magnified pins to hold the knife in place. It works perfectly. Thanks a lot Frank!
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by doglegg »

You did good Larry and the display is quiet a bonus! ::tu::
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Sharpnshinyknives »

boykinlp wrote:Got my #12 SFO Toothpick knife from Frank today. I like it a lot. Great fit and finish, blade centered just right, and snap is perfect. This is my first Toothpick from GEC. I like the size of this knife.....feels really good in the hand.

Oh BTW, in the box with the knife was a surprise. Frank sent me this nice display! It has 2 magnified pins to hold the knife in place. It works perfectly. Thanks a lot Frank!
Larry
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I ordered mine from Frank this morning. Looking forward to it. Love the look of this one. That’s a nice bonus too.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by kootenay joe »

There are now a few of the aqua camel bone posted. Like mine they have a translucent, gem like look. Very attractive. I think these handles came out very well and make this #12 a rather special knife. I cannot recall any other GEC's with translucent handles other than a rather ugly kudu bone. These really are a 'stand out'.
kj
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Onearmbladejunkie »

Not happy about the Northfield #12 copper-head pony cut/propeller shield knife. The bone color on this knife is too close to the SFO DLT Trading knife. I have this Northfield on pre-order . I will pop it with blue leather die. It will make a great USAF knife in Navy blue bone with the propeller shield.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Railsplitter »

Onearmbladejunkie wrote:Not happy about the Northfield #12 copper-head pony cut/propeller shield knife. The bone color on this knife is too close to the SFO DLT Trading knife. I have this Northfield on pre-order . I will pop it with blue leather die. It will make a great USAF knife in Navy blue bone with the propeller shield. IMG_8407.jpg

The Copperhead Pony Cut is the only #12 I'm getting from this run and I like what I see so far.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by m0nk »

That copperhead bone is looking really good, it'll be fun to see how it turns out, meaning several different actual customer pics posted here. A week or two ago the What's Happening pics showed a box full of what looked like #1 full clip blades; the caption said they were for #12 Northfields. But the pic is gone now. Anyone else know anything about the possibility of #1 clips instead of muskrat clips in the #12 NF copperheads?
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Modern Slip Joints »

m0nk wrote: [...] Anyone else know anything about the possibility of #1 clips instead of muskrat clips in the #12 NF copperheads?
I do not know what GEC is up to. I can only repeat that my older #12 Northfield has a sabre ground clip blade. In other patterns #1 clip blades have a similar shape so making Northfields with full clip blades would be consistent with what they've done in the past. Is it possible that you over looked a sabre grind in the blades you saw?
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Railsplitter »

m0nk wrote:That copperhead bone is looking really good, it'll be fun to see how it turns out, meaning several different actual customer pics posted here. A week or two ago the What's Happening pics showed a box full of what looked like #1 full clip blades; the caption said they were for #12 Northfields. But the pic is gone now. Anyone else know anything about the possibility of #1 clips instead of muskrat clips in the #12 NF copperheads?
I remember that picture and I'm waiting patiently to see which blade these have. The Clip blades in that pic were like these if I remember correctly.
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Re: #12 Small Toothpick

Post by Modern Slip Joints »

A Toothpick with the #1 clip in that 2011 knife would be tempting. In addition to being my favorite clip blade it would give me a #12 with each of the three clip styles. They could make it even more tempting by adding a second blade.
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