2018 BF Traditional Knife

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skblades said:
Are we any closer to a manufacturer choice for 2018?
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I would say yes. With all of the work you have put into this, it would be a darned shame to say otherwise. I think we have heard enough from GEC to warrant exploring them as an option for next year, I just feel it is a bit late in the game now to try and engage them, especially since we would really have only one choice of a pattern... Which, if everyone remembers from last year, was a bit of a sore subject for some folks. If we got the subject rolling early next year, we very well might have quite a few options to explore.

This is a good year to let Buck have a crack at it, it has been good seeing the poll thread evolve and the interest in Buck knives increase. This is a terrific opportunity for them.
 
afishhunter said:
I think Buck has it, based on what I've seen in this thread from page one. :)
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SV-97 said:
Since there's yet to be someone that says "I'll handle GEC", I think Buck it is.
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olywa said:
Change is good. Let's go with Buck for '18. Having a long planning arc for a unique GEC in '19 is pretty exciting as well.
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Pàdruig said:
I would say yes. With all of the work you have put into this, it would be a darned shame to say otherwise. I think we have heard enough from GEC to warrant exploring them as an option for next year, I just feel it is a bit late in the game now to try and engage them, especially since we would really have only one choice of a pattern... Which, if everyone remembers from last year, was a bit of a sore subject for some folks. If we got the subject rolling early next year, we very well might have quite a few options to explore.

This is a good year to let Buck have a crack at it, it has been good seeing the poll thread evolve and the interest in Buck knives increase. This is a terrific opportunity for them.
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Ditto.
 
Buck vs. GEC; people just want GEC 'cause they are hot. They want to sway opinion to GEC. However, there are more Buck traditional knives in use than GEC can even dream of making. In reality if your metric for a forum knife is classic, traditional and USA-made, Case and Buck should be first on the list.

Given this year's difficulty in dealing with a GEC product, I think the forum now knows what great "citizens" they have in WayNorth and Gunstockjack and all those others I can't remember for the years they did the work. Oh, thanks to John Loyd for all that STAG.

And a HipHipHooray to SKBlades stepping up to the plate and getting the game in play. Support the process.

As a side note, it's kind of interesting that over the years, no representative from the company that has made the Traditional forum knife has ever bothered to stop in and say hello. Canal Street, Queen and GEC never said "thanks for the support" and they do not have forums on Bladeforums...But Buck does have a forum in which their employees, dealers and customizers are active members. Maybe the Traditional Forum SHOULD give some support to Buck :)

Oh if you like GEC knives and like to flip them, vote for the Buck 532, it's more money, but not compared to a GEC product. It's very collectible ;)
 
I'm not sure if a proper vote is needed to decide if the majority wants a GEC vs. a Buck. Since there isn't mention yet of a definite path to get a GEC #14 made for 2018, can we skip that poll and roll right into the details of the Buck knife blades, handle, features, etc.?

Also, is a separate thread going to start at some point to begin the process of getting a 2019 GEC knife ironed out? I assume that will entail:
1. figure out who will handle the money/order
2. find what patterns are available from GEC
3. vote on what we want, what features we want
4. place the order and wait
 
skblades said:
Are we any closer to a manufacturer choice for 2018?
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We have discussed, bickered, humored, and entertained long enough. A valiant effort has been offered by many, and thank you all for that. It has not gone unnoticed. But we have a lot of interest now, and the longer we drone on, the more likely that it will be that it starts to wane...

Put up a Buck or GEC vote and let this ship set sail.
 
I believe it is time to just go ahead with the Buck option for a 301. The first order of business is to decide on 3 blades or 2, and long pull or standard nicks. Next would be steel and cover material. I'm pretty certain the FFG clip is the widely prevalent choice over Buck's current 301 main.

We still have much to do on this year's knife, and any GEC efforts for a 2019 knife should wait until this year's is ordered.
 
afishhunter said:
No GEC dealer seems willing to step up to the plate this year.
Also, from what was said earlier, the only choice for a GEC this year would be the #14 pattern, with no choice of steel or anything else but the covers and shield.
Even if there was a dealer willing, how would GEC telling us "this is what you can have, take it or leave it ..." even be an option?
"Talk is cheap" "Actions speak louder than words" etcetera, etcetera.
How many Forum knives have been a GEC? I don't know the exact number, but the vast majority have been GEC.
As far as I know, Queen and CSC, have each made one. The rest of them have been GEC.
Yet over the years, and the number of Forum Knives, and Forum members who will not even consider buying a knife that is not a GEC product, GEC does not have a presence here at the forum.
Bill at GEC (according to previous posts) claims he "appreciates" and "cares about" the Forums.
Yet GEC does not support the forums with a sub-forum like Buck, Ontario, Cold Steel, Spiderco, and even several small manufacturers do.
Bill claims he would be happy to make another forum knife.
I'm sure he would, since that means more sales for GEC. But, is he OK with NOT having to put different covers and maybe a different shield (the only options for a GEC this year) on a couple hundred of the knives he is making in this run of 14's? Of course he is! It just makes life easier for him and those working the line!

I admit I have never met Bill, nor have I ever attended one if the GEC Rendivouse. I also admit I am unlikely to do either, since Pennsylvania is not within reasonable traveling distance for me.
I've no doubt at all, at all, that he is a "nice guy" and "knowledgeable about knives" as everyone who has met him claims.
However, that does NOT mean he cares about Blade Forums, its members who cannot afford to buy his products (or even those who can afford to, and do buy them) nor does that mean he is at all concerned if/that GEC never makes another Forum Knife.

Personally, my impression is GEC takes getting the forum knife order and the GEC customers here for granted.

If GEC didn't take everything for granted, and truly did care about Blade Forums, they would have a manufacturer's sub-forum here, like so many others do.

Sorry for the rant. :(
I'll shut up and go away now. :(
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I fail to see how this is productive at this juncture. Your dislike for GEC is noted but still...
 
skblades said:
Are we any closer to a manufacturer choice for 2018?
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The GEC folks have thrown in the towel and are looking at maybe something next year. I was an advocate for GEC, but it's not going to happen this year. The forum poll has 301 as the knife. In my opinion the only polling left is number/type of blades, nicks versus longpull, cover material.

Thanks for stepping up and promoting a brand that I have mostly ignored over the past couple decades. Had one as a kid and am looking forward to the Buck forum knife.
 
I have again talked to GEC and may have to enlist a couple others to assist in the unique components that my company cannot officially complete; but we can figure that out later.

So, if a choice of a Tidioute/Northfield single/double blade #14 would spark any interest as an option at this point - then consider it an option. My only requirement would be that the handles not be under control of Fish and Wildlife; but any bovine bone, micarta, most woods - would be fine. Any other details about the process, etc. can be worked out later.
 
I agree that it is likely "in the bag" for Buck, but I was just saying a vote to make it "official".

This way we can get to the voting for the particulars as soon as possible, and let the discussion be a targeted one about the details.
 
knifeswapper said:
So, if a choice of a Tidioute/Northfield single/double blade #14 would spark any interest as an option at this point - then consider it an option.
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I would love to see a poll for a GEC 14 vs. a Buck 301. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. Thank you for stepping up -- again -- and for clarifying that you're officially willing to put GEC on the menu for this year. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

There's a groundswell of momentum and energy in the current Buck poll that's exciting to see, but I suspect there would also be a great deal of interest in a similar discussion around a GEC 14 -- one blade or two, Tidioute or Northfield, cover options, stainless or carbon, etc. -- but until now there hasn't been a level of certainty around whether GEC is actually an option for this year.

My personal preferences tend towards single-bladed knives, and lately to smaller traditionals, although I do like the Stockman pattern (and its two-bladed cousins). A Northfield single-blade 14 in micarta or wood, especially with a long pull in stainless . . . my wallet is already open. :D

I don't know if a poll should be as simple as "GEC 14 vs. Buck 301," or if there needs to be more granularity at the outset -- for example, I think a stainless 14 might fare differently in that matchup than 14 in 1095, if in fact stainless is an option.
 
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