2020 New Knives Resolution

AnW

AnW

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I'm not really much of a New Year's Resolution type of fella, but now that the hubub has died down from Christmas I started thinking about the coming year. I started 2019 with no GEC knives in my collection, in fact I knew very little about the company. As the year ends (once my Black Jack arrives) I will have 15. I was lucky enough to get both of the Waynorth Lambsfoot knives, a 77 Barlow, all six Eureka Jacks, a Forum Knife, and hopefully this week a Black Jack. In addition to these GECs, I was able to add a couple of vintage Schrade stockmen, a Remington Congress, and several Case knives (including a tribal lock for Christmas which I absolutely love). All in all, it was a damn good year, but I really don't have the desire to add this many knives to the collection in 2020. Instead, I plan to focus a bit more on knives that really "scratch my itch". When I look at my pile, the ones I'm really drawn to are generally ebony wood or smooth bone, have one or two blades, and are longer than 3.5 inches and less than 4.25 inches. That seems to be my sweet spot and for 2020 I plan to focus on these traits.

How about you all? Any resolutions for 2020 as it relates to this wild ride we call knife collecting?
 
Not really.
I might add a "classic" two blade Folding Hunter.
I can't think of any others I "need" for the "collection" ... well ... maybe the 4 Rough Rider "Riders of the Silver Screen" moose knives I don't have (yet).

That's not to say if a lambsfoot or sheepsfoot Barlow (preferably with a pen blade secondary), for example, or a good carbon steel bladed Sgian Dubh, at a price I could afford came up (when I have the funds) I won't jump on it.
 
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I could probably use new sharpening stones. I should probably resolve not to give away/sell/trade my favorites, either. (Recently I gave away my favorite knife because I thought it would help foster a friendship, and figured then I could have a new favorite. So I guess: enjoy my new favorite?)
 
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I made too many failed in-year resolutions to count in 2019 so what’s the use in 2020? I already have my fire control solution tracking the new GEC 62. Just have to wait on the new releases to see if I can rationalize “just one more.”
 
Will not get the Black Jack until 2020 , have a 62 Stag reserved . Will be very picky until the 2020 Rendezvous and try to pick up some of the older knives that I have been wanting . I do need some more of the Bulldog Tobacco Barlows . One Resolution is to Catalogue my knives so that my Heirs have an idea of what I have .

Harry
 
Old Engineer said:
Will not get the Black Jack until 2020 , have a 62 Stag reserved . Will be very picky until the 2020 Rendezvous and try to pick up some of the older knives that I have been wanting . I do need some more of the Bulldog Tobacco Barlows . One Resolution is to Catalogue my knives so that my Heirs have an idea of what I have .

Harry
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same, not all are out yet
 
I will probably buy a knife or two in 2020. I'm still looking for a really nice full bladed stamped wood handled TL-29, and a good Camillus #72. 2019 was a good knife year for me. I bought say half a dozen, and am very happy with them. Up until quite recently I felt a need/pressure to find some really good knives. I'm fairly new to the whole online knife community, so much to learn there for a while, now I've done enough reading/research and buying to know just what I like. And I have a bunch of great knives.

From now on I figure it's just 'no pressure', wait for the right knife and right price. There are so many out there.

Michael
 
Cutfinger said:
I will probably buy a knife or two in 2020. I'm still looking for a really nice full bladed stamped wood handled TL-29, and a good Camillus #72. 2019 was a good knife year for me. I bought say half a dozen, and am very happy with them. Up until quite recently I felt a need/pressure to find some really good knives. I'm fairly new to the whole online knife community, so much to learn there for a while, now I've done enough reading/research and buying to know just what I like. And I have a bunch of great knives.

From now on I figure it's just 'no pressure', wait for the right knife and right price. There are so many out there.

Michael
Click to expand...
No wood handled TL29, but I did check a standard #27 off the list this year as well as getting a BSA version of the #72.
 
AnW said:
I'm not really much of a New Year's Resolution type of fella, but now that the hubub has died down from Christmas I started thinking about the coming year. I started 2019 with no GEC knives in my collection, in fact I knew very little about the company. As the year ends (once my Black Jack arrives) I will have 15. I was lucky enough to get both of the Waynorth Lambsfoot knives, a 77 Barlow, all six Eureka Jacks, a Forum Knife, and hopefully this week a Black Jack. In addition to these GECs, I was able to add a couple of vintage Schrade stockmen, a Remington Congress, and several Case knives (including a tribal lock for Christmas which I absolutely love). All in all, it was a damn good year, but I really don't have the desire to add this many knives to the collection in 2020. Instead, I plan to focus a bit more on knives that really "scratch my itch". When I look at my pile, the ones I'm really drawn to are generally ebony wood or smooth bone, have one or two blades, and are longer than 3.5 inches and less than 4.25 inches. That seems to be my sweet spot and for 2020 I plan to focus on these traits.

How about you all? Any resolutions for 2020 as it relates to this wild ride we call knife collecting?
Click to expand...
I am similar to you in that I have discovered GEC (and Traditionals) somewhat recently.
2019 found me acquiring many knives.

I think this needs to happen (at least from my perspective) when exploring Traditionals as there are so many varieties of patterns. One needs to try out several sizes and styles to discover what speaks. It's very personal, which is part of why I like the depth of Traditionals. There's just so much to explore.

For me, my experimentation found me honing in on a few factors that'll help me in 2020.

I like lockbacks
I like 3.5-4 inches
I like textured scales like jigged bone & stag
I like a swell-end handle
I like stainless

As far as what's on my immediate wish-list, the AG Russell Medium Barlow Lockback in brown jigged is calling, as is a custom traditional; perhaps something in Damascus.

I won't be following GEC like a hawk (unless a lockback surfaces, or stainless :))

Another area I think I'll focus on is tweaking/modifying some of my existing pieces-- some new handle scales, dyeing, etc.

It sure is fun :)
 
Old Engineer said:
One Resolution is to Catalogue my knives so that my Heirs have an idea of what I have .
Click to expand...

That’s a good idea, Harry! :thumbsup: I have an Excel spreadsheet "catalogue" that I try to keep up to date (I’ll usually update it a couple times a year). I include the pattern name and number, where and when I bought the knife, what I paid for it, closed length, handle material, blade steel, year produced and production total (at least for my GEC knives). I also have a section for notes on each knife, and include pictures of the knife opened and closed. I'd like to find something better/easier to use than Excel (like a program designed for cataloguing collections), but I haven't found anything yet.
 
If I do half as well next year in finding as many nice old schrades as I did this year then I will be quite happy.

I would also like to start branching out more to other old american knife brands if I come across really nice examples.
 
As a first step to curbing my GEC knife purchasing habit, I have deleted eBay from my favorites.
Not that big of a step really, I haven't bought anything on there in quite a while and their GEC prices are DUMB!!!
I'll stick to the exchange and race the "squatters" for any deals that might pop up. Only new release retail knives after that.
 
Old Engineer said:
One Resolution is to Catalogue my knives so that my Heirs have an idea of what I have .
Harry
Click to expand...

btb01 said:
That’s a good idea, Harry! :thumbsup: I have an Excel spreadsheet "catalogue" that I try to keep up to date (I’ll usually update it a couple times a year). I include the pattern name and number, where and when I bought the knife, what I paid for it, closed length, handle material, blade steel, year produced and production total (at least for my GEC knives). I also have a section for notes on each knife, and include pictures of the knife opened and closed. I'd like to find something better/easier to use than Excel (like a program designed for cataloguing collections), but I haven't found anything yet.
Click to expand...

This is something I've been meaning to accomplish for a few years now, but need to make a concerted effort to do. I've sporadically looked at what's available to make the chore easier, but haven't found the answer yet. I suppose I'm using that as an excuse....

As far as what I plan to do knifewise in 2020, I'd like to add a Case-Bose Eureka Jack to my accumulation. I handled one at the Case Museum store earlier this year and can't seem to get that knifeworm out of my head. I've grown to like Case's Spearpoint, from my experience with the Collab Coffin Jack and think their Wharncliffe secondary looks like a great little blade. I don't see myself adding many more, I'm pretty happy with what I have, although there's usually one or two that pop up that I can't resist.
Here's what I'm hoping to add.
nqnqe4c.jpg
 
It's been about a year since I gravitated towards traditionals...I made a ton of purchases..gec,and case Bose, Moki ( wow the quality) then went to the custom side of things pretty quick. Took me awhile to narrow down what I like...

*Natural materials- stag primarily but jigged bone as well. Would like to get something with interior mammoth or E Ivo ry. I have mixed feelings about the latter but there's something about it.
* I like knives 3 13/16" and up.
* Lockbacks have grown on me immensely after my Moki purchases and the case LBW.

As far as resolutions go I'd like to acquire a knives that are in my narrowed down preferences. I have downed mycollection to knives that I won't sell to buy others so my process of selection is a little more intensive than it was. I'd also like to go visit bladegallery or a knife show and have at least a few real life conversations with people equally interested in knives as I am.
 
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