Great knife with nice lines!
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"Black Box" Winchesters
- Thread starter mckgreg
- Start date
I had been recently looking to buy a stag 1950 and not having any luck. Which got me thinking what is the difference between the 1950 and 1927? So i dug out the case with my BB knives as i knew there was a bone 1927. And then found a stag 1950 as well. Later i found another user 1950 in another box. I definitely have too many knives, it is a good problem as compared to not enough. Anyway, the only difference besides the handles are the tang stamps of 1927 and 1950. As i had quite a number of GEC knives out I thought i would do a few apples to apples comparisons. The Winchester 3904 and 2904 and the GEC 29 and 48. They really are of comparable quality and fit and finish. From a GEC fan viewpoint, they are more like different runs of 29s and 48s. I should have compared the 22 and small gunstock as well. I just found out it has become much easier to post pics on bf so I will have to dig them out again soon for some better pics.
Travman
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- Jan 26, 2016
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Nate, do you have a picture of that knife to share?
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2021
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I wish I could. I’m having difficulty again trying to upload photos
I've always thought the F&F on BBW's was better than GEC.
That GEC blade configuration is more harness jack than whittler to me.
sunknife
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I think you hit the lottery with the grain pattern on the osage 29, beautiful.Three Spring Whittlers: Winchester 3904 and its closely related GEC cousin
The Winchester pretty sweet as well.
I only have one black box Winchester, killer stag on a banana trapper, couldn't be better, and the pins are sweet, thus it ain't a GEC
I agree harness jack or maybe stockman...no whittler.
Travman
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The patterns share almost identical dimensions, the same pattern shape, and both are three spring whittlers. Bill Howard was in charge at Queen when the Black Box Winchesters were made. He is in charge of GEC now and when they made the 29’s. At the picnic in 2020 Bill Howard told us that he based the GEC 29 pattern on the Winchester 3904 he had done years earlier.
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Well the handle might be a whittler but with a punch...not for whittling You can whittle with the Winchester, but two pen blades? To me, Queen has had better designs for a whittlin 'nif...or pattern I think Howard gets too much credit for Queen's designs. Proof being GEC product line ain't as good as Queen brands and their contract knives. Winchesters are definitely neat knives!
You can whittle with the Winchester, but two pen blades? To me, Queen has had better designs for a whittlin 'nif...or pattern I think Howard gets too much credit for Queen's designs. Proof being GEC product line ain't as good as Queen brands and their contract knives. Winchesters are definitely neat knives!
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I do love your black box collection! There are some treasures in there!
The 2851 Gunstock jack. I think it compares better with GEC 22 Magnum instead of the 44 as I consider it a smaller jack. Excellent walk and talk and a firmer pull on all the gunstocks here. Actually managed to slice the back of my thumb knuckle withe the stag Winchester. Looks of it, the only thing it has cut in its 30 years of existence. I got the pearl in a lot of 6 pearl Winchesters a number of years ago, it was the only one used and was absolutely PACKED with pocket lint. Cleaned it out and has walk and talk just like the other still. I have many pearl handled knives and this is for sure the most used and intact handle of any. An earlier criticism of GEC was in their pinning of the handles. Particularly on the smaller knives the way it was done with the Winchesters does appear superior. That said, the fitment of the GEC knives as far as blade to spring, flushness in all positions and shield inletting is better with GEC. I think they are all wonderful and don't generally give any consideration one way or the other. I have 2 more models on the table after this.
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And now the 3904 3 spring whittler. This is so similar to the GEC 29, in particular the Maher & Grosh version. The only significant difference is the cutting of the secondary backsprings. Inside the welln, on the Winchester, the springs are cut at a 45° angle at the terminal end as opposed to a 90° cut on the later version. Excellent, really well done folders and not a common pattern.
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Last one for today. The trapper jack. Winchester 2904 1/2 and a few GEC 48 jacks. I only have one really apples to apples version which is the 2010 AAPK forum knife. Grabbed my favourite version of the trapper jack as well, the 2013 2 blade Campagna sfo - top 5 all time right there imo. Queen really got the 2904 right, as does GEC. Biggest change is the Winchester is slightly wider at the bolster and that bolster is a bit shorter. 
Was tidying up and came across a few sealed envelopes. Bit of ephemera from the Blue Grass marketer. Interesting the msrp is finally being realized on the bones in the secondary market and the pearl is getting there at last. We collectors raved about the prices for years being such a bargain.
