GEC 25s - Gots 'em?

[Travman]

I'm not a big poster although I lurk and read all over the forum. I'm working on being more social so have decided to start posting more. I've been into traditional's for a few years now. Started with Northwoods Scagels, then Northwoods and finally GEC where I found my favorite model. Of course you guessed it, the ever popular 25. I enjoy any version really but especially like the single blade models. Those drop points above are sweet @joeradza and @CrowCounty. Thanks for sharing! I can't remember ever seeing one for sale anywhere so I guess the collectors that have them don't ever let them go.

Here’s my two users. My current carry knife is the micarta handle. The sheaths are all made by @slipcraft who's a member although I haven't seen him on the forum in a while. I think two of them came with knives I bought from him and the black one on the right was a custom he made for me. I wanted to be able to attach a lanyard to hook around a belt loop so I wouldn't loose my knife. Never got around to setting that up.

Great picture of two great little knives. That Mexican Exotic Bocote was the very first GEC I ever bought. Thanks for sharing.

 

[btb01]

I'm not a big poster although I lurk and read all over the forum. I'm working on being more social so have decided to start posting more. I've been into traditional's for a few years now. Started with Northwoods Scagels, then Northwoods and finally GEC where I found my favorite model. Of course you guessed it, the ever popular 25. I enjoy any version really but especially like the single blade models. Those drop points above are sweet @joeradza and @CrowCounty. Thanks for sharing! I can't remember ever seeing one for sale anywhere so I guess the collectors that have them don't ever let them go.

Here’s my two users. My current carry knife is the micarta handle. The sheaths are all made by @slipcraft who's a member although I haven't seen him on the forum in a while. I think two of them came with knives I bought from him and the black one on the right was a custom he made for me. I wanted to be able to attach a lanyard to hook around a belt loop so I wouldn't loose my knife. Never got around to setting that up.

Good looking pair. And an excellent choice for a favorite pattern (it’s certainly one of mine).

I keep hoping they’ll do a run of drop points again some time. All I’ve got are spear points, and one sheepsfoot.

A couple photos, ‘cause why not.

 

[robcelani]

Great picture of two great little knives. That Mexican Exotic Bocote was the very first GEC I ever bought. Thanks for sharing.

Great Bocote on that Travman!

Good looking pair. And an excellent choice for a favorite pattern (it’s certainly one of mine).

I keep hoping they’ll do a run of drop points again some time. All I’ve got are spear points, and one sheepsfoot.

A couple photos, ‘cause why not.

I went through my list of 25’s and I’m in the same boat. Only spear point and sheep foot for me too. Another run would be great especially with drop point (or any other blade besides spear point). Great knives and pictures btb01!

 

[Pt-Luso]

 

[hamsco]

 

[robcelani]

Here’s a stainless model from 2010 that originally had Grape Jig Bone handles. The original owner didn’t like the handles so he sent it to Muskrat Man for new Elk handles and file work. I believe this model originally had a shield (acorn?) but I’m ok with it missing since the Elk is really nice and well matched.

I think it turned out great. It’s my only stainless model. I really dig the single blade and easy open look so this is one of my favorites!

The pictures are not mine, they’re saved from the original listing.

 

[Will Power]

Clip Jack and Drop-Point Sambar 25s

 

[Will Power]

Here’s a stainless model from 2010 that originally had Grape Jig Bone handles. The original owner didn’t like the handles so he sent it to Muskrat Man for new Elk handles and file work. I believe this model originally had a shield (acorn?) but I’m ok with it missing since the Elk is really nice and well matched.

I think it turned out great. It’s my only stainless model. I really dig the single blade and easy open look so this is one of my favorites!

The pictures are not mine, they’re saved from the original listing.



View attachment 1501026 View attachment 1501027 View attachment 1501028

I think that's a major improvement I never liked those Purple scales very much and the extra file-work is super! Muskrat-Man made me a puukko style knife some years back, is he still re-handling and restoring knives? His work is high calibre.

 

[robcelani]

I think that's a major improvement I never liked those Purple scales very much and the extra file-work is super! Muskrat-Man made me a puukko style knife some years back, is he still re-handling and restoring knives? His work is high calibre.

I didn’t deal with Muskrat-Man. I bought the knife on eBay a couple years ago. I know he has a store on AAPK and it says he still does customizations in his “about us” section.

Those 2 Stag 25’s are really nice Will! Ive always really liked the UN-X-LD bolsters. I wish they did those on more models.

 

[brownshoe]

Be careful with Muskrat Man. I bought one knife and there was a good reason he only showed a picture of one side and hedged on the state of the tip. I was was satisfied 'cause it was cheap

 

[Lift link]

Still a personal fav!

 

[CrowCounty]

When I saw the knife on the right listed on eBay I had an aha moment. A few years back there was a discussion amongst some of the #25 collectors as what was the difference between 2 knives in the GEC production list. They were both listed as #251208LPJ Amber Jig Bone. Sellers were trying to say that they had a 1 of 6 knife (on the right) but they really had a 1 of 79 (50 serialized and 29 unserialized). I kept telling the sellers that I really doubted it was a 1 of 6 as it is one of the more common knives in the knife community. Lots of people (more than 6) were saying they had the same knife. I even asked Chris Tucker at the time and she was unsure what the difference was between the two runs (as the shield type had not been listed). Others in the run with the 1 of 6 do have the corset shield but not all of them so even that could not have been assumed. But now that I see it, it all makes sense. One less mystery in my life.

 

[robcelani]

I got a new to me 25 today and a new to me Northwoods Scagel. I thought I'd include a couple pictures of my matching Northwoods even though they were not made by GEC. They are the Dogwood model made by Queen and were the first Northwoods made after Derrick Bohn took over the Northwoods brand (I believe, if I'm wrong about that please let me know). Cool little knives, similar size as the 25's but fatter.

One interesting note on the 25. I bought it from the original owner. When I got it and opened the lid there was a penny taped inside. The original owner told me it came from the factory like that. I've never seen that in any other GEC. It's a 2015 model and the penny is dated 2015. I have a few other 2015 models and like I said, never seen that on those or any other GEC. Anybody ever encounter this before? If so, what's the story?

I told the original owner that maybe it was the secret ticket like in Willy Wanka. Did he win a prize he never collect?



Great Eastern Cutlery 253115 Easy Open in Red Linen Micarta

Northwoods Dogwoods in Stag and Ivory:

 

[robcelani]

When I saw the knife on the right listed on eBay I had an aha moment. A few years back there was a discussion amongst some of the #25 collectors as what was the difference between 2 knives in the GEC production list. They were both listed as #251208LPJ Amber Jig Bone. Sellers were trying to say that they had a 1 of 6 knife (on the right) but they really had a 1 of 79 (50 serialized and 29 unserialized). I kept telling the sellers that I really doubted it was a 1 of 6 as it is one of the more common knives in the knife community. Lots of people (more than 6) were saying they had the same knife. I even asked Chris Tucker at the time and she was unsure what the difference was between the two runs (as the shield type had not been listed). Others in the run with the 1 of 6 do have the corset shield but not all of them so even that could not have been assumed. But now that I see it, it all makes sense. One less mystery in my life.

Hey CrowCounty , those are both great knives!

I think you are referring to a knife I had with a tube that said #251208LPJ Amber Jig Bone. The knife actually had Horsecut Antique Bone. I confirmed this by buying 2 different #252208B with Horsecut Antique Bone. My knife matched the handles on those perfectly. The only difference between the 2 different models was that my original knife had a clip point main blade and the other 2 were spear point. When I talked with you about the knife I was referring to what the tube said it was. What it actually was I have no idea because the only Horsecut Antique Bone handle 25's listed in 2008 have spear point blades (252208) and mine had a clip blade (251208). That combination is not listed at all on the 2008 list.

The blade was marked 1 of 50 but as I said it's not on the production list at all. Also, if there are 50 out there I've never seen another one. I also talked to Chris Tucker by email and she told me my knife was Amber Jig Bone which it was not. I started the thread in the Traditional section asking for assistance identifying the knife and there were some comments that it was Horsecut Antique Bone. I had no idea either way but, like I said, I bought 2 that had Horsecut Antique Bone and my clip blade 25 had the same handle.

I sold the knife and deleted all my pictures unfortunately. I might have some in emails but I gotta check. If I find any I'll post them.

 

[robcelani]

Here we go, I still had the original pictures in Imgur from when I bought the knife. Notice the marking on the blade says 251208. Here's the model breakdown for all the Northfield 251208 variations:

#251208LPJ
HME Granite 19 pcs. serialized
Pink Squirrel 2 pc no serial number
Amber Jig 6 pcs. no serial number
Red Jig Bone 24 pcs. no serial number
Jigged Walnut Bone 2 pcs. no serial number

#251208J
HME Granite 50 pcs. serialized 16 pcs. no serial number
Burnt Stag 50 pcs. serialized 93 pcs. no serial number

#251208LP
Amber Jig Bone 50 pcs. serialized 29 pcs. no serial number

#251208LPB
Burnt Stag 50 pcs. serialized 113 pcs. no serial number
Genuine Stag 25 pcs. serialized
Primitive Bone 50 pcs. serialized 19 pcs. no serial number
Stonewashed Blue 49 pcs. serialized
LVS Abalone 33 pcs. serialized


Notice the knife I pictured doesn't match the handle on your Amber Jig Bone so it's not that #251208LP Amber Jig Bone version. Anyway, I wanted to clarify what information I found out about the knife which basically boils down to the handle was actually Horsecut Antique Bone and a knife with that handle material is not listed in the production list.

 

[Pt-Luso]

 

[CrowCounty]

robcelani I love Horsecut Antique. I honestly don't remember having that conversation with you but I don't doubt we did discuss it. I don't recall that particular knife because if I did it would have been added to my collection. That definitely is not amber jib bone. Hahaha. The conversations I did have were with other members that did have Amber Jig Bones but with the UN-X-LD shield rather than the corset shield. Thanks for adding another #25 that I need to find!

 

[robcelani]

robcelani I love Horsecut Antique. I honestly don't remember having that conversation with you but I don't doubt we did discuss it. I don't recall that particular knife because if I did it would have been added to my collection. That definitely is not amber jib bone. Hahaha. The conversations I did have were with other members that did have Amber Jig Bones but with the UN-X-LD shield rather than the corset shield. Thanks for adding another #25 that I need to find!

Well that's embarrassing. I thought you were referring to an email exchange we had a few years ago. I'll send a copy to you to refresh your memory.

I ended up selling that Horsecut Antique Bone handle 25 recently to a guy in Canada. I sold him the matching spear point Horsecut Antique Bone 25 I had also. He's a big fan of the gec 25's too so that one is probably not going anywhere. Plus he mentioned that he carries and uses his 25's.

I wanted to swing back to a question I asked earlier about the penny taped to the inside lid of the 25 I got a couple days ago. Anybody ever see or hear of this before?

 

[untytled]

My one and only...

I may make an attempt to pair it with it's sawcut counterpart from that year.

 

[brownshoe]

Well that's embarrassing. I thought you were referring to an email exchange we had a few years ago. I'll send a copy to you to refresh your memory.

I ended up selling that Horsecut Antique Bone handle 25 recently to a guy in Canada. I sold him the matching spear point Horsecut Antique Bone 25 I had also. He's a big fan of the gec 25's too so that one is probably not going anywhere. Plus he mentioned that he carries and uses his 25's.

I wanted to swing back to a question I asked earlier about the penny taped to the inside lid of the 25 I got a couple days ago. Anybody ever see or hear of this before?

There's an old superstition that to give a knife risks severing the relationship with the recipient. Hence one gives a penny with a knife, the recipient "buys" the knife by giving the penny back to the gifter. This breaks the bad mojo of giving a knife. In my family it comes from the Irish side. The knife with the penny must have been a gift once despite what you were told.