GEC Q & A! keep it clean, NO discussion! for beginners, advanced and experts

[Nature Boy]

is the acorn shield likely to be used on a folder again or is the acorn bolster going to be the new standard for SS?

My guess is that we will see it again at some point. IIRC though, gec has stated that making stainless blades is rough on their machines, or maybe it’s the switching between stainless and 1095?- so there seems to be fewer offerings.
I also suspect the bolster design will be reserved for stainless barlows.

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

A question for those GEC aficionados who by far more knowledgeable than me, does the new AB2 qualify as a Granddaddy Barlow?

I'm certainly no expert, but I think granddaddy or daddy barlows are to be at least 5 inches closed. The ones I have are at 5 inches, I'll try to get a pic of one of mine with a 86 tomorrow. They're significantly longer than an 86. The 97 swell centers come the closest to granddad sized

 

[euroken]

I'm certainly no expert, but I think granddaddy or daddy barlows are to be at least 5 inches closed. The ones I have are at 5 inches, I'll try to get a pic of one of mine with a 86 tomorrow. They're significantly longer than an 86. The 97 swell centers come the closest to granddad sized

Whoooy! Can’t imagine pocketing a 5” traditional. What’s the pull like on a large traditional as such?

 

[Misplaced Hillbilly]

Whoooy! Can’t imagine pocketing a 5” traditional. What’s the pull like on a large traditional as such?

All my 5-5+ slipjoints actually have modest pulls. I think the longer blades give more leverage One of the complaints about the 97's was a weak pull. While not stout I'm perfectly satisfied with mine, the walk'n'talk is great imo.

 

[Old Engineer]

A question for those GEC aficionados who by far more knowledgeable than me, does the new AB2 qualify as a Granddaddy Barlow?

IMHO ==== No
The Grand Daddys that I have are substantially longer than the 86 which is 3.88 " and some of the Gran Daddies are 5" plus


Harry

 

[sf fanatic]

IMHO ==== No
The Grand Daddys that I have are substantially longer than the 86


Harry

Thanks, I figured that I’d get a good explanation here.

 

[mrknife]

the 86s was more Big Jack territory than grand daddy barlow spec imo, definitely a keeper

 

[Rookie82]

Thanks Eric. That's what I was hoping to learn about. How long were they "setting up". I figured there would be a logistics time even though they were "in business". Does anyone know exactly when Bill separated from Queen? Was there a distict break or was he ramping up GEC and working at Queen? This is the stuff that collectors 100 years from now will want to know.

Ken Daniels and Bill Howard got together and decided to start GEC together. Ken had been in the knife selling/trading business forever and knew a lot of what the buyers/dealers wanted to see.

 

[Rockon75]

Ken Daniels and Bill Howard got together and decided to start GEC together. Ken had been in the knife selling/trading business forever and knew a lot of what the buyers/dealers wanted to see.

Do you know if that was 2004 or 2005? Good info, BTW. Thx

 

[Rookie82]

Do you know if that was 2004 or 2005? Good info, BTW. Thx

Not sure. I know they "officially opened GEC in 2006" so I would say they must have worked on getting things ready for a year or more before that, but can't say for certain. Getting the funds, the equipment, the building, the dealers, the suppliers, the sub-contractors would have taken quite a bit of time.

 

[PointyThings]

Ken Daniels and Bill Howard got together and decided to start GEC together. Ken had been in the knife selling/trading business forever and knew a lot of what the buyers/dealers wanted to see.

I had read that the idea for GEC started when Bill and Ken collaborated on the The Queen Classics line of knives from Queen. The Daniels family website sorta corroborates this: https://danielsfamilyknifebrands.com/daniels-history/

 

[mrknife]

Has any one actually tried to use the matchstriker pull to light a match? NYC does not sell strike anywhere matches so I can not try this. But ive always been curious to see if it actually works or is more for cosmetics.

 

[jsdistin]

Has any one actually tried to use the matchstriker pull to light a match? NYC does not sell strike anywhere matches so I can not try this. But ive always been curious to see if it actually works or is more for cosmetics.

I have, it works but not until you get to the end of the line, seemed the ridges are too rounded to really grab on. I didn’t think of it till now but I’ll try with a regular long pull and see if that works. If it does then it’s not the ridges that light the match but the quick stop at the end.

 

[mrknife]

I have, it works but not until you get to the end of the line, seemed the ridges are too rounded to really grab on. I didn’t think of it till now but I’ll try with a regular long pull and see if that works. If it does then it’s not the ridges that light the match but the quick stop at the end.

neat! thanks for the info, once upon a time I was in Canada buying cigars and was very excited to see they gave out strike anywhere matches. Unfortunately I saved them too long and they have since dried out for me to attempt. theyre just regular strike matches now.

 

[afishhunter]

They’ve done single spear #05’s, #14’s, #15’s, #25’s, #36’s, #45’s, #46’s, #54’s, #55’s, #65’s, #72’s, #77’s, #78’s, #85’s, #89’s, #92’s, and #99’s.

Ummm ... isn't the 36 and 46 their Sunfish/Whaler pattern?
I thought that pattern was traditionally a 2 blade; (Giant) Spear Point and a pen seconary, thats about the same size of a "normal" spear point?

A practical easy to carry pattern that vanishes in your pocket (probably due to the spring to spine height), at any rate.

 

[mrknife]

Yeah i remember that rendezvous knife, you could fry an egg on that whaler blade, thats how hot it was that rendezvous

 

[Nature Boy]

I don’t know of many traditional knives with combs either, and yet gec has made two knives with combs this year, and single blade sunfish and whalers previously. That Bill Howard…

 

[Will Power]

Comb Over, hopefully...

As for match striker pulls, if the blade's too polished, crocus, it's going to be difficult..depends on the teeth used too. Non safety matches getting very scarce, more proof of catastrophe culture engulfing sanity

 

[btb01]

Ummm ... isn't the 36 and 46 their Sunfish/Whaler pattern?
I thought that pattern was traditionally a 2 blade; (Giant) Spear Point and a pen seconary, thats about the same size of a "normal" spear point?

A practical easy to carry pattern that vanishes in your pocket (probably due to the spring to spine height), at any rate.

Yeah, most of the #46’s have been two-blade, like this one:

…but they’ve done a single spear before, too.

Same with the #36’s.

 

[kamagong]

Who came up with the term 'lolly scramble' to describe the Great GEC Hunt? Meako? I want to make sure we give that wordsmith the proper credit. I've seen the term used in at least a couple of other forums.