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Great Eastern Cutlery Availability, Dealers, "Drops", Etc.: A Place for People to Vent
- Thread starter stevekolt
- Start date
- Joined
- May 18, 2014
- Messages
- 9,008
I get your frustration. I think by and large, the Dealers, here try their hardest to keep things fair. As for people enlisting others to assist in multiple purchases, I know at least one Dealer(not here) who carefully weeds out the culprits, and cancel all the orders. It takes some Detective work, but it can be done.
To your thoughts on “the exploding interest in Lambfoot patterned knives, and while it may or may not be true as to Charlie doing another run(I certainly would have no clue), it was not apparent to me that GEC had no intention, at some point to release their own Lambsfoot pattern. Anything is possible.
If somebody is interested in a Lambsfoot patterned knife, there are plenty of options. One could monitor the Exchange. I have seen(and purchased) plenty there. One could also participate in the sub forum Guardian of The Lambsfoot. The major stipulation is no discussion or posting any other patterns aside from the Lambsfoot, and no discussion of anything related to the buying process. Finally, if you look at the very first post, you will get a good education on the Lambsfoot pattern.
I will encourage Great Eastern Cutlery to consider a run of Tidioute and Northfield lamb foot knives in the near future. It is plain that these are patterns that many people appreciate and would like to have from Great Eastern Cutlery. Perhaps if enough of us write to Bill it might have some positive effect.
I love to read about how the hobby has changed for the worse.
Anyone remember the old days when this stuff was done by mail? You'd get a knife catalog or stock list in the mail. Depending on where you were, and where it was mailed from it might be a week or more old. You'd write back, and enclose a check, and find out two weeks later the knife was sold out. Or, if you really needed to throw away money, you'd call them long distance, and find out the knife was sold out anyway. You just found out sooner. Even in those trying times I managed to buy a couple hundred knives. Scoring a Buck factory find or limited run here in the Midwest or the East was a big deal. Such a thing would be deemed to be impossible today.
Anyone who has the need to be among the first to own anything needs to be prepared for the possibility that you're going to be disappointed. Or not, really. How many of these frenzies are followed a week later by the Exchange being flooded with the newest - greatest? "Catch and release, the knife has a Pull Rating™ of 79, blade favors the pile side by 16Å, but otherwise mint. Price is what I paid plus shipping two ways." Anyone remember the Great Eastern Flood of Ancient Barlows of '18?
Lets face it. when you're talking about GEC, their quirky business model is a large part of why they're such a hot commodity. It's true that they're American made, and that these days that's something that is becoming more rare in the knife world. But truthfully they're expensive, and quality issues aren't uncommon. The scarcity of a lot of what the build is a large part of what drives the market on them.
Nah, no sympathy.
Anyone remember the old days when this stuff was done by mail? You'd get a knife catalog or stock list in the mail. Depending on where you were, and where it was mailed from it might be a week or more old. You'd write back, and enclose a check, and find out two weeks later the knife was sold out. Or, if you really needed to throw away money, you'd call them long distance, and find out the knife was sold out anyway. You just found out sooner. Even in those trying times I managed to buy a couple hundred knives. Scoring a Buck factory find or limited run here in the Midwest or the East was a big deal. Such a thing would be deemed to be impossible today.
Anyone who has the need to be among the first to own anything needs to be prepared for the possibility that you're going to be disappointed. Or not, really. How many of these frenzies are followed a week later by the Exchange being flooded with the newest - greatest? "Catch and release, the knife has a Pull Rating™ of 79, blade favors the pile side by 16Å, but otherwise mint. Price is what I paid plus shipping two ways." Anyone remember the Great Eastern Flood of Ancient Barlows of '18?
Lets face it. when you're talking about GEC, their quirky business model is a large part of why they're such a hot commodity. It's true that they're American made, and that these days that's something that is becoming more rare in the knife world. But truthfully they're expensive, and quality issues aren't uncommon. The scarcity of a lot of what the build is a large part of what drives the market on them.
Nah, no sympathy.
Thanks . . . I believe I will :
I'm usually waaaaaaay off the mark. I casually happen to run across a model that I think I might be able to tolerate, I go look for one to buy, OS . . . or I click on the photo of the knife to see the options for that model . . .
. . . aaaaaand it's a different knife. Sure the name has some of the same words in it or some sheeeet but I'm looking to buy the one blade knife in the first photo, click on the photo and it takes me to a two blade knife. Or I like the handle material and when I click on that it takes me to some handle options that are . . . well . . . not what I'm looking for.
I simply refuse to wallow in the trough for the newest ones. I've come to ignore the whole scene.
I've never bought one . . . probably never will .
I love traditionals. I was carrying a Case Tribal Lock in antique peach seed jigged bone today.
The only GEC I've ever really pined for is the Grinling Whittler in ebony.
That's OK . . . more money for the real knives like the Delica in M390.
That'll work !
Hey GEC :
That's M . . . 3 . . . 9 . . . 0
Look that stuff up some time.
Join the modern world.
How's that for a vent
I do feel better now . . . thanks !
Last edited:
Ya, I hear your frustration...GEC is not the brand for you. These are not modern knives. We are talking about classic patterns, materials, and products 100% made in the USA. Small production. You should probably stick with Spyderco and Case, like everyone else.Thanks . . . I believe I will :
I'm usually waaaaaaay off the mark. I casually happen to run across a model that I think I might be able to tolerate, I go look for one to buy, OS . . . or I click on the photo of the knife to see the options for that model . . .
. . . aaaaaand it's a different knife. Sure the name has some of the same words in it or some sheeeet but I'm looking to buy the one blade knife in the first photo, click on the photo and it takes me to a two blade knife. Or I like the handle material and when I click on that it takes me to some handle options that are . . . well . . . not what I'm looking for.
I simply refuse to wallow in the trough for the newest ones. I've come to ignore the whole scene.
I've never bought one . . . probably never will .
I love traditionals. I was carrying a Case Tribal Lock in antique peach seed jigged bone today.
The only GEC I've ever really pined for is the Grinling Whittler in ebony.
That's OK . . . more money for the real knives like the Delica in M390.
That'll work !
Hey GEC :
That's M . . . 3 . . . 9 . . . 0
Look that stuff up some time.
Join the modern world.
How's that for a vent
I do feel better now . . . thanks !
- Joined
- May 18, 2014
- Messages
- 9,008
Sent you a PM
I would bet it comes down to wanting that one specific one. I have been able to find a few very nice ones with a lot of legwork a while after the release. For someone going after a new release it could be frustrating compared to other production companies.I do not understand how so many people are having trouble obtaining a GEC?
I have had Zero trouble spending every spare dollar
I would guess the best thing to do is build a relationship with a dealer and spend a lot of time in the trads sub.
I am thinking that 29 Humpback coming soon with the coffee house acrylic will be a one to get. Not familiar with the dealer doing the SFO. Any chance C Risner Cutlery is on here as a member?
I don't think they are a supporting dealer, but I have used them with great satisfaction.
They did a GEC 14 SFO in Dead Skunk Acrylic last year that sold out rather quickly, so I would get on their email list and they will generally let you know when the "drop" is.
Seems to me like there's one simple solution to all this. GEC and/or the folks dealing SFO's should double the price so those willing to pay will still get them but the money goes to the manufacturer and dealer instead of the scalpers.
- Joined
- May 22, 2011
- Messages
- 2,818
I'll go through my history and see if I can find it. It was a screen grab from a group of people complaining about it on Instagram. He didn't have them in hand yet, so I'm hoping GPK caught it before shipping.
I think a GEC has a very good business model considering the kinds of knives they make, traditionals made with old and somewhat traditional means and a very significant amount of hand work. Also my sense is that they focus on putting out very high quality knives. The same cannot be said for most other production companies.
It appears to me that GEC focuses on short runs in comparison to the highly automated and robotic production methods used by other makers here and abroad. The other Knife companies, by and large, are focused on high and production and low profit margins which require a large distribution network and lower and more attractive consumer pricing. I don’t believe that GC is interested in playing in that market. I think they are interested in producing unique high-quality knives that most people, aside from collectors, are not interested in.
If GC was driven by demand they would have to revamp their manufacturing facility bringing in new machinery computers and robotic equipment to turn out thousands and thousands of a particular pattern in a timely way. They would also need to move to a new facility to accommodate all the new equipment and people who would be necessary to achieve that. Then they might decide to move into more modern steels and away from the 1095 that traditionals typically use. At that point we would not have a GEC as a high-quality traditional knife maker. We would have another Case or another Buck and another company that would eventually be bought out and moved to China.
No thank you.
It appears to me that GEC focuses on short runs in comparison to the highly automated and robotic production methods used by other makers here and abroad. The other Knife companies, by and large, are focused on high and production and low profit margins which require a large distribution network and lower and more attractive consumer pricing. I don’t believe that GC is interested in playing in that market. I think they are interested in producing unique high-quality knives that most people, aside from collectors, are not interested in.
If GC was driven by demand they would have to revamp their manufacturing facility bringing in new machinery computers and robotic equipment to turn out thousands and thousands of a particular pattern in a timely way. They would also need to move to a new facility to accommodate all the new equipment and people who would be necessary to achieve that. Then they might decide to move into more modern steels and away from the 1095 that traditionals typically use. At that point we would not have a GEC as a high-quality traditional knife maker. We would have another Case or another Buck and another company that would eventually be bought out and moved to China.
No thank you.