Lets talk GEC!

Stratkat said:
I am willing to pay for who ever wants to part with one, but I would prefer no patina...
Click to expand...

Ramrodmb said:
Welcome.:thumbsup:
Repeated offers and solicitations to purchase are supposed to be confined to the "for sale" or "for trade" sections of the Exchange.
Click to expand...
Exactly, there's a "wanted to buy" section in the Exchange area. That would also be appropriate.
 
It does have a 2016 tang stamp. Fits in with the family nicely.
LfubWjD.jpg
 
View attachment 1130073

83, 72, and 42

This is not a complaint, just my opinion for discussion. I wonder if GEC is going to lose customers by substantially lowering the number of patterns they produce each year. It seems that it has reduced my urge to buy new knives by giving me too much down time between patterns. I always wondered if we collectors were their main source of business or not. We must not be, because they have made a decision to ramp up the numbers on fewer patterns. Again, this is not a complaint. I love GEC and hope they make all the right business decisions for their future prosperity. But, in the process, they are giving me the breathing space to spend my money elsewhere. For a while there, they had me buying knife after knife as they turned out lots of patterns.
 
Leslie Tomville said:
View attachment 1130073

83, 72, and 42

This is not a complaint, just my opinion for discussion. I wonder if GEC is going to lose customers by substantially lowering the number of patterns they produce each year. It seems that it has reduced my urge to buy new knives by giving me too much down time between patterns. I always wondered if we collectors were their main source of business or not. We must not be, because they have made a decision to ramp up the numbers on fewer patterns. Again, this is not a complaint. I love GEC and hope they make all the right business decisions for their future prosperity. But, in the process, they are giving me the breathing space to spend my money elsewhere. For a while there, they had me buying knife after knife as they turned out lots of patterns.
Click to expand...
I was just pondering this....and I have been doing the same.
 
Leslie Tomville said:
View attachment 1130073

83, 72, and 42

This is not a complaint, just my opinion for discussion. I wonder if GEC is going to lose customers by substantially lowering the number of patterns they produce each year. It seems that it has reduced my urge to buy new knives by giving me too much down time between patterns. I always wondered if we collectors were their main source of business or not. We must not be, because they have made a decision to ramp up the numbers on fewer patterns. Again, this is not a complaint. I love GEC and hope they make all the right business decisions for their future prosperity. But, in the process, they are giving me the breathing space to spend my money elsewhere. For a while there, they had me buying knife after knife as they turned out lots of patterns.
Click to expand...

tmd_87 said:
I was just pondering this....and I have been doing the same.
Click to expand...

Same here. Well said, Leslie Tomville Leslie Tomville :thumbsup:
 
I have been loving the extra time between patterns, I think. I find my interest waning as the production numbers go up.
It's probably nice for the dealers to be able to have some stock to sell tho. At one point, it was tough to find any interesting GEC patterns more than a couple of days after release. I am able to concentrate much more on very specific releases. Overall I think this had made me a happier collector, as I have been tiring of the "lolly scramble". I have almost convinced myself to order a 72 Hoof Pick. Why? Short Run. I don't own a horse at the moment so I don't really have a need. I just like short run GECs. And the acorn shield. :)

I also have been putting some knife funds to other collecting areas. I had kind of reached a point with GEC that maintaining all that carbon steel was (is) getting time consuming.

For knife users who are just discovering GEC, its a pretty good time. 82s have been in stock for months. Up until very recently you could get a Churchill. Still plenty of Pembertons out there, as well as Buffalo Jacks and 81 Moose aplenty. 48 Trappers too!

But when the stock is gone, baby it's gone. Don't expect a non F&F run to repeat. When I was getting into GEC in late 14, the available options were staggering by today's standards. Others more seasoned that me remember better times still.
 
Leslie Tomville said:
This is not a complaint, just my opinion for discussion. I wonder if GEC is going to lose customers by substantially lowering the number of patterns they produce each year. It seems that it has reduced my urge to buy new knives by giving me too much down time between patterns. I always wondered if we collectors were their main source of business or not. We must not be, because they have made a decision to ramp up the numbers on fewer patterns. Again, this is not a complaint. I love GEC and hope they make all the right business decisions for their future prosperity. But, in the process, they are giving me the breathing space to spend my money elsewhere. For a while there, they had me buying knife after knife as they turned out lots of patterns.
Click to expand...

This strikes me as very humorous. It can't have been 2 years ago that there were a ton of complaints about GEC not making enough knives to go around and how they were attempting to create a false market for their knives by keeping production counts low. A lot of the word "frothing" and accusations of price fixing were flying around. So, if they can't make so few that everyone can't get one - and they can't make so many that everyone can get one --- what are they to do?
 
Glad you find me so humorous knifeswapper knifeswapper . I stated twice that I was not complaining. I am just interested to see how others feel. And the discussion was interesting. There is no right or wrong here, and I was not suggesting anything. No one else was complaining. You are in a better position than most to provide good relevant information, but I guess you would rather have a good laugh. This thread is intended for us to discuss GEC. We obviously love GEC, or we would not be here. I wish them nothing but success, and I will be a loyal customer regardless of how their business model evolves.
 
Last edited:
Leslie Tomville said:
This is not a complaint, just my opinion for discussion. I wonder if GEC is going to lose customers by substantially lowering the number of patterns they produce each year. It seems that it has reduced my urge to buy new knives by giving me too much down time between patterns. I always wondered if we collectors were their main source of business or not. We must not be, because they have made a decision to ramp up the numbers on fewer patterns. Again, this is not a complaint. I love GEC and hope they make all the right business decisions for their future prosperity. But, in the process, they are giving me the breathing space to spend my money elsewhere. For a while there, they had me buying knife after knife as they turned out lots of patterns.
Click to expand...
The larger runs are great, they give me more of an opportunity to pick one up without a fight or hassle. They just haven't produced anything I've wanted since the #14 run. But with my luck, when they do produce something I want, it will be a short run... like the upcoming Lambsfoot. :mad:
 
Jiki said:
Being more of a user than a collector it is allowing me time to enjoy the knives I have. I find that very refreshing. Now when are those 93s coming through :D
Click to expand...
I went ahead and got one of those 82s you posted over in the Whittlin' thread, only made a top so far, but I really love it.

Went for the 3 blade elderberry and man is that regrind sharp!

To knifeswapper's comment, I agree that it might seem that GEC is darned if they do, and darned if they don't, haha. If I'm not mistaken, they are selling literally everything they make, so I reckon their business plan remains sound, regardless of our opinion of it.
 
Leslie Tomville said:
Glad you find me so humorous knifeswapper knifeswapper . I stated twice that I was not complaining. I am just interested to see how others feel. And the discussion was interesting. There is no right or wrong here, and I was not suggesting anything. None else was complaining either except you about us and our silly opinions. You are in a better position than most to provide good relevant information, but I guess you would rather have a good laugh. This thread is intended for us to discuss GEC.
Click to expand...

It is not you that I find so humorous; it is how perception is pliable from one point in time to another and between people / groups. You are not the first one that has mentioned this concern. I didn't take what you said as a complaint, nor am I arguing it, complaining about it, calling any opinion silly, or actually laughing. I guess I should have fleshed it out a bit. My concern is that it has nearly become impossible to set about a policy that one cannot find a logic path that renders it problematic. They are now making large runs and short runs. The #97 was around 5000pcs; the #12 was around 2000. Some are much smaller; but they are mixing it up a bit. My question is a legitimate response to the question. If they can't make a few large runs a year and they can't make a lot of small runs a year; what is the solution?

My apologies if I didn't spend the time in the post to make this more clear. But I think my insight into the discussion is relevant as well. As many others may not recall all the negativity being put out in this forum when everyone was trying to find a Beer Scout, to name one. At that time, I remember asking if they really wanted 4-5 products made a year in a quantity that would cover all demand. So, again, when a question is asked, I start working thru a solution in my head. I'm not wired to just say "me too"; I start trying to play scenarios, tried and not tried before, through my head. Sometimes they strike me as humorous - but my sense of humor may be tilted.
 
View attachment 1130172

Thanks for clearing that up Mike, knifeswapper knifeswapper , and I apologize for being overly sensitive. I am just not used to people calling me humorous when, in reality, I suffer from a lack of humor!

Anyway, as you can see, I am a big fan of your work as well as GEC’s. It is much easier being a customer than having to actually run a business, and I admire what you and GEC have been able to accomplish. As long as you both keep turning out products like these Barlow’s, everything else will take care of itself!
 
Last edited:
Kiteman72 said:
I went ahead and got one of those 82s you posted over in the Whittlin' thread, only made a top so far, but I really love it.

Went for the 3 blade elderberry and man is that regrind sharp!

To knifeswapper's comment, I agree that it might seem that GEC is darned if they do, and darned if they don't, haha. If I'm not mistaken, they are selling literally everything they make, so I reckon their business plan remains sound, regardless of our opinion of it.
Click to expand...
I'm glad you found a knife you enjoy using, nothing better IMO.
 
Jiki said:
I'm glad you found a knife you enjoy using, nothing better IMO.
Click to expand...
Thanks, that 82 is just amazing, really. I have tried to whittle with blades that hadn't been thinned enough, and the difference is just night and day.

As to the 72 Hoof Pick, I don't like how the pick juts out of the handle when folded all that much. It looks like maybe it would make the blade a bit uncomfortable to use. Still, I like weird so you never know...:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top