Not being a "connected" buyer I have little to no chance of purchasing a GEC at trade prices. I do appreciate GEC knives but I no longer have a desire to buy any more for that reason alone. I will continue to purchase them from you Rob as long as they are reasonably priced. Thank you sir.
Up until the release of GEC's split back English Whittler, I hadn't purchased a GEC knife since 2015. ( But I bought an awful lot of them up to that point. ) I took action the moment GEC announced a new knife added to the production schedule. I was successful on the first day of trying to get 1 of each of the English Whittlers: rust orange jigged bone & blood wood. I was able to get both from only the 2nd dealer I contacted: Barry, of Gunstock Jack. What ya need to do, is closely monitor GEC's website for their production schedule. I highly recommend checking it daily as soon as ya get home. Only takes a minute. The instant you see a new knife announced & slated for production, that ya like, ya need to start contacting the dealers right away. Keep in mind, you would be doing this weeks before the knives are even finished & shipped out to the dealers. Hope this helps in the future & wishing you all the best.
@@howabouthetruth2157 Thank you, but...all this for a pocket knife? I spend less time and energy buying a new or used vehicle and have always been successful. Being on the road (for work) is a disadvantage, also not having the latest smart phone nor any of the latest apps doesn't help. I'm just a dinosaur...nearly extinct. lol
@@bdh3949 Hilarious... I know what you mean. I guess it's all about how much you want something. I've had success with first-day GECs and failure. If I miss something I really want, I buy it wherever I can. AAPK has better prices than ebay, BTW.
Very solid built slipjoints. I gifted the red/black to my dad for his birthday. He told me the other day that his Case trapper has been collecting dust ever since! Good review as always Rob.
Thank you Rob. I had Barlow knives as a kid, but have never given much attention to them as an adult. But wow! Really beautiful! The micarta knife is nice! When I saw it, I was certain it was cocobola until you made clear otherwise. Great review as always. Also... good to hear someone say, "I was wr___. I was wr___." I was wrong! LOL.
I wasn’t sure how much I would like that one either, but I picked one up in the green micarta variety anyway. Turns out it’s actually one of my favorite and most used GECs. Thanks for the video, Rob.
440c was the very 1st stainless steel ever used for blade steel in American traditional folders, and it was introduced sometime in the 50's. Yes! And guess which American cutlery company introduced it. ........................answer: Queen Cut Co. At that time, Queen abandoned use of 1095 carbon. Many folks complained to Queen, wanting their beloved 1095 carbon steel back..........so Queen changed the name from 440c to "Queen Steel"..........but the steel remained the same: 440c, lol. Not sure when they switched to D2, but I know is was many years later. My guess is sometime in the 80's. Anyone out there know for sure???
Man these are nice made Knives. I don't own one yet, but one day i will. I would have to have a 440c i sweat too much at work. I can't seem to find them in stock anywhere. So the GEC acorn is the 440c? One day i will own one . I would like to have a stockman jigged bone. So do or can you order directly from Great Eastern cutlery? So when.a pattern comes out is it limited, or do they continue making them etc? I would like to shop/look and have a reference for all the patterns etc. I must be looking in the wrong places online. Everything i see is sold out:)
It is a true irony, for good or bad, that the trads we love are not as used as they should be... if ever. I have my high-end users which I love too, but it's kinda a shame that a pocketknife may be so gorgeous and well-made you don't want to risk damaging it.
I sympathize. Trying to land a GEC on a drop is discouraging. The problem (IMO) is: 1) Some retailers announce the day & time when they’re available for purchase, which attracts the snipers and eliminates people who have time restrictions. If retailers were required to not provide notifications until AFTER they’re available for purchase, that would give more equal opportunity, and 2) There are numerous aftermarket sellers who have “good ol’boy” connections and scoops them up, then sells them on eBay for 2X the retail.
On the contrary, most dealers are totally against "knife flipping" opportunists. We're all against those crooks. The dealers have adopted a policy of "1 knife per customer". ( Dealers don't need "good ole boy" purchasers to sell to, the knives are hot items to begin with. ) But the problem is, these knife flippers can get friends at a different shipping address, to make purchases, so it's hard to catch them during the initial purchase. And I can assure you, forcing dealers to provide notifications "after the knives are available for purchase" will not help whatsoever. A feeding frenzy would still ensue. Here's the best way to get these knives: Ya need to check GEC's production schedule DAILY. Do it at the end of the day. It only takes a minute. The very instant you see a new knife announced on the production schedule, that you're interested in, ya really need to start contacting dealers right away. I hadn't bought a single GEC knife since 2015. But 6 years later, I was successful in purchasing 2 split back English Whittlers on my 1st day of trying, and it only took contacting 2 dealers. But I was prepared to contact every dealer, if needed. This was weeks before the knives were even finished & ready to ship out to the dealers. If you insist on waiting until you can see what the knives actually look like when finished, you are much too late. The production schedule sometimes states that the choice of handle options or shields as "yet to be determined".......and that can be a real drag, but most times, the handle choices are already listed. Being very early, and the willingness to put in the effort, is how ya get these knives, trust me. Hope this helps.
@@howabouthetruth2157 I hear you, and I agree that feeding frenzy will ensue either way. But if the announcement is after the knives become available, it’s not a scheduled & planned frenzy, which puts everyone on a more even playing field. Otherwise, with it being announced prior to the drop, the snipers and their henchmen are ready for the frenzy.
@@howabouthetruth2157 I don’t think my initial comment implied that dealers approve or like what the opportunists are doing. See my other response to the feeding frenzy.
@@Richard_Cranium_Daily I still disagree with that my friend. I can recall when Derrick of Knives Ship Free made NO announcements at all, just post the knives suddenly for sale, and I can tell you from past experience that his website had the worst "feeding frenzy" of all. If it was a highly sought after pattern, you could literally watch them all disappear within minutes, no kidding. I don't know if KSF still has the same policy or not. The problem is, everyone finally sat up & took notice to GEC knives, and they can only make so many to this degree of quality with a small work force. GEC is now making anywhere from 400 to 900 of EACH individual knife. Check the production totals, Bill started doing this in 2017. He makes far less patterns per year, but he's making far more of each. And I still contend that if you wait for any announcement for a date, regardless if it's before the knives are available or after, you're gonna place yourself among a sea of buyers. The only announcement I am interested in, ( providing it's a pattern I really like ), is the latest production schedule update. When that happens........it's time to start trying. Just sayin'.
Not being a "connected" buyer I have little to no chance of purchasing a GEC at trade prices. I do appreciate GEC knives but I no longer have a desire to buy any more for that reason alone. I will continue to purchase them from you Rob as long as they are reasonably priced. Thank you sir.
Up until the release of GEC's split back English Whittler, I hadn't purchased a GEC knife since 2015. ( But I bought an awful lot of them up to that point. ) I took action the moment GEC announced a new knife added to the production schedule. I was successful on the first day of trying to get 1 of each of the English Whittlers: rust orange jigged bone & blood wood. I was able to get both from only the 2nd dealer I contacted: Barry, of Gunstock Jack. What ya need to do, is closely monitor GEC's website for their production schedule. I highly recommend checking it daily as soon as ya get home. Only takes a minute. The instant you see a new knife announced & slated for production, that ya like, ya need to start contacting the dealers right away. Keep in mind, you would be doing this weeks before the knives are even finished & shipped out to the dealers. Hope this helps in the future & wishing you all the best.
@@howabouthetruth2157 Thank you, but...all this for a pocket knife? I spend less time and energy buying a new or used vehicle and have always been successful. Being on the road (for work) is a disadvantage, also not having the latest smart phone nor any of the latest apps doesn't help. I'm just a dinosaur...nearly extinct. lol
@@bdh3949 Hilarious... I know what you mean. I guess it's all about how much you want something. I've had success with first-day GECs and failure. If I miss something I really want, I buy it wherever I can. AAPK has better prices than ebay, BTW.
Very solid built slipjoints. I gifted the red/black to my dad for his birthday. He told me the other day that his Case trapper has been collecting dust ever since! Good review as always Rob.
Based on this review I bought one at a premium and I couldn’t be happier. Now the secondary market has shot through the roof.
More video's big lad.really enjoyed and agree with your change of heart.this was my pick for knife of the year.atb Mr 3xPs
Thank you Rob. I had Barlow knives as a kid, but have never given much attention to them as an adult. But wow! Really beautiful! The micarta knife is nice! When I saw it, I was certain it was cocobola until you made clear otherwise. Great review as always. Also... good to hear someone say, "I was wr___. I was wr___." I was wrong! LOL.
I wasn’t sure how much I would like that one either, but I picked one up in the green micarta variety anyway. Turns out it’s actually one of my favorite and most used GECs. Thanks for the video, Rob.
I’ve missed your knife reviews! Welcome back, Rob
440c was the very 1st stainless steel ever used for blade steel in American traditional folders, and it was introduced sometime in the 50's. Yes! And guess which American cutlery company introduced it. ........................answer: Queen Cut Co. At that time, Queen abandoned use of 1095 carbon. Many folks complained to Queen, wanting their beloved 1095 carbon steel back..........so Queen changed the name from 440c to "Queen Steel"..........but the steel remained the same: 440c, lol. Not sure when they switched to D2, but I know is was many years later. My guess is sometime in the 80's. Anyone out there know for sure???
Really nice Too bad they are so expensive that regular people can’t afford them
Man these are nice made Knives. I don't own one yet, but one day i will. I would have to have a 440c i sweat too much at work. I can't seem to find them in stock anywhere. So the GEC acorn is the 440c? One day i will own one . I would like to have a stockman jigged bone. So do or can you order directly from Great Eastern cutlery? So when.a pattern comes out is it limited, or do they continue making them etc? I would like to shop/look and have a reference for all the patterns etc. I must be looking in the wrong places online. Everything i see is sold out:)
It is a true irony, for good or bad, that the trads we love are not as used as they should be... if ever. I have my high-end users which I love too, but it's kinda a shame that a pocketknife may be so gorgeous and well-made you don't want to risk damaging it.
Wow!
Does the Micarta Version not come with a Pin??
I sympathize. Trying to land a GEC on a drop is discouraging. The problem (IMO) is:
1) Some retailers announce the day & time when they’re available for purchase, which attracts the snipers and eliminates people who have time restrictions.
If retailers were required to not provide notifications until AFTER they’re available for purchase, that would give more equal opportunity, and
2) There are numerous aftermarket sellers who have “good ol’boy” connections and scoops them up, then sells them on eBay for 2X the retail.
On the contrary, most dealers are totally against "knife flipping" opportunists. We're all against those crooks. The dealers have adopted a policy of "1 knife per customer". ( Dealers don't need "good ole boy" purchasers to sell to, the knives are hot items to begin with. ) But the problem is, these knife flippers can get friends at a different shipping address, to make purchases, so it's hard to catch them during the initial purchase. And I can assure you, forcing dealers to provide notifications "after the knives are available for purchase" will not help whatsoever. A feeding frenzy would still ensue. Here's the best way to get these knives: Ya need to check GEC's production schedule DAILY. Do it at the end of the day. It only takes a minute. The very instant you see a new knife announced on the production schedule, that you're interested in, ya really need to start contacting dealers right away. I hadn't bought a single GEC knife since 2015. But 6 years later, I was successful in purchasing 2 split back English Whittlers on my 1st day of trying, and it only took contacting 2 dealers. But I was prepared to contact every dealer, if needed. This was weeks before the knives were even finished & ready to ship out to the dealers. If you insist on waiting until you can see what the knives actually look like when finished, you are much too late. The production schedule sometimes states that the choice of handle options or shields as "yet to be determined".......and that can be a real drag, but most times, the handle choices are already listed. Being very early, and the willingness to put in the effort, is how ya get these knives, trust me. Hope this helps.
@@howabouthetruth2157 I hear you, and I agree that feeding frenzy will ensue either way.
But if the announcement is after the knives become available, it’s not a scheduled & planned frenzy, which puts everyone on a more even playing field.
Otherwise, with it being announced prior to the drop, the snipers and their henchmen are ready for the frenzy.
@@howabouthetruth2157 I don’t think my initial comment implied that dealers approve or like what the opportunists are doing.
See my other response to the feeding frenzy.
@@Richard_Cranium_Daily I still disagree with that my friend. I can recall when Derrick of Knives Ship Free made NO announcements at all, just post the knives suddenly for sale, and I can tell you from past experience that his website had the worst "feeding frenzy" of all. If it was a highly sought after pattern, you could literally watch them all disappear within minutes, no kidding. I don't know if KSF still has the same policy or not. The problem is, everyone finally sat up & took notice to GEC knives, and they can only make so many to this degree of quality with a small work force. GEC is now making anywhere from 400 to 900 of EACH individual knife. Check the production totals, Bill started doing this in 2017. He makes far less patterns per year, but he's making far more of each. And I still contend that if you wait for any announcement for a date, regardless if it's before the knives are available or after, you're gonna place yourself among a sea of buyers. The only announcement I am interested in, ( providing it's a pattern I really like ), is the latest production schedule update. When that happens........it's time to start trying. Just sayin'.
Rather early to the video. Regret letting these slip through my fingers.
Blade also looks like a 44. The 77 is hard to beat.