I am a knife guy - I have Chris Reeve, DPX, Hinderer, Benchmade, Spyderco, Lionsteel, Cold Steel - you get the point! I started collecting GEC about 4 years ago and have about 100 - I just love them for what they are! Old American craftsmanship - tradition and elegance. Your review was spot on - thank you and I will be watching!
I appreciate you walking through the novice features and thoughts. I’m just beginning to get into slip joints and wanting to pick up my first GEC so I knew I was stepping into a involved world. Thanks again for your thoughts and guidance, highly appreciated
Happy to do it. It's interesting how your perspective changes over time, and it was cool to get my thoughts out when I had really no idea what these knives were all about. Thanks for watching it. 👍
Thank you for this JT. I ordered my first slip joint which it's a GEC #97 and love how you explain the numbers. I'm really loving just the beauty, tradition, and culture of these knives. Just really drawls me in. Timeless pieces imo
After I got my first GEC, I noticed how flexible the Case blades were. The Cases look nice, but to me the GEC's are just overall more substantial, or "heavier-duty".
The Case CV blades are hollow ground and perfectly done. They are slim made for people who actually cut and regularly sharpen their knives to keep working with them.
Spoiler Alert... i’m old. When growing up, the only locking knife that I knew of was the buck 110. If I needed more knife than what a slip joint could provide, I used a fixed blade knife. 15 years in the army and all I ever used was a Leatherman, a slip joint pocket knife, and a fixed blade. Not being a “knife person” I didn’t even know that one-handed opening knives were a thing until 2015....which is 15 years after I left the military. Consider me completely out of the loop. I have four GEC knives and carry one every day. I’ve never used a pocket slip for my pocket knife and I don’t use the phrase “EDC”. Every time I hear someone say “EDC” I age one month. Ugh.
Got my first knife from by great grand father when I was five years old. It came from the local five and dime store. (these days the dollar store) It was a yellow handled three blade stockman. He showed me how to use it. I never let the knife close on my fingers because of his instruction on how to use a knife. That was in 1968. I've carried a slip joint in one form another since that time. I own Benchmade, ZT, WE, Kizer, Coldsteel ect..... But the joy of a good slip joint is hard to describe.
As far as a secondary knife slip joint , I realized the benefits of it when in public or around non knife folks and you need to pull something out real quick. And i enjoy the patina and changes that happen to them over time. I only have one GEC ( for now) but I enjoy it alot. And i was lucky on the secondary market to get mine for a steal.... after i bought it the owner kept getting messages asking if he had it. Nice change of pace.
Exactly. Nice change of pace. Perfect way of putting it. It's great to be able to change things up now and then and still have confidence in the knife as a tool.
I recently started carrying traditional slip more often recently as well. In today's world, a slip joint is a much less "scarier" knife in public! People dont seem to see them as threatening as most newer EDC knives. Great vid! Thanks for sharing!
Nice to see you covering something “new” to you- I like it when reviewers branch out because I feel like they give honest reviews. I only have one GEC (77 single spear medium barlow in natural canvas) and I agree that it’s fit and finish is a step above the Case knives that I have. Looking forward to more “traditional” knife reviews from you JT- keep up the good work!
I just paid for my GEC#97 beaver tail --- Brazilian Cherry-wood ----- beaver shield --- The GEC#97 maroon micarta Coke bottle Hunter is the smoothest big knife that I own , no nail breaking !
Wow, what a video. Seriously good information, thank you. I think I watched this video 4 times to be sure I absorbed everything. I with you, I like the 1 blade designs too. I'm still learning stuff about these everyday as well, glad I'm not alone. Something I learned from Grateful Panic's channel: If you see PPP (Pattern Production Premier) on the blade, it's a new design for that year. Thanks again.
Thanks a lot for the kind words. Really glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for that bit of info. I bet the PPP ones are really sought after and hard to come by!
I am so on the fence here. While I am a collector, slipjoints aren’t really my thing so I’d go with the proper all the way. However, I’m thinking I should go back to the roots. Of course my very first knife as a kid was a slipjoint
I recently got a GP Knives exclusive GEC that sold 103 pieces in under 4 minutes. I’m just going to use and enjoy it. I’d get way more out of that than the extra cash.
I started with my dad's slip joint knives. When I got old enough I bought locking knives. After I hit my mid 30s and completely understood knife usage I switched back to slip joints. The only thing you can't do safely with a slip joint is stab it into something/someone. Now I only carry a locking knife (benchmade tactical triage) when I'm on duty with the sheriff's department, but I still have a slip joint in pocket.
I work at a university and I almost exclusively use a GEC there. Such a good solution for non-scary-carry. As for comparing this with the Proper: do they match up as cutters? My GECs are crazy slicers after I put my own edge on them. Can the BM hold a candle with that low saber grind?
Probably not, but I think it'll retain that edge longer. And I don't really anticipate too many jobs where being such a thin slicer is actually necessary. Helpful, sure, but there is nothing in my edc tasks that the GEC will do that the Proper can't. The Proper destroys cardboard like it's going out of style.
Which one? The 78 I got from a buddy. The 85 I just happened to be on the website right after they were released. Right place, right time. I've missed on a lot of them. Took me 5 months lol.
The GEC's are awesome pieces of cutlery for the most part. I love using them in day to day tasks, and to be honest never felt like i any of my locking blades whould 'make the cut' better than these..On another note, i think it's unethical to ask Sebenza money for some of those in the secondary market. Some prices i see on Ebay are just crazy! Great vid J!!
I love slippers and have a ton but no GEC to many games involved in purchasing one. I love my Swiss Army and Bear and Son and Case but to get into a lottery to spend $120 is ridiculous to me. Nice review. 👍
Yeah, it can be a pain to get one, sure. But they pop up with new releases rdvualrly, and a lot are only 70-90 bucks. If you're patient you can get one at a fist price eventually.
Traditional slipjoints are like classic cars. They're not the latest and greatest, but they hold tradition, history, and Americana that modern folders will never have, and for those who like them those qualities are far more enjoyable and valuable than anything tangible.
JT you made aware of these new products to me have an old school look i am reminded of my cub scout and boy scout knives they too have inlays in the scales those were some tough knives we put them through some hell and they held up nice lm guessing these new guys would hold up just by design very nice great video also did i see a CAT key on your key ring could you be into heavy equipment just being nosey👃🏻 thanks
Just a quick FYI...If you purchase any rare GEC's or collector class GEC knives, you never want to remove the original blade etching. User's of course, are a different consideration. Regarding metal polish...Flitz is a beginner class product, consider Maas polish products, if you want a higher quality product and higher level of finish.
Tidioute, Northfield and Farm & Field is just categories of refinement similar to buying a car. Farm & Field is your base model. Tidioute is your step up. Northfield is all the bells and whistles.
GEC will be making the #97 Coke bottle hunter (4 3/4" closed) sabre clip blade ebony wood & Cherrywood/beaver knives real soon. Pre-order your knife at www.collectorknives.net
I think that's just the design. They have a lot of other looks to this same design. Just so happens that it looks like a beaver tail and has a variation with the same name. Probably intentional, but the banana one looks like a banana too, so, it's all in how you see it.
I had my Gabon ebony 78 close on my middle right finger and it cut me to the bone, I wish I would have shown some pictures when it happened A while back! it took a couple months to heal. the thing about it is, it was totally my fault and I prefer no half stops because to be honest with you half stop will never prevent the blade from closing on your finger it’s just going to make it worse I don’t know why everybody says how stops are going to protect you from a cut that’s not the truth whatsoever. I do prefer a strong snap on some knives and some I prefer a nice smooth opening
You want to avoid secondary market "price gouging" keep up with the company, their website and their best online retailers, like Collector Knives, so you can get in on limited runs. CK has an alert program for special runs of specific models and variants. It's not that hard if you're serious about it. You snooze, you lose.
But JT those gec don't have any gimping, finger choils, finger guards or heavy grip texture, how on earth are you ever going to keep control of one of those? A safety hazard I says. Yeah I'm joking, just poking a big fun at the modern folder crowd as we sometimes put way too much emphasis on a folder "needing" these things. Seems the traditional guys get along just fine without them.
Hahahaha I hear you! Traditional guys get along just fine, you're right. But man, nothing compares to a nice modern folder with choils and textures hahahaha. I can enjoy staying in a nice log cabin for a night or two, but I'm always happy to go home to my modern house with A.C. and Wi-Fi lol.
I'm 51 and have only used traditional slipjoint pocket knives my entire life. I've never had a knife close back down on my fingers ever. That's just a stupid thought to be worried about. You'd have to be a complete moron for that to ever happen.
The Top 10 Stupid Thoughts That I'm Worried About 1) Dying In A Plane Crash 2) Not being able to get orange juice in heaven. 3) The Cleveland Browns actually being good one day. 4) Slip Joint folders closing on my fingers 5) A World Wide Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Shortage 6) Waking Up Blind 7) Suddenly Becoming Allergic To Shellfish 8) Sharting Myself At Work 9) My Wife Forgetting My Name 10) One Day Thinking Gerber Knives Don't Suck But none of these have ever happened, so I'm not a complete moron. 👍👊
I signed up three times for the #85 GEC knives. Nothing ! I bought 10 Case XX knives this month. Piss on GEC. Great Eastern Cutlery is the "Dick Tease" of American knife makers.
@@JTsKnifeLife www.collectorknives.net sign up & sign in , click on Early Reserves , GEC #06 Pemberton small two blades "dark blue bone still available" and the #97 GEC coke bottle hunters are still available. I made 6 pre-orders. GEC has not released the dates on the #97s yet , they are having trouble finding large stag antler at a good price. GEC #21 Farm knives are next , then the #06 . GEC is still working on the #82 large stockman knives.
Understood, and thanks for watching. I generally try to watch what I say but sometimes a swear word gets thrown in here and there. Not trying it make it a regular thing though.
You knife knuts take shit wayyyyyy tooo seriously lol I’ve had 100s of GECs and ya there all hand made so of course there will be subtle difference and also they make lock backs. You whined about that for 5 min jeezus
I am a knife guy - I have Chris Reeve, DPX, Hinderer, Benchmade, Spyderco, Lionsteel, Cold Steel - you get the point! I started collecting GEC about 4 years ago and have about 100 - I just love them for what they are! Old American craftsmanship - tradition and elegance. Your review was spot on - thank you and I will be watching!
Dang, 100? That's impressive! I'm glad a guy with your type of collection enjoyed the vid. I appreciate it!
Wow, you don't waste any time! How many of the 100 do you regularly use or carry?
I appreciate you walking through the novice features and thoughts. I’m just beginning to get into slip joints and wanting to pick up my first GEC so I knew I was stepping into a involved world. Thanks again for your thoughts and guidance, highly appreciated
Happy to do it. It's interesting how your perspective changes over time, and it was cool to get my thoughts out when I had really no idea what these knives were all about. Thanks for watching it. 👍
Thank you for this JT. I ordered my first slip joint which it's a GEC #97 and love how you explain the numbers. I'm really loving just the beauty, tradition, and culture of these knives. Just really drawls me in. Timeless pieces imo
A lot of them are really special. I love the ones that I have.
@@JTsKnifeLife if you have more you should do an update vid on the new ones you got or on any new slipjoints you got.
I think I have a Slipjoint Collection video somewhere out there....
After I got my first GEC, I noticed how flexible the Case blades were. The Cases look nice, but to me the GEC's are just overall more substantial, or "heavier-duty".
Agreed, and I think the level of the quality of the scales is on another level as well, at least from what I've seen.
Yep built to be used, but sometimes they are just beautiful.
The Case CV blades are hollow ground and perfectly done. They are slim made for people who actually cut and regularly sharpen their knives to keep working with them.
Case knives used to be like that in the 1960s and 1970s. They were as good, or better than GEC quality. Now they’re really hit or miss regarding QC.
Spoiler Alert... i’m old. When growing up, the only locking knife that I knew of was the buck 110. If I needed more knife than what a slip joint could provide, I used a fixed blade knife. 15 years in the army and all I ever used was a Leatherman, a slip joint pocket knife, and a fixed blade. Not being a “knife person” I didn’t even know that one-handed opening knives were a thing until 2015....which is 15 years after I left the military. Consider me completely out of the loop. I have four GEC knives and carry one every day. I’ve never used a pocket slip for my pocket knife and I don’t use the phrase “EDC”. Every time I hear someone say “EDC” I age one month. Ugh.
The beavertail series typically go for close to $200 on the secondary market! Beautiful knife!
Thanks for the info, glad I was able to get one then!
Got my first knife from by great grand father when I was five years old. It came from the local five and dime store. (these days the dollar store) It was a yellow handled three blade stockman. He showed me how to use it. I never let the knife close on my fingers because of his instruction on how to use a knife. That was in 1968. I've carried a slip joint in one form another since that time. I own Benchmade, ZT, WE, Kizer, Coldsteel ect..... But the joy of a good slip joint is hard to describe.
I certainly agree that there is an intangible quality about these that is tough to describe. Thanks for your comment, great to hear your experiences!
As far as a secondary knife slip joint , I realized the benefits of it when in public or around non knife folks and you need to pull something out real quick. And i enjoy the patina and changes that happen to them over time. I only have one GEC ( for now) but I enjoy it alot. And i was lucky on the secondary market to get mine for a steal.... after i bought it the owner kept getting messages asking if he had it. Nice change of pace.
Exactly. Nice change of pace. Perfect way of putting it. It's great to be able to change things up now and then and still have confidence in the knife as a tool.
I recently started carrying traditional slip more often recently as well. In today's world, a slip joint is a much less "scarier" knife in public! People dont seem to see them as threatening as most newer EDC knives. Great vid! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks a lot. Definitely been fun to start to get into these things!
It's very good video. I enjoyed watching it. I carry #78 in my daily rotation.
Those are some cool knives as no lock is fine by me as you just have to adjust....The beaver tail has some good character....Good stuff....
Thanks for watching, and yeah, it definitely is full of character, good way of putting it. 👍
Beautiful knife mate, you've succumbed to there charm them. Lol atb paddy 👍🙂☘️
Hahaha definitely have, I know you are already under their spell lol.
It’s all about GEC!!
Nice perspective!
Thank you, glad you liked it!
Nice looking design knife!!!😊👍💜
Nice to see you covering something “new” to you- I like it when reviewers branch out because I feel like they give honest reviews. I only have one GEC (77 single spear medium barlow in natural canvas) and I agree that it’s fit and finish is a step above the Case knives that I have. Looking forward to more “traditional” knife reviews from you JT- keep up the good work!
Thanks man. From what I'm told the 77 Barlow is about tbe,cream of the GEC crop. Very cool!
I just paid for my GEC#97 beaver tail --- Brazilian Cherry-wood ----- beaver shield --- The GEC#97 maroon micarta Coke bottle Hunter is the smoothest big knife that I own , no nail breaking !
Nice, sound a like a good one!
Del Norte....All close to the same! Kind of fun new slips to look at. Thanks for the video JT!
I appreciate it bud. 🍻
Wow, what a video. Seriously good information, thank you. I think I watched this video 4 times to be sure I absorbed everything. I with you, I like the 1 blade designs too. I'm still learning stuff about these everyday as well, glad I'm not alone. Something I learned from Grateful Panic's channel: If you see PPP (Pattern Production Premier) on the blade, it's a new design for that year. Thanks again.
Thanks a lot for the kind words. Really glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for that bit of info. I bet the PPP ones are really sought after and hard to come by!
Beautiful knife, JT. The 78 too! They are very hard to come by, otherwise I'd have an entire collection of GEC's already :)
Likewise. I want all of them, but it can not happen hahaha.
The beaver tail is beautiful!
I'm liking it more and more, absolutely.
I am so on the fence here. While I am a collector, slipjoints aren’t really my thing so I’d go with the proper all the way. However, I’m thinking I should go back to the roots. Of course my very first knife as a kid was a slipjoint
There really is just something special about them. It's undeniable.
I recently got a GP Knives exclusive GEC that sold 103 pieces in under 4 minutes. I’m just going to use and enjoy it. I’d get way more out of that than the extra cash.
Wish I could have gotten
One!!
I'm with you there. Not a lot of experience with traditional myself.
I'm hoping to change all that. Eventually hahaha
I started with my dad's slip joint knives. When I got old enough I bought locking knives. After I hit my mid 30s and completely understood knife usage I switched back to slip joints. The only thing you can't do safely with a slip joint is stab it into something/someone. Now I only carry a locking knife (benchmade tactical triage) when I'm on duty with the sheriff's department, but I still have a slip joint in pocket.
hopefully i can get a hold of one this brand is hard to come by...
They can be yeah. Some 85s are still around though, and it's a design they come back to again and again.
I work at a university and I almost exclusively use a GEC there. Such a good solution for non-scary-carry. As for comparing this with the Proper: do they match up as cutters? My GECs are crazy slicers after I put my own edge on them. Can the BM hold a candle with that low saber grind?
Probably not, but I think it'll retain that edge longer. And I don't really anticipate too many jobs where being such a thin slicer is actually necessary. Helpful, sure, but there is nothing in my edc tasks that the GEC will do that the Proper can't. The Proper destroys cardboard like it's going out of style.
Hey JT. How did you get your hands on one of them I'm tryin to get one help!!!!!!
Which one? The 78 I got from a buddy. The 85 I just happened to be on the website right after they were released. Right place, right time. I've missed on a lot of them. Took me 5 months lol.
JT's Knife Life you wanna sell that #85 bullet end jack?
The GEC's are awesome pieces of cutlery for the most part. I love using them in day to day tasks, and to be honest never felt like i any of my locking blades whould 'make the cut' better than these..On another note, i think it's unethical to ask Sebenza money for some of those in the secondary market. Some prices i see on Ebay are just crazy! Great vid J!!
Thanks my friend! And yeah, those prices are hard to fathom sometimes. They get pretty darn expensive!
I love slippers and have a ton but no GEC to many games involved in purchasing one. I love my Swiss Army and Bear and Son and Case but to get into a lottery to spend $120 is ridiculous to me. Nice review. 👍
Yeah, it can be a pain to get one, sure. But they pop up with new releases rdvualrly, and a lot are only 70-90 bucks. If you're patient you can get one at a fist price eventually.
@@JTsKnifeLife You have a sweet knife there. Congrats 👍
Love GEC as art pieces. Yeah there are better modern knives with better steel but for sheer pieces art GEC rules the roost.
Can't really argue with that.
Traditional slipjoints are like classic cars. They're not the latest and greatest, but they hold tradition, history, and Americana that modern folders will never have, and for those who like them those qualities are far more enjoyable and valuable than anything tangible.
Really, really nicely said. 👌
JT you made aware of these new products to me have an old school look i am reminded of my cub scout and boy scout knives they too have inlays in the scales those were some tough knives we put them through some hell and they held up nice lm guessing these new guys would hold up just by design very nice great video also did i see a CAT key on your key ring could you be into heavy equipment just being nosey👃🏻 thanks
Hmmm, I'm not sure what key you saw, but nothing for me with heavy equipment. I leave that to the skilled experts. 👍
Just a quick FYI...If you purchase any rare GEC's or collector class GEC knives, you never want to remove the original blade etching. User's of course, are a different consideration. Regarding metal polish...Flitz is a beginner class product, consider Maas polish products, if you want a higher quality product and higher level of finish.
Tidioute, Northfield and Farm & Field is just categories of refinement similar to buying a car. Farm & Field is your base model. Tidioute is your step up. Northfield is all the bells and whistles.
Yeah, I learned that after all this. Definitely was a newb.
GEC will be making the #97 Coke bottle hunter (4 3/4" closed) sabre clip blade ebony wood & Cherrywood/beaver knives real soon. Pre-order your knife at www.collectorknives.net
I've got my account and everything. 👍
Zulu spear blade
thanks for cracking the code
Knivesshipfree.com has a pretty comprehensive breakdown that I just borrowed from. Handy info though, to be sure!
If you search TH-cam for "GEC knife tour" you'll find an interview with Bill Howard and a tour of the factory. Courtesy of Crawford County Outdoors.
Thanks man, probably should have hunted something like that down before making this video hahaha.
The handle looks like a beaver tail so I don't know why they also shaped the blade like a beaver tail.
I think that's just the design. They have a lot of other looks to this same design. Just so happens that it looks like a beaver tail and has a variation with the same name. Probably intentional, but the banana one looks like a banana too, so, it's all in how you see it.
Still have this knife? Would you like to sell it?
I had my Gabon ebony 78 close on my middle right finger and it cut me to the bone, I wish I would have shown some pictures when it happened A while back! it took a couple months to heal. the thing about it is, it was totally my fault and I prefer no half stops because to be honest with you half stop will never prevent the blade from closing on your finger it’s just going to make it worse I don’t know why everybody says how stops are going to protect you from a cut that’s not the truth whatsoever. I do prefer a strong snap on some knives and some I prefer a nice smooth opening
Glad you didn't lose the finger bud. Sounds like that was pretty bad.
Best traditional knives.
Get a viper 47 and o a tc barlow 15
Dang, I hear that TC Barlow 15 is hard to come by!
I would take the proper over the gec anyday. That's just my preference both have desirable characteristics.
I think I would too, as a functional tool. I'm a Benchmade guy though, so I'm biased a bit hahaha.
You want to avoid secondary market "price gouging" keep up with the company, their website and their best online retailers, like Collector Knives, so you can get in on limited runs. CK has an alert program for special runs of specific models and variants. It's not that hard if you're serious about it. You snooze, you lose.
Yup, that's how it is. I get an email from knivesshipfree but I always see it too late. Like you said, you snooze, you lose.
People have been carrying slip joint knives for decades or maybe centuries. Use them safely and they will work for you.
The gec rabbit hole goes very very very deep. I thought traditionals were stupid and now I have 60
Hahaha don't tell me that, I'm already one foot in the hole.
But JT those gec don't have any gimping, finger choils, finger guards or heavy grip texture, how on earth are you ever going to keep control of one of those? A safety hazard I says. Yeah I'm joking, just poking a big fun at the modern folder crowd as we sometimes put way too much emphasis on a folder "needing" these things. Seems the traditional guys get along just fine without them.
Hahahaha I hear you! Traditional guys get along just fine, you're right. But man, nothing compares to a nice modern folder with choils and textures hahahaha. I can enjoy staying in a nice log cabin for a night or two, but I'm always happy to go home to my modern house with A.C. and Wi-Fi lol.
Pattern not model and they're covers not scales on traditional knives.
I know I'm 5 years late but just an FYI for everyone.
I'm 51 and have only used traditional slipjoint pocket knives my entire life. I've never had a knife close back down on my fingers ever. That's just a stupid thought to be worried about. You'd have to be a complete moron for that to ever happen.
The Top 10 Stupid Thoughts That I'm Worried About
1) Dying In A Plane Crash
2) Not being able to get orange juice in heaven.
3) The Cleveland Browns actually being good one day.
4) Slip Joint folders closing on my fingers
5) A World Wide Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Shortage
6) Waking Up Blind
7) Suddenly Becoming Allergic To Shellfish
8) Sharting Myself At Work
9) My Wife Forgetting My Name
10) One Day Thinking Gerber Knives Don't Suck
But none of these have ever happened, so I'm not a complete moron. 👍👊
I signed up three times for the #85 GEC knives. Nothing ! I bought 10 Case XX knives this month. Piss on GEC. Great Eastern Cutlery is the "Dick Tease" of American knife makers.
Signed up where?
@@JTsKnifeLife www.collectorknives.net sign up & sign in , click on Early Reserves , GEC #06 Pemberton small two blades "dark blue bone still available" and the #97 GEC coke bottle hunters are still available. I made 6 pre-orders. GEC has not released the dates on the #97s yet , they are having trouble finding large stag antler at a good price. GEC #21 Farm knives are next , then the #06 . GEC is still working on the #82 large stockman knives.
Just like "nice boxes", I just don't get it especially when you take into consideration the blade steel.
Yeah, 1095 is nothing amazing. I'll have to follow up in that in the future depending on how it performs.
Nice video except for throwing the one potty mouth in. My preference not everybody's. Thanks for your time and perspective.
Understood, and thanks for watching. I generally try to watch what I say but sometimes a swear word gets thrown in here and there. Not trying it make it a regular thing though.
Thank you for trying and your understanding, my four year old grandson watches with me at times.@@JTsKnifeLife
Stop buying knives on EBAY , the prices will go down.
Yep, that'll help I'm sure.
You knife knuts take shit wayyyyyy tooo seriously lol I’ve had 100s of GECs and ya there all hand made so of course there will be subtle difference and also they make lock backs. You whined about that for 5 min jeezus
If you thought that was whining you should hear me when my wife eats the last Rice Krispy Treat. Great comment though, thanks!
Ill pass on GEC; to annoying to replace if somone steals it from you. Also I love modable knives.
I can relate, I always like being able to disassemble my knives.