Great Eastern Quality response
Appreciate the comments that were posted in response to my question regarding quality. I posed the question in response to a couple of emails and phone calls I've had this winter and thought it'd be interesting to hear what the rest of you had to say.
I don't follow the other blogs and boards so I'm not always sure what's being said out there which sometimes make it easier to stay objective and not be influenced by some of the opinions being offered elsewhere. As a result, when I get a couple of comments or questions along the same lines, it makes me wonder if there's a discussion going on somewhere that I've missed.
When I read the responses to my question, for the most part they were echoing almost exactly what I think has happened over the last couple of years. In short, since 2006, we've seen quality constantly improve, the consistency along with it and the offerings have expanded exponentially. Great Eastern has been responsive to suggestions offered up here and from other sources for changes and improvements. I've had customers that fell by the wayside back in early 2008 that rejoined the flock in the last year or so. And along with them have come a lot, and I do mean a LOT of new customers.
Have there been bumps along the way??? Hell yes. I'd be surprised if there weren't. Like the saying goes, ..'beware the man that doesn't make any mistakes, cause he probably isn't doing much...'.
What prompted my question were the comments I'd received, (which by the way were almost entirely complaints about handle material) and the fact that I've recently listed around a hundred 2008 knives in the store. I had the opportunity to look at a lot of knives with different handle materials in a very short period of time. The comments I'd received, some were interesting and some were, well... not worth spending a lot of time responding to.
2008 saw the first really big influx of handle materials and there were some great one's. In fact, just taking a rough count there were over 40 different handle colors/materials/jigging patterns offered on the Tidioute 25's alone in 2008.
Stag is the same as always. It's not matched up as good as it could be, not as rough as I like it, etc., etc. Quite honestly, I think the Gen Stags from '07 and '08 are nicer than the later one's, generally speaking. I've had a couple of outstanding pieces in the last year or so, but I still think we saw more really outstanding stag a couple of years ago. But surprisingly, overall, I probably have had fewer negative comments about the Gen Stag in the last year than I have in a while.
The acrylics, that's another story. You either love 'em or you hate 'em, and then there's kind of a mushy area in between. I don't collect, but I'll admit to putting away a Copper Snake Sunfish for myself that is absolutely drop dead gorgeous.
One of the first acrylics that really brought out the critics was the Dead Skunk. I think everyone had a preconceived idea of exactly what that knife should look like. 65% Black 20% White and 15% Red. PERIOD!!! Comments came out that certain knives had too much white, or not enough this or that. I was asked why GEC let some of them come out with such a poor 'balance' of color. Why, some of them didn't remind you of a dead skunk at all!!!!!
Then came the Perylics. Not being a particularly good photographer combined with a shortage of patience resulted in some photo's that usually weren't very flattering for the knife. A few people got them in hand and the question arose as to why this one has more white than that one. There's a green spec on the front that I wanted on the back as well, etc. What I think is sometimes overlooked is that even though these are man made materials, each piece of acrylic is unique. No two knives are going to be exact copies of each other.
In the case of a natural material like stag, it has to be a daunting task to perfectly match two panels without scrapping 95% of the stag. If you've done any drywall work, you know there's a couple of reasons for adding texturing. In my case, the primary reason is usually to conceal imperfections. Kinda like jigging on a piece of bone maybe. If all of the stag were polished smooth and jigged, it'd all look perfect, and identical. Likewise, if all of the Acrylics had a standard pattern in it that repeated every quarter inch, it too would be perfect. We have to keep in mind that it's those quirks and flaws that make things interesting and unique. I'm living proof!!!!
I feel Great Eastern is doing a great job of quality improvement while continuing to be innovative and that's not always an easy balancing act. It's not that the earlier knives were inferior, but I'm impressed with the consistent quality we see today compared to the early days. Are there gonna be knives that might not always meet our expectations??? ( have you bought a car lately?) Until you can standardize every single piece of the process and then remove the human factor, perfection is always going to be a moving target. The point is, if you're just starting to collect Great Eastern Cutlery, you couldn't have picked a better time!!!
I don't follow the other blogs and boards so I'm not always sure what's being said out there which sometimes make it easier to stay objective and not be influenced by some of the opinions being offered elsewhere. As a result, when I get a couple of comments or questions along the same lines, it makes me wonder if there's a discussion going on somewhere that I've missed.
When I read the responses to my question, for the most part they were echoing almost exactly what I think has happened over the last couple of years. In short, since 2006, we've seen quality constantly improve, the consistency along with it and the offerings have expanded exponentially. Great Eastern has been responsive to suggestions offered up here and from other sources for changes and improvements. I've had customers that fell by the wayside back in early 2008 that rejoined the flock in the last year or so. And along with them have come a lot, and I do mean a LOT of new customers.
Have there been bumps along the way??? Hell yes. I'd be surprised if there weren't. Like the saying goes, ..'beware the man that doesn't make any mistakes, cause he probably isn't doing much...'.
What prompted my question were the comments I'd received, (which by the way were almost entirely complaints about handle material) and the fact that I've recently listed around a hundred 2008 knives in the store. I had the opportunity to look at a lot of knives with different handle materials in a very short period of time. The comments I'd received, some were interesting and some were, well... not worth spending a lot of time responding to.
2008 saw the first really big influx of handle materials and there were some great one's. In fact, just taking a rough count there were over 40 different handle colors/materials/jigging patterns offered on the Tidioute 25's alone in 2008.
Stag is the same as always. It's not matched up as good as it could be, not as rough as I like it, etc., etc. Quite honestly, I think the Gen Stags from '07 and '08 are nicer than the later one's, generally speaking. I've had a couple of outstanding pieces in the last year or so, but I still think we saw more really outstanding stag a couple of years ago. But surprisingly, overall, I probably have had fewer negative comments about the Gen Stag in the last year than I have in a while.
The acrylics, that's another story. You either love 'em or you hate 'em, and then there's kind of a mushy area in between. I don't collect, but I'll admit to putting away a Copper Snake Sunfish for myself that is absolutely drop dead gorgeous.
One of the first acrylics that really brought out the critics was the Dead Skunk. I think everyone had a preconceived idea of exactly what that knife should look like. 65% Black 20% White and 15% Red. PERIOD!!! Comments came out that certain knives had too much white, or not enough this or that. I was asked why GEC let some of them come out with such a poor 'balance' of color. Why, some of them didn't remind you of a dead skunk at all!!!!!
Then came the Perylics. Not being a particularly good photographer combined with a shortage of patience resulted in some photo's that usually weren't very flattering for the knife. A few people got them in hand and the question arose as to why this one has more white than that one. There's a green spec on the front that I wanted on the back as well, etc. What I think is sometimes overlooked is that even though these are man made materials, each piece of acrylic is unique. No two knives are going to be exact copies of each other.
In the case of a natural material like stag, it has to be a daunting task to perfectly match two panels without scrapping 95% of the stag. If you've done any drywall work, you know there's a couple of reasons for adding texturing. In my case, the primary reason is usually to conceal imperfections. Kinda like jigging on a piece of bone maybe. If all of the stag were polished smooth and jigged, it'd all look perfect, and identical. Likewise, if all of the Acrylics had a standard pattern in it that repeated every quarter inch, it too would be perfect. We have to keep in mind that it's those quirks and flaws that make things interesting and unique. I'm living proof!!!!
I feel Great Eastern is doing a great job of quality improvement while continuing to be innovative and that's not always an easy balancing act. It's not that the earlier knives were inferior, but I'm impressed with the consistent quality we see today compared to the early days. Are there gonna be knives that might not always meet our expectations??? ( have you bought a car lately?) Until you can standardize every single piece of the process and then remove the human factor, perfection is always going to be a moving target. The point is, if you're just starting to collect Great Eastern Cutlery, you couldn't have picked a better time!!!
Posted by Greg at 1/24/2011 11:43 AM 
Categories: Collectors Comments, Admin Comments, Tests and Opinions
Categories: Collectors Comments, Admin Comments, Tests and Opinions
Some interesting info there Greg.
I have not handled many GECs from the early years, but I would say the quality in the last couple years is impressive. I have seen some that had the tip exposed when the knife is closed (easy fix) or a not-so-sharp edge, but generally a very sound and sturdy knife. And it seems that even these 2 problems have been addressed. It seems like GEC really does listen to their users.
I would say that without a doubt GEC is bringing out the most exciting and unique 'new' knives in the pocket knife world. I say 'new' because most of these patterns are based on old knives, but there is really nothing else quite like them being made right now. Unique designs like the executive whittler are also incredible, in my opinion.
I also think GEC has the most interesting and varied handle materials available at this time.
My only complaints are simply personal preferences - I would like to see more stainless used (along with the acorn shield) and more designs that incorporate a lanyard hole or bail.
I think GEC is the most exciting and collectible pocket knife out there right now.
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What you say about your 'complaints' not really being complaints is a good point. I never consider statements like those to be complaints. Those are the kinds of statements that can end up in a new pattern!!!! Keep it up.
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Nick,
I agree 100%!!!!!!!!!
Morrie
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I totally agree,Greg ****
About the only way,you are going to get matched scales,each & every time,is to buy a custom knife ??? That means higher price !! GEC,has been listening,and improving,and as I said,I totally agree with ya', that they are making the best production knife, on the market,and this is a great time to get into,GEC Collecting---thanks for a great store and blog----Monk
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greg, it's great to see a retailer who's so passionate about his product.
as for people who are simply ignorant, don't sweat it - they're in the minority.
don't get me wrong - i'm as picky as anyone when it comes to handle material.
but, anyone who complains that "dead skunk" acrylic doesn't look dead or skunky enough isn't worth your time.
you can't please everyone - you can only do your best.
i think you're doing a great job with everything.
keep up the great work.
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Thanks Mike and my enthusiasm sometimes has as much to do with my customers as the product.
And I'm not picking on anyone for being overly 'selective'. (Just ask Chris at GEC if I can be a bit whiney on rare occasions.) But it usually goes one of two ways. Either a customer is almost embarrassed to tell me their 3 bladed whittler arrived with one blade missing or someone is mad because I wrinkled the brown wrapper when I put the knife back in the tube. And in the middle are those incredibly great people that make me want to open my email every morning. That;s a big part of what makes this business so much fun for me.
I came to the conclusion a while back that it's a good thing I don't have a brick and mortar store with all of you living within a few miles of it. I'd really look forward to work every day, but I wouldn't get a damned thing done!!! Wouldn't that be a riot!!!
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I agree with Nick, not complaints just personal preferences. I think most of us feel the same way. As for matching scales, I personally think GEC does a good job. As you and Monk mentioned to get a perfect match everytime you lose too much material and that directly effects the price of the product. This is as close as it gets without ordering custom.
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just to clarify - matching scales really doesn't waste any material.
that's just not how it's done.
if you have 200 stag scales to choose from, you definitely won't get 100 perfectly-matched sets, but you should come very close on about 90 of them.
it's not as if custom knife makers or stag sellers match up a couple of sets and throw away the rest.
gec actually does a very good job with stag.
not as good as queen USED to do a few years back, but gec certainly do it better than case ever will.
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Let me just start by saying in no way am I a knife collector ,I really don't know the first thing about it.I decided I needed a new knife for work about a month ago.I was issued a cheap barlow back in 84 and since then I've lost a lot of knives, but never that one. It was the knife I seemed to grab most often and it was for that reason I decided to look for a new barlow style knife.I did a lot of looking and I always seemed to come back to the Great Eastern barlows. When I received my first knife "a hand mixed granite epoxy"I was blown away. I decided it was too nice to actually use "heck, it might get scratched in my pocket" the next knife I decided would be my every day work knife. Well that's were the problem started,at least that's what my wife calls it ,I call it my new hobby.So as to the quality of Great Eastern knives ,I don't know much about older models or newer models I only know that each time I receive a new barlow I am thoroughly impressed by the craftsmanship and just the way it feels in the hand and I am reluctant to taint it in my pocket and I tell myself maybe the next one will be my everyday knife and who cares if I scratch it we'll see,.... maybe.
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Couple of stag knives I have from 08 are exceptional, a deeply grooved 73 Liner lock that has an almost striped appearance and a bark like 25 that if i say so myself, has the best matched scales on any knife I've seen! A later Half Congress is OK but it's more smooth and bone like, fine user mind. CASE can't come anywhere near GEC for quality stag, Their source must be jealously guarded. Not seen Queen's stag but their F&F is getting too variable these days, far too much like Russian Roulette...
Not tried any acrylics yet, not because I don't like them(far from it, they are very Old School e.g. celluloids)but I fear they may be too slippery in the hand, smooth bone has this aspect too. Actually dropped a 73 in smooth white bone the very first day I got it, nice crack on the centre pin now
In general, GEC quality appears to improve so they must have decent plant and a reliable work-force. I like the fact that they not only expand their pattern range, but come back and re-issue knives from time to time. I wouldn't mind more unserialized knives as the numbers thing doesn't interest me at all, I'm not that type of a collector.
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William,
As a collector I love the look of the acrylics. My son loves how they look but at a show last year I offered to buy him a polar ice (his fav color id blue). When he held it, he lost the enthusiasm and chose a jigged bone instead. Said it felt cold and too slick to him. One of the reasons I collect the beavertails is because I like the feel of the wood and they dont get too slick.
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I guess I'm probably the odd ball out here, but I happen to like the Acrylics and Smooth Bone. I like the smooth feel of the material yet it doesn't feel slippery in my hand. After too often finding poor fit in so many of the bone scales I have pretty much given up on them as the Acrylics are always perfectly fit without exception.
At least I know I can depend on that.
I know many of you will disagree with this, but it has been my experience never the less. Just my view from my side of the fence.
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LOL, how can anyone disagree with how a knife fits in your hand? I am just going to trust you know what fits your hand, thats makes it sound judgement in my book.
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I'll still stick to what I originally said. I think that consistency in appearance, knife to knife, could be a lot better with some of GEC's handling materials. Sure, this is going to include matching up handles, to the extent possible. But a lot of other factors also come into play. For example, I see some problems with certain of the acrylics, which, buy the way, I am very partial to. I'm sure GEC sees the same things and it drives them nuts, since some of what looks like imperfections in the finished product, probably doesn't show up until they are well into the finishing process.
GEC knives command a premium price - quality sells and looks sell, as well. Ever wonder why some knives, even in a popular pattern, sit on the dealer's shelf for months and some fly out the door. I've always figured that it had a lot to due with aesthetics. And speaking of good looks , I don't see it mentioned very often, but aren't those Northfield dimpled and lined bolsters really classy.
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