I had the absute pleasure of dealing with the girls from GEC yesterday!

Patti (Sorry, I don't know your last name Patti) and Christine Tucker are representing Great Eastern at the Allegheny sport, travel and outdoor show this week until Sunday. If you are in the Area get down there!!!

First off, as a knife nut any opportunity to see such a vast number of GEC's current offerings in one place is awesome, especially having the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the different models in hand. Pictures can only take you so far and a measured number is a mere estimate compared to the actual FEEL of the knife. They had a ton of beautiful knives to choose and an awesome display of fixed blade knives available!

If Mr. Howard happens to read this; I must say that I'm amazed anyone can come in contact with Chris and Patti and not buy a knife. Yes, they have an awesome product to sell, but I would buy cat toys off of those girls and I don't own a cat!!! Customer after customer stopped by to peruse the display and almost every one of them had a story about "a knife just like that one" the girls listened graciously with smiles on their faces. A lot of guys were surprised to hear that these knives are built in Titusville Pa which just goes to show that even after ten years there are still a lot of pockets without a GEC knife in them!!! 

Anytime I see Christine it's like I'm seeing an aunt who lives out of state and every time she comes back to visit she brings a sweet treat, or a cookie just for me. Instead of cookies and candy she brings blades and stag.... even sweeter!!! Chris knows my taste in knives and my interest quite well, so she immediately started showing off the knives she knew I would like. From the moment I walked to the table one knife in particular caught my eye, a #77 jack in Sambar stag. She snuck it out of the display like she was digging into her purse for another sweet for her favorite nephew. The knife was flat out gorgeous. Very thick pop corn stag, beautiful grinds, great edge (way to be Patti!) all around a great knife...except for one thing, a spear point blade!!!

I am not the biggest fan of the spear point, it's pretty evident looking through my collection over the years. I'm not sure what it is about this blade that I just don't connect with, I think it's my desire to turn everything into a hunting knife. So, I wasn't sold on the knife 100%, although I wouldn't let it out of my hand for some strange reason... I started to look around at the other knives available and thats when it happened, Mommy Twoshoes asked to see the knife I was obviously clutching tightly. My Mom has been my biggest support when it comes to knives and in particular GEC knives. She talked me into getting my first and has been on the bandwagon longer than I have!

I could tell it was a good one the second it got into her hands. She confirmed the obvious, "thats a beautiful knife", she was right. I was however being tempted astray by a magnificent cocobolo #73. The #73 being my favorite pattern and the cocobolo wood being a variety that I have a little of sentimental history with. Truly, if anyone gets that knife this weekend they got one of the best I've seen!

I was however, doomed. My fate had been decided before I walked into the show, I was getting that #77, or else.

And without further ado...