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Comment by Jan Carter on January 3, 2012 at 18:25

Looking back in the history of knife manufactures, splits are not unusual.  Lets just go with...Our GEC company will remain and we can look forward to new great patterns with them.

The Daniels family has not left our industry or our hobby. 

Lets just be supportive and wish everyone the best of luck in all future endeavors

Comment by johnny twoshoes on January 3, 2012 at 8:57

Very well put, I think as a collector we try to figure out and possibly read into what is is going on. It's the need to know in us, but too often we get to speculation, which often times leads to rumor. Lets just take their word for it and be thankful for everything that has happened since GEC incorporated.

Comment by Mike Latham on January 3, 2012 at 8:51

Ken owns a very large company in an unrelated industry, and I always wondered how he had the time anyway.  Whether there was a difference in opinion or just a decision to free up some weekends, I don't think it really matters.  Bill and Ken have been friends for a long time and I haven't heard anything that makes me think that has changed.

I haven't talked to anyone that thinks Ken will open his own knife factory / business.  Although he has always been involved in SFO's and the industry in general.  He is a great promoter of our hobby.  The Tuna Valley is a nice old trademark and Perry simply didn't have enough time to promote it to its full potential (in my opinion).

Thus, I don't think trying to figure out any underlying stories that may or may not exist is a good use of time.  But my time isn't worth anything anyway ;>

Comment by Jan Carter on January 2, 2012 at 15:12

While I would love to satisfy all the answers with corresponding details I can only pass on what I know to be true.  Bill Howard will continue to make the quality, fresh look old patterns that the Great Eastern group is known for.

I have not heard any talk of a new factory for the Daniels family, though to be honest I have not been given the details as to what direction they will ultimately go.  Only that it will involved their ownership of the Tuna Valley Line 

I do not beleive there is ill will.  No one I spoke to today had anything but great thoughts for the past and the future for everyone involved.  I know that Ryan, Ken and Courtney will still be selling Great Easterns at the shows and Ryan will be a freelance seller. 

So what does this mean to us as GEC collectors?  For Donnie and I- it means more wonderful great easterns and very possibly more Tuna Valleys

Comment by Chris Stookey on January 2, 2012 at 14:44

All I have to do is blink and the world gets tipped upside down. So...Ken and Ryan will be leaving GEC. Good grief. Technically, I know that this is none of my business...but I'd like to know "Why?" Is it a difference in opinion on direction for GEC? Is it that the Daniels want to run their own show without any other investors? Is it a health issue (God forbid!)?

I currently own some 92 GEC knives and just placed an order for 3 more (from the awesome Gary Norton of Northwest Knife Company). I'm a devout GEC collector (my latest is a #23 liner lock Northfield in Black Plum; Merry Christmas!). I have to be candid here; the idea of Ken and Ryan leaving GEC really bothers me. Of course I know that the work of Bill Howard, Chris Tucker and others are critical to the incredible knives that we all enjoy. Having been a businessman for decades, I know that, oftentimes, it is the chemistry of the people that make a company really "work". If that chemistry is changed, sometimes things don't "work". Truly, a company is the result of that chemistry and the people are the most important component.

So what does Ken and Ryan leaving mean for us as collectors? Certainly, I'm NOT going to stop buying GEC. Of course, I've heard about Tuna Valley Cutlery...though I know very little about it. I gather that GEC makes knives for this company. What's the Daniels involvement in it? Owners? Working for it? As dealers? I ask because I'd like to know what is going on. While I've read the posting thread below...I'm a detail kind of person...so in order for my "need to know" to be satisfied, I have to have some fairly specific information. That's the way that I'm wired.

Ultimately, it would be great for GEC to continue on to achieve even more success (without any compromise in product quality or standards) AND to have some great knives available to us through TVC (though I need another knife company to chase like I need another hole in my wallet).

Comment by johnny twoshoes on January 2, 2012 at 14:06

I really look forward to more news on all that is happening.

Jan, does it appear to you that Ken and Ryan will open a new factory? Or will GEC still produce the knives sold under the TV brand?

Comment by Jan Carter on January 2, 2012 at 14:03

Even sooner than we anticipated.....This just posted on GEC's site

A message to Great Eastern Cutlery customers, friends, fans, and family!

In 2006, when no one locally or in the cutlery industry would take a chance on a new start up cutlery manufacturing company, Ken Daniels was the only person who wasn’t scared by the challenges. He shared my dream and together we created Great Eastern Cutlery.

He has been integral to the company, but as with all things there is change,
and as of December 30^th, 2011 the company has purchased Ken’s shares
and he is no longer a partner in Great Eastern Cutlery.

In the years since our establishment, Ken has been an asset to the company, managerially, and as the company representative in the industry. I and Ken share the same values, authenticity, quality, honesty, and loyalty. With much help from Ken, we have built the Great Eastern Cutlery reputation on these values. As we go forward, we will miss Ken but our values as a company will not change.

I and all the other GEC employees owe Ken a big THANK YOU for all that he has done for this company and we wish him the best. We still expect to see him here often and also expect to have a good business relationship with him in the future.

Bill Howard

President

Great Eastern Cutlery

Comment by Jan Carter on January 2, 2012 at 14:00

Watch for those first hand announcements soon.  Just finishing up the holidays for everyone

Comment by Tom Peterson on January 2, 2012 at 13:50

Jan,

I like the calendar/recipe combo! I would also like to see a daily GEC calendar - the kind that you rip off the page each day. It could utilize the knife debut pictures that GEC uses and it could say the day/year that each knife & handle type came out. On days with no knife debut collector pics could fill in.

On a more serious note I appreciate your being our liason between all of us GEC fans and the folks at GEC. It is reassuring to get some information about this split in a timely manner and know that the info is pretty much first hand and not watered down. I'm happy to hear that Ken & Ryan will be moving forward with Tuna Valley and that GEC will continue to make the great knives that we all love & also that the split was on friendly terms. I'm sure that we will all look forward to offerings by both companies. It might be interesting if GEC /Cyclops continued to make the TV knives to keep the bar set high but if not I am sure that quality will continue to be a top priority with Ken & Ryan. It might be nice if GEC or TV would issue a statement about the split and the direction of both operations so that speculation is kept to a minimum.

Comment by Jan Carter on January 2, 2012 at 12:55

Had a comforting and exciting conversation with Bill Howard this morning.   Bill is excited about the next era for GEC and all that it will bring.  For those of you that know Bill, you know he values his commitment to the quality of a great USA made knife and the patterns we would not have seen revived without them the past few years. 

So Look forward to some new and exciting patterns, same great quality and wonderful folks at GEC!!! I hear that the new one is going to knock our socks off

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