Hi Jan - I'm still not good at navigating my way through all these posts.  What do we need to do to reserve an IKC knife?  Best, Dan

Max, Got all your info.  Thanks for the support

Dan, check you emails on here.  You have one from me

Dan,

Have your mailing info now also.  Thanks for the support with this project

Thanks Jan - I don't know if you remember, but my son and I met you and Don this year at the rendezvous on the day of pig pickin.'   It was pure pleasure talking about these fine knives with you guys.  Best, Dan 

Dan,

Were you taking that nice looking son of yours to football camp?

I'm back with no bear, I had fun at camp though. Good time in the woods, I forgot my camera so no pics, I would have had some great ones though. 

Well you brought back memories Johnny.  Thats always good

Always fun to camp as long as rain isn't an issue. With all of the knives that you were toting you probably didn't have time for the bear anyway! Welcome back!

Jan,

I ordered my first Beavertail the other day. It hasn't arrived yet but I am excited to check it out! It's a #72 with a clip blade, popped up on Ebay and I am a sucker for a lockback!

I was gonna ask where you managed to get another #72, these things are hard to find. Glad to hear you snagged one, it's even better to hear it's a beavertail.

BEAVERTAIL!!!!!!!!!!!

On to the request I heard earlier in the week for Hats??????

http://greateasterncutlery.net/blog/new-usa-merchandise-2/made-in-usa/

Tom,

Have you seen what happened to the last person that started collecting Beavertails with me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=sekLEG8xsOs

Jan,

Ask and ye shall receive! I'm excited about the hats! Our friends at GEC really DO listen to us!!! I like the knife slips too. Can't wait to see the knife boxes.

BTW, my Beavertail came today. I am amazed by the light weight of the knife but I am unsure about the jigged wood. I am a bit worried that it is a splinter waiting to happen. I've been rubbing on it enough to make a genie pop out of it and no splinters so far so I guess it's safe. It may take awhile for me to get used to it so don't worry about competition for other Beavertails from me - at least for awhile. It may just need a little pocket time to smooth it out a bit. I do like the shield though too and the video link that you posted! But I sure don't need another type of GEC knife to start collecting....

Thats the way Christopher.

Tom, beavertails are addictive.....welcome to canada

A?

What's up with the hats?

Hey Tom, Does that Beavertail Lockback you bought have the Jigged Bubinga Wood or the Wenge Wood handles?

Hey Seth, it has jigged Bocote. At least that is what the GEC web site says. It didn't come with a COA even though it is serialized. Go figure. I would like it better if it was smooth Bocote, but that might take some considerable pocket time. I already have a few GEC EDC's that don't get enough time so I probably don't need another in the rotation.

Oh Ok. I saw where you were a little worried about splintering but you should be ok with the bocote wood. Its a little bit more dense than the bubinga wood. I bought a Furtaker Trapper Beavertail in jigged bubinga wood a couple years ago and carried it for about two months and then dropped it on carpet and busted the handle off one side of it. It could have just been a weak piece of wood or some other freak thing but ether way I wasn't to impressed with the bubinga wood. I re-handled it with some stag scales I had and put the beavertail shield back on it and I loved it after that. I eventually gave it to my dad and he still carries and uses it everyday. 

Sorry Ron! I was going for the whole phonetic thing so I wouldn't be misunderstood or sound like a pirate. I apologize for being inconsiderate or stepping on any toes. Thank you sir. I'll have to get used to the jigged wood.

Very nice, Jan!

Here the first GEC-knife I bought :

Hé, Ron, ask Jan's beaver: IMO, he LOVES Canadians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=sekLEG8xsOs

Jean, what handle material is that?

Robert, I can answer that question I think, it's pond bone. Kind of like natural just a little darker in color. I'm not sure if it is a natural color, or if it gets a dye, whatever they do to it, I like it.

Jean, beautiful knife, congrats on the first.

Okay, I am definitely into the hats, I think this is going to be big for GEC, I already sent word that a leather pocket pouch would be a good gift for a GEC nut. But, these hats are the bomb. I like wearing ball caps, my biggest complaint though is that they're made over seas. So now I can show off my favorite knife company while supporting the efforts of American made goods. 

Ron, sorry to hear about the scales falling off, thats definitely a freak accident. I have the exact knife you had, I have used it on a produce farm cutting just about everything a knife could cut, I have dropped that knife more times than it deserves. The scales are still intact and ready to go.

Tom, I have EDCed Bubinga and Wenge wood, never once was I worried about splintering. I have wore the wenge wood down some and the jigging is starting to fade. I wander if you could sand paper it down some, making it a smoothie.

Jean-Francois,

 I love two original Beavertails.  My first two were the bone 73's.  I understand the wood (being a beaver and all) but I wish the would do a special set with the original beaver pond handles AND the new beaver shield.  The Hats ARE the bomb and I am not one bit surprised that GEC choose only american made products for their merchandise.  Like Johnny it just makes me prouder

Johnny, I'm with you on the hats. They need to make a camo one for you to take hunting. I know that these will do well and maybe then we will see Northfield and Tidioute hats too or maybe a hat that combines all three brands (guess that might get a little busy).  I think my Bocote Beavertail #72 would have been even more awesome if it were smooth to begin with.

It would be WAY COOL if GEC were to come out with  #72's in the two original beaver pond bones with the beavertail shield. What do you'all think? I like the original knives but I prefer a clip blade instead of the big spey skinner blade.

The handle material is appaloosa bone.

It’s a sturdy “Jumbo 1 Blade Trapper”, serialized (#158).

Overall length:  8.25" open; 4.5" closed.

Blade length:  3.75".

Blade material: 1095 carbon steel.

Liner material: brass.

Bolster material: nickel silver.

WOOD would be great, too (chestnut?). Luca would be in for sure...

Yeah that all sounds good to me as well, GEC listens so I would not be surprised to see something like this come out.

Jean-Francois...

I know that GEC came out with the Moose,Big Jack and Big Horn Moose in Appaloosa Bone but wasn't aware of the #73 also...I recognize that photo from EBay from some time ago and always figure that the seller didn't know the name of the bone but was familiar with Case knives....since most of us are aware that GEC came out with the #73 in Beaver Tail Bone and Beaver Pond Bone is this one marked as appaloosa bone...I'm always on the look out for models that I don't have....

Jim, I had not yet seen your first post on "Pond Bone" - and I did not know this name... You are absolutely right. Here a better pic, from an excellent post of Mike Latham (BladeForum).

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/737967-Beaver-tail...

Jean-Francois  you're the best...I was hoping I hadn't missed one....

GREAT EASTERN CUTLERY

~ 2007 PRODUCTION TOTALS ~

# 2 3 T I D I O U T E

River Valley Green................ 250 pcs.

Exotic Mexican Bocote .........176 pcs.

Reptile Green (SARPNT)......236 pcs.

Beaver Tail ..........................233 pcs.

Beaver Pond ........................210 pcs.

Single Blade Rams Horn.......56 pcs.

Single Blade Brimstone......... 59 pcs.

River Blue ............................ 6 pcs.

Jean-Francious,

Yours is a beautiful example.  The Rams Horn and Brimstone were all excellent handle types from that year also. (But ya'll know I love my Beavertails)

Personally, I really liked the "sarpnt" jigging, not the color, but the step and repeat circular drilling of the jigging pattern, and I'd like to see that reintroduced in another color, say black, my favorite. I thought it was very "modern" and graphic pattern. And, like Tom, I definitely prefer the clip blade on this knife. 

I think that would be pretty interesting Luca. I would like GEC to bring back the spiral cut red and black buffalo too. When I first saw it a few years ago I thought it was just plain ugly. Then it started to grow on me and I bought two #23L's in black spiral cut and I love them. I would definitely buy a #72 or #73/73L in red or black spiral cut buffalo now. A #72 in rams horn would interest me too. They could bring back the Brimstone too especially in a #72/73.  One other knife I have been waiting for is a clip blade Hogan in abalone in the Northfield line. And why can't GEC just go ahead and add the missing blade to the Conductor and make it a good ole whittler? The Conductor seems like a half congress to me, half useful.

OK, maybe I was a bit harsh . It was late and maybe I had a bit too much togetherness with my family yesterday. I do have a half congress and I like it pretty much, but I would still really like the addition of the extra blade on the Conductor to make it a true whittler. Sorry about that GEC!

Well, burnt stag will loose it's burnt look after pocket time. But, all stag mellows over time, red stag will loose some of it's red color after pocket time as well. When I buy a stag knife for EDC I plan on this though, it adds more character to the knife, for me atleast.

I like seeing a relaxed burnt stag knife with a dark patina stained blade, like Robert's moose, an excellent example actually. The new knives are gorgeous, but they don't have that look for me.

I think that would change it up greatly. After just a couple weeks of EDC time, my Stag Dogleg mellowed, not much but there was a noticeable difference.

If y'all would take a look at your knives,the 57 Gepetto Whittler pattern IS a Split Backspring Whittler.

I also prefer stag as it mellow.  Burnt stag does tend to mellow or change a little faster because the outer layer has been altered by heat but I am with Johnny..I am one of the people that likes stag better when it is aged.

The spring on the Geppetto does assist on both ends and GEC was able to do the knife thinner and lighter because of that configuration.  I can see how traditional whittler lovers would like to see the 33 conducter in a three blade.  The balloon whittler is a wonderful pattern that has withstood time.  Maybe with time we will see that from GEC also.

Elk stag mellows very quick, which I like. After it looses it's burnt look, it starts to yellow, something my toothpick did in a matter of months. It will mellow more and look even better after a few more trout seasons together. I look forward to that.

Sorry to start a heated discussion about the whittlers. A split backspring would be fine with me. I like the Geppetto a lot but would like a traditional whittler in the #33 pattern too. Never hurts to have more than one. I agree with Seth too. I love them all too but I would love the #33 even more if it had three blades instead of two!

The balloon whittler seemed like the most obvious pattern to see from the #33, but where is it? I think it's waiting for a special day. The classic Balloon whittler is hard to compare to the rest of GEC's whittler knives. I think GEC could make a great one.