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What is a “Parts Knife” or “Special Factory Assembly” from Great Eastern Cutlery?

Great Eastern Cutlery is wont to run by their own rules. Quirkiness is one of their most characteristic attributes, and both the boon and bane of collectors depending on the situation. One example of their unusual approach to knifemaking can be seen in their “parts” aka “special factory assembly” knives. This article will explain what these knives are, how they are purchased, and how they fit into the collector market.

My haul from the 2019 GEC Rendezvous

These knives are built using leftover parts from previous runs of knives. Sometimes they are made from recent runs within the same year, and sometimes they’re made with parts from frames that haven’t been used for several years (like this year’s #65s). They often feature different handle materials, shields, and sometimes even different blade or handle shapes than previous runs (from which they drew their parts). For example, at this year’s Rendezvous (2019) GEC had lots of knives built with parts left over from previous runs: #65 Ben Hogans, #85s in different configurations than the normal runs, #97s with the Tango guitar shield (which they haven’t used in a while), and even some stainless #74 Mustangs (I was lucky enough to snag one!). Due to being made in previously unused configurations with old stock parts, you never know what these knives are going to show up as!

The Special Factory Assembly aka parts knives for 2019

GEC first referred to these knives in question as “parts knives” but has transitioned into calling them the more official sounding “special factory assembly” knives. This change in nomenclature has happened over the past two or so years, in conjunction with a change in how they are sold. These knives are only available for purchase at the factory store. They are made for the annual Rendezvous (if you’d like to learn more about why the Rendezvous is worth attending, read my article linked here). Originally, up until 2017 or 2018, there was no restriction on the number of these knives that one could purchase at a time. However, recently GEC has restricted each person to one “SFA” knife per transaction / time through the line at the Rendezvous / day at the Rendezvous. This rule makes it more difficult for a large number of these knives to be concentrated in one person’s collection, therefore making them even rarer and more sought after on the secondary market.

Not technically a Special Factory Assembly, but definitely a parts knife. #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna, 1 of 27

These “special factory assembly” knives are sought after for several reasons. First, they tend to be made in low numbers. GEC has moved generally toward larger runs, so the fact that these parts knives are still made in runs of 4-40 knives makes them quite rare relative to other recent runs. On top of this, many of this year’s SFA knives were “S” models (I’ll be doing an article on what this means also, so make sure you subscribe via email for updates) which are less desirable due to their lack of warranty and supposed lower aesthetic quality. Beyond their rarity, the sheer fact that the SFA knives can only be purchased at the factory store makes them more difficult to purchase, and therefore more valuable. The “special factory assembly” knives tend to be highly sought after, especially just after the Rendezvous.

2019 Special Factory Assembly GEC #74 Mustang

I personally enjoy the “parts” aka “special factory assembly” knives because they’re just plain unique and interesting. I also enjoy that they’re a hallmark of and a keepsake from each Rendezvous. If you ever get a chance to pick one up, I highly suggest you do!

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What Makes the CollectorKnives WarHorse by LionSteel a Successful Mix of Modern and Traditional?

T(oo)L(ong);D(idn’t)R(ead)? Here’s the accompanying video review.

The WarHorse is a modern slipjoint made by LionSteel for CollectorKnives. It’s one that I’ve been looking forward to trying for a while, as CollectorKnives announced it on their Early Reserve page early this year. I had previously tried the CollectorKnives Shuffler, which is the single clip blade version, and liked it other than the handle material. The main reason I decided to get this knife is a bit convoluted; Mike at CollectorKnives had an SFO made by Great Eastern Cutlery in 2014 of a #77 NorthField barlow with clip point and wharncliffe full sized blades. I decided not to get one and wish I had. When I saw Mike was doing one of his modern barlows with the same blade combination I decided to check one out.

Two big full blades, clip and wharncliffe

The WarHorse is an interesting mix of modern and traditional. First and foremost, it is a slipjoint. It is non-locking, and uses a backspring to stay open and stay closed. It also has the hallmarks of a traditional barlow; an elongated bolster on a jack frame. Additionally, it’s a two hand opening knife that uses long pulls. Finally, on the traditional side, the clip point and wharncliffe blades are traditionally shaped. However, that’s where the traditionality ends. Rather than being pinned, the WarHorse is held together with torx screws. It also has a pin that the blade kicks fall upon when closed, eliminating the risk of blade rap. Finally, rather than the blades pivoting directly against the liners like on a traditionally built knife, the WarHorse has phosphor-bronze washers between the blades and liners.

  • The grip is comfortable enough with either blade open due to the width of the handle
  • The grip is slightly more ergonomic with the Wharncliffe open

LionSteel did a great job making this knife. It came with nice action; great walk and talk, healthy snap, and a nice 5.5ish pull (just a little stronger than a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife). The blades are nice and tight, with no play or wobble, and they’re both centered dead down the barrel. The fit is different than on a traditionally made knife. Since the knife is held together with screws, the transitions between handle cover and bolster and liners and springs can’t be polished flat. Instead, all of the edges are nicely rounded so that they come together smoothly. The washers help to provide extremely smooth action without any blade play right out of the box, but they also create small gaps between the blades/springs. The blades seem to be ground quite thin, for good slicing capabilities, and evenly. The long pulls (which, unlike on the vast majority of traditional slipjoints, are on both sides of the blade) are a little more rounded than I’d prefer. A traditional long pull has a square / angled inside upper edge which allows the fingernail to catch securely, whereas the WarHorse long pulls are radiused. This radius can sometimes lead to my fingernail slipping off the blade, especially on the pile side wharncliffe blade. Although the WarHorse is not traditionally built, it is certainly built well.

  • Back springs with no spacer
  • Stop pin that eliminates blade rap
  • Brass washers for smooth action
  • Perfect centering and full blades
  • Really nice carbon fiber goes well with the titanium bolster
  • Collector Knives etch

One of the WarHorse’s biggest drawing points is its high end materials. It comes in several different handle materials including olive wood, ram horn, ebony wood, and carbon fiber. I went with the carbon fiber, because I think it really fits with the traditional meets modern aesthetic. Knives have been handled in synthetic materials for around a hundred years, like micarta and celluloid, but carbon fiber is a new age material and I felt that it represented the mix of modern and traditional in the overall WarHorse. It is handsome carbon fiber, with no noticeable voids and a nice even weave. The blades are M390 steel. M390 is a recent super steel that is well liked for its high performance across all categories: edge holding, toughness, corrosion resistance, and sharpenability. Finally, the liners and bolsters are a nice tumbled titanium, for strength and lightness. The materials on the WarHorse are high end, but I do believe (if the WarHorse was made with pin construction) the materials do not exclude it from being a traditional knife. I really appreciate the high end materials that make up the WarHorse, especially considering super steels are so rare on production slipjoints.

Ready to put in lots of work

Overall, I think the WarHorse is a knife that the slipjoint market needs. It brings to the market a knife with high end materials and newer build technology while retaining a respect for and homage to the traditional knives from which it draws inspiration. I don’t think it has the same spirit and soul as a traditionally made barlow, if I’m being honest, but it offers more muscle and utility to even things out. The WarHorse builds a bridge between the modern and traditional knife segments, and hopefully will continue the trend of production knife companies making knives with traditional designs.

  • Compared to some recent GEC patterns, the #29 and #97
  • Thickness compared to the single blade #97 and 3 blade/spring #29
  • Compared to the Spyderco Domino and Spyderco Native

The WarHorse is a CollectorKnives exclusive. You can get one for yourself from CollectorKnives.net (they are in stock as of 8/20/19). You can find all of the different versions for between $162 and $172 at this link. Tell Mike you heard about the WarHorse on Knife Thoughts!

I sincerely thank you for your time, support, and interest! Don’t forget to tell your friends about KnifeThoughts.com, subscribe via email, and share this article on social media. You can find Knife Thoughts on YouTube where I have hundreds of knife videos, as well as on Instagram and Facebook! You can find all my latest links at LinkTr.ee/KnifeThoughts

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Knife Thoughts at the 2019 Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous

This past weekend Great Eastern Cutlery held their yearly Rendezvous. It’s a combination of several things: a gathering of GEC enthusiasts, an open house, and (since 2018) a small knife show. I’ve gone the last 6 years, and always look forward to the trip. If you want to know more about the Rendezvous in general, checkout my article here:

Why All Traditional Knife Enthusiasts Should Attend the Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous

2019 is the second year GEC has offered tents and tables for collectors and vendors to set up displays, and this year I decided to set up as Knife Thoughts. I wasn’t sure that it was a good idea to set up a display, being that my collection and knowledge pale in comparison to that of many of the collectors who attend the Rendezvous, but I decided to go for it. I thought I could offer something worthwhile mainly by displaying the last 6 years (2019 inclusive) of Rendezvous Specials. In all the years I’d gone, I never saw any of the Rendezvous Specials displayed and I felt people would enjoy seeing them. I also wanted to display my Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association club knives.

  • 2019 Rendezvous Special
  • 2019 Special Factory Assembly
If you want to know more about the parts knives, subscribe for updates via email, as I plan to write a short article explaining them.

After waiting in line all night and getting my 2019 Rendezvous Special and a Special Factory Assembly, I set up my first public knife display! I used a very nice stepped display given to me by my wife to display the Rendezvous Specials, a magnetic kitchen knife holder to display some fixed blades, and laid out many of my traditional pocket knives in a semblance of order.

Knife Thoughts display the 2019 GEC Rendezvous (and a little shirt flair)

It turned out to be a great experience! I had many people stop at my table to discuss the knives and GEC in general. I also got to see some old friends from previous Rendezvous, and meet many new friends. I got to meet and talk with Mike of Collector Knives, Austin of C. Risner / Traditional Pocket Knives, and Jamie of JSR Sports & More. I also got to see and talk with Ken of Blue Creek Cutlery / Maher & Grosh, as well as Gary of Kifer Cutlery Classics, whom I’ve seen at previous Rendezvous. It’s always a treat to get to discuss knives with others who share your enthusiasm for all things cutlery!

  • The line to get in at 7am just before they opened the doors
  • The Special Factory Assembly aka parts knives for 2019

I also learned a few things in the process. First, I should bring knives I plan to sell and have their prices pre-determined. Pretty much everyone who came to my table asked if I was selling. Even the knives I was willing to sell, I didn’t pre-plan pricing which made it awkward trying to give an asking price. Second, it would be easier to have a table and still be able to look around at the other displays with a partner to help watch. Thirdly, I should have a Knife Thoughts shirt and/or banner to help distinguish and identify my display (rather than just stickers). So not only was this Rendezvous a fun time, it was a learning experience to help improve Knife Thoughts displays at future shows.

A Special Factory Assembly #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna
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Why All Traditional Knife Enthusiasts Should Attend the Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous

Every year Great Eastern Cutlery holds their Rendezvous at their factory in historic Titusville Pennsylvania. It is a 3 day gathering for fans of GEC to come together and show and tell their traditional knives (it’s not restricted to GEC, other brands’/companies’ knives are very welcome). There’s also a picnic on Saturday where GEC collectors and employees get together to eat and enjoy the company of fellow knife enthusiasts. You can find more information by following this link to Great Eastern Cutlery’s page for this year’s (2019) Rendezvous!

A fine example of a GEC, a #53 Cuban Stockman, in its native territory of Western Pennsylvania

You get to see behind the curtain!

One of the best things about the Rendezvous is getting to see how all the knives are made. Throughout the weekend tours are given by none other than GEC President Bill Howard and his son Will. First off, the fact that the owner himself gives tours is a great look into the culture and workings of GEC. Bill Howard is a man who knows and cares about his products, machinery, and his employees. Second, it’s an incredible opportunity to see every step of the process (except bone dyeing and jigging, which is proprietary and not shown to the public) that goes into making a GEC knife. Let me tell you, it’s impressive to see just how much hand work goes into these knives. Third, it’s a chance to ask any of the questions you have about their production process. I know I’ve had many questions, and they seem happy to answer them. If you want a sneak preview of the tour you can check out a video tour below. It’s a great resource, but it’s not quite as good as in person!

Part 1, you’ll have to go to YouTube for parts 2 and 3

The people are great!

Meeting and conversing with the GEC employees and other Rendezvous attendees is definitely the highlight of the experience. Being that GEC is the most highly respected and sought after production knife maker in America today, the Rendezvous brings together a large and varied group of knife enthusiasts. Over the years that I’ve attended it has grown significantly. There is still the core group of hardcore knife collectors. These are the people who are basically walking encyclopedias of traditional knives, and it’s a treasure to get to discuss the history and nuances of all their knives. There are also now tables set up for people to display their collections and / or knives for sale. For example, last year the owners of the Maher & Grosh set up an extremely interesting display of vintage knives of that brand and also sold some GEC made M&G brand knives. As mentioned earlier, it’s also enlightening to get to know the people who make up GEC. Of course the knives are what makes us so enamored with GEC, but it’s certainly nice to get to meet the people behind the knives and see that they are (in many cases) as excited about what they’re doing as we are.

The #78 American Jack in Glitter Gold in the center is a 1 of 8 parts knife from the 2018 Rendezvous

Titusville has more to do than you think!

I often see people wondering what, if anything, else there is to do in Titusville. After all, it’s not your usual vacation location. I think the tendency is for people to assume there’s nothing to do, but that’s very much not the case! There is the annual Titusville Oil Festival. It is a celebration of the anniversary of the first oil well in the U.S. which was drilled in Titusville, and you can find more information at this link. There is also a craft brewery called the Blue Canoe that has classic food and good drinks, made right there on site. Speaking of the history of oil in Titusville, the site of the first oil well has a very interesting museum. It is called the Drake Well, and you can find more information about the museum at this link. I was always told by my dad, an avid fan of local history and himself in the natural resources industry, that the Drake Well was the first well drilled for oil in the world (and certainly some history books confirm this), but I’ve also read that oil wells were drilled earlier in China. Either way, it’s worth a visit if you’re interested in history. Another place well worth visiting, right next to the Drake Well, is Oil Creek State Park. Oil Creek State Park is a nice little park with some interpretive trails, hiking/biking, and some nice scenery. You can find a list of some good things to do at the park at this link. If you wanted to make a serious knife and history trip out of it, you could go to nearby Tidioute (where natural gas was found, and helped create the history of cutlery in the region) or relatively close by Bradford, where you can visit Case’s factory. Finally, there’s going to be a knife show the same weekend held as a replacement for the Queen show (that was always held on the same weekend as the Rendezvous). I know about this show because it’s being organized by a member of the Allegheny Mountain Knife Collectors Association, but I can’t find a website for it so I can’t provide much more information, though I’m sure once you’re at the Rendezvous it’ll be easy to find more info.

Retouched photograph of the Drake Well, from WikiPedia Media Commons

There’s some SUPER cool knives to be had!

Last, but not least, GEC makes some really unique and interesting knives for the Rendezvous. To start, they make a very limited run of “Rendezvous Special” knives. These are the knives made to commemorate that year’s Rendezvous. They make a fixed number, 50 the last couple years, and sell a fixed portion of that each day. You have to get there early to get one, but Friday and especially Saturday seem to be less busy than Thursday. They also make parts knives, knives put together with parts left over from previous runs. These parts knives often have unique handle materials that differ from those used in the normal run. They also often are made in even lower numbers than the Rendezvous Specials, so they’re quite desirable to collectors. Last year GEC only allowed each person to purchase 1 parts knife, and I have heard that they plans to restrict each household to 1 Rendezvous Special and 1 parts knife this year, but that hasn’t been confirmed. Either way, they do a good job of keeping it fun and fair. I’ve been happy to collect the Rendezvous Specials from all the years I’ve attended.

The Rendezvous Specials from the last 5 years

So, will you be there?

I have attended the last 5 Rendezvous, since 2014, and I’m more excited for this one than any other! I hope to see lots of new faces and get to know lots of new people. I have created a facebook group for those planning to attend. You can find the group and request to join by following this link, just make sure to answer the questions. Hope to see you in Titusville!

This year’s Rendezvous is August 8th, 9th, and 10th. It’s at the Great Eastern Cutlery factory at:

Great Eastern Cutlery Factory

Caldwell Street

Titusville, PA 16354

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The 3 Keys to Freehand Sharpening

First off, I want to start by saying that I don’t consider myself to be an expert in sharpening. I am on the same journey of sharpening skill progression as anyone reading this, and certainly haven’t reached anything resembling a peak. However, I do have a lot of experience sharpening knives. I have sharpened using powered belt systems, fixed angle systems, pull through (gasp!), and stones. Although I think they all have relative merits, except pull through systems (just kidding, they’re simple and convenient and work for some people), I have found freehand sharpening to be the most rewarding. In this article I will tell you what I think are the 3 most integral keys to successful freehand sharpening.

Angle

The angle at which you sharpen the blade has a huge impact on how it sharpens. This might seem self explanatory; the edge is really just the intersection of two planes at an angle and that angle is what allows the blade to separate material. However, I think it is very easy to overlook this aspect of sharpening and make the angle too obtuse or too acute.

Now, I’m not here to tell you what the correct angle is to sharpen your knife. I usually shoot for something between 15 and 25 degrees per side, or 30 and 50 degrees inclusive. That is when and after I have reprofiled an edge, which means to put a whole new angle on. I don’t think most people want to do that as frequently as I do, so it’s more relevant to talk about sharpening from the factory edge.

When resharpening the factory edge, you should try to match the angle from the maker (unless it is terribly thick). A good way to make sure that you’re succeeding in matching the angle is to paint the edge with a permanent marker before you sharpen. After your first swipe on the stone, check to see that the marker was removed across the entire width of the edge. That will indicate that you have matched the preset angle. This technique is simple but invaluable.

Whether you reapex the edge or match the preset angle, it’s important to find the right angle to sharpen. If you sharpen an edge at too low an angle it either won’t actually create a new edge/apex or it will be too fragile, and if you sharpen an edge at too high an angle it will be too thick to cut effectively. Make sure to always start your freehand sharpening by mindfully setting your intended angle.

Pressure

The level of pressure applied is the next of the most important aspects of freehand sharpening. There are two main reasons why it’s easy to put too much pressure into the stone with the blade when sharpening. First, the more pressure you apply the quicker the stone removes metal. This creates the illusion that you will complete the sharpening quicker, when in reality it will create a stubborn burr and extend the overall time cost of the sharpening. It’s a manifestation of our ubiquitous desire for quick fixes, if you want to get all psychological about it. Second, the more pressure you apply the more stable and controlled the blade can feel. When you apply more pressure it seems to hold the blade more securely at the angle, and considering how important that is as discussed above, it can make us focus on the angle at the expense of the pressure.

So why is too much pressure bad? When you apply too much pressure it does two main undesirable things to the edge. First, it leaves deeper scratches that are more difficult to remove/smooth for a good edge. Pushing down hard drives the abrasives on the stone into the metal of the edge resulting in overly aggressive scratch patterns. These tend to be difficult to completely remove and result in a ragged edge. Second, it creates an overly elastic burr. A burr is the thin line of steel created at the apex of the edge that is removed with final honing and stropping to leave behind a crisp apex. When you apply too much pressure it will create a large burr that maintains some of the elasticity of the steel, causing it to flip back and forth from one side of the edge to the other incessantly. This is, for me, the most frustrating thing to deal with when freehand sharpening, but it’s my own fault for getting hasty and applying the excess pressure.

So, how much is the right amount? I have a general rule that I use; if the knuckle of the finger that is on the blade, keeping it stable, is white from applying pressure then it’s definitely too much. Now, that’s certainly not an exact measure and can vary person to person, but it’s an easy way to remind yourself that you might be applying too much pressure. In even more general terms, you should probably go as light as your patience and confidence allow.

Grit

The last key to successful freehand sharpening is a logical progression through grits. This is one that some people might disagree with me on, but I’ve found it to be important for me in my sharpening. The grit of a stone is the size (and sometimes distribution) of the abrasive particles. These can be stone, diamond, or ceramics as well as polishing compounds. Whatever kind of sharpening material you use, it’s important that you start with a lower grit and move progressively up to the highest grit.

The reason it is important to move gradually in progressive steps of grit, rather than just going from a very low grit to a very high one, is because it facilitates a more even scratch pattern and a more smooth edge apex. Without an even scratch pattern and smooth apex, an edge will have too much drag when moving through the material during cutting. This can cause more of a tearing or sawing action than a cut like is achieved with a good edge. All that said, some people prefer a toothy edge. I like a toothy edge sometimes, but I still think a good toothy (and not just jagged) edge requires progression through grits in reasonable steps.

So, what are good grits to use? Well, again, this is somewhat of a wide question. Some people use very low grits like 80 and even 60 on knives, especially if the edge is damaged, but I would save those grits for axes and gardening tools. The lowest I go is 120 grit, but I normally start at 325 grit even for reapexing. I then move up to 600 then a ceramic stone. Ceramics can be difficult to give a grit rating, but it’s probably around 1200. From there I go to a strop with diamond polishing compound, then sometimes I strop lightly on a jeweler’s cloth. As you can see, this shows a pretty much even progression with the grits doubling in each stone change. My system is similar in grit progression to most of the fixed angle systems. For example, the KME system comes with 140, 300, 600, and 1500 grit stones.

All that said, you can still get a more than usable edge with one stone. I’d probably suggest going right down the center with a 600 grit stone, if you’re only going to buy one. The big thing for getting a good edge using only one stone is that you have to focus even more on the first two keys: correct angle and low pressure.

Conclusion

Freehand sharpening can be a very rewarding skill. It allows you to keep your knives sharp with very few tools that can be taken almost anywhere. It also can be a very relaxing practice, almost in a meditative or zen manner. On the other hand, if you fail to follow these keys to successful sharpening it can also be a huge headache! So make sure you practice as much as you can and keep these 3 keys in mind when you do. You’ll be a freehand sharpening champ in no time!