Category: Uncategorized

Posted on

Bootleg 2020; A Smashing Success!

I attend the Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous every year. It’s a gathering of traditional knife enthusiasts at the GEC factory to show and discuss knives, take tours of the factory, and get some unique knives. You can find more information in the following article:

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

Unfortunately, due to the Corona Virus crisis, Great Eastern Cutlery decided to cancel the Rendezvous this year. It was a big disappointment to me, and I’m sure to many others, but I understand why they had to make the decision.

Relatively quickly after this decision was announced, some regular attendees set in motion to organize an unofficial gathering in place of the Rendezvous. Jesse W. contacted the location and caterer that was always used for the Saturday picnic and, along with contributions from Gary K. and Darren O., set up a replacement gathering. Setting this all up was no small feat, I’m sure, and set the stage for the success of the event.

In the process of being setup the event began to be called “Bootleg”. I decided that if we couldn’t have a Rendezvous Special knife, it would be nice to have at least something to commemorate the event. Since GEC often includes pins with their knives and has been making special pins for the last few years’ Rendezvous, I decided to make pins for all the attendees. I’m no graphic designer, by any stretch of the word, but I came up with something and got a bunch made by Sticker Mule (who I’ve used for several sticker designs). I was happy to make a small contribution, and I was surprised to find Randy (an engineer at GEC and fellow knife enthusiast) laser etching the logo onto all kinds of things: slips, sheaths, and even knives! It was a very nice gesture that allowed people to go home with mementos of the event.

The event was well attended and a whole lot of fun. A significant group of regular Rendezvous attendees, as well as some GEC employees, showed up. The hours rushed by while we all showed and discussed our knives, knife history, and all kinds of knife related topics. I had a great time, and I think others did also.

Still, I’m looking forward to next year and having the full Rendezvous. If you plan to attend next year’s Rendezvous, consider joining this Facebook group. I’ll be there!

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!

Posted on

Great Eastern Cutlery Cancels 2020 Rendezvous

If I’m being honest, I saw it coming; Pennsylvania has extended the state of emergency, safety measures that had been relaxed have been reinstated, and the Titusville Oil Festival (with which the GEC Rendezvous was always concurrently held) was canceled. Still, I’m sure it was a hard decision for Bill and everyone at GEC to make, and I’m very crestfallen.

If you want to learn more about the Rendezvous, check out the article at this link.

The perfect meme for this news

I collect the Rendezvous Special knives, which you can only get at the Rendezvous. Check out this link and this link for videos on those knives. Still, worse than not having the opportunity to obtain this year’s piece of that collection is the missed discussions with other enthusiasts (and many collectors with much more knowledge than me, from whom I’ve learned a lot at past Rendezvous). However, it would have been difficult to maintain the current safety protocols and enjoy the Rendezvous as it has been in the past. Hopefully GEC has something else fun up their sleeve, and hopefully this isn’t too much of a blow to them.

Posted on

All Aboard! Next Up for Great Eastern Cutlery is the #33 Conductor Pattern

Great Eastern Cutlery has been knocking the #23 Pioneers out of the park since reopening after the Pandemic Shutdown, and it looks like they have another hit on the way! They’re through most of the double blade #23 versions and working on the single blade liner lock versions.

Today they posted a teaser picture of what is coming after the #23s!

The #33 Conductor is a small swell center pen knife style pattern. It’s an insider favorite for its ease of carry and practical blade combination.

I’m very much looking forward to seeing what handle / cover materials they offer. The teaser shows stag and what looks like a jigged bone (or maybe micarta?), but I’m sure there will be lots of other options including SFOs.

If you like small practical traditionals, keep your eyes peeled!

Posted on

Knife Thoughts and Review Authenticity

Recently I posted on BladeForums mentioning that when I ordered the new SMKW Queen Pilot Test Run Knife, which I plan to do an article on, I requested that they check the knife for any major issues. A few people responded saying that asking that a knife be checked over for issues “invalidates” any review of the knife. They even went so far as to say it invalidates all of my reviews, which was disheartening. I thought I’d write an article on this topic, so as to make my thoughts and processes on that subject transparent to my readers and viewers.

Since long before Knife Thoughts existed, I have sometimes requested that dealers check over knives I purchase. I am a knife enthusiast first, before I am a knife reviewer, and asking the dealer to check the knife is a simple way to help avoid the hassle of getting a lemon. That said, I more often don’t ask the dealer to check the knife for issues than I do.

I have never expected dealers to accommodate this request. Rather, I see it as a favor for which it doesn’t hurt to ask. I know that it is extra time and work for them, and that it should be done by the manufacturer. I don’t expect such requests to be fulfilled any more now that I review some of the knives that go through my hands. On that note, I almost never mention that I intend to review knives when buying them. In the case of the Smoky Mountain Knife Works Queen Pilot Test Run Mini Trapper; I mentioned my intention to review the knife not to unduly influence them. I just mentioned it because I am excited that someone is reintroducing Queen, and eager to evaluate and review the knife. In any case, SMKW said they can’t check the knife, so it’s a non-issue on this specific knife.

Even if such a request is granted, I don’t think it has a major impact on the review. For one thing, it is still a sample size of one. In some cases I am able to base a review on more than one example of a knife. Most instances of that have been when I bought multiples for gifts. However, I can’t keep all the knives I get, let alone buy multiples. I would love to be able to though! These reviews are my experience as a knife enthusiast, intended to provide my opinion for information and entertainment.

I would be surprised if most knife reviewers didn’t often make the same request. I know that many collectors do. I suggest anyone make the same request when buying a knife. Like I mentioned earlier, it can’t hurt. Also, the more well known reviewers who get all or most of their knives for free certainly aren’t getting a random example. Whoever provides the knife is going to pick out a good example for review.

All that said, I will be as transparent as possible in my future reviews. I have always mentioned when I got the knife at a discount, whenever possible. Now I will also mention if I asked the dealer to check the knife for issues. I hope this will help those who are interested, and won’t feel redundant to others. I just want to keep enjoying great knives and sharing that experience with others!