Great Eastern Cutlery is releasing another run of their #65 Ben Hogan pattern currently. Go ahead, do a google search for Ben Hogan… you’ll be scrolling for a long time before you come upon anything on the colorful character for whom the Great Eastern Cutlery #65 pattern is named. Unfortunately this unique player in American history has been overshadowed by the golfer, but Great Eastern Cutlery is doing their part to keep his story alive with their #65 pattern that carries Ben Hogan’s name.
Who was Ben Hogan?
Ben Hogan was one of the many larger than life characters involved in the heyday of Pithole. Pithole was one of the major epicenters of the early days of the oil boom in Pennsylvania and is nearby to Titusville, where Great Eastern Cutlery knives are made. The narrative comes down to us mostly from the semi autobiographical “The Life and Adventures of Ben Hogan, The Wickedest Man in the World”. This book details the many (supposed) exploits before and during Hogan’s stay in Pithole. Born in Germany in 1840, Hogan (originally Benedict Hagan) immigrated to New York and immediately began his notorious career by killing a scam artist who had targeted his father. From there he becomes a cabin boy then a blockade runner and even a full fledged pirate. Eventually he hears of Pithole and the oil boom and moves to take advantage of the already raucous environment. He puts on a strong man show, tries his hand at sparring and gymnastic lessons, opens a saloon, and claims to have been part of the notorious French Kate’s brothel business. By no means is this an exhaustive list of his feats and claims to notoriety, and I highly suggest checking out further reading (Explore Clarion Petroleum History). Finally, in a twist worthy of such an exceptional character, Hogan converts to Christianity, goes on an evangelical tour, and runs a soup kitchen in Chicago for the remainder of his life.
What is the Great Eastern Cutlery #65 Ben Hogan Pattern?
The GEC #65 pattern is a long slender jack knife that almost defies definition using traditional slipjoint nomenclature. It might be called an English Jack, due to its long slender mostly sleeveboard shape, but the irregular bolster calls that designation into question. The bolster, with its extension on the blade well side that almost covers the tang to create a sunken joint, is reminiscent of a Copperhead but the handle is just not shaped like a typical Copperhead. So it’s an unusual pattern. Great Eastern Cutlery has done several runs of the pattern including spear point blades and clip point blades, plus the Fish Knife with a scaler / degorger / bottle opener secondary tool. So far this run in 2022 has included three single clip point bladed versions (Osage Orange Wood, Jigged Red Bone, and Smooth White Bone) and a Fish Knife version with Tortoise Shell Acrylic covers. Both the versions I have came with interesting lanyards that are not something GEC has done before; an acorn bead for the Osage Orange and a whistle for Fish Knife.
Unfortunately, pretty much every #65 I’ve had (including 3+ from previous runs and 3 from this run) have had blade rap. Blade rap is when the blade over travels upon closing and the blade hits the spring, causing damage to the cutting edge. While I think it’s probably possible to make a knife of this long and slender shape without blade rap, it’s not a huge surprise that this issue rears its ugly (and all too common) head on the #65 pattern considering the greater momentum the blade has upon closing. So while I don’t plan to buy any more of the variations on this run of the GEC #65 Ben Hogan pattern, I still think it’s an interesting knife with a great namesake!
If you decide to pick up a Great Eastern Cutlery #65 Ben Hogan I highly suggest trying to get yours from Knives Ship Free using my Affiliate Link. Not only does it help Knife Thoughts, it’s also just a great place to buy knives (of all types, not only GEC)! That said, Great Eastern Cutlery knives tend to sell quick so you can check out my article on how to buy GEC knives and try at other dealers like Traditional Pocket Knives, Blue Creek Cutlery, etc.
