A while back, the news came out that Great Eastern Cutlery would not be manufacturing any more SFOs (special factory orders) in the future. While I knew that they weren’t taking new dealers for a while, I was surprised to hear that there wouldn’t be Special Factory Orders for the typical dealers and producers. In particular, I was concerned that Charlie Campagna wouldn’t be able to continue his new Waynorth Cutlery brand.
Waynorth Cutlery #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna, 1 of 27
Charlie has produced many of the most popular GEC knives. From TC barlows to Harness Jacks, Charlie’s designs have helped propel GEC to its current stratosphere of popularity. Recently Charlie created his own brand in Waynorth Cutlery. “Waynorth” is what Charlie uses as his online screen name, particularly on BladeForums. A few knives were made under Waynorth Cutlery, with only the #93 Lambfoot and #86 Black Jack having the Waynorth tang stamps.
I’m sorry, but I can’t guarantee you’ll look this stylish in your Waynorth Cutlery shirt.
I personally have been a fan of Charlie and his designs throughout my time as a GEC enthusiast. My first GEC was a TC barlow, and getting to talk with Charlie and see his collection was always a highlight of the yearly Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous. So one of my first thoughts when I realized GEC might not make any more SFOs for Charlie was wondering how I could help keep Waynorth Cutlery active.
Framed “OIL THE JOINTS”
The idea came to me to create some non-knife gear related to Waynorth Cutlery. I contacted Charlie to see if he would be alright with me producing some shirts with his Waynorth branding. We had a great conversation wherein he let me know that I had his blessing to go forward with the idea. Fast forward through several months of trying different ideas and designs, till a fellow GEC enthusiast offered to create digital illustration facsimiles of the Waynorth tang stamps. They turned out incredibly great, in my opinion, and I went ahead and set them up for purchase. I had used print on demand services previously both for Knife Thoughts and my normal job, and I am happy with the quality and service provided by Printful.
Mockup of the dark version front
So, I’m happy to say that Waynorth Cutlery shirts are available now on Knife Thoughts! There are two versions; one in black heather with “OIL THE JOINTS” unframed as on the tangs, and the other in heather dust with “OIL THE JOINTS” framed with an outline. I think both options look great. The Bella + Canvas shirt is soft, comfortable, and fits well to my preferences.
Mockup of the dark version back, with unframed “OIL THE JOINTS”
These are not priced to make a huge profit on each shirt, but a portion of the profit from each will go directly to Charlie. I think these offer a great way to show your enthusiasm for Waynorth Cutlery, Charlie, and GEC. So, if you’d like to pick up a Waynorth Cutlery shirt for yourself, go to this link or to the Shop tab in the top menu. I hope you enjoy the shirts and I’d love to hear your thoughts on them!
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
There has been a Great Eastern Cutlery knife that I’ve always wished I could get, but never thought I would. It was a particular #23 Pioneer Trapper from the first run of knives GEC made in 2006 with smooth white bone covers laser etched with “GEC” and oak leaves (the oak leaves to match the Great Eastern Cutlery brand’s acorn shield). I always understood these to be a small run within the overall first run made at GEC’s inception, and the first knives that went to consumers. A picture of a paper had been circulated online that designated the knife as being a small run of 25 knives given to friends and family. It also is the first knife that had laser etching on the handle, which GEC has done a few times since. On top of all of those things that made it special from a collector’s standpoint, I also just like the smooth white bone and laser etch from an aesthetic standpoint.
These knives never seemed to become available until, for some inexplicable reason (cough the insane secondary market??? cough) the last month of 2020. In less than a week I missed two: one on eBay because it sold for more than I could bid, and one on AAPK because it sold before the buyer got back to me with pictures showing the condition. So I posted in search of it, and within another week had multiple offers to my great shock and excitement.
I took one of the offers and was really happy to finally have a true grail in my collection. That said, I did sell a couple knives to help with the transaction including the 2006 #23 from the below video. Also, the knife has some gaps between the backsprings and center liner, but I’m happy with the deal because it’s still a great knife and I knew about the gaps because the seller was upfront about them. After getting the knife, I decided I wanted to get the full scoop on its history and reached out to Great Eastern Cutlery.
Unfortunately, their reply wasn’t what I had hoped. They said “there really is no story to it”, it wasn’t made for friends and family, and he doesn’t recall a paper going with the knife. I was relatively deflated by this news, and decided to do some digging to find the paper I had seen posted in relation to the knife. As you can see below, the actual paper is not related to this specific knife but looks to be a general advertising flyer from the early days of GEC. It does have a handwritten note from Ken Daniels, once co-owner, that claims it is part of a 25 knife run given to friends and family. Unfortunately, since it’s not anywhere close to an official document and from someone who left GEC early, I don’t think it can be taken as reliable information. So it seems that the history of this knife was not what I had believed, and it provides a good lesson to not always believe what you hear on the internet.
Screenshots from Bill McGuire
This knife was a grail for me for a long time, and I won’t deny that I’m disappointed it doesn’t hold the history and significance I had thought. I also am disappointed that the 2006 #23 I sold to buy it was actually, presumably, an earlier made knife (due to its serial number and how they did serialization in the first run). They also said that they would prefer not to fix the gaps because they would have to mark it as repaired and “it is worth more the way it is”. While I understand that that’s true, I am not sure I wouldn’t rather it be made perfect for my own enjoyment even if it had to be marked as repaired and lose value. That said, the knife is still a great piece. I enjoy the laser etch, and have always loved GEC’s smooth white bone. It will also go better with my 2007 #73 in Casein than my previous 2006 #23 did. So although it’s not what I had hoped, it’s still a knife I’m happy to have in my collection.
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
Special Factory Assembly #93 Lambfoot for Charlie Campagna under his Waynorth Cutlery brand
Foreword
Great Eastern Cutlery manufactured the Waynorth Cutlery #93 Lambfoot in 2019, and since then I have planned to write an article on the history of this unusual slipjoint pattern. In this article I will describe the pattern, its possible history, and why the Waynorth version is special. I hope it’s an enjoyable and interesting read, but I want to stress and make clear that the content of this article should NOT be taken as absolute historical fact but rather as educated conjectures. Most of the points in this article are based on posts in the Guardians of the Lambfoot thread on BladeForums, and you can find links to specific posts I’ve referenced at the following links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. If you would just like to see the knife in question check out the video below.
What is a Lambfoot knife?
The Lambfoot is a knife that not many in America are familiar with, and that can seem a little vague in its definition; so what is it? The Lambfoot is defined primarily by its blade shape. It has a straight edge, with no belly (before sharpening / wear). The spine is straight, but angled slightly downward from the handle toward the tip. The main spine section comes to a rounded angle that connects a smaller, also straight, spine section to the tip. Aside from the blade, a Lambfoot knife usually (but not always) has a swayback type handle. That means that the butt of the knife sets out of center with the pivot to the spring side. The Lambfoot also seems to most often be a single bladed knife, though there are multi bladed examples that can be found. So considering all that, the Lambfoot is similar to a harvester, pruning, or cotton sampler knife with a more slender blade and (typically) more slender handle.
A comparison of sheepfoot adjacent blade shapes. Click on the image to learn more about the different shapes.
What are the origins of the Lambfoot knife’s name and design?
The origin of the Lambfoot’s name and design is murky and difficult to nail down definitively, but there are a few things that can be guessed at with some research. First, the pattern seems to have emerged in the mid to lade 19th century. There are no obvious examples of the Lambfoot in Smith’s Key 1816, an industry pattern catalogue. That said, there are some knives that seem to be Lambfoot predecessors that blur the line between Sheepfoot, Wharncliffe, and Lambfoot. Another indicator that the pattern didn’t develop until the late 19th century is that it didn’t show up in America after many Sheffield cutlers immigrated to New England in the 1840s-1860s, which I’ll discuss further later in the article. Manufacturer catalogues from the late 19th century begin to show Lambfoot knives, and their representation in catalogues becomes widespread in the early 20th century. Around this time the cutlery industry in the UK saw many trademark infringement lawsuits and both the design, as a possible modification of the sheepfoot shape, and the name could have been an attempt at marketing and product differentiation. Some evidence for this is the commonness of Lambfoot knives having a stamp or etch on the blade announcing it as a “Real Lambfoot Knife”. Specifically, it might have been called the Lambfoot because it can be seen as a more slender Sheepfoot, therefore playing on the fact that a lamb is a juvenile sheep. While these are some of the possible reasons for the development of the Lambfoot name and design, it seems the specific origin of the name and pattern have been lost to history.
Taylor’s Eye Witness 1897
Thomas Turner 1902
Australian Lambfoot
2 bladed Lambfoot with usage description
Why is the Waynorth Lambfoot from GEC so special?
So, why did Great Eastern Cutlery’s version of the Lambfoot knife make such a splash? It was one of the most anticipated and sought after knives in GEC’s history, which is full of highly anticipated and sought after knives. It was produced alongside a normal run of a new pattern for GEC, the #93 Ramfoot, as a Special Factory Order for Waynorth Cutlery. Waynorth Cutlery is the new brand created by Charlie Campagna. Mr. Campagna is the mastermind behind the TC Barlows, Harness Jacks, and other great SFOs that have helped to skyrocket Great Eastern Cutlery’s popularity. Considering its popularity in the UK, it might come as a surprise that the Waynorth Lambfoot seems to be the very first factory produced Lambfoot knife made in America. Although I’ve heard there might have been some knives made in America that had blades that toed the line toward being a legitimate Lambfoot, I can’t find an image showing an actual definitive example. So after around 100 years of existence the Lambfoot pattern finally made its debut, American style.
GEC’s reproductions on top and bottom, with the Sheffield J. Rogers & Sons Lambfoot. Thanks to Randy Bell for the picture!
Why didn’t the Lambfoot show up in America till now?
So, why did it take so long for an American company to make their version of the Lambfoot knife? As I mentioned earlier, one reason may be that many of the cutlers who founded the early American knife manufacturers immigrated to the United States in the mid 19th century, and the Lambfoot wouldn’t be “invented” or come to prominence till the late 19th and early 20th century. Meanwhile, the many blade shapes that became popular in America (Spear Point, Clip Point, Pen, Pruner, and Sheepfoot) had already been well established by the time the American cutlery industry was founded. Another barrier that may have kept the Lambfoot from being introduced into the U.S. market was the “McKinley” Tariff Act of 1890. This legislation brought the tax on imports to the U.S. to ~38-49% on average, and would have pushed Sheffield / U.K. manufacturers to turn away from the American market. This turn away from the U.S. market is also likely why the Lambfoot knife can be found in Australia (especially considering its high numbers of sheep and agricultural workers), and even somewhat in Canada, both once U.K. colonies. Finally, curved edges are more useful in skinning, hunting, and general outdoors / wilderness tasks. These types of tasks would have been much more common in America at the turn of the 20th century, when much of the country was still wilderness (whereas much of the U.K. was urbanized or farmland). Also, hunting was (and remains) much more common in the U.S. because there is more large game in the Americas. Additionally, hunting is illegal in many places in the U.K. because of an interesting history of the game being owned by the royal family and aristocrats. So, historical trends of industry, legislation, recreation, and immigration all seem to have likely played a part in the lack of Lambfoot knives made in America.
Case Trapper, Waynorth Lambfoot, Tidioute TC #15, Spyderco Native 5
Conclusion
The Waynorth Lambfoot has become one of my favorite knives. In fact, it was one of my most carried knives of 2020 and has become a great user. It has also inspired me to look into U.K. made Lambfoot knives and, although they seem somewhat difficult to get from U.S. sellers, I hope to add one to my collection in 2021. I have also enjoyed researching the pattern’s history, as it’s always a pleasure to see how closely the story of knives weaves into the overall current of history. I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the Lambfoot knife.
Afterword
This article has been a long time coming. I have had several people request an article and / or video on the pattern, and I hope I’ve done the requests justice. Much of the information behind the content of this article was found in the Guardians of the Lambfoot thread on BladeForums, as well as a little on All About Pocket Knives. I greatly appreciate all the knowledge that can be found on those sites and the help I’ve received from members over the years. That said, the “Guardians” thread has over 46,000 replies and counting. It is extremely difficult to keep up with if you don’t spend significant time on the forums. There is an index post, but it also contains dozens if not hundreds of links with only headings and no descriptions. So for the vast majority of knife enthusiasts who don’t visit the forums, let alone spend significant time following and searching through threads, there are real barriers to accessing the knowledge surrounding this Lambfoot pattern. Whether that information is historical fact or educated conjecture, either way I think people are interested and have a desire to consume the info. One of the chief reasons I wanted to publish an article on this subject is because there really are few sources of information online about the Lambfoot, as well as other traditional knife subjects, other than threads on the forums. One of the chief reasons I publish articles and videos overall is to share knowledge with the people who don’t visit those sites. I personally believe that sharing knowledge, or even “conjecture” as this article contains, outside those sometimes insular groups can only be beneficial to the overall knowledge of, enthusiasm for, and interest in traditional knives. I hope this article is enlightening and helpful to you, and I appreciate you reading!
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
Great Eastern Cutlery has exploded in popularity in the last few years, and in turn the demand for their knives has skyrocketed. This growth in demand has made it difficult for some to purchase the knives they’d like to when they’re released. In this article, as a companion to the video below, I’ll give you some tips on how to successfully purchase GEC knives in 2021 and beyond.
First off, I understand the frustration that comes with buying GEC knives. If you don’t reserve them as soon as they’re announced then you have to go the route of a “drop”. A drop is when the knives are released for sale on a dealer’s site either randomly or at a previously announced date and time. Either way, the knives often sell out within minutes of being available. Then, if you can’t get the knives on the primary market, they’re invariably significantly more expensive on the secondary market. This past year I have missed out on some of the knives I’ve wanted, which hasn’t happened much until recently. So I really understand how unpleasant it can be to feel like you don’t have access to the knives you want.
That said I don’t think GEC or the people who run it, in particular Bill Howard, are intentionally restricting supply to increase demand as some have suggested. Great Eastern Cutlery is a small company that works on a modified lean manufacturing style. That means they produce small batches of high quality products in a wide variation, with little inventory and only the raw materials necessary for upcoming batches.
A comparison of sheepfoot adjacent blade shapes. Click on the image to learn more about the different shapes.
Why do they do it this way instead of making huge drawn out batches of the most popular patterns? Well, I can’t speak for GEC’s management, but I can give you some of my guesses. I think that these small batches allow for higher attention to detail on each pattern. I also think smaller batches allow GEC to offer a much wider variety of pattern types. Even if they did focus on large batches, I’m not sure they’d be able to fill demand for the hottest patterns.
So, if they’re not likely to make enough knives in the sought after patterns to fill demand, whats the best way to ensure you get the knives you want?
First, you need to know what knives are coming out well ahead of time. If you don’t know about a knife until it’s for sale at dealers, it’s not very likely you’ll be able to get one. GEC puts out a production schedule on their website at this link. However, news of upcoming knives often comes out elsewhere before it is officially announced by Great Eastern Cutlery. For a long time the best place to hear about upcoming knives first was on BladeForums in the Traditional Knife Subforum, and specifically in the Let’s Talk GEC thread. Recently, news of upcoming releases has come out just as quickly on traditional knife Facebook groups. In particular, I help administrate the Great Eastern Cutlery Club group and I think it’s one of the best places to discuss GEC in general. News of upcoming patterns is usually the hot talk, so just follow along with one or both of these channels and you’ll be ahead of the curve.
Once you know of an upcoming knife you’re interested in, the best way to ensure you’ll get it is to reserve one with a dealer. I have been reserving knives by email for years through various dealers, and it usually is a relatively easy process. I’ve had positive experiences with many of GEC’s dealers but I most often reserve from Blue Creek Cutlery or CollectorKnives. Blue Creek Cutlery, like several GEC dealers (a list of which you can find at this link), does reserves by email. CollectorKnives has their own system that uses an app called Telegram to notify followers when a new knife is up for reserve. While those are the dealers I most often reserve knives through, I suggest contacting any you’ve purchased from in the past. If you haven’t purchased from any yet, just reach out to several dealers and start a correspondence with those who seem to fit your style.
If you’re not able to reserve a knife, the next best option is to try to snag one on a “drop”. As mentioned previously, these drops tend to sell out quite quickly. There are a relatively large number of dealers, so each only gets a small number of each knife. The exact number depends on the overall run, but recently it’s been between 5 and 25 (if what I hear is accurate). So you won’t be able to randomly stumble upon the knife on a dealer’s site; you’ll have to have the purchase planned. That said, there’s an argument to be made that drops are more fair than reservations because it does away with the possibility of long term or high spending customers receiving preferential treatment. If I have to go the route of a drop, I most often buy from KnivesShipFree or Tradtional Pocket Knives / C. Risner Cutlery. I am most familiar with them and have always gotten great service, but there are a lot of good dealers who use the drop system. Whichever dealer(s) you decide to give it a shot at, I highly suggest you know when the knives will drop ahead of time by subscribing to their email lists and following them on social media. Even if you know when a knife will drop and get there just when they do, the dealer sites sometimes get bogged down in the massive traffic and it can become impossible to get through the checkout process. That said, it’s better to get a knife in a drop than to have to go the secondary market route.
If you miss out on reserves and drops, the last option is to buy from an individual rather than from a dealer. No matter how you go about this, you should be prepared in most cases to pay more than the price that dealers charged. Many GEC enthusiasts have decried the secondary market and so called “flippers”, or people who purchase knives with the sole intent to resell them for profit. Certainly there are people out there who purchase knives without much interest in the knife itself and with profit as the goal. Still, I think there are more people who purchase a knife because they think they’ll like it, then for whatever reason decide to sell it and follow the market price. That said, lots of fair deals can still be found. For a long time the BladeForums Exchange was the place to find those deals, but that has changed somewhat in recent years. Now I think the best place to find reasonably priced knives on the secondary market is in Facebook groups, like the previously mentioned Great Eastern Cutlery Club or others like it. Aside from keeping an eye on the groups and BladeForums, every now and then a knife can be found on eBay or Instagram but much less frequently. The best things to increase your chances of finding a good deal on a secondary market knife are vigilance and patience.
I understand the frustration many feel when attempting to buy GEC knives, and I hope this article is helpful. In the last few years I have seen the massive growth in interest and demand for Great Eastern Cutlery made knives, and I have felt how it can sometimes dampen the enjoyment in trying to get those incredible knives. I want to help make it easier for people to get the knives they want, and to lower the learning curve for buying these sought after knives. Here’s hoping you get all the GEC’s you want in 2021 and beyond!
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
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.
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.
T(oo)L(ong);D(idn’t)R(ead)? Here’s my YouTube review of the #86 Oil Field Jack!
Recently Great Eastern Cutlery began producing its first run of the new #86 pattern. The #86 is a jumbo jack pattern, which basically means it’s an enlarged version of the classic swell end jack shape like that found on a #15 or #77. GEC has named this pattern the Oil Field Jack, and it’s a fitting name. This hefty pocket knife would be right at home in the oil fields.
The jumbo jack is a pattern that has been around for a long time, but isn’t as well known as others. It’s an enlarged swell end jack, usually over 3.75″ closed. The GEC version is 3.875″ closed. They tend to have thicker handles. This is in part due to the more rounded covers, and in part to the fact that they are most often two bladed. The blades can even be ground from thicker stock than a typical jack. For example, according to Charlie Campagna, the #86 tangs are about .1″ wide, whereas a GEC #15’s tangs are about .09″. Interestingly, vintage jumbo jacks tend to have spear point main blades with pen secondaries, but the #86 has a clip point main and slender sheepfoot secondary. All of it comes together in the #86 to make an unusually hefty jack knife that is inspired by, but not a direct copy, of vintage jumbo jacks.
The #86 compared to a #78, #77, and #15 (from right to left)
Great Eastern Cutlery is making the #86 in several iterations. They’re making them under both their Tidioute and Northfield in-house brands, as well as some Special Factory Orders. The Tidioute versions all feature a quite unique, and appropriate to the name, wrench shield. They are being made with Oil Sucker Rod Wood, Natural Canvas Micarta, and Oily Creek Bone. The Northfield version will come in Autumn Gold Jigged Bone, Tortoise Shell Acrylic, and Sambar Stag. There will also be an SFO for Gunstock Jack’s Knives in Bloodwood with Bowtie shield, and for JSR Sports & More in Burnt Chocolate Peach Seed Jigged Bone with Propeller shield. Finally, there will be two more unique (and difficult to get) versions of the #86. First, the traditional knives subforum of BladeForums has ordered their yearly club knife on the #86 frame with a single saber ground sheepfoot blade, African Blackwood handles, and Bomb shield. At this point the only way to purchase that version is through the secondary market, as all have been pre-ordered months in advance. Second, Charlie Campagna is having a Waynorth Cutlery Black Jack produced. It will have a clip point main with more emphasized swedges and a pen secondary, Gabon Ebony Wood handles, and a Banner shield. You still might be able to get one of these by emailing the dealers through whom Charlie sells his SFOs, a list of which you can find at this link. The Waynorth Black Jack will probably be the most sought after of the #86s. With so many exciting versions of the #86 pattern coming soon, everybody should be able to find one they want!
The “jumbo-ness” really shows in the thickness. It’s thicker, due to the rounded covers, than a Case full sized trapper.
The first released Oil Field Jacks seem to be selling quickly, but you should be able to get one in your preferred handle material. This will be a relatively large run in regard to production numbers. However, GEC has been shipping knives to dealers in batches. This practice is both good and bad; good because it allows for more chances to get the knife you want, bad because it causes more scramble and makes the knives seem more scarce. As of this writing, all of the Tidioute versions have been released but if you act quick you should still be able to get at least an Oily Creek Bone model. There are some Natural Canvas Micarta versions still arriving at dealers, and maybe a couple Oil Sucker Rod Wood stragglers. None of the Northfield versions have been released yet, and they can be purchased from any of the GEC dealers (which you can find a list of at this link), so there’s definitely still time to get one. I think both the Sambar Stag and Tortoise Shell Acrylic will look awesome on this jumbo jack pattern; the stag because the big wide handles will give plenty of room to show off the unique character of each piece, and the tortoise because I just like the somewhat bold and garish look of that acrylic style. I’m sure the Autumn Gold Jigged Bone will be nice also, I just don’t get as excited about that particular dye color and jigging as some. I am probably most excited about the Waynorth Cutlery Black Jack (aside from / along with the one I already have). Not only will it be the most similar to vintage jumbo jacks with its long pulls, swedges, and Gabon Ebony Wood handles, it will also have that particular styling that Charlie brings to his SFOs that have made them so popular amongst collectors.
Compared to some well known knives, the Ontario Rat 1 and Case Trapper.
I got the Oil Sucker Rod Wood #86 Oil Field Jack. This is a knife I knew I had to check out as soon as it was announced. I already really have and enjoy a few other knives with the Oil Sucker Rod Wood covers. The Oil Sucker Rod Wood is reclaimed from the area around Great Eastern Cutlery. An oil sucker rod is part of the oil drilling process and the piece of equipment that pulls the oil up out of the well (you can find a video on the process at this link). Steel rods are used now and have been for a while, but in the early days of the oil industry wooden rods were implemented. One interesting quirk of this handle material is that, because it is reclaimed wood and there’s no record of what wood species was used for the wells from which the wood was reclaimed, one can’t be sure what wood these handles actually are made of. Some, including my dad who’s been in the industry for over 40 years, say that it’s likely Ash. Either way, it has a green hue from the crude oil that soaked into it during its previous life as a working sucker rod. The crude oil in the Titusville region is a particularly bold green color. I remember my dad having a little bottle of crude oil from the Drake Well, the first commercial oil well in the world (by most accounts) that is right outside of Titusville and only a couple miles from GEC, and it was just the same color as the handles on my Oil Field Jack. Finally, the wrench shield hearkens to the hard manual work put in on those early oil wells (not to say that hard manual work isn’t also put in on the modern wells!). All of it seems to reach back and connect the Oil Field Jack to local Pennsylvania history, making it much more than just an extremely well made knife.
Three knives in Oil Sucker Rod Wood. #18 Beagle, #15 2014 Rendezvous Special TC One Arm Barlow, and the #86 Oil Field Jack
Speaking of its build quality, my Oil Field Jack in Oil Sucker Rod Wood is impeccably made. It has smooth transitions between the covers and bolsters. The shield is fitted tightly, which is a feat on such a complicated shape as a double ended wrench. The blades are tight with no blade play. The action is great with nice snap and walk and talk, and about a 6 out of 10 pull (a little stronger than a swiss army knife) on both blades. Both blades are also well centered. In a huge relief to me, as these are the two most irksome and common issues to be found on GEC knives, neither blades came with proud tips or blade rap.
The Oil Field Jack is jumbo compared to other swell end jack knives, but it’s much smaller than some of GEC’s other large patterns. From left to right: #45 Lumberjack, #46 Whaler, #86 Oil Field Jack, #97 Allegheny, #98 Texas Camp Knife
I actually accidentally ordered two of these, and I have to admit that one was sent back. Sometimes you read or hear of someone “accidentally” ordering a knife, and you think “how can you possibly order a knife on accident?”. Well, I emailed two of my favorite dealers about this knife and, I thought, only heard back from one. So when I got a PayPal invoice for this knife, I just paid it. Later, when I got another, I realized that both dealers had emailed back confirming my reservation of this knife and one of their emails had gone to my spam folder! Anyway, the second one I received came with what I considered to be a poorly fit shield. There were noticeable gaps between the shield and wood that had been filled in with glue, which I find to be ugly. It also came with some rust / pitting on the main blade backspring, which was actually a first for me from GEC. Maybe chalk it up to the wet and cold weather. Anyway, as always, Ken at Blue Creek Cutlery provided incredible service and rectified the issue quickly and completely; he even refunded my return shipping, which went above and beyond my expectations!
The example I’m keeping is from Jamie at JSR Sports & More, from whom I’ve also received quality service. Despite one of my examples having some unusual issues, the Oil Field Jack I’m keeping is another great testament to Great Eastern Cutlery’s ability to make an heirloom quality pocket knives that are also ready to be put to real use.
The Oil Field Jack with pin and tube.
I really like GEC’s Oil Field Jack on the #86 Jumbo Jack frame. It feels really ergonomic in the hand with the thick, rounded handle. The classic clip point blade shape offers a usable tip for penetrating tasks, but also provides a very practical amount of both straight edge and belly for push and pull cuts. The slender sheepfoot secondary will work great for smaller cutting tasks like opening mail, cutting strings, etc. The Oil Field Jack’s heft makes it feel like a knife that would be a great every day carry user, but that would also be more than capable as a work knife. I also really enjoy the extra touch of the wrench shield. I think all of these Oil Field Jacks are going to look great, but the history and local authenticity of the Oil Sucker Rod Wood made me choose it over the others… So far! If you need a Jumbo Jack in your life, I definitely suggest trying one of GEC’s new #86 Oil Field Jacks!
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The Great Eastern Cutlery #89 is one of the few patterns of theirs that I haven’t tried in my time as a GEC user and collector. One reason for this is that this pattern hasn’t been produced in years, even since before I became aware of GEC, and they weren’t made in huge numbers relative to today’s run sizes. So I decided to check out this one in the very season fitting Pumpkin Patch Acrylic.
Similar in length to the Case Sodbuster JR and GEC #15 TC Barlow
The #89 is a long slender 4″ sleeveboard pattern. My specific example is splitback whittler. That means there are two backsprings, one for each secondary blade, that has a wedge between it so that it comes together as one backspring for the main blade. These long slender sleeveboard patterns are often called Melon Testers, especially when it has one blade, because their long slender blades are perfect for slicing out a taste of fruit. GEC calls this knife the “3 Blade Melon Tester Whittler”, so they basically threw all the descriptors they could into the name except “splitback”.
A great example of complex blade fitting
My version has Pumpkin Patch Acrylic handles. They’re a mix of pearlescent orange with swirls of black, but mine doesn’t have much black at all. Sometimes people see synthetic handle materials as uniform and without the character of natural handle materials, but GEC’s acrylics are always unique and you never know what you’ll get (unless the dealer/seller has individual pictures of each knife). I personally like the handles, although I do wish they had more black swirls, and they’re a perfect fit for this Halloween and harvest season.
The wedge that separates the springs, making it a “splitback”.
This knife is well made, and honestly I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like it. I expected the tip of the main blade to be noticeably proud, due to the slender handle, but it is not proud and I can’t catch a finger on it. There doesn’t seem to be any blade rub, and the main blade sits pretty well centered between the two secondaries. This fitting of the blades is certainly a commendable feat, and a great example of how well GEC can make even these complicated patterns. I also expected the main blade to have blade rap, where the edge hits the backspring, due to the slenderness of the handle (especially if it didn’t have a proud tip). However, it shows no blade rap at all even when allowed to close on its own. Part of the reason for this could be that the pulls on all three blades are relatively light, maybe a 3 or so. However, I like the pulls at this strength as it makes it easy to open and eliminates blade rap while still providing nice walk and talk and snap both open and closed. I bought this knife thinking I’d like getting the chance to look it over but not have any desire to keep it, but with how nicely it is built I wish I could put it in my pocket as a user!
Great Eastern Cutlery made several versions of the #89 pattern including the “3 Blade Melon Tester Whittler” (my version), the “Riverboat Gambler” (cool name, in my opinion) a pen knife version, the “Executive Whittler” with a wharncliffe main, and even some in stainless. However, they can be difficult to find. Mine was made in 2009, and the last time they were made was 2012, so it’s been almost 8 years since they made the #89 pattern. Hopefully they make some more soon, and if so I suggest getting yourself one!
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!
It would be difficult to argue that any aspect of a knife is more important than the blade. The blade is the soul of the knife; it influences how the knife is best used, the cutting style and effectiveness of the knife, the overall aesthetic of the knife, and it can even determine the handle shape and lock style on a folding knife. Knives and knife like tools have been made for well over a million years, but the first tools most people would recognize as knives were probably made around 2,000 bce. Both stone age and early metal knife blades were usually in a dagger or leaf shape, but in the 4,000 years since man began forging metal into blades a myriad of other styles have risen to meet the innumerable cutting needs of humanity. In this article I’ll define and discuss some of the most recognizable blade shapes.
TL;DR? Check out this corresponding video from my YouTube channel!
Curved Edges
Spear Point
An extremely classic and widespread blade shape is the spear point. Spear point blade shapes can differ greatly in overall aesthetics, but they do have some specific hallmarks. The edge and spine should both curve toward the point nearer to the tip than the handle, and not continuously (like on a barong or leaf shaped blade). The curvatures of the edge and spine should be very similar, although either can be slightly more pronounced. The point should sit at or near the center line of the blade. Spear point blades can range from extremely tall or “fat” with an exaggerated curvature of the edge and spine, all the way to being extremely slender with a parallel edge and spine up until an abrupt curve to the point. I personally really enjoy the spear point for its general utility; it usually is ground to slice well but can still pierce effectively, and it offers both straight and curved edge portions. I also appreciate the relative symmetry of spear points and resulting aesthetic.
Lots of slipjoint spear points, from thin and straight to tall and bulbous
The spear point name comes from the shape of a traditional western style spear with a point protruding in line with the handle and an equal curvature of both the edge and spine (or to both edges) to the point, but that specific blade shape has become more commonly known as the dagger blade shape / grind. The dagger blade shape is more of a sub-category of spear points in which the blade is ground toward both the edge and spine (or both edges) from the centerline. Although double edged knives were ubiquitous for most of the history of humanity, they have become less common with restrictive knife laws and therefore the dagger grind has also lessened in popularity. A dagger shaped blade is more often a single edged knife with the spine side only partially ground to a false edge. Another reason for this blade shape’s falling popularity is that its grind is less well suited to the daily needs of the modern knife user, which consists more of slicing cardboard and less of fighting off attackers or wild animals. Still, the dagger blade shape is a timeless design and I find it calls back to the romanticized trappings of knights and the middle ages.
Frank B Stiletto, Cold Steel FGX Balisong, Kershaw Hinderer Decimus
Another sub-category of blade shapes that has regained popularity with the rise of Spyderco is the leaf shaped blade. I say regained because what Spyderco, and now most of the industry, calls a leaf shaped blade is very similar to the traditional barong knife and many of the lithic knives used by humans for tens of thousands of years. The leaf shaped blade differs from the spear point in that it has a continuous curve of the edge and spine, rather than a more abrupt curve toward the tip end of the blade. The leaf blade shape lends itself to many uses and is one that I have used and enjoyed quite a bit, but I don’t currently have any great examples to show.
A final sub-category of spear points is the pen blade shape. The pen blade is basically a spear point as a small secondary blade. A pen blade is always a secondary blade, and can be found on many different kinds of traditional patterns. As a secondary blade the pen blade is always smaller in size than the main blade, but they can vary in size and shape across patterns.
A group of pen blades showing a wide range of variation
Drop Point
The drop point is a blade shape with an edge that curves upward to the point at a much more pronounced angle than that at which the spine curves downward to the point. If you’ve ever heard the term “belly” used in reference to a knife edge, this pronounced curve is that characteristic. The drop point is well suited for hunting and other outdoor tasks, so many traditional American fixed blades have this blade shape. Many modern one hand opening and locking knives are drop points, although in the last few years other blade shapes including those with straight edges have gained popularity, probably because modern one hand opening and locking knives developed in large part as a more convenient replacement for carrying fixed blades. On traditional knives the drop point blade shape is most often a main blade, as on the A.G. Russell Rancher shown in the picture below, or on many of GEC’s larger trapper patterns like the #73 and #23 but it can also be a secondary blade, as on the GEC Northfield #82 stockman shown in the picture below, as well as some other traditional patterns like small jacks and whittlers.
A few drop point blades on slipjoints
A few drop points on modern folding knives (the Kershaw Thistle is a modified drop point / sheepfoot)
A couple drop point fixed blades. A modern, Steel Will Roamer R300, and a traditional, Blind Horse Knives Woodsman Pro.
Clip Point
The clip point is a widely recognized blade shape because it has become the symbol of iconic characters such as Jim Bowie, Crocodile Dundee, and Rambo. It has a curve of the edge toward the tip end of the blade, but it is characterized by a “clipped” section of the blade on the spine side from the tip toward the handle side. The curvature and length of the clipped area of the spine can vary and, along with the degree of curvature of the edge, can make for a wide range of clip point blade shapes. There are classic clip points, slender clip points, and several other variations including saber ground clip points. I like the look of clip points and have several of them. They just look plain classic to me; it’s tough to explain but they just hit me the right way. I also find them to be quite utilitarian. They offer a solid amount of belly, but still have a very useful point due to the clipped portion. However, they’re not for everyone; my fiancee HATES the look of clip points!
A variety of clip point style blades
Hawkbill / Talon / Pruner
Another very traditional blade shape that has several different names and variations is the hawkbill. The hawkbill blade shape is characterized by a concave edge with a downward pointing tip. There are many traditional knife patterns with similar blade shapes such as the pruner, karambit, and talon knives. An interesting aspect of these knives is that they often originated as agricultural tools, with the concave or downward curved edge being suited for pulling cuts commonly used in farming, gardening, etc.. However, they have come to be associated more with self defense due to their use as improvised weapons by those who didn’t have access to implements purposefully designed as weapons, such as farmers who couldn’t afford swords using sickles as weapons.
My only hawkbill blade, the Spyderco Reverse, with its superb DarkStar Gear sheath
Straight Edges
Wharncliffe
A wharncliffe has a straight edge and a spine that curves gradually down to meet the tip. Due to the more gradual curve of the spine to the edge, a wharncliffe tends to have a finer point than the proceeding two straight edged blade shapes. A wharncliffe is often a secondary blade on multi blade knives, but can also be a main blade especially on its own as a single blade. The wharncliffe is a great blade for fine work and pull cuts, and I usually prefer it as a small secondary. I like pen style two blade knives with a straight edged secondary, and a wharncliffe is probably my favorite in that role of the three listed here.
A sheepfoot has a straight edge, but the spine has a straight portion that angles downward to the tip with a rounded area connecting the two spine portions. I’m not sure I have done a great job describing that well enough that you could picture it accurately based on the description alone, but thankfully I have lots of examples to show! The sheepfoot is a well liked blade shape. It is often a secondary blade, especially on stockman patterns, but can be a main blade even on multi bladed knives. My first GEC, the knife that got me back into traditionals, was a #15 TC barlow with a single sheepfoot blade. I’ve found it to be extremely practical, despite its lack of a fine point and lack of a curved edge. I also think it looks great when manufactured with the right proportions. The sheepfoot can also another great option of a straight edged secondary blade, like on the GEC #35 Churchill or the GEC #98 Texas Camp Knife.
A coping blade is very similar to a sheepfoot, but with the connection of the two spine areas that come together having a sharp angle rather than being rounded. Coping blades are almost always secondary blades. Coping blades are often found on whittler and congress patterns. Although they can work well for small fine cuts in whittling and other similar tasks, I have often found that the angled spine of a coping blade can decrease the ergonomic comfortability of a knife, especially on a heavy user. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have a coping blade to take a close up picture but the Queen Railsplitter below has a secondary blade that is on the coping side of a sheepfoot.
Queen Railsplitter with Coping secondary blade
Tanto
The tanto blade shape is essentially the same shape as a coping blade, but with the spine and edge sides switched. A tanto has a long straight edge, sometimes with a slight continuous curve, starting from the handle that meets at an angle with another shorter edge that is angled upward and connects with the spine to form the tip. The tanto blade shape originated in Japan and was slightly different than it is commonly made now, with a less hard angle at the intersection of the two edges and an upward curved spine. The now more well known “Americanized tanto” usually has a straight or downward curved spine and a very hard angle at the intersection of the two edges. A tanto often has a hollow grind on the long edge and a flat grind on the shorter edge, for increased strength at the tip, but this is not universal. I like the tanto blade as a utility knife. It excels at opening boxes, using the angled intersection of the edges, and push cuts like those done while breaking down cardboard.
Cold Steel Micro Recon 1, Kershaw Cathode, Outdoor Edge Chasm 2.5, with varying degrees of “Americanized” tanto blade shapes
Americanized Tanto Fixed Blade, Cold Steel Kobun
Traditional Tanto, DCL Knives Kwaiken
Outliers
There are many traditional blade shapes not discussed in full above, and an endless continuum of variations between and upon the traditional blade shapes. Modern knife makers have also designed many modified versions of traditional blade shapes. A. G. Russell has contributed a great deal to the knife community over the years, and they offer an incredible resource in their Blade Shapes Encyclopedia. Although I don’t use the exact same terminology or definitions as them across the board, their site has a huge amount of helpful information.
Several blade shapes that span more than one traditional pattern or are modified from a traditional pattern
Blade shapes are designated by specific traits and how they relate to each other: edge shape, spine shape, tip height, and sometimes spine and edge angles. However, many of these traits and their relations to discrete blade shapes work more subjectively and on sliding scales, rather than as clear cut absolutes. Some of the most common curved edge blade shapes are the spear point, drop point, and clip point. Some of the most common straight edged blade shapes are the wharncliffe, sheepfoot, and coping blades. Still, sometimes a blade won’t fit these general categories and you’ll have to just look at the knife and categorize it based on its overall design and aesthetic. Yet again, another aspect of the knife hobby comes down to “you know it when you see it”!
The question of what the “right way” to express enthusiasm for knives is one that shouldn’t need answered. I find it silly and overbearing for anyone to suppose that they should or can tell another the best way to enjoy a hobby. Still, I have gone through several phases in regard to the idea of keeping knives as collection pieces in contrast to keeping them as using tools, and I think others have had similar shifts in perspectives. In this post I’ll describe my progression through those stages and how my current collection looks… but no guarantees it won’t change again!
A tasteful knife display, the stand a gift from my fiancee
I, like many, started with having only one knife that I used for everything. I didn’t even really consider the idea of having knives as collection pieces, and probably would have scoffed at the idea had it been suggested. Still, I was what I would consider a knife enthusiast though, as I appreciated the knife not just as a tool but as a piece of mechanical workmanship that elevated man’s most ancient tool to a higher level. I think there is a silent but quite large population of people who fit this category; they appreciate a good knife and see it as more than a disposable tool, but they don’t venture further into the hobby with more knives and deeper research.
I store my modern knives in a cheap single layer tackle box
Most of my modern knives, all users to varying degrees
A desire to know more about a particular knife brought me to the next step in the knife hobby. I don’t remember exactly what I was looking up, but in the process I found BladeForums and my eyes were opened to the wide world of the knife hobby. As I read, watched, and listened I grew more knowledgeable on knives, the knife making process, and the knife community in general. At this stage I began to purchase more knives beyond one user, but the number stayed relatively low and all were used regularly. I think this represents another distinct stage in the knife enthusiast scale, as it is a step out of appreciating knives as an individual separate from any other enthusiasts, and into the larger knife community. I stayed at this stage for a while, buying and selling and trading knives as I learned. During this stage I never amassed a significant enough number of knives that any would go unused for long. I think this is a stage that a lot of people also stay in and don’t move deeper into the hobby from, but fewer than the previous stage.
I store most of my user traditionals, sharpening gear, and random EDC stuff in a multi layer tackle box
Some of my user traditionals
The final stage is reached when you have more than enough knives to use, but you keep buying them anyway! Often, I think people reach this stage also because they start to realize their preferences and build coherent collections. This is when knives accumulate to the point that some don’t get used. Another thing that often happens before this stage is you start to accumulate knives that are rare, have sentimental value, etc. that make them less likely to be used. This stage probably has the widest variation in expression; some people might have one knife they use all the time and 100 (or 1000) that they never use or carry at all, and some might have 100 knives that they carry and use in a rotation and only 10 (or 1) that they have as a non user collection piece. I fall somewhere on that spectrum closer to the latter end.
I store my non user knife collection in a Pelican case
Top Row: GEC #46 Whaler AMKCA 2018 Club Knife, GEC #46 Whaler 2018 Rendezvous Special, GEC #38 Special 2017 Rendezvous Special, GEC #74 Mustang 2016 Rendezvous Special, GEC #74 Improved Trapper 2015 Rendezvous Special, GEC #15 TC One Arm Barlow 2014 Rendezvous Special Bottom Row: Queen Copperhead, GEC #53 Cuban Stockman, GEC #82 Dixie Stock Knife, Victorinox Spartan Costa Rica
However, I don’t believe those stages tell the whole story of knife collecting. For me, being a knife collector is about enjoying the hobby. For some people, that means having and using one knife till the wheels fall off. For others, that means buying every trendy or appealing knife that comes out and keeping them pristine. For me, it has come to mean many things. First, it means enjoying the knives I have. While I do keep some knives as pristine as possible, I try to enjoy them by displaying them and showing them at knife club meetings and shows. Other knives I enjoy by carrying and using them. I find that using a knife is the best way to enjoy it. It just feels right to use a knife as a tool, and doing so seems to confirm its value and place as the most fundamental human tool. So, why not use all my knives? For a long time, I didn’t think I had a satisfactory answer to that question. I had valuable knives, both of the monetary and sentimental type, but I thought that if I didn’t use them it was a waste to keep them. However, that led me to sell knives that I later wished I had kept (which will be the subject of another article). Now, I’ve become comfortable with the idea that some knives are better kept in good condition whether it be because they’re valuable, part of a set, or meant to be an heirloom. I have a small collection of knives I don’t use. Some of them are the Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous Specials. These are knives made in small numbers for the gathering GEC holds in Titusville every year and only available at the gathering. They’re usually unique knives in some way. They’ve become the main part of my non user collection, as they’re easily the most coherent and rare set of knives I have owned. I actually did use the first couple of these initially, but later decided they were better kept in good condition to form a recognizable and consistent set. I also have a Queen Copperhead that is the best Queen made knife I’ve ever seen that I don’t use because Queen has unfortunately gone out of business. I plan to add some more Queen knives to my non user collection, as I want to have some examples from Queen as one of the most historic cutlery companies in the U.S. and they’ll only get scarcer the longer its doors have been closed. I also have some knives that have been given to me as gifts from friends, family, and loved ones. Despite it seeming silly to not use knives as tools like they’re inherently intended, some knives are worth maintaining in good condition for posterity.
Great Eastern Cutlery Rendezvous Specials on the knife stand from my fiancee, top to bottom: #46 Whaler 2018 Oily Heart Pine Wood, #38 Special LVS Paua Abalone 2017, #74 Mustang Primitive Bone 2016, GEC #74 Improved Trapper Tortoise Shell Acrylic 2015, GEC #15 TC One Arm Barlow Oil Sucker Rod Wood 2014
Thanks to my fiancee for the idea for this article and the inspiration for the title! In her words “Your heart wants to use all the knives but your head says you should keep some nice”. I can’t thank her enough.
