GEC Pocket Carver

[Tordoc2000]

Hi all,

I’m looking to get this knife reprofiled to carve as well as possible. All the names I see here and on the Blade forum seem to be out of business, can’t be found, or have closed books at this point. I’ve looked at Tom Krein and Rick Ferry and a couple of others. Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

[Nebraska]

Not sure why you’re wanting to reprofile a knife that was made and designed as god’s gift to the whittling world?
But then I’m not too bright never understood carving with spring back folding knives either.

Wondering now are wanting to reshape the blade or just changing the bevel?

[Tordoc2000]

I’ve read that taking the small blades down to a true flat grind and bringing down the bevel on the larger blade really improves performance so I figured it would be best if I had it done professionally and cleanly the first time around. It is a nice knife and does a decent job already with the bevel taken back a drop. Despite the name the factory edge is not carving-ready. It’s certainly not the first non locking whittler out there. I think slipjoints are more likely to bite someone doing non-carving tasks like making holes or stabbing objects.

[Brian T]

The key concept is to have enough steel behind the edge to support the blade in service.
Probably explains why surgeon's scalpels have never been popular woodcarving tools.

I have measured every bevel on every carving tool that I have ever bought. From the Stubai carving adze down to the little crooked knives from Jamie Sharp. Knife edges are all 12-15 degrees, total included angle. So every knife that I have built was made that way. All my gouges are 20 degrees.
Spoke shaves, draw knives and biggest gouges all need to be pushing 30 degrees for the pressures that they are expected to endure.

Lots of carvers have lots of variations but measured, they are all in the ball park.

[pallin]

Depending on the width of the blade, a true flat grind may be a bad idea. The cutting edge needs support from the metal behind it or it collapses. This is especially likely when working with hardwoods. Why would you want to remove metal from the entire blade in order to maintain this fiction?

[Tordoc2000]

All appreciated and understood. On the blade forum several folks have commented how this modification takes this particular knife from a nice knife to a great carver. The small blade actually is about 12 degrees inclusive but comes with a 40 degree bevel. On one blade I took that angle down to 30 degrees inclusive and the difference was significant. It seems like it wouldn’t take much but it would be nice to have it done professionally.

[Nebraska]

I tend to agree with Ian Norbury when it comes to sharpening for carving. “It may not produce the finest edge, but it is so quick that you always have a reasonably good edge.” I think carvers can become obsessed with the perfect edge to distraction from their purpose. If the blade is producing a clean cut it is sharp enough.

Excerpt from Ian Norbury’s “40 Years at the Bench”
People will carve with just about anything from a piece of glass to a chainsaw but the average carver just wants something that holds an edge. The edge has to be sharpened and after trying umpteen different methods from white Arkansas stones to emery paper, I’ve plumped for a powered water stone followed by a hard felt wheel on a grinder with a green polishing paste on it. It may not produce the finest edge, but it is so quick that you always have a reasonably good edge.


And yes people have whittled with slip joint folders for about 400 years now. I did myself when traveling until one closed on my finger. I learned that one momentary lapse after years without a problem can ruin a week long fly fishing trip. So you can continue to carve with a slip joint knife and I will continue to caution people against doing so.

[Tordoc2000]

Nebraska- Point well taken. There’s no teacher like experience. I do most of my work with my bench knives but sometimes when out and about I find a few moments... I’ll be mindful. Maybe a good locking carver will turn up.

[Nebraska]

This is my current take a long carver. I reshaped the blades but have not addressed the thickness so one of these days I will get around to addressing that. But when doing a pocket knife project I’m just not very picky. I googled up your gec carver crazy first time I saw one they were like $60 now used ones are going for close to $300 on eBay. It’s a crazy world.

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[Eddy-Smiles]

Many years ago when I thought I knew how to carve and sharpen a knife I took on the task of modifying a small "CASE" pen knife thinking that I'd improve on the years of experience of the CASE engineers. One of the stupidest moves I've ever made. I ruined a perfectly good knife and wish that I'd never had touched it.

[Tordoc2000]

Nice how you reshaped that RR blade to a Wharnie. Double locks are unusual. It looks like a pretty comfortable handle too. Did that model have the stainless or carbon blade? I have not rebuilt my workbench since it’s death during hurricane Sandy. Been too busy at work. So no grinder, no power tools no vise, etc. I’ll get around to setting a space up some day. I do have some decent stones and strops. Right now I’d rather spend time whittling than grinding anyway.

[Nebraska]

Stainless set me back like $12 but it’s handy to carry and a pinch you use to clean fish. We were flying back from Boston when Sandy was headed up the coast. Thought briefly we would have to buy a used car and drive home when our plan scheduled to come out of Florida didn’t. SW found us a plane and we left just an hour late.