Once the "tactical" and "hard use" fad fades, what will be the next "big thing" be?

Tactical and or hard use knives are not a fad or a phase. I get the whole all you need is a case peanut or sod buster argument, and if it rings true then why even make Porsche's or Ferrari etc. You can realistically do everything you need in a toyota camery or ford pick up, there are speed limits on every road so why have a car that can break most of them in first gear and in less than 5 seconds, especially with the traffic, lights, stop signs, school zones, red light cameras, etc.?

I hunt and know a lot of people that bow hunt, let me break something down for you. I know 1 guy that hunts with a home made traditional bow, wooden arrows and flint napped broadheads, 2 guys that hunt store bought traditional tackle and about 30 guys that hunt with a compound or cross bow. Most of the guys at my hunting club own a pistol or several and what they carry breaks down like this I know 2 guys who carry wheel guns i.e. traditional revolvers, the rest about 18 out of 21, carry semi auto's. I love my crack barrel .410 with blue steel barrel and wood stock, I hunt with a benelli vinci, why because its easier, faster and quicker to shoulder, shoot and cycle while staying on target. Its also coated with special materials to keep it from rusting and made with special materials to prevent rust, corrosion and just be more durable overall. When I fish while we have some cane poles at the camp and thinks its fun to take em out every once in a while we use modern fishing tackle with spinning or bait cast reels on graphite rods. Sure I could get away with a bottom line nokia cell phone but I carry and so does everyone else I know and work with an Iphone why, because it helps me work better and does things the other one cant. I could go on all day with this but I think you know by now what I'm trying to say.

These things are not fads, like someone else on here said its called progression plain and simple. When I buy a knife I want the toughest most durable long lasting cutting tool I can afford, for a litany of different reasons but one is. A real word SHTF scenario, were always talking about on here, but say really the dollar collapses, global depression, etc. I want have any money to buy more knives, most knife companies will probably go under, etc. So I'm stuck with what I have been fortunate enough to accumulate, now ask yourself would you rather have a box full of case peanuts or a few andrew demko lawman's or perhaps a buck vantage pro, maybe a few sebenza's. I'm going for more robust tools, odds are their going to last longer and hold to up to use, hard use and perhaps even a little abuse or misuse after all its a SHTF scenario, than a case peanut.

Sorry not a fade and not going away, I'd also like to see some real knife industry numbers on this. All though I think it is unecessary all you have to do is look at what is the big sellers and most popular. I bet by far and large, just like with guns, archery gear, fishing gear, etc. its not wheel guns, recurve bows and cane poles, nor is it traditional non locking slip joints.
 
^^^^Nice Post.

Question for anyone, Would a Benchmade 940 be considered hard use?
 
As far as the "tactical knife" market (not sure what that includes) I recently heard a figure of around $1 billion a year.
MikeC said:
Tactical and or hard use knives are not a fad or a phase. I get the whole all you need is a case peanut or sod buster argument, and if it rings true then why even make Porsche's or Ferrari etc. You can realistically do everything you need in a toyota camery or ford pick up, there are speed limits on every road so why have a car that can break most of them in first gear and in less than 5 seconds, especially with the traffic, lights, stop signs, school zones, red light cameras, etc.?

I hunt and know a lot of people that bow hunt, let me break something down for you. I know 1 guy that hunts with a home made traditional bow, wooden arrows and flint napped broadheads, 2 guys that hunt store bought traditional tackle and about 30 guys that hunt with a compound or cross bow. Most of the guys at my hunting club own a pistol or several and what they carry breaks down like this I know 2 guys who carry wheel guns i.e. traditional revolvers, the rest about 18 out of 21, carry semi auto's. I love my crack barrel .410 with blue steel barrel and wood stock, I hunt with a benelli vinci, why because its easier, faster and quicker to shoulder, shoot and cycle while staying on target. Its also coated with special materials to keep it from rusting and made with special materials to prevent rust, corrosion and just be more durable overall. When I fish while we have some cane poles at the camp and thinks its fun to take em out every once in a while we use modern fishing tackle with spinning or bait cast reels on graphite rods. Sure I could get away with a bottom line nokia cell phone but I carry and so does everyone else I know and work with an Iphone why, because it helps me work better and does things the other one cant. I could go on all day with this but I think you know by now what I'm trying to say.

These things are not fads, like someone else on here said its called progression plain and simple. When I buy a knife I want the toughest most durable long lasting cutting tool I can afford, for a litany of different reasons but one is. A real word SHTF scenario, were always talking about on here, but say really the dollar collapses, global depression, etc. I want have any money to buy more knives, most knife companies will probably go under, etc. So I'm stuck with what I have been fortunate enough to accumulate, now ask yourself would you rather have a box full of case peanuts or a few andrew demko lawman's or perhaps a buck vantage pro, maybe a few sebenza's. I'm going for more robust tools, odds are their going to last longer and hold to up to use, hard use and perhaps even a little abuse or misuse after all its a SHTF scenario, than a case peanut.

Sorry not a fade and not going away, I'd also like to see some real knife industry numbers on this. All though I think it is unecessary all you have to do is look at what is the big sellers and most popular. I bet by far and large, just like with guns, archery gear, fishing gear, etc. its not wheel guns, recurve bows and cane poles, nor is it traditional non locking slip joints.
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a knife for the space shuttle and ISS crew. in space, there's this phenomenon called "cold welding." so that's a major engineering problem for knife makers.
 
More brightly colored knives. Multicolored knives:barf:. More custom pimping of existing models. More production scales for existing models. Pimp-at-home kits for the unskilled. It's coming! :rolleyes:
 
My best guess will be exotic materials. Instead of everything being made to chop down trees, people will brag about having knives with handles made of carbon nanotubes, ultra lightweight materials. One thing I'm really hoping that the industry turns to one day is really nailing astethics. For instance, Benchmade's Shoki blades are incredible, I would love to see more companies put some time, energy, and research into producing blades that really catch the eye of the purchasers
 
spyderco lover said:
My best guess will be exotic materials. Instead of everything being made to chop down trees, people will brag about having knives with handles made of carbon nanotubes, ultra lightweight materials. One thing I'm really hoping that the industry turns to one day is really nailing astethics. For instance, Benchmade's Shoki blades are incredible, I would love to see more companies put some time, energy, and research into producing blades that really catch the eye of the purchasers
Click to expand...

I would love to see that too, I think your spot on with the exotic materials, more and more people want beautiful knives that can hold up to tons of abuse, even if it's not needed, it's wanted, I would love to see some Spyderco Enduras or Delicas in zebrawood or snakewood, or maybe even amber bone, with Demko's Tri-Ad lock of course ;)
 
I see it as autos once the internet got going, along with other folders, then fixed blades with big thick blades and choppers, then fixed blades with convex, then nessmuks, then more bushcrafty and outdoor blades. All along I think thinner blades have been trending.

Do you think the small fixed blade psk's and neck knives will eventually fade and be replaced by folders? I can't see that they really have any advantage over the folders other than they are cheaper for the makers to make.
 
Sadly, one of the biggest trends going now is fakes and knock-offs.

Both heavy blades and thin slicers have their place. What we're seeing in the handmade world is a lot of people using higher-end steels that can take a lot of abuse even when ground so they actually cut well. But we're also seeing more customers that don't care if their knife can pry stuff or open car doors, they just want a nice keen blade - and I think that's great.

Custom or factory, neither tactical stuff nor traditional blades are going away. The cat's out of the bag and there's a healthy market for both.

hollowdweller said:
Do you think the small fixed blade psk's and neck knives will eventually fade and be replaced by folders? I can't see that they really have any advantage over the folders other than they are cheaper for the makers to make.
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I doubt it, folks love 'em. To my mind the advantage of a small fixed blade over a folder is that there's essentially nothing that go wrong. But again, there's a healthy market for both.

I don't see a "next big thing" on the horizon, except for perhaps radical shifts in materials, which are awfully pricy and take forever to catch on. What I do see is a continuing competition for the details (smooth locking mechanisms, F&F, price point, upgrades and options, etc.) This is challenging for makers and manu's, but great for the consumer.
 
I'm guessing if tactical knives are out that "Legal" knives will be in= more restrictions with no release of previous restraints.
Check this knife out, for being a politically correct option I bet a lot of kids buy these.
yhst-16507483819514_2207_199031368

Yup, its assisted.
 
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