I could be wrong in this, as I know I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandalier, but it seems to me that old traditional stuff is making a comeback all across the board. Why do I think this?
I seem to be noticing more "younger" guys on this forum with the same overall general theme- they got, or are getting a bit bored with the tactical or modern knives and discovered the traditional pocket knife. The appeal of black plastic and never changing bead blasted stainless steel wears thin after a while. But its not just knives, its alot of things.
I look at the cars and I see alot of the retro style autos are very popular. The several year old style of the "new" beatle from Volkswagon, and the "new" Mini Cooper, not to mention the PT Cruiser based on the front end of a '37 Ford. Anologue style watches are taking the market back from the digital, and in shooting the fastest growing sport is the the cowboy action shoots. Tom Sellech has done well bringing back the western with all it's Shakespear morality of right and wrong. These days it seems like nostalgia has a strong selling point.
Certainly Case, and Queen have done well with old style knives with real wood and bone and stag handles. I know it can't just be old farts like me, rejecting this cold modern age by voting with our wallets. So what fuels this urge to have something from an earlier era?
I know in my case its something comforting about the feel and sometimes the smell and memories. Having to follow the ritual of caring for something made out of carbon steel and wood reminds us of long ago connections. When I clean my rifle after a range session, and I wipe the blued steel with an oily rag, or rub a little linseed oil on the walnut, it brings back very good memories. My dad loved his Hudson Hornet, and every Saturday morning he would clean it, and rub a little linseed oil on the real wood trim inside. To me the smell of linseed oil is a trigger for such a flood of memories, from dad, to grandad and the Lady Anne. One of the jobs on the boat was to rub down the woodwork with linseed oil. On a workboat shiney varnished finishes don't last long. Ropes rubbing, crab traps scraping, oystr shells scratching, wears it out for water to start damaging the wood. But linseed oil rubbed into the wood protects it. These days many decades later, I can put a bit of linseed oil on a finger tip to rub into a knife handle, and the smell of it recalls such vivid memories I can smell the bay.
Maybe the ritual of caring for something makes us slow down in this high speed hectic world. The plastic and stainless knife won't suffer if its neglected. But the carbon and natural handles on a traditional knife will suffer givin the same lack of care. And having to deliberatly use two hands to open a knife may give us a moment to think about what we are doing. To reflect as we do.
Or is it that the hand feels quality, no matter what the hype and advertising tell us? I really do believe that the modern knife is a product with 90% of the design being for it to be an easy to mass produce item at a lower cost to the manufacturer. Just one blade per unit, molded handles that cost pennies, and torx or allen screws to put it together without the need for experianced cuttlers to set rivits and pins.
I guess it does'nt matter why they are getting popular again. I enjoy seeing the younger crowd coming to appreatiate the appeal of a nice barlow, or maybe a peanut. In time they will build memories of thier own, and hand down the knives to thier kids. Or Grandkids. Every Sunday morning after church, my grandson Ryan and I have this ritual. After the go-to-meeting duds are hung up, we take our pocket knives and a couple of pipe cleaners and clean out any lint and stuff, and put a little drop of 3-In-One oil in the joint. Ryan treats this chore with all the seriousness of a major operation, and to him it is. I hope one day he can do this with his children and so on.
I seem to be noticing more "younger" guys on this forum with the same overall general theme- they got, or are getting a bit bored with the tactical or modern knives and discovered the traditional pocket knife. The appeal of black plastic and never changing bead blasted stainless steel wears thin after a while. But its not just knives, its alot of things.
I look at the cars and I see alot of the retro style autos are very popular. The several year old style of the "new" beatle from Volkswagon, and the "new" Mini Cooper, not to mention the PT Cruiser based on the front end of a '37 Ford. Anologue style watches are taking the market back from the digital, and in shooting the fastest growing sport is the the cowboy action shoots. Tom Sellech has done well bringing back the western with all it's Shakespear morality of right and wrong. These days it seems like nostalgia has a strong selling point.
Certainly Case, and Queen have done well with old style knives with real wood and bone and stag handles. I know it can't just be old farts like me, rejecting this cold modern age by voting with our wallets. So what fuels this urge to have something from an earlier era?
I know in my case its something comforting about the feel and sometimes the smell and memories. Having to follow the ritual of caring for something made out of carbon steel and wood reminds us of long ago connections. When I clean my rifle after a range session, and I wipe the blued steel with an oily rag, or rub a little linseed oil on the walnut, it brings back very good memories. My dad loved his Hudson Hornet, and every Saturday morning he would clean it, and rub a little linseed oil on the real wood trim inside. To me the smell of linseed oil is a trigger for such a flood of memories, from dad, to grandad and the Lady Anne. One of the jobs on the boat was to rub down the woodwork with linseed oil. On a workboat shiney varnished finishes don't last long. Ropes rubbing, crab traps scraping, oystr shells scratching, wears it out for water to start damaging the wood. But linseed oil rubbed into the wood protects it. These days many decades later, I can put a bit of linseed oil on a finger tip to rub into a knife handle, and the smell of it recalls such vivid memories I can smell the bay.
Maybe the ritual of caring for something makes us slow down in this high speed hectic world. The plastic and stainless knife won't suffer if its neglected. But the carbon and natural handles on a traditional knife will suffer givin the same lack of care. And having to deliberatly use two hands to open a knife may give us a moment to think about what we are doing. To reflect as we do.
Or is it that the hand feels quality, no matter what the hype and advertising tell us? I really do believe that the modern knife is a product with 90% of the design being for it to be an easy to mass produce item at a lower cost to the manufacturer. Just one blade per unit, molded handles that cost pennies, and torx or allen screws to put it together without the need for experianced cuttlers to set rivits and pins.
I guess it does'nt matter why they are getting popular again. I enjoy seeing the younger crowd coming to appreatiate the appeal of a nice barlow, or maybe a peanut. In time they will build memories of thier own, and hand down the knives to thier kids. Or Grandkids. Every Sunday morning after church, my grandson Ryan and I have this ritual. After the go-to-meeting duds are hung up, we take our pocket knives and a couple of pipe cleaners and clean out any lint and stuff, and put a little drop of 3-In-One oil in the joint. Ryan treats this chore with all the seriousness of a major operation, and to him it is. I hope one day he can do this with his children and so on.
at that mistake of a statement...With the exception of sharing the same color that's about all they have in common...