Anyone ever had a modern design "traditionalized"?

S

SCWillson

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Aug 2, 2013
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I recently purchased a modern "one hand opening" knife, the Spyderco Kiwi 4 (to avoid offending anyone I'll forego posting pics) and quickly concluded the ergonomics are perfect for me. The knife has the usual plethora of non- traditional features: Spyderhole, lock back, clip, VG-10 steel, G10 scales. But I love the knife and really wish I could get a traditional version of it with 1095 steel, no hole in the blade, bone or stag scales, brass liners, no clip, slipjoint with half stop. It would be my grail knife.

Anyone else ever make or want to make a nontraditional traditional?
 
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I think if you looked at some of the Scagel slipjoints that have the slot in the blade that comes pretty close.

If it's still got a Spyderhole, it really wouldn't be traditional by our definition.

I'm sure you could get one of the fine makers that post here to make just about anything you'd like.

If the discussion involves too much non-traditional knife reference etc., I'll move this to General Knife Discussion.
 
I guess that would leave the wharncliff blade and that finger choil in the blade. I couldn't find anything traditional with a quick search for "finger choil" and "finger choil in blade".
 
davek14 said:
I guess that would leave the wharncliff blade and that finger choil in the blade. I couldn't find anything traditional with a quick search for "finger choil" and "finger choil in blade".
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I've never seen anything like that in a traditional either. But that choil is the very feature that makes it so ergonomic for me. The second " choil" behind it is nice but not critical.
 
But what I am really interested in knowing is if anyone has ever done something like this?
 
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Since the choil is what you really like I probably wouldn't call it a "modern" feature. That might give a wrong idea.

I'm not sure if that would be a Traditional feature or not. I found it on a fixed blade but not on a slipjoint.

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You could add one in some cases.



 
Those folders are not too far off, although I think the choil would have to be bigger. But it does show the general idea is not too far often traditionals.
 
SCWillson said:
No, I certainly wouldn't want the Spyderhole in any traditional.
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Sorry SC, I should have read your original post a little closer. My bad.

I see what you are looking for. I like the extra safety and control that the large choil offers. I find that a small fixed blade with some kind of guard comes in handy. If you can carry one it might be an answer for you. Here's a pic to illustrate.
IMAG0219.jpg
 
Maybe something like this?

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It is made by Colt but is a lockback so it has no halfstop. I've seen these in at least bone scales and stag and I'm pretty sure I saw one in mother of pearl.
 
I've tried the small fixed blade route and, while they are legal to carry in Texas, they just draw too much attention. Since I am finding myself increasingly interested in traditionals, I thought I might see if there was a way to get the best of both worlds with a folder that has all the features I like. It would certainly have to be a custom.

I just wondered if anybody else had tried something similar with a their own modern/traditional hybrid.
 
Ryan Sumner said:
Maybe something like this?

$_35.JPG


It is made by Colt but is a lockback so it has no halfstop. I've seen these in at least bone scales and stag and I'm pretty sure I saw one in mother of pearl.
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If that had a Wharncliffe or sheepsfoot it would fit the bill.
 
Funny thing even with the very Spyderco characteristics that make their knives most non-Traditional they have for years made slipjoint products and the Kiwi pattern (mostly made as a slipjoint in the past) has had a lot of traditional handle materials used for different releases. So the whole subject is like the grey area of two distinctly different knife styles (mod vs rockers,,,oh sorry,, mod vs trad).
 
The new Cold Steel Lucky seems like it would count as a nontraditional traditional. Nail nick opening sort-of muskrat pattern slipjoint with screw-together construction and a pocket clip. I really want to pick one up when they come out, but there's a good chance the pocket clip will mysteriously vanish, never to be heard from again.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
The new Cold Steel Lucky seems like it would count as a nontraditional traditional. Nail nick opening sort-of muskrat pattern slipjoint with screw-together construction and a pocket clip. I really want to pick one up when they come out, but there's a good chance the pocket clip will mysteriously vanish, never to be heard from again.
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I just looked up the 'lucky' on google and man, despite me mainly liking traditional knives, the lucky looks really cool!
 
knives with pocket clips are also "non-traditional" and are verboten in this forum.

If this thread can't stay focused on traditional knives, it will have to be closed.
 
SCWillson said:
I've tried the small fixed blade route and, while they are legal to carry in Texas, they just draw too much attention.
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At the risk of a derail, I live in Dallas , arguably the second most liberal town short of Austin...I carry small belted fixed blades everywhere (aside from work) without a blink. The GEC small Hunter series absolutely disappears under a tshirt and, if drawn with grace, no one ever notices
 
I've been looking and besides a couple of oddities, there doesn't seem to be many traditional folders made with a choil. A lot of traditional knives almost have something that works like a choil when the tang is rounded.

This A.G. Russell sowbelly wharncliffe is about the closest I can find. The shape of the tang and heel of the blade would sort of position your finger the way a choil does, but it still doesn't have an actual choil. I thought I would share it just in case you were interested.

RUS-CV131-.jpg
 
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