Anything new in the knife world?

[singularity35]

I mean besides new steels and materials, is there really anything fundamental that is new today? Corollary: Can there be anything new in knife design? Have all the possible effective designs already been done?

 

[knives_in_nature]

The possibility's for new locking mechanisms/blade steels/materials are endless. Just takes time

 

[bdmicarta]

What period of time do you include in "today"?
I've been buying "modern" knives for 25+ years and I've seen some evolution. What I mean is before that time I was buying slipjoint knives or lockback knives. Then I started buying linerlocks, knives with blade holes or thumbstuds, and pocket clips. But still that was 20+ years ago. Since then I've seen new locks such as compression lock, ball bearing lock and axis lock. I consider these to be more than just evolution of previous designs. But other than that my Benchmade Leopard that is 20+ years old is equal in design and features to anything made today. Similarly my EDI Genesis 2 has a design that is still good today, it just had some manufacturing problems. But I'm not going to dismiss the steels that are available today- I really like steels such as S110V and M4.

 

[singularity35]

Maybe locks do increase functionality by making folders last longer but it's basically something to keep a knife open. Materials arguably make a knife cut longer so that's probably also an increase in functionality. More durable handle materials like G10 and carbon fiber could be advances too because they extend the life of a knife say over some organic material. Combinations of materials, I don't consider as fundamentally new.

What about blade design? Is there anything new that makes a knife perform better as a knife?

 

[LG&M]

At this point in knife history I think we will continue to see small incremental advances. If I could think of a real "game changer" I would be rich and famous (at least here).
Still a lot has changed even in my short knife life.

 

[singularity35]

At this point in knife history I think we will continue to see small incremental advances. If I could think of a real "game changer" I would be rich and famous (at least here).
Still a lot has changed even in my short knife life.

I agree. Mostly evolutionary rather than revolutionary changes.

I wonder how much better a modern knife performs it's function over an older iteration though. Say a knife from 50 or 100 years ago.

 

[Lapedog]

I mean besides new steels and materials, is there really anything fundamental that is new today? Corollary: Can there be anything new in knife design? Have all the possible effective designs already been done?

Asheville Steel Paragon Warlock. I think it's pretty new.

Or how about the Ratworx chain driven auto.

Miltner Adams made a knife out of something called "LiquidMetal" tm

 

[LG&M]

I have thought the same thing.
From my research knives were likely 1095 ( or something similar ) and thinner then most of todays blades. Still not only did they do the job there owners really needed them for day to day survival. I think of this every time I see a 1/4"+ pry bar "survival " knife.
It would be cool to go back in time and show them a sebenza or other state of the art blade.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

Knives throughout history have for the most part only been improved through better materials and processes.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

I have thought the same thing.
From my research knives were likely 1095 ( or something similar ) and thinner then most of todays blades.

Keep researching.

 

[LG&M]

Keep researching.

OK, I am wrong. What kind of steel was most popular 100 years ago? How thick were they?

 

[gazz98]

Quartermaster is working on an adamantium blade that opens via your mind located at their secret facility under Area 51 but other then that, no.



Please accept this post for what it is. A joke from a dumbass.

 

[Ruso]

Considering that the design of things that cut starts from around bronze age (perhaps even before if one consider flint knives etc). And let's be honest; people used to be more dependent on this tools back then.
I do not think we will see any useful "revolutionary" blade desging that was not seen before.

 

[Rat Finkenstein]

OK, I am wrong. What kind of steel was most popular 100 years ago? How thick were they?

Carbon steel, no doubt some 1095.

Some were quite thick. (1/4"+)

 

[Lapedog]

That Liquidmetal stuff has me interested as a new material.

http://www.liquidmetal.com/case-studies/hybrid-knife/

 

[Sergeua]

This thing shoots bullets.

Grad fighting knife

Still the edge looks simple. No new blade design. We still have to sharpen the knife at the end of the day.

 

[Phixt]

The possibility's for new locking mechanisms/blade steels/materials are endless. Just takes time

I agree. The Ti-Lock amazed many when it came out.

Stay tuned.

 

[bdmicarta]

(duplicate post)

 

[Phixt]

This thing shoots bullets.

Grad fighting knife

Still the edge looks simple. No new blade design. We still have to sharpen the knife at the end of the day.

This knife (WASP Injection) shoots gas. The idea is injecting "800 psi of basketball size" gas into a...shark!

 

[Hickory n steel]

Everything I need in a knife has already existed for 53 years at the very latest, aside from frn anyways.

I can certainly understand getting board with something ,but I don't have this problem because I don't have a big interest in features that don't make these things any more of a functional knife than they already are and have been for a long time.
Something may come along that I really like, but I'm certainly not looking for any new knife technology.