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My experience is that folks carried whatever knife they normally carried. I led a sheltered and low finance life then, and really never considered buying a special knife for hiking.
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Backpacking/Climbing Knives of the 1960s, 70s and 80s?
- Thread starter pinnah
- Start date
I live near Howard City Michigan. It was the home of Olsen Knives. We used to have roadside signs ala Burma Shave. Example: Fatty fatty, Run for your life, Here comes skinny, With an Olsen Knife. Lee Olsen not only made knives, but he imported and sold SAK's, Swedish barrel knives, and sheath knives from Solingen.
My early backpacking knives included WW II sheath knives, SAK's, Gerber LST's, Hackman Butterflies, the Swedish Barrel knives, and Mora sheath knives. Later knives included Puma copies of the Buck 110 and Buck 186 Titans.
My early backpacking knives included WW II sheath knives, SAK's, Gerber LST's, Hackman Butterflies, the Swedish Barrel knives, and Mora sheath knives. Later knives included Puma copies of the Buck 110 and Buck 186 Titans.
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- Oct 19, 2005
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I have an Uncle Henry 2 blade folding hunter that was a gift formy 11th in 1977. We didn't think of hiking specific knives in my family, but hiked a lot while hunting, and I carried that whenever in themountains along with a Buck 309 pen. Still have both, use both. I wore hikng boots from Kinney Shoes that were marked Kinney but made in Italy and were basically like the Dexters' of the era-stiff leather with Vibram lugs and no cheese cloth...they hurt like heck to break in but once they were, you could wear them all week and I hated to take them off!
We had a hiking/ski store that displayed Opinals and Gerbers, but I was happy with my two mentioned above. My brother had an Ulster boyscout with brownsaw cut derlin which one doesn't see much anymore, and it was stainless-he got it about 1972 and it was always with him on the trail along with a stag fixed blade from soligen. Dad carried a small Marbles fixed blade in the woods and always a medium stockman from Boker Tree Brand-sharp as a scalpal....all of these were from Skagg's drug store or Scheel's Hardware or Big Bear sporting Goods in Great Falls, Mt....and knives were always displayed in their proper proprietor's labeled display case.....I sure miss those days!
We had a hiking/ski store that displayed Opinals and Gerbers, but I was happy with my two mentioned above. My brother had an Ulster boyscout with brownsaw cut derlin which one doesn't see much anymore, and it was stainless-he got it about 1972 and it was always with him on the trail along with a stag fixed blade from soligen. Dad carried a small Marbles fixed blade in the woods and always a medium stockman from Boker Tree Brand-sharp as a scalpal....all of these were from Skagg's drug store or Scheel's Hardware or Big Bear sporting Goods in Great Falls, Mt....and knives were always displayed in their proper proprietor's labeled display case.....I sure miss those days!
Mike, could you say more about the time when you saw the Opinels? Did the hike/ski shop carry any clothing or tents from Early Winters? Trying to figure out if EW was acting as a distributor at that time.
Also could you describe the Gerbers that you saw? Lockbacks?
Hope somebody has your Dad's Marbles!!
Also could you describe the Gerbers that you saw? Lockbacks?
Hope somebody has your Dad's Marbles!!
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- Oct 19, 2005
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- 647
Pinnah the Opinals I saw were in the mid to late 70's and they were displayed in a cardboard box that they were shipped in and the models looked like all the standards from them we see today. As far as the clothing, the only name brands I remember were Powderhorn and White Stag which were mostly ski jackets, and I never see those anymore with the light insulated materials we have now. They had quite a display of mountaineering boots-all hard leather and foreign like Vasque, etc. as far as dad's little knife, it was me who got it and I gave it to a brother in law who I thought was worthy-I like to share them with folks who have genuine interest! Cheers from Oklahoma today, Mike
ps. Forgot to mention the Gerbers, but they were displayed in a glass covered case(small) and showed all the sportmans' of the mid to late 70's andpossibly the paul knife but I'm not sure other than I've seen Gerber paul knives but never handled one and realized later after seeing a few many years later as to what they were. I always wanted a Gerber 4.5" folder (sportsman) and finally got a couple nos in boxes and a smaller one also nib os. The smaller one actually has two blades-one is a pen. I also have a silver night from the late 80's that has the old Gerber quality and awesome lock up. :->
ps. Forgot to mention the Gerbers, but they were displayed in a glass covered case(small) and showed all the sportmans' of the mid to late 70's andpossibly the paul knife but I'm not sure other than I've seen Gerber paul knives but never handled one and realized later after seeing a few many years later as to what they were. I always wanted a Gerber 4.5" folder (sportsman) and finally got a couple nos in boxes and a smaller one also nib os. The smaller one actually has two blades-one is a pen. I also have a silver night from the late 80's that has the old Gerber quality and awesome lock up. :->
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- Aug 19, 2007
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In the 70s and 80s in SoCal, all my friends had Buck 110s and 119s therefore I had Gerbers and Camillus. I simply have never been able to go with what the other guys had.
I had all sizes of the Gerber Sportsman folders and for a fixed blade I carried either a Gerber Command II or Camillus Pilot's knife.
Of course I had a "pocket knife" in my pocket all the time too. I carried a Schrade 125OT that I had found while walking to school one day. I never went anywhere without it.
Opinels became large in the USA scene in the 70s especially among the broke 20somethings/college age back-to-nature crowd. Opinels were dirt cheap, light, and good slicers. High tech was very expensive and many in the crowd couldn't afford it so they found good alternatives. Opinel fit that requirement well. Not the best, but good, and cheap to buy or replace. You could buy them for a couple of bucks. One of my older sisters, who was part of the broke 20somethings back-to-nature crowd, gave me one in the '70s . Why? Because it was dirt cheap, light, and a good slicer, and I too was part of the back-to-nature crowd. I still have it, but never really warmed up to it/used it. I also have the Frostline duffle and one of the many ripstop nylon ditty bags she sewed and gave me as gifts in the 70s and early 80s. Again, inexpensive but good alternatives to high tech. Now 35-40 years on, that old Frostline duffle has travelled the world. The one remaining ditty bag I still use for my pocket stones, hones, and oil. My sister is now 61 and still hiking, canoeing, and cross country skiing.
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I backpacked all over during the 70's and early 80's . I bought and carried this german made folder in my pack
and this Canadian belt knife
still got my jansport backpack , north face tent , marmot mtn works sleeping bag and optimus 8r stove too...none have been used much of late except , I still use the knives.
and this Canadian belt knife
still got my jansport backpack , north face tent , marmot mtn works sleeping bag and optimus 8r stove too...none have been used much of late except , I still use the knives.
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We also had lots of German-made imports, Edgebrand (GCC) was very popular and common.
n2s
I can never get enough of that blade. What a fantastic looking knife.
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+10 :thumbup:
First off, great thread! I love talking backpacking and climbing.
I began backpacking the the 70's with my dad. He was a police officer and most of the time when we went backpacking it was in the Sierra Range with his fellow officers. Pretty much everyone carried Buck 110's or something similar from Case, Camilus, etc. My dad and I carried Puma lock backs; I think my dad got them from the evidence room... . His was actually called the "Backpacker" because its handle was zytel, or something like that. I still have mine, a wooden handled "Deer Hunter" model. Nobody ever carried a fixed-blade; way too heavy.
I first started seeing SAK's on backpackers in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Not sure what they were called back then, but they were the models we now know as the Climber and the Explorer. To a certain extent, I still see these models in the backcountry to this day. You could buy them in hardware stores, Sport Chalet, etc.
Spyderco's seemed to come on strong in 1980's as well. They were new, had that one-handed opening feature that we hadn't seen before, wicked serrated blade, etc. Back in this time, Southern California actually had cutlery stores, and this is where you'd go for a Spyderco. Maybe Sport Chalet too.
In the 1990's the Leatherman, and its progeny, seemed to be everywhere. I started to see less and less of the Buck and Case hunting knives on backpackers. Mostly either some form of multitool, or some type of one-handed folder. That still seems to be the case today. I mainly backpack in the Sierras and the mountain ranges around Southern California; most people, even backpackers, give hardly a thought to their knife-choice these days. It's an afterthought, something to satisfy the "ten essentials." Around these parts, still nobody carries a fixed-blade. They see it as too heavy for trail hiking. When I carry my F1 on backpacking trips, most people think I'm a newbie that just doesn't know better!
I started climbing and mountaineering in the mid-1990's. Climbers are an interesting breed. They pay very close attention and develop almost zealot-like opinions about certain gear, like cams and dyno rope. Knives, not so much. Most just carry something cheap. The most significant feature for a climber's knife is lock to keep it shut, so it doesn't open in your pocket as you climb, or open in mid-air if it works it's way out of your pocket and falls mid-route. This is why I stopped using my Griptillian for climbing. There are a few knives built specifically for climbers with this feature. If you charge more than about $30.00 for your knife, though you're going to eliminate most of the climbing public as a client base.
So, that's my recollection of knives, backpackers and climbers over the years, at least in my neck of the woods.
ERG
I began backpacking the the 70's with my dad. He was a police officer and most of the time when we went backpacking it was in the Sierra Range with his fellow officers. Pretty much everyone carried Buck 110's or something similar from Case, Camilus, etc. My dad and I carried Puma lock backs; I think my dad got them from the evidence room... . His was actually called the "Backpacker" because its handle was zytel, or something like that. I still have mine, a wooden handled "Deer Hunter" model. Nobody ever carried a fixed-blade; way too heavy.
I first started seeing SAK's on backpackers in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Not sure what they were called back then, but they were the models we now know as the Climber and the Explorer. To a certain extent, I still see these models in the backcountry to this day. You could buy them in hardware stores, Sport Chalet, etc.
Spyderco's seemed to come on strong in 1980's as well. They were new, had that one-handed opening feature that we hadn't seen before, wicked serrated blade, etc. Back in this time, Southern California actually had cutlery stores, and this is where you'd go for a Spyderco. Maybe Sport Chalet too.
In the 1990's the Leatherman, and its progeny, seemed to be everywhere. I started to see less and less of the Buck and Case hunting knives on backpackers. Mostly either some form of multitool, or some type of one-handed folder. That still seems to be the case today. I mainly backpack in the Sierras and the mountain ranges around Southern California; most people, even backpackers, give hardly a thought to their knife-choice these days. It's an afterthought, something to satisfy the "ten essentials." Around these parts, still nobody carries a fixed-blade. They see it as too heavy for trail hiking. When I carry my F1 on backpacking trips, most people think I'm a newbie that just doesn't know better!
I started climbing and mountaineering in the mid-1990's. Climbers are an interesting breed. They pay very close attention and develop almost zealot-like opinions about certain gear, like cams and dyno rope. Knives, not so much. Most just carry something cheap. The most significant feature for a climber's knife is lock to keep it shut, so it doesn't open in your pocket as you climb, or open in mid-air if it works it's way out of your pocket and falls mid-route. This is why I stopped using my Griptillian for climbing. There are a few knives built specifically for climbers with this feature. If you charge more than about $30.00 for your knife, though you're going to eliminate most of the climbing public as a client base.
So, that's my recollection of knives, backpackers and climbers over the years, at least in my neck of the woods.
ERG