Did I miss out on the 80s?

[SPXTrader]

And if you still sport a Mullet, you could have lived in the 1980's and be stuck in the 1980's.

HA! I'm sticking with my mullet...one day they will return in a stylish fashion and I will be proclaimed the Mullet King!

 

[GIRLYmann]

knife developments in the 80's, was a game changer.
but it didn't happen over night.
many were reluctant to buy anything with plastic/rubber parts.
and stuck on with weighty brass and wood.
besides,
the noteworthy trailblazing knives which were new then,
were simply not that affordable.
and most of the rambo knives that mattered
were hand-made custom knives
which were way beyond the reach of the average waged earner.

 

[Bufford]

The 80's were the last of the good old decades when we had better times in terms of liberties. People carried knives more openly, there were far more knife sheaths hanging from belts back then then there are today. Society had more tollerance towards others back then, people enjoyed simple pleasures of having a smoke in public, including the plane and the nanny state had not yet reared its ugly head. Most TVs still had rabbit ears, telephones actually rang, and most goods including energy were still affordable. Life was slower and better back then, and the 80's were the last of the great times before the world turned inward and plugged in and zoned out.

 

[ron_m80]

MASSIVELY widespread commercialization of everything happened in the last 20-30 years. And without a media presence, you can't have commercials. I am pretty sure if you examined most industries, you would see the same trend. I don't think it is unique to knives, just because it was that time it had happened.

 

[The Mastiff]

I've seen more innovation in the last 3 years than I saw between 1980 and 1995. There wasn't much real real progress until Spyderco then Benchmade did their thing. Next was ATS34, then came the true super steels beginning with 440V. 95-96 was around the time ZDP was introduced by Spyderco. That was a pretty big innovation at the time. It's been a constant series of changes since then coming faster and faster. New steels, more combinations so it's getting almost easy for a person to find just the right knife/steel/grip/material for their needs. I recall when it was just carbon steel, and stainless, many of which were very poor performers by today's standards.

 

[stabman]

Yep, you missed out.
$5 hollow handle "Survival Knives" at V-Mart, yeah baby!
(I actually have had the urge to get another of those crappy knives...but now they cost $8 at Canadian Tire)

 

[Ebbtide]

Knives from the 80's?
Gerber Mk1, Command 1, Al Mar folders, AG Russell's Sting & "one hand knife." Pacific Cutlery, balisongs and Jody Sampson's designed Wee-Hawk. Cold Steel set the world on it's ear with the Tanto

Bill Bagwell was writing for SOF…

ATS34 was new and as hot as any super steel today.
440C was the industry standard.

Paragon Sporting goods in Manhattan had a knife counter (production and custom) that must've been 40' long.

It wasn't all that bad

 

[PURPLEDC]

From what I hear the 80s were a seriously interesting time for knives. Being born in 1997 I obviously missed out on a fun decade (Reagan, New Wave, piano keyboards, and cocaine. Well maybe not cocaine hahaha.) and also missed out on a fun time for knives. Regardless of all the crazy "Rambo knives" and the explosion of chinese junkers I hear lot of cool stuff happened. The tactical knives started becoming popular and I think the Spyderco worker came out in the 80s. But to get to my question, what did I miss out otherwise? Any of you 80s teenagers have some stories? I'd love to hear all this stuff. Thanks.

I think you missed more in the 90s than you did the eighties. The 90's and early 00's are what I would call the big boom in knife technology. And I still think we are seeing exciting times in knives right now depending on what floats your boat. Besides hair metal I would say the 80's are best left forgotten.

 

[JBoone]

There has naver been a better time to be a knife nut than the present. The material advances, design advances, and choice is incredible. I have no reason to believe that the future will not continue to be even better. The threat to the knife industy is lessening demand (which I do not beleive is the case at this juncture)

 

[Bob W]

Someone doesn't want a Swiss Army Knife because a television show in the 1980s featured one about two times? Seriously, McGyver was a stupid show, and SAKs pre-date the television show by about a hundred years. In fact they pre-date television. Heck, they even pre-date talky movies.

 

[stabman]

but we also had McGyver and his do-everything SAK. That show alone is reason enough to never ever own an SAK.

You sure got that one wrong.
MacGyver was the only reason TO own a Swiss Army Knife.