silenthunterstudios
Slipjoint Addict
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 20,039
So, some older musicians and music fans are known to say "there is no more new music left to make" or "any new music is just rehashed music". I grew up on oldies rock, Motown and old country music in my father's upholstery shop. I grew up on grunge and classic rock hanging out with friends, and now that I'm older, I've developed a deep love and appreciation of all blues and bluegrass. I wouldn't say anything new is rehashed, but definitely relies heavily on what has come before. I'm only 36 but I have no interest on what is played on local rock stations today, let alone top 40 stations.
I've only dipped my big toe in the water that is custom knives. I've seen a lot of patterns "come back" (I didn't know they'd gone anywhere), until I see a pattern in an old book or magazine advertisement. Maybe the new company references the old pattern. Or, like the 15 boys knife pattern from GEC, I saw the same knives, made by Remington in the 1930s, at a local knife show.
Tony Bose is famous for saying he doesn't come up with new patterns, he just brings them back from the brink of obscurity. Out of all of the knives I have that were designed by him and built by Case, I would imagine the Lanny's Clip is the only one that can be truly his, but it's just a trapper? The Zulu just missed a pen blade from the original George Schrade model. I've seen a few knives come out of the current factories, thought them to be new designs (the companies didn't advertise them as such), and they turned out to be old patterns. Ken Daniels and Queen, Derrick Bohn and Northwoods, Mike Latham and Bill Howard, Charlie and Bill Howard. All bringing back old knives from the pit.
In a hobby that prides itself on old designs, the demand for new designs isn't really an issue. Has it all been done before? Was the heyday golden age of the traditional pocket knife really back at the turn of the 20th century? 1860s Sheffield through 1930s New York was it for slip joint designs?
Or is it just the fact that most custom knife makers are asked to make the Kephart fixed blade pattern, or the trapper folder pattern, because you can't improve on classic designs? Why Case sells a ton of the Finn fixed blade and their trapper, because those are great tools.
We are the exception, not the norm, but I think we're blessed to see these old designs "rehashed" by factories and custom makers alike. Fresh ideas on old designs, rather than new ideas altogether.
I've only dipped my big toe in the water that is custom knives. I've seen a lot of patterns "come back" (I didn't know they'd gone anywhere), until I see a pattern in an old book or magazine advertisement. Maybe the new company references the old pattern. Or, like the 15 boys knife pattern from GEC, I saw the same knives, made by Remington in the 1930s, at a local knife show.
Tony Bose is famous for saying he doesn't come up with new patterns, he just brings them back from the brink of obscurity. Out of all of the knives I have that were designed by him and built by Case, I would imagine the Lanny's Clip is the only one that can be truly his, but it's just a trapper? The Zulu just missed a pen blade from the original George Schrade model. I've seen a few knives come out of the current factories, thought them to be new designs (the companies didn't advertise them as such), and they turned out to be old patterns. Ken Daniels and Queen, Derrick Bohn and Northwoods, Mike Latham and Bill Howard, Charlie and Bill Howard. All bringing back old knives from the pit.
In a hobby that prides itself on old designs, the demand for new designs isn't really an issue. Has it all been done before? Was the heyday golden age of the traditional pocket knife really back at the turn of the 20th century? 1860s Sheffield through 1930s New York was it for slip joint designs?
Or is it just the fact that most custom knife makers are asked to make the Kephart fixed blade pattern, or the trapper folder pattern, because you can't improve on classic designs? Why Case sells a ton of the Finn fixed blade and their trapper, because those are great tools.
We are the exception, not the norm, but I think we're blessed to see these old designs "rehashed" by factories and custom makers alike. Fresh ideas on old designs, rather than new ideas altogether.
