educate me on what a traditional folder is...and is not

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colubrid said:
Getting back to a topic that was closed by an admin. I would like to know what a traditional pocket knife is? Or what qualifies a folder to be a traditional for this sub forum?

We know that it cannot have a lock.
No thumbstud or one hand opening
no pocket clip


What about the age of the design?
Is it American made only?.. or are European knives also considered traditionals?
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See the GUIDELINES stickied to the top of the front page of this forum.
 
colubrid said:
We know that it cannot have a lock.
No thumbstud or one hand opening
no pocket clip
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Not quite. There are traditionals with locks. Even the old TL-29 has a liner lock. Also the Buck 110 with lockback. Mercator too. Plenty of traditional knives have locks.
 
If in doubt ask a mod before opening a thread. I've done that with give aways of knives I wasn't sure met the traditional criteria. Mods either concurred or didn't.
 
@colubrid isn't trying to restart an old thread as much as he's trying to find the edge of where "traditional" starts. His example is a knife that strongly resembles a modern knife. Sadly, he doesn't have this knife any longer so we keep coming back to that modern one. No, the Impinda isn't traditional. It's certainly in a gray area for some folks, though, colubrid included. Until we get a pic of that original knife, we're at a standstill.

As for innovative designs, colubrid, yes the Reichswehr certainly had them, though your exmple of the Luger P08 goes back to, well, at least 1908. Firearms are tricky, though. Would one call an M1 a "traditional" rifle? Well, maybe. What this leads me to consider is that "traditional" folders for this community refers to a body of knives that largely occupy a period of design from the mid 18h to the mid 20h centuries. Not that these are hard lines and not that the dates are exclusive. It just tends to shake out that way.

Again, as this thread hangs on a knife we can't see, it's about played out, so get us that pic!

Zieg
 
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colubrid said:
When I was a kid growing up in Austria my dad gave me his slipjoint knife. Which was a 2nd world war knife from the 1940's. He was in the german army under Hitler.
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colubrid said:
So a German knife pattern that was made during the 2nd world war would be considered a traditional design?
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Nothing that was made or done by the Germans and especially by the German soldiers during the Second World War is worthy of interest.

Dan.
 
The Zieg said:
wwii-gr-army-folder-1.jpg

Is this the design you're referring to? This one ostensibly comes from WWII Germany. I can see some resemblance to the Impinda.

Zieg
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Looks more like a Sodbuster.
 
I like the idea of a modern slip joint myself. In my case, I like knives which are more clearly traditional in appearance which have screw construction.

As the discussion of what makes a knife traditional or modern has progressed (it's not new), I've come to realize that the "slippery slope" concept comes into play on this subject. I might like screw construction, someone else might be a fan of thumb studs, soon you have a modern knife.

This knife is a good example of that. Come on, "The clip can be removed."?? It came with a clip and looks modern as hell. The mods are lightening up a little. I've seen some screw construction in the forum if the knife looks pretty traditional otherwise. There is a modern traditional thread. They do a good job.

I do like the Impinda, but it's a traditional modern, not a modern traditional.
 
veitsi_poika said:
It sounds like he only wants an answer from the Mods so everyone else's efforts are likely not going to help. To me, I have not seen many traditional knife patterns from the 60's or before that have removable pocket clips with screw attachments.
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If that's truly the case, I suggest contact he mods directly. But the mods already as were in the locked thread.
 
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Blade steel is S35V? Sounds " Old Timey" enough for me.

Not the point though, yea? Just here being deliberately obtuse behind thinly veiled arrogance... because the original thread was closed.

And because CRK make the best most innovative knives on the planet...and now that they produce a slip joint..*ahem* An "award winning"slip joint...watch out you traditional guys...we're gonna educate you as well..

You are still kind of high from the award..got it. You love CRK...drink some water, dilute some of that kool-aid.

Not bashing CRK, I had my fling...6 or 8..had some nice ones. At the end of the day, I needed more than S35V (yea, I know about the DM options) so, I broke up w/ CRK..the fan boy's didn't help.

The.knife is cool. The knife is innovative.

What it isn't, is "traditional", but you know this....mods ruled on the issue.

You're taking the fun out of this, brother.
 
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I think intent has a lot to do with. If the knife makers intent was to revitalize an old pattern with modern innovations while maintaining the patterns traditional traits, then it can have a place here. The obvious disqualifying innovations have been listed.
However, I do not see this as CRK’s intent, or the intent of Benchmade or Spyderco or various others who are, it seems, just trying to sell knives to jurisdictions where locking knives may be outlawed. And therefore these examples are better discussed in thier branded forums or general discussion, not here. My opinion for what it’s worth.
 
It’s not my forum, and I don’t set the rules. Nor do I have an issue with the rules. But as a member, I would submit the following observation/opinion.

For me, and I suspect many if not most other forum members as well, I see knives and collecting knives as a hobby, even if our knives are used heavily. Lots of people own and use knives but don’t take the time to join a discussion forum to talk about knives. So that leads me to believe we see this as a hobby and something we’re passionate about. A source of enjoyment.

Hobbies, almost by definition, are interests we have outside of our daily grind responsiblies. Something that is a source of joy, enjoyment, and diversion from daily stressors.

If all of what I’ve described rings true, then when on earth do I see soooo much stress and strife over what’s allowed to be discussed where? I come here to de-stress, not find or create more. Especially over those grey areas. Just one man’s opinion.
 
Just a thought, could we open up a new category for “almost traditional” Knives? For knives like the one in question, the clipped versions of otherwise traditionals, etc.? It seems like a lot of companies are jumping on the “traditional” bandwagon with knives like the Proper, I think I saw a WE slippy...The mods could of course set out the guidelines for the new category.
 
spyderg said:
Just a thought, could we open up a new category for “almost traditional” Knives? For knives like the one in question, the clipped versions of otherwise traditionals, etc.? It seems like a lot of companies are jumping on the “traditional” bandwagon with knives like the Proper, I think I saw a WE slippy...The mods could of course set out the guidelines for the new category.
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One already exists.

https://www.bladeforums.com/forums/general-knife-discussion.715/
 
This is as much about forum moderation as it is anything else.

Frank closed the other thread.

It would be best to take it up with him rather than start a new thread here.

Or you could start a thread here:

Tech Support, General Q&A, Site Feedback & More

There's a way to do things and a way not to do things... which, unfortunately, seems to be uncommon sense (uncommon courtesy) these days.
 
dantzk8 said:
Nothing that was made or done by the Germans and especially by the German soldiers during the Second World War is worthy of interest.

Dan.
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On the contrary during ww2 the germans were responsible for vast advancements in all kinds of technology that have had a major impact on the world. Just to name a couple, jet engines and helicopters. They were also responsible for many small arms advancements, so if you like guns you can thank them for that too.
 
Is there a specific thread in general? Or do you just mean the general discussion? To me the general category is pretty much just modern folders discussion,(titanium frame locks, axis, flippers, etc.) I’m thinking it’d be nice to have a category defined for the newer interpretation of traditional designs. Viper EZ open, Benchmade Proper, traditionals but with clips, one hand open slipjoints,and of course the new CRK. I’m sure there are more that will fit into this new category nicely and help to reduce the argument in the traditional category.
 
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