Fading popularity of traditional knives

CVamberbonehead

CVamberbonehead

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Hey everyone, I was watching a youtube video from blade hq where they showed the employees pocket knives. I thought it would be interesting. It was, because it surprised me. Not a single employee they looked at had a traditional knife. They found modern folders, one automatic knife, and even a Medford knife that looked to me like a steel brick.
I found all this very strange, but somehow fitting. In my experience(living and working on farms until I left my small town and joined the army), the people that do the most demanding work keep a slipjoint in their pocket and use it every day. On the other hand, the people that dont have much real use for a knife seem to use the more "tactical" knives and "need" those modern features. The guy in the video with the stop sign sized medford brick in his pocket, also had a CRKT Homefront and a multitool on him! The real kicker here? He worked as their IT guy. What does an IT guy need a folding prybar (or 2 in this case) for? I think itd make more sense for these office workers to have a small traditional knife on them wouldnt it? Its not just these Blade hq employees either, it seems everyone and their brother carries a modern knife.
Now, I have nothing against this. I carry them too, along with a traditional. But I dont quite understand the new school of thought that says, in the modern first world where people need less and less from their knife, we keep demanding more and more of our knives. This includes fixed blades as well, where people want g10 instead of wood or stacked leather, or they want super steel instead of old carbon steel, and kydex sheaths replacing leather.
So what are your thoughts on this subject? Are traditional knives dying out in our modern world? Is this just neccesary progress?
By the way, I dont mean to offend anyone and like I said, I like modern stuff too. I carry Benchmades and Cold Steels every day(and my first defense, my key chain pepper spray) as a self defense option since I live in Maryland, where its almost impossible to legally carry a gun to protect yourself and your family.
 
Everything I've heard is to quite the contrary. Traditionals are having quite a resurgence in the last few years. I believe I remember both Mike at CK and Derrick (RIP) of KSF saying that the traditional market has picked up a lot of steam.

As far as modern/tactical go, I think of it in the same way as those who live in suburbia but carry a gun. The image of being a protector or that the world is out to get them regardless of the tiny chance of anything happening to them in reality doesn't stop them. Live and let live. Everyone wants to feel like Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne, even though they are an accountant or something. As long as it's not harming anyone, who cares? It's kind of like all the dentists that ride Harleys on the weekend thinking they're in the Hell's Angels. :D

This post is done in a light-hearted manner.
 
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I carried only traditional knives when I was a kid, and now that I'm an office worker (teacher), I have gone back to them. But when I worked on ranches and farms I always carried a modern, one handed knife, like a Spyderco. I NEEDED that one handed operation and I hated carrying a fixed blade. But I've always been on the "practical" side, the right tool for the job.

These days, I can see why people carry the modern folders. It's just a sign of the times and natural progression. Just like most will shoot a Glock rather than a Blackhawk. Or most will drive a Prius rather than a Studebaker. But there's always going to be a market for nostalgia and those of us that prefer the more "traditional" side of life. We tend to take things a little slower, we find beauty in age, and we like to say things like, "When I was a kid"...

I'll leave the whole weapon discussion alone.
 
I actually think traditionals are getting bigger again. That said for real work I'd choose a modern folder. Not a medford these things are just dumb imo, but an actual knife with modern features.
 
i enjoy almost all sorts of knives. Most recently my collection purchases have been dominated by traditionals since it was the rendezvous weekend. I too am from a big dangerous city where CCW is a pipe dream. However at the same time, we are not hassled by the fuzz for the most part. That being said on any given day I may have one two or no knives which varies from traditionals to modern offerings depending on if im in scrubs are not.
 
Not sure what the true measure would be, but this forum seems very active, traditional knives are very common in EDC online communities, popular patterns sell out in minutes, and the exchange here is lively. I personally just became familiar with the world of traditional pocket knives last fall, and I've recruited a couple buddies since then. Popularity seems to be growing to me.
 
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I carry modern knives as much as, and sometimes in place of a slipjoint.
While I do loathe the overly built tactical folders, I do enjoy the modern advancements such as one hand opening, better steel and pocket clips. I don't carry them because I need more, but because they are more simple, to me. Less maintenance, less likely to vanish from my pocket, easier to access, etc.

For me a modern folder is just a tool, whereas a traditional folder is a tool+nostalgia, beauty, and a symbol of other things that transcend the tool itself. There is a lot of history that comes with the carry of a slipjoint that makes a modern knife feel cold and dead by comparison, so when I drop one in my pocket I feel like I'm carrying a lot more than just a knife...

A pocket knife is a tool of convenience first and foremost, and I'm all for anything that improves this function. Modern or traditional they are both ways of getting a sharp edge in your pocket and I don't believe either are superior. I'm just grateful to live at a time where they are both widely available
 
I'm inclined to believe there are a lot more Traditional knives 'out there' than we might assume. If it makes any sense, I still find myself being somewhat surprised (pleasantly) when I actually notice others using them. It seems to me, most people I've actually noticed with one are much, much more discreet about letting those around them see it. Knife quickly comes out of the pocket in the palm of it's owner, blade is quietly unfolded (with TWO hands), a specific task is performed (cutting a string, opening a package, etc), the blade is quietly folded closed and back into the pocket it goes. Usually only takes a few seconds, and it's all done very subtly and quietly. No flash, no big show about it. Most others around won't even notice, unless they're looking directly at it.

I think there's a certain unspoken 'etiquette' about handling a Traditional knife, among most of those who use them. It contrasts with the (sometimes, not always) flashier 'show' of whipping out a one-hander and CLACKing the blade into it's locked-open position in a public setting. I carried some relatively large, modern, locking folders for a while, clipped inside my RFP. I never fully got comfortable with it. The thing that made me think about how others see it, is one time when I was at the grocery store, standing in the checkout lane. A relatively young gentleman and his young son were standing behind me, in line. The boy had seemed to notice the knife clipped to the pocket of my jeans, and he had a wide-eyed look on his face like he was a little bit intimidated by it. That made me uncomfortable, to say the least. I started to rethink it after that, and it made me realize I don't NEED to be carrying such a knife, to accomplish the things I typically do with a pocketknife.

I thought it over again, on another occasion. I'd driven my Dad to a doctor's appointment, and we were sitting in the waiting room among many other 'senior citizens' also there. One guy came in and sat down, maybe in his mid/late-30s or early 40s, and took a LARGE Ti-handled framelock out of his pocket. I heard the loud CLACK of the blade locking open, and looked up to see this guy 'cleaning his fingernails' with the big, beefy blade, while his eyes shifted around the room apparently looking to see who'd noticed. It just looked ridiculous to me, in that setting, and made me fully understand why my preference for carrying a smaller & more discreet Traditonal knife was so important to me.

I'm not knocking users of modern knives; I still own many, and use them occasionally (mostly at home). I believe most are just as responsible and discreet about handling them as I am with my Traditionals. It's just that I think there's a wholly different appeal to at least a few people about them, and a completely different mindset among those particular people about why they buy them and carry them.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
I'm inclined to believe there are a lot more Traditional knives 'out there' than we might assume. If it makes any sense, I still find myself being somewhat surprised (pleasantly) when I actually notice others using them. It seems to me, most people I've actually noticed with one are much, much more discreet about letting those around them see it. Knife quickly comes out of the pocket in the palm of it's owner, blade is quietly unfolded (with TWO hands), a specific task is performed (cutting a string, opening a package, etc), the blade is quietly folded closed and back into the pocket it goes. Usually only takes a few seconds, and it's all done very subtly and quietly. No flash, no big show about it. Most others around won't even notice, unless they're looking directly at it.

I think there's a certain unspoken 'etiquette' about handling a Traditional knife, among most of those who use them. It contrasts with the (sometimes, not always) flashier 'show' of whipping out a one-hander and CLACKing the blade into it's locked-open position in a public setting. I carried some relatively large, modern, locking folders for a while, clipped inside my RFP. I never fully got comfortable with it. The thing that made me think about how others see it, is one time when I was at the grocery store, standing in the checkout lane. A relatively young gentleman and his young son were standing behind me, in line. The boy had seemed to notice the knife clipped to the pocket of my jeans, and he had a wide-eyed look on his face like he was a little bit intimidated by it. That made me uncomfortable, to say the least. I started to rethink it after that, and it made me realize I don't NEED to be carrying such a knife, to accomplish the things I typically do with a pocketknife.

I thought it over again, on another occasion. I'd driven my Dad to a doctor's appointment, and we were sitting in the waiting room among many other 'senior citizens' also there. One guy came in and sat down, maybe in his mid/late-30s or early 40s, and took a LARGE Ti-handled framelock out of his pocket. I heard the loud CLACK of the blade locking open, and looked up to see this guy 'cleaning his fingernails' with the big, beefy blade, while his eyes shifted around the room apparently looking to see who'd noticed. It just looked ridiculous to me, in that setting, and made me fully understand why my preference for carrying a smaller & more discreet Traditonal knife was so important to me.

I'm not knocking users of modern knives; I still own many, and use them occasionally (mostly at home). I believe most are just as responsible and discreet about handling them as I am with my Traditionals. It's just that I think there's a wholly different appeal to at least a few people about them, and a completely different mindset among those particular people about why they buy them and carry them.
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I think you raise a good point, and this could, at least in part, explain some of the resurgence in popularity of traditional pocket knives.
In this brave new world of ever increasing phobias about guns and knives slipjoints offer a more discreet presence, easily concealed in a pocket and very unassuming in use. While I don't live in a typically knife-phobic area, I still feel discomfort carrying anything clipped to my pockets in certain public spaces. Its a shame really, but it is what it is. I've been on the receiving end of those stares before, but the most troubling thing that's ever happened to me was hearing the question "what do you need a knife for?"
 
I’m sure I’ve shared this a hundred times before, but.... here we go.

I worked on a farm with my brother for five years, sun up, to sundown. In that time I carried a Case large stockman and a Case sodbuster JR. Along with a few Queens, GECs and the like. My only issue with my traditional knives is when I thought I could get by with one blade, it didn’t work out well. The stockman was perfect because I could safe a blade for certain chores.

It didn’t take long for my brother to realize he needed a knife, so after a trip to the big box store he had his knife. A tanto clip, half serated, assisted open waste of time.

Working in the dirt and the dust daily took a toll on any knife, but his assisted open failed to function more often then not. The opening system wasn’t made to be caked with dirt on a daily basis. My traditional folders hated the dirt as well, but I never had my blades stick half open when I was opening it by hand, he lost part of his tactical knife’s function and ended up having to use both hands to work his blade open. The thick blade wasn’t suitable for our cutting chores either.

I too carried a Kershaw leak for a while, I didn’t hate the knife, but it wasn’t meant to be for me, it didn’t earn it’s keep as efficiently as my stockman did and away it went.

I think there is a show boat kinda mentality when you pull out a one handed open knife and flick the blade out loudly for all to see. We all know that most cutting chores aren’t timed and it can be done more efficiently without rushing it.

I don’t hate modern knives, I just don’t need them.
 
JohnDF said:
I would like to add that I don't really buy-in to the "discreet" argument. I've carried modern folders and I was able to use them very discreetly. It's more the nature of the user rather than the knife.
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I think its highly variable depending on the knives in question and the environment.
I can open a Spyderco as quietly a small stockman, but that Spyderco would also make quite an appearance in my hand where the stockman would mostly disappear.
Most modern folders are quite large compared to slipjoints and are always going to stand out more. But I can agree that if the user needs to be discreet he can probably do so with a little thoughtfulness.
 
I think use of slip joints might have dropped to a certain level and could just stay near that level indefinitely.

As to moderns' popularity, I wonder how much is due to what's available. I haven't seen a lot of decent slip joints at the big box stores. Half the people buy crap. Part of the rest know a little and maybe choose by what a buddy might have and like. He probably got it at a big box, where they do usually have some decent moderns. The rest of people is us, people who frequent this forum and buy online from somewhere besides the big river site (the internet big box). A certain percentage of them will gravitate to slip joints.
 
Not seeing them doesn't mean they aren't out there, carried and in use everyday. Traditional users/collectors have become more sophisticated in the last fifteen years. Custom makers long backlogs (or closed books) are a testament to that, along with the near instant sell out of every SFO GEC has run.
 
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I don't really see a lot of knives in Central NY, although in this part of the state we can pretty much carry what we like, with a few limitations. I don't really look for them either though. When I was working I met with a lot of trades people and saw a lot of OHO and Multi-tools. They were tools, and used as such. I think they are noticed more because they tend to be clipped to pockets or otherwise in noticeable places. Once in awhile I'd see a slip joint used around the jobsites at lunch or break times.

I carry multiple, well made, mostly custom knives everyday, traditional and modern. I like them all but I like the traditionals a bit more. As was mentioned previously it's the nostalgia, natural materials, artistry, history and time tested patterns that draw my attention and interest.

I raised my two sons around knives, both traditional and modern. I've gifted them mostly traditional knives and hope they pass on the love of them to their kids and contacts. I hope I can hand my grandsons their first pocket knives, in the not too distant future.
I think traditional knives are alive and well.
 
I have modern knives - Sigarms SIGTAC, Benchmade, Spyderco, Cold Steel, Sog, and others but I haven't carried one for a long long time. I'm an old guy - 75 - and I got my start with traditional knives back around 1947 with my first brand new one being acquired in 1948. When I carry now a days, I carry a traditional non-locking slip joint; however, I do carry a small traditional lockback at all times too.

Modern knives are ok but I don't like the opening stud/hole and clip that most of them have and the fact that they only come with one blade as a rule. Don't get me wrong there. I do like a knife with a single blade but not in a modern platform. The fact that I live out in the boonies kinda dictates what I carry because, if out performing multiple tasks, by the end of the day more that one blade will be used. Anyone that has been out cutting bailing twine, trimming a fence post so a gate latch will work properly, or maybe cutting an animal free from an entanglement, and other mundane tasks in a rural setting knows what I mean. Uh, I don't do much of that anymore -too old and terrible knees but old habits such as carrying a traditional never end.

I think "old timey" traditional knives will be around for a long long long time. They're practical, tough and just plain appealing to the eye.
 
davek14 said:
As to moderns' popularity, I wonder how much is due to what's available. I haven't seen a lot of decent slip joints at the big box stores.
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I think you make a valid point. The brick and mortar stores, and big online retailers, have way, way, way more modern knives to choose from. The stores around here have display case after display case full of modern knives. Then there are usually a few traditional knives hiding in back, usually Case or Buck brands.
 
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