Fading popularity of traditional knives

I'm just glad to see people carrying and using pocket knives; modern or traditional. When I was a kid it seemed all men and boys had a pocket knife. I carried a knife daily from age 10 on, even to school. Even when my kids were in high school in the early 90's it was not unusual or illegal to see 17-18 year juniors and seniors with Buck knives on their belts just like Beau Duke! Even though it seems like a lot of people carry knives and Case sells a ton, I would guess that maybe 3 in 10 males are packing a knife of any kind on a daily basis. Sad. When someone borrows my knife, I usually ask, if they forgot theirs, if they don't own one, I'm likely to give them one.
 
I'm still fairly young -- late 30s -- and I just can't get into the modern knife mindset. I tried carrying a Benchmade Griptilian for about day and felt silly the whole time. Not only was the knife oversized for anything I would use it for, with the pocket clip and OHO, I felt like I was sitting around waiting for ninjas to attack or something. I just don't need (or want, really) a knife made to be deployed in flash. I like the slower pace of a traditional, the fact that many offer the choice of multiple blades, and frankly the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into traditionals appeals to me well beyond the aesthetics of modern folders.

I do, however, prefer my traditionals in a quality stainless over carbon.
 
Wowbagger said:
That hmmmmm Spyderco is not only making wood handled knives now but will soon pick up all that money laying on the table for a full on traditional in super steel ?
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For real? I always wondered why Spyderco couldn't build anything without an injection-molded handle for less than two or three hundred bucks. I used to lobby for a super steel Stockman over there and was told by Sal that it would be really, really expensive to make. Has that changed? I'd love to see one. Other than the hole. A Stockman with a hole in each blade? Yuck. But if it was in CPM-M4 with wood covers at a decent price, I'd crumble like a cookie at a Cub Scout party.
 
Shurke said:
I'm still fairly young -- late 30s -- and I just can't get into the modern knife mindset. I tried carrying a Benchmade Griptilian for about day and felt silly the whole time. Not only was the knife oversized for anything I would use it for, with the pocket clip and OHO, I felt like I was sitting around waiting for ninjas to attack or something. I just don't need (or want, really) a knife made to be deployed in flash. I like the slower pace of a traditional, the fact that many offer the choice of multiple blades, and frankly the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into traditionals appeals to me well beyond the aesthetics of modern folders.

I do, however, prefer my traditionals in a quality stainless over carbon.
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I understand, I also feel a bit ridiculous carrying my modern knives. And they take up so much room in a pocket! That may be my number 1 complaint (looking at you especially Spyderco), the modern knives are huge. Especially with an opening hole. And because theyre so jimped and sharp spined they tend to be uncomfortable when I put my hand in my pocket, especially if they carried tip down. I dont want to cut up my hand, I want to cut up my sandwich or whatever needs cut. So many moderns are like putting a very flat cheese grater in your pocket.
 
When I was 12 my Grandpa opened his dresser drawer and pulled out a myriad of small wooden boxes, slips, sleeves, and velvet pouches, and proceeded to remove the contents of each one by one. He laid probably close to 50 traditionals out on the table in front of me and told me to pick one. After pouring over all the available options, I chose a Case Grand Daddy Barlow and was allowed to keep it and use it at my grandparents house when visiting or staying a weekend. I learned a lot about proper knife use and care at a young age, and while a finger or two occasionally got nipped it was a solid lesson learned to try to prevent it from happening again. I feel today's modern folders are simple enough to use that people don't even have to think twice about proper grip, or direction of blade movement possibly causing a knife to close on them. It has become so easy to mindlessly flip a blade open, lightsaber through something, and return to pocket, that I feel like most people who have never been exposed to a traditional or taught how to properly use one have no interest in them because of a potential threat of injury, or the feeling that the knife is inferior because they can't stab through something with it. There is no nostalgic feeling of knife memories with Dad or Grandpa to draw them to something that they feel may not perform as well as what they have clipped in their pocket. With that said, 21 years later I still have my Barlow and a whole hell of a lot more traditionals and slipjoints to keep it company. While the occasional Spyderco or Benchmade may find it's way into my pocket, the traditional/modern ratio in my collection still leans heavily towards the past. Thanks Grandpa, I owe you one.
 
I'm fairly young as well at 30 years old, and growing up I absolutely wanted the fantasy knives and black-out serrated tantos. Through owning those knives, I discovered that a Case Peanut or Buck 55 were 100% better at accomplishing the tasks I needed to perform. I haven't looked back since.

I do feel that I should add a measure of objectivity or balance to my bias. There are plenty of traditional knives throughout history that have absolutely picked up a negative reputation. The bar-fighting Toothpick, the Balisongs, switchblade, etc. If I'm out in public, I'd side-eye someone flipping a Balisong more than I would a Griptillian, to be frank. Balisongs and switchblades are/were illegal in many places, and they certainly aren't new. I wasn't around before moderns, so I don't know how those older "nefarious" blades were advertised, honestly.
 
CVamberbonehead said:
I understand, I also feel a bit ridiculous carrying my modern knives. And they take up so much room in a pocket! That may be my number 1 complaint (looking at you especially Spyderco), the modern knives are huge. Especially with an opening hole. And because theyre so jimped and sharp spined they tend to be uncomfortable when I put my hand in my pocket, especially if they carried tip down. I dont want to cut up my hand, I want to cut up my sandwich or whatever needs cut. So many moderns are like putting a very flat cheese grater in your pocket.
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That hump is the big drawback of using a hole for opening. I prefer a stud over a hole. But then I prefer a nail nick over a stud. Unless you can pinch the blade ...
 
Wurrwulf said:
I wasn't around before moderns, so I don't know how those older "nefarious" blades were advertised, honestly.
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Well I was, wolf and I can tell ya. In the 1950's the knife was looked on as a punks weapon. The tool of the cheap pegged pants, duck tail haircut, hot rod driving leather jacketed wannabe bad boys. This was the days when guns were actually very loosely controlled and blackjacks were sold in some stores. It was expected for. man to defend himself by either slipping a gun or nice woven leather blackjack in a pocket. This was the age when all men, if they had pants on, had a pocket knife in one of those pants pockets. Almost always a small one or two blade slip joint the size of a peanut or a little bigger.

The local gun shop carried and sold a very wide variety of small guns ranging from the tiny Baby Browning .25 auto to the every popular 'snubbie' .38. The little Beretta minx and jet fire were around allot as well. A few people had those little flat two shot High Standard derringers in either .22lr or .22mag.

The police gave out gun carry licenses without much problem. If you had a regular job, got reference from employer, and had a clean record, it was ridiculously easy to get a gun license. BUT...if you had any kind record, no chance of a carry license. This was how it got it's start in toehold days of the punks carrying a knife; if the local cops found them with a gun, it was a trip to the house of many doors. Knife...maybe wiggle out of it or it's cheap enough to ditch down a sewer.

In the 1980's they put soooo manybali's in the hands of the Hollywood bad guys that they got a bad rep as the James dean knife the 80's. Enough product placement made them so popular with the punks on the street, so they were outright banned in someplaces. Abuse it and loose it.

On the other hand, since the early 1990's almost all the states now have enacted concealed carry laws for citizens that can pass the background check and qualify on the range. BUT...some people in our society have a criminal record and can't have a gun. Soooo, the modern day punk carried the vogue knife of the day to impress whomever. Most of the American society is non knife people, and if they want to protect themselves, they just go get a gun and take the course and carry it. They look at the knife flipping young guys as the modern day punks. You can complain but thats the way it is. Most main stream people I know look down on knife packing punks and they carry a gun. Some ladies carry pepper spray as a respectable defense tool. Agree or disagree, that's the way it is.

The non knife people of the worlds society don't like knives outside a kitchen or restaurant. Nobody seems to react at all with me taking out a traditional pocket knife or a SAK. Flip out some black tacticool and it changes.

It is, what it is.
 
I carried a "traditional" folder when I was young. As I got older, now 61, I found that the "modern" knives have more utility. Consider, when folding knife blades generally did not lock it was easy to cut yourself if the knife closed on your fingers because you used the knife incorrectly. Locking blades are an improvement and actually increase the useful uses of the knife.

Traditional folding knives also dropped to the bottom of your pocket because pocket clips were not found on most knives. Now deployment is much easier.

Traditional Knives were generally not deploy-able with one hand which meant that you had to use both hands when you might want to hold on to something, like a ladder for instance.

Traditional steels were inferior to modern steels in edge holding and toughness. Why be nostalgic about old steels?

Traditional folding knife blades were commonly smaller and less useful as a defensive weapon. I prefer bigger blades with more edge area and more aggressive tips.

I personally don't find anything in traditional folders that would make me want to go back. In fact, the few traditional folders I have will NEVER get taken out. I even taught my kids with modern style knives because I like them so much more.
 
ScottsBad said:
I carried a "traditional" folder when I was young. As I got older, now 61, I found that the "modern" knives have more utility. Consider, when folding knife blades generally did not lock it was easy to cut yourself if the knife closed on your fingers because you used the knife incorrectly. Locking blades are an improvement and actually increase the useful uses of the knife.

Traditional folding knives also dropped to the bottom of your pocket because pocket clips were not found on most knives. Now deployment is much easier.

Traditional Knives were generally not deploy-able with one hand which meant that you had to use both hands when you might want to hold on to something, like a ladder for instance.

Traditional steels were inferior to modern steels in edge holding and toughness. Why be nostalgic about old steels?

Traditional folding knife blades were commonly smaller and less useful as a defensive weapon. I prefer bigger blades with more edge area and more aggressive tips.

I personally don't find anything in traditional folders that would make me want to go back. In fact, the few traditional folders I have will NEVER get taken out. I even taught my kids with modern style knives because I like them so much more.
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Chacun à son goût. I may just break down and buy a modern some day. Maybe.
 
"Traditional folding knife blades were commonly smaller and less useful as a defensive weapon. I prefer bigger blades with more edge area and more aggressive tips."
ScottsBad ScottsBad


No offense intended but if you carry a knife of any type as a weapon you will be sorely disappointed if you are ever put in situation where you have to defend yourself or family.
Guns and martial arts rule self defense, a skilled person in either or both will make a knife useless.
 
I also, want to say that I live in Commiefornia where most Counties make it impossible to obtain a CCW license.

As I indicated before; I don't have any nostalgic feelings about the traditional knives I was raised with (starting in Cub Scouts IIRC). I never liked the design of traditional knives. Hard to open; Why a fingernail when your hands might be slippery? Why did they frequently have two blades? Why did they close on your hand? Why were the blades so delicate? They required frequent sharpening too.

This is why I don't like Swiss Army knives. Try to use the awl on a piece of leather... No locks sucks. And even on the locking models only the main blade locks. I lost one at Shasta Lake a few years ago and didn't miss it one bit. The Leatherman Wave is the way to go for tools.

BTW why does anyone care if the whiny woman gets offended by a Griptillian. I snapped opened a 4 inch Contego at my kids (private) school to open some packages of cookies and cup cakes everyone was having trouble with. A couple of the moms just about fainted and I laughed hard. Screw the PC nannies. My wife thought it was funny too.
 
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gaj999 said:
Were I to make an objective, unemotional choice of knives based on value, quality, and cutting ability, I'd buy a SAK and be done with it.
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This. It is really hard to leave an SAK out of my pocket in favor of something else, and it's usually an emotional decision. Nothing really holds a candle in terms of pure utility, not only do you get a knife but any other tool you may need. If you need OHO and a clip, they got you covered there too.
All I need is a Vic Farmer with ebony covers and stainless bolsters and I'd never carry another knife.:eek:
 
ScottsBad said:
I carried a "traditional" folder when I was young. As I got older, now 61, I found that the "modern" knives have more utility. Consider, when folding knife blades generally did not lock it was easy to cut yourself if the knife closed on your fingers because you used the knife incorrectly. Locking blades are an improvement and actually increase the useful uses of the knife.
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If useful use is incorrect use, then yes.

ScottsBad said:
Traditional folding knives also dropped to the bottom of your pocket because pocket clips were not found on most knives. Now deployment is much easier.
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Agreed. I have caught and bent clips. I have also damaged the paint on a car with a clip. Kind of a trade off.

ScottsBad said:
Traditional Knives were generally not deploy-able with one hand which meant that you had to use both hands when you might want to hold on to something, like a ladder for instance.
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I can actually open most of my traditionals with one hand, but it can be fiddly. If I'm on a ladder, I've usually got a work knife like a 110 that's easy to open one-handed. Or a real knife. The kind that isn't pre-broken in the middle. ;)

ScottsBad said:
Traditional steels were inferior to modern steels in edge holding and toughness. Why be nostalgic about old steels?
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Agree 100%. I'll note that properly heat treated 1095 performs well. It just rusts easily. There's no excuse for using a stainless that doesn't perform at least as well as 1095.

ScottsBad said:
Traditional folding knife blades were commonly smaller and less useful as a defensive weapon. I prefer bigger blades with more edge area and more aggressive tips.
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I suppose. But a knife is a last ditch defensive weapon for when you don't have a club handy. And a club is a poor choice compared to a pistol. And a pistol is a back up weapon for when you don't have a long gun. If it gets to the point where I actually need a knife for self defense, I'm totally screwed anyway. If I was younger, stronger, and had spent the necessary years in training to effectively use a knife as a weapon, it might be a different story.

ScottsBad said:
I personally don't find anything in traditional folders that would make me want to go back. In fact, the few traditional folders I have will NEVER get taken out. I even taught my kids with modern style knives because I like them so much more.
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In many ways moderns are more practical. I own a few. But they seldom get carried. Personal preference, no right or wrong.
 
ScottsBad said:
BTW why does anyone care if the whiny woman gets offended by a Griptillian. I snapped opened a 4 inch Contego at my kids (private) school to open some packages of cookies and cup cakes everyone was having trouble with. A couple of the moms just about fainted and I laughed hard. Screw the PC nannies. My wife thought it was funny too.
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neildegrasse.jpg
 
rockman0 said:
"Traditional folding knife blades were commonly smaller and less useful as a defensive weapon. I prefer bigger blades with more edge area and more aggressive tips."
ScottsBad ScottsBad

No offense intended but if you carry a knife of any type as a weapon you will be sorely disappointed if you are ever put in situation where you have to defend yourself or family.
Guns and martial arts rule self defense, a skilled person in either or both will make a knife useless.
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No offense taken, but you don't know me. I'm retired, I mainly carry my knife (just got an XM-18 for EDC) as a tool. I fully understand that a knife is a poor self defense weapon, but I live in an area where it is impossible take a CCW. So, the knife is the only weapon I can carry.

I own a large selection of classic and modern firearms that makes people drool, I've been shooting since I was six, and practice frequently. My wife and daughters are all Third Degree Black Belts (it took them 14 years), yet they still carry knives. So, I am very aware of the advantages and mis-conceptions about the effectiveness of martial arts in the real world.

When we move to a free state in 2019 or 2020, I will be able to carry, but until then all I can do is keep practiced and carry my folder.
 
Back on subject :)
Steel always comes up in these discussions and that is one thing that has not changed with traditionals.
They use the same old 420HC they used in the 60's.
Steel is the reason I'm not buying traditionals and instead looking at modern traditionals or smaller moderns. At least those few moderns with thin stock and good geometry.

Does anyone think traditionals would have maintained more of their popularity if they had upgraded to at least AUS-8 or 154CM? Or at least offered an option.
Neither of these are super steels and they're easy to sharpen.
 
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