Going from tactical to traditional folders and fixed blades....

L

lonestar1979

Joined
Mar 2, 2014
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I have no use for my so called tactical knives and will give away most of them to friends.What I found is that traditional classical pocket knives serve me so much better,and most of them perform better,are of lighter weight,and not scarry looking to use in public.Anyone else lost interest in tactical stuff?
 
I am not an either/or person. I like, use, and carry traditional knives. I like, use, and carry modern knives. I don't know if any of my modern knives qualify as tactical or not - perhaps maybe the Zero Tolerance 0566, though I just consider it to be sturdy.

No need to be all one or all the other unless you really feel that you must.

If you are giving away all of your modern knives to your friends, I'd like you to know that I've always liked you, even though we've never met. :D
 
lonestar1979 said:
I have no use for my so called tactical knives and will give away most of them to friends.What I found is that traditional classical pocket knives serve me so much better,and most of them perform better,are of lighter weight,and not scarry looking to use in public.Anyone else lost interest in tactical stuff?
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Welcome to the porch, thats what got me here too. I was tired of all those tacticool knives that all look basically the same.
 
I grew tired of so many "tacticool" knives long ago, and have turned toward traditional knives (even my autos). Look at the Queen #1L and you'll understand. Both utilitarian and a great platform for a conversion. (I paid dearly for it). Welcome to the wonderful world of maturity.
 
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I used to have tons of tactical folders but I just listed my last 2 for sale besides the 1 I'm keeping... a Waved Endura.

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Honestly I really love both. I usually carry a pair, one traditional one modern every day. It is nice to have a quick opening one-hander that locks, especially one with good ergos for serious cutting. And it is nice to have a pretty little old fashioned knife that doesn't freak anyone out for everything else.

Plus, I just like knives. I also like kitchen knives, and daggers, and swords, and sword-like objects ('cause I ain't rich and I really don't need a sword for fighting), and axes even. I don't find that a love of one reduces my love of the others.
 
Ill keep some tacticals,but find traditionals more usefull,along with some kitchen knives,that serve me way better than tacticals.(Victorinox paring,boning and slicing knives)
 
i own one modern folder these day i sold off everything since getting into traditional knives about a month ago, my GEC beer scout does everything i need and dont see myself needing anything else anytime soon! welcome and enjoy
 
I prefer traditionals due to the paterns, ease of sharpening, and organic materials. Ive got nothing against modern knives with the exception of the marketing trends showing how well x knife can stab through a car door or some other such ridiculous activity. That said, ive never seen or held any modern tactical folding knife that can perform any reasonable cutting task that a buck 112 cant.

Most traditional lock backs can even be opened easily. To the point that, even as a child, i opened my little made in pakistan buck 500 copy one handed every time i used it.

Just my view
 
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Nope. Tactical means nothing. I favor traditional designs, but I also like modern ones. Along with my GEC 73, I also have an abiding fondness for my CRK Sebenza. I like knives...period.

Here are a few traditional knives that you might consider tactical in nature.

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I'm not getting rid of any of them any time soon.
 
skivic said:
i own one modern folder these day i sold off everything since getting into traditional knives about a month ago, my GEC beer scout does everything i need and dont see myself needing anything else anytime soon! welcome and enjoy
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What was your 1 keeper?

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Why do you think that I bought a KaBar USN Mark 1? It was based on the hunting knives of the 1920's, and fills many roles. What makes it "tactical" is how you use it.
 
I keep my sebenza around, not tactical but not traditional either. Other than that, the only tactical I've kept is a micro tech I got in the mail the day my daughter was born. And a ZT 0560. The most tactical thing I carry is the sebenza or mnandi. But that's rare. Mostly, it's strictly a traditional style knife.
 
I like all types of knives but my passion for knives originated with good old fashioned pocket knives. I still prefer them and I don't expect that to ever change. Every knife has its purpose but I can only remember one time in my 55 years on this planet that I needed to open a knife with one hand and that particular incident wasn't an emergency.
 
I'm with Rick T. I grew up with traditional knives (i'm 61) and never even had a modern OHO until about 7 years ago. I now have and use both, although I have a couple hundred traditionals and only 5-6 moderns. I do like the super steels, and have a Spydie in 110V, a PM2. The thin blades, the workmanship, the natural materials, the variety of patterns- these are the things that set traditionals apart for me.
 
I have all sorts. I can't imagine getting rid of my two Emersons, unless it was to upgrade one. I have a couple of more modern fixed blades too, or for sure one , a PDW Griffin. Wouldn't ever get rid of it. All knives are good. And I used to use a one hand opener quite a bit as a professional carpenter, they just work well for some jobs. I like all things sharp, it's just my vice, or my nature.
Thanks, Neal
 
I will say that it is hard for me to find a modern folder with "character" that resonates with me. The higher end stuff like CRK yes. I like Spyderco performance, but in my eyes there's a goofiness factor about a lot of them that turns me off, and the ones that aren't goofy leave me wanting thinner blades. Benchmades are fun, but for Pete's sake, their blade grinds are stupid. Yes, I think that their blade grinds are just stupid and make for less effective cutting tools. Certain knives I will make an exception for, but...

That's how I got turned on to traditionals, was the thin blade stock. And the more of the traditional patterns I acquired, the more I thought, "wow, this one feels special," or "wow, this one doesn't look like an assembly line clone" or "wow, this one has a soul!" Even opening/closing slip joints can be fun like flicking open modern knives. The only time a slipjoint ever gives me a moment of pause in my cavalier cutting is when I'm running through boxes/breaking down cardboard. Occasionally, I'll do something, and the knife will start to pivot. But, because the blade is sandwiched in that cardboard, it doesn't pivot into my fingers. Other than that, I usually don't even feel like I need a lock, and if I do I find a fixed blade. Fixed blades don't flick, though, on account of their fix-ed-ness.
 
I made the switch this past Fall when I got my Gec 77 barlow. Ever since then most moderns just don't spark my interest anymore, they all seem "lifeless" now. That's what I like about traditionals, each one feels unique and special for some reason. That feeling of being tied to the past and having to slow down and be more thoughtful and deliberate with each cut is nice too in the busy world of today. Plus I'm addicted now to the walk and talk of a good backspring haha.
 
I'm known to keep a Delica combo edge clipped to a pocket, but it rarely ever cuts anything. It's mainly there because I like having the OHO and serrated edge available for emergencies. For everyday tasks, though, my traditional comes out. I used to be more into the modern stuff, but I grew up on traditionals, and that's where I've been spending my money more the last few years.


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