Have we ruined our knife appreciation for the simple?

Do you include vintage knives in this? I have vintage knives some going back 200 years and worth several hundred dollars but I paid yard sale prices, most $10 and under. Vintage Case and Schrade from the 20s. These are simpler, expensive knives bought at cheap prices, some of them are premium knives bought today that would cost upwards of $150+ . My question is what's your definition of simpler, money/price should have no bearing on your question and as far as complexity goes again there were many complex knives being made at the turn of the 20th century, schrade pressbutton autos, ball pull wire jacks, torsion locks, just start looking at some parents and you'll see how with the beginning of the industrial revolution the complexity of the simple knife increased with newer manufacturing procedures.
 
I've noticed this, particularly yesterday. I've been carrying $150 brand name folders for a long time, looking in my drawer, I saw a Guardian folder, partially serrated blade, the ugly black plastic handle with the green metal accents, staring at me. When I worked fiberglass, this was my go-to knife for cutting woven roving and chop strand, it was my favorite EDC then, after I got laid off from that job, the knife never saw its way into my pocket. 2 years later, I noticed this knife hasn't seen any use. So I took it apart, cleaned the fiberglass dust out and lubed it, now she's riding in my pocket. I paid $10 for this knife one father's day weekend when I was looking at knives to buy my dad. I had bought it for him, forgot he hated serrations, put it in my pocket and went and bought him a Benchmade at a different store. I missed this knife, I'm done carrying more expensive folders for a while, time to give the old ones their time of day again.
 
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Depends what you mean by "simple". There's a big market for fancy-schmancy eye-candy flavor-of-the-month engraved heat-colored anodized sparkly rainbow bedazzled stuff, whether it's dirt-cheap or really pricy. That's never been my cup of tea, so I really don't pay much attention to those sort of trends.

There's also a huge market for very straightforward, basic knives, made with either base-line or top-notch materials at various price-points... as long as they're well-made and perform to suit the users' demands, "simple" designs are never going away.

I do OK providing very "simple" designs made of high-end materials. I'm paid for performance, not flash... my job is to make knives that cut really, really well, and are really, really comfortable to use. Not to be fashionable... That approach is seldom particularly eye-catching. It just works.

The knives I own that are in the highest rotation of actual repeated use for actual tasks that need to be done (from shop to kitchen to garden to camping to fishing trips to "survival/combat testing") over the last few years are:

The least-expensive Case Trapper you can get, a no-name cheap serrated steak knife my wife uses sometimes, a very old Cattaraugus filet/boning knife my wife uses a lot, a Stanley utility knife, a Tramontina machete, and several of my own handmade knives. They're all made of different materials, and they cover price ranges from 50cents to several hundred dollars... but none of them is "fancy". We use 'em because they cut well. KISS ;)
 
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Don't confuse inexpensive and simple - there are a ton of inexpensive knives on the market that are simple in design (fixed blades, slipjoints, SAKs, and numerous one-handed opening budget offerings from modern manufacturers). Like someone else said - simple is hard to do.

"Tactical" folders can also be simple. I personally stay away from anything that has small springs (Axis locks, Speedsafe mechanisms, etc.) because over the lifetime of the knife, the springs will probably fail at some point. No knives that need special tools to disassemble, either. No ball-bearing pivots, either. I try and avoid plastic parts in knives (like backspacers - these can get brittle over time and develop cracks), and prefer tough laminates and FRN. I've found lockbacks, liner locks, and frame locks to be the simplest, strongest, and most reliable way to keep a knife open. The construction of these types of locks will always favor a more expensive knife. Cheap liner locks are usually not constructed very well (bad lockface geometry), so they get a bad reputation. For my needs, a quality liner lock is my preferred locking mechanism. It doesn't get any simpler than a thick titanium spring holding the knife open.

I carry a modern one-handed opening folder along with a Victorinox Rambler. The Rambler cost me $20 while the pocket knife is usually in the $150 - $250 range. Both fill different roles, but both are simple in construction and will last a lifetime of use.

If it doesn't get used, then it gets sold. So now I chose designs for ergonomics more than anything. I've had lots of knives that used high-end materials, but felt 'off' ergonomically in the hand. Simple, comfortable ergonomics seem to be the hardest to nail down. Part of the fun is trying out so many designs to see what fits your needs, whatever those needs are.
 
I regularly carry my PM2, but yesterday I pocketed my Case Sodbuster Jr. I was in the passenger seat and found a ceramic radiant from a DCS BBQ Grill--spent literally 2 minutes sharpening the sodbuster and it is now the sharpest edge I have ever owned. I mean borderline razor blade sharp. It would take a sharpening stone much longer to get the PM2 this sharp. Moral of the story is that sometimes a simple, basic, understated knife can outperform a purpose built expensive beast in some regard and it tends to level the playing field a bit and make you appreciate it's value. That said, I always end up back with my PM2 in pocket at the end of the day cause it is just a rad knife. :cool:
 
My frugal/practical side tends to dominate. I was hesitant about my last purchase a GEC slipjoint, didn't really make sense to that frugal/practical side. But these two posts sum up why I decided to buy it.

PURPLEDC said:
For me its more than just having some tool in my pocket for random tasks. Its an extension of my personality. A representation of my likes in the form of art in steel. And if it was just about having something that did the job, i would put a leatherman on my belt and go about my day. Its. More than that to me, and my desire to express that is unwavering.
Click to expand...

Dantone05 said:
As I reach into my pocket two things come out of it...
A knife ...
And a smile...
:)
Click to expand...
 
As we progress in life,
We aim for higher goals.
I think somewhere along the way
We toss aside common sense
And over do our quest for perfection.
So that what was once rudimentary adequate,
Has now been largely replaced with
Over inflated and well over the budget
Over built gizmos which
Once acquired,
Would allow the proud owner
To sit back and feel
An overwhelming sense of awe and glee
In having moved up into the realm of
Greater commitment and over addiction denial..
 
I have to say, it is hard to define simplicity in knives.

A plain Sebenza could be considered simple. Or a lockback like a Spyderco Dragonfly could be considered simple. Like beauty, simplicity is in the eye of the beholder.
 
needtocleanbbq_zps2hme3vxe.jpg

Yesterday was a very simple day
 
Try to forget the prices. I love my Kershaw OD-2($15) almost as much as my Native 5(~$130) and carry each of them equally. I like a knife because it ticks certain boxes, none of which are related to money.

The price only comes into play when deciding whether or not to buy it, not whether or not I like it or will carry it.

Hell, look at all the folks on here that rave about CRKs and Opinels at the same time.
 
My tastes are becoming more defined as I get more experience with knives. I have gravitated to a size range that I am comfortable carrying and using whether it be folders or fixed blades. I am not all hung up on high end steel, but I do appreciate the attributes of some of the newer steels used in knives. I tend to be a middle of the road person, and that pretty much defines where I'm at with my knife interest and hobby. I don't collect or I don't think I collect knives, but I keep buying and accumulating knives. I just like a good knife that does the job.

Been buying more traditionals lately as I just like them and they reflect my roots and honestly all I really need or seek in an EDC. One hand opening is cool, but un-necessary for me. Instead of Case or cheaper, I buy GEC, S&M, Queen, and Canal Street traditionals. The enigma is that I like Vic SAKs and I carry one every day and they are certainly not as high end as most of the other knives I own. I like to be a little spontaneous in my knife buying now as it's just more fun. That is how I picked up Cold Steel, Spydercos, KaBar, SOGs, and a ZT knives.

My folder base is broadening. I look for function, quality, fit & finish, and practicality. Maybe like Jack Knife, I'll do a big flush of my accumulation and go with simplicity and what I use with an occasional new knife tossed into the works. We'll see....
 
I would say my CRK lg cf seb 21 has to be my simplest knife. I don't miss my cheaper knives. Yes they've got memories, but I bought expensive knives because my tastes and appreciations am have changed and I enjoy them. I still sometimes carry a buck 110 or something to be different.
 
I delight in my reverse-snobbery pertaining to both knives and steel. I"ve said in here often that IMO such mindsets can destroy a lot of the pleasure of this hobby; most who get that bug usually don't even realize they have it. I attempt to remain cognizant NOT to fall into those swamps.

I gain two main attachments to knives: long-time companions, a few of which the circumstances of acquisition are hazy or just not there, and those I'm immediately attracted to by sight. The former tend to surface after the not so good ones vanish over the years and the latter have all been satisfactory so far.

A couple of knives I am most attached to are from the '70's and earlier and made of 400-series steels. On the other hand I have favorites some would consider way too expensive in fancy password steels.

A knife that has proven itself to me over decades and saved my pork a few times is going to have high value to me...even if it's just an edge tied to a stick, its pommel has sagged to its navel and it shows veins and cellulite due to over-sheathing. On the other hand, some of my later-purchased knives are of value to me because of their aesthetics, ergos and ability to take use. Steels are rarely high on my list of priorities but many times they just come with the higher priced knives.

Yes, it's easy for one to get carried away with the marketing. I feel fortunate that I can still get as much of that pleasure we all know from an old, "cheap" friend as from that newer, flashier buddy I gained a few years ago.
 
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I have to admit, I like to carry things that impress. I'm still like a youngster, in that aspect. It may come from having a childhood, where I had the minimal stuff, at least compared to my peers. I always felt ashamed of the clothes I had to wear, (2nd hand, hand-me-downs, thrift store, donated). I found that when I started making a little money, I could find things that were "cool" in the eyes of my peers. I always carried a Silver Dollar in my pocket and a knife that was cool. Of course, that definition of cool has changed, since then. No longer a Rambo-style survival knife, or "Dragon knife" lock-back. I discovered that quality is cool.

Fast-forward about 25 years, and I still like to impress. I still carry a silver dollar and a pocket knife, but have expanded to a watch, rings, pens, wallet, key ring tool, flashlight... The list goes on. I guess I'm still trying to fit in and be one of the cool kids.

Yes, it's a fault of mine. But, to tie in to the Original Topic, I don't go for "Simple" per se, but I do go for what pleases me. Sometimes, it's my Opinel Garden knife, or a Buck 110, or a ZT 0561, or a Spyderco Ti Military, or a Microtech Tachyon II. I also have a bevy of Traditional Beauties that regularly make it into my rotation. A Case Senator, a few GECs, and a Higonokami in brass and san mai carbon steel.

As said before, carry what you like, or what pleases you most. I'm a bit better about feeling the need to impress others, but if it doesn't impress me, it won't be carried. If it makes you smile, goal accomplished. If it also makes others smile, that's a bonus.
 
Simplicity to me is about having fewer things(in this case, knives) that I happen to like more. I tend to stay in my lane and make a real effort not to get caught up in what happens to be the knife of the moment. I generally don't have a rotation of knives. Instead, I usually have a true EDC that actually gets carried every day for anywhere from months to years. I'm not wired to have a bunch of stuff because I always end up picking something as my favorite and moving the other stuff along as result. Keeping that in mind, I end up not buying the extra stuff in the first place unless it really calls to me.I've accepted that quirk in my personality and just try to enjoy this piece of my life for what it is.
 
i fully understand the feeling. that's why i'm in the habit of giving away older knives to people also interested, and want to get started.
 
I have a para frame that was a gift but I can't bring myself to carry it. I guess I have been ruined.
 
This thread has prompted some really great responses. It's funny but before this became a hobby for me I carried my Buck Taclite mini for 16 years or so...I always loved that knife even though I didn't realize it doesn't really stack up to the competition, but because it saw me through so many crazy times in my life it became a close friend and something I would never get rid of. It's literally one of the only possessions I have never managed to misplace or lose over the years. Any time it's gone somewhere with me it has always made it's way back home with me. As funny as it may sound to some people who aren't knife nuts, these things really are sentimental!
 
Features that I look for in all of my gear, regardless of specific price point:

1) Functionally-driven design.

2) Suitable materials.

3) Fair price.
 
I've bought a lot of knives in the last few years, but for EDC the Endura just has too much of a lead over the others. Great ergos and lots of muscle memory.
 
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