How did you make the adjustment from modern back to traditional?

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BMCGear

BMCGear

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Growing up my old man carried one pocket knife until he broke it, wore it out, was given a new one, or decided he wanted a new one. He didn't carry 2-3 knives and he still doesn't. He switched over to the dark side and now carries a mini-grip. Growing up he always had an Old Timer or a Case.

I've tried to go back several times to a traditional knife but I always miss the convenience of the one handed opener. I'm curious how you guys got over that? I love the look of traditional's and their simplicity.

Just curious for those of you who carried a modern folder but now only carry a traditional.
 
Carry both :D I am currently in the process of selling 95% of my moderns for traditional spending money. I guess it depends on your cutting task. If its mostly suburban stuff than traditionals are almost preferable for their slicing, mail opening, and sheeple pleasing appearance.
 
Kitten Party said:
Carry both :D I am currently in the process of selling 95% of my moderns for traditional spending money. I guess it depends on your cutting task. If its mostly suburban stuff than traditionals are almost preferable for their slicing, mail opening, and sheeple pleasing appearance.
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At this point I'm trying to simplify some. I'm tired of having this knife for that, this one for this, and another for that. I'd like to carry one pocket knife 24/7 and really get to know it and have some stories with it. Maybe that sounds corny; I just remember my old man and uncles always having a story about the knife they were carrying because they carried them for years.

I read this a while back and thought it was pretty neat:

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/blog/in-praise-of-the-gentlemans-knife/
 
It's not either or! I usually have a modern flipper folder in my back pocket and a traditional in my front.

[Removing photos under protest]

I can't believe we would be so AR that we can't handle a photo of a modern and traditional in the same photo. [emoji34]

Mike
 
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It was completely natural for me. I have always liked traditional knives better so there was never any effort to speak of. I did carry a couple of modern folders exclusively for a few months but it was right back to the good old fashioned pocket knives after that.

I still toss a one hander in my pocket on occasion but it's seldom and it's always a short lived endeavor. I'm just not really cut out for them although I do keep a couple around just in case.
 
I never really got into modern knives much in the first place to be able to go "back" to traditional patterns. I only got into knives in the past 3 years or so and was trying different models and styles to see what I liked, and it turned out to be the traditional knives. I gave away or sold about half of the modern knives, kept a few but rarely or never use them.

I honestly don't have much of a real need for a pocket knife in my daily life other than the little conveniences and everyday tasks, so the time it takes to get it out of my pocket and open it is not a big issue. If my work or recreational activities were such that ease and speed of access and one-hand opening or use with gloves were a concern, then I'd probably carry modern knives with pocket clips and thumbstuds, flippers, or opening holes.
 
It was easy for me; the most modern knife I ever bought was a Buck 110 Folding Hunter - I still think of it as "modern". OH
 
At some point a mod will wander by and smack all of you upside the head for posting the pics of moderns and thumbstudded hybrids in this thread.
 
Old Hunter said:
It was easy for me; the most modern knife I ever bought was a Buck 110 Folding Hunter - I still think of it as "modern". OH
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I have one of those modern Buck 110s. Oddly enough, it is the oldest knife I own (bought new in 1979).
 
What adjustment? It's not an either/or proposition. I like knives of all sorts and choose a knife as the mood strikes me or depending on the day's expected tasks. The knife I carry most is a stag GEC 73. It sometimes gets supplanted by a pearl covered pen knife. Other times it's a Finnish puukko, a Nepalese khukuri, or (gasp!) A Spyderco Military. As Sal Glesser says, "All good, just different."

- Christian
 
jc57 said:
At some point a mod will wander by and smack all of you upside the head for posting the pics of moderns and thumbstudded hybrids in this thread.
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Nooooooo. Not my intent to devalue a traditional. Just showing the traditional styling (still appropriate is it not?) with an accessibility feature. :) They wouldn't smack someone hiding behind an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) placard would they? :D
 
bluemetalchurch, not your fault, there was nothing wrong with the original question. EyeDog, better crop those pics, bflying, not allowed.

As to your question, look through "what traditional knife are you totin' today?", find one you can't take your eyes off of (there will be a few, for sure). Buy it, carry it every day for a week (w/o any of your one-handers), and then post back to this thread. I might suggest a GEC #15 boys knife, but obviously everyone has their own taste. Anyhow, if you are not bitten by the traditional bug at that point, you can resell for almost no loss here on the forum. If you are bitten, then you'll be like the rest of us, very happy, and very poor!:D
 
kamagong said:
What adjustment? It's not an either/or proposition. I like knives of all sorts and choose a knife as the mood strikes me or depending on the day's expected tasks. The knife I carry most is a stag GEC 73. It sometimes gets supplanted by a pearl covered pen knife. Other times it's a Finnish puukko, a Nepalese khukuri, or (gasp!) A Spyderco Military. As Sal Glesser says, "All good, just different."

- Christian
Click to expand...

I would like to carry one blade for an extended period of time. If I were to go to a traditional it would mean the knife carrying in the bottom of my pocket vs. clipped to my pocket as well as two hand opening vs. one hand opening. There would be some adjustment.

Just wanting to hear other's experience if they went through similar.
 
EyeDog said:
It's not either or! I usually have a modern flipper folder in my back pocket and a traditional in my front.

[Removing photos under protest]

I can't believe we would be so AR that we can't handle a photo of a modern and traditional in the same photo. [emoji34]

Mike
Click to expand...

OK photos removed.
 
There is a separate thread for "modern and traditional pairings" where the combo pics go. Oops, NM, Gary beat me to it.
 
I never really had a "to and from" sort of experience with knives, so I never 'went back." I've always liked traditional knives, and I've always liked some modern knives. I carry what I think I might need on any given day. If I'm at work I might carry a one hand opener so that if I need a knife, I can get it out quicker and one-handed, but if I'm at home I'll go entirely on a whim, just whatever feels right that day. Some of my "traditionals" are easy to open one-handed, while others have had a thumb stud added. I understand why the forum does, but I don't draw a line between traditional and modern, they're all knives to me. Some just have more modern features or modern designs.

A good place to start bridging that gap is with modern knives that use the shape/look/design of traditional knives. I have a couple of knives that fit into this category, and it is perfect for when you just have to have a one-hander. One example of this type of knife would be "modernized" Buck 110's and 112's, but I'm not going to go into that here for obvious reasons.

I also like to carry a traditional in a leather pouch with a pocket clip, meaning that my knife is still in the same place and as accessible as a modern folder. Below is a quick cellphone shot to illustrate what I mean. It feels the same as a modern folder because its in the same place as one, only the clip stays in place when I pull out the knife. These two can also be opened one handed by pulling out the blade a little with my fingertips, then hooking it on a pants leg. No cuts yet because I'm careful about it. The amber bone also happens to be a liner lock, and both knives are nice rugged knives, perfect for filling the role of a modern knife. The leather does not make it too bulky to be comfortable, as both knives are quite slim to start with. Again this is all just a suggestion for how to carry a traditional instead of a modern knife.

 
You want one-handed opening traditional that doesn't break the rules of the forum here?

Try the Case Russlock. Looks a little odd at first but is very functional.





 
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