I still like the tacticools, but traditionals seem to be calling out to me!

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

Slipjoint Addict
Joined
Feb 2, 2005
Messages
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I have been unhappy with some of the recent modern designs I have bought and traded for, not the fault of the sellers, but the inferior designs of the companies. These were from some highly reputable companies, whose products I have happily bought in the past. Anyway, I've been looking at traditionals to pick up. I mainly prefer the stockman and cattleman designs, but have developed a fondness for the congress and whittler too. Something about those designs really intrigues me. Since this is traditional, I am looking at Bark River too. I have phased out most of my tactical fixed blades in favor of more traditional FB's, the only ones I've kept have been my Swamp Rats, which are going to undergo some "cosmetic therapy" soon.

My want list is filled with Benchmades, Spydercos and Chris Reeve pieces, but I am going to go after some Queen traditionals and Barkies for a while now. I know it sounds corny, but the modern designs are cold and devoid of life, character. Mike Stewart is really resurrecting some cool designs from the past. I've asked him if he would like to do a folder, he said its very unlikely, but if he did, that would be great.

I don't want to sound like I am done with the modern styles, but its just more fun to carry the traditionals sometimes. Not because of sheeple glances or anything like that, but even the simple use of a nail nick is sometimes nicer than flicking a folder open. Traditionals just equal laid back in my book.

Folksy?
 
I am with you. I have had a pocket clip techy folder hanging from my pocket for quite a few years, at least since Spyderco came out with them. The last few years I carried one clipped to my pocket and a slippy down in the pocket. I was reluctant to give up the thumbstud and pocket clip. Well, today is my first day to carry just a slippy. I have an Imperial Barlow in my pocket right now.

I doubt I'll ever get rid of the Benchmade's, Kershaw's and Gerbers, but they are definatley gonna be on the shelf for a little while.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
I know it sounds corny, but the modern designs are cold and devoid of life, character.
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Not corny at all ...... and you're preaching to the choir here, man! Welcome to our front porch. If you're chewin', use the spittoon. And if you go in, get me an RC, will you?
 
This is not my first post of the same nature in here, I just got sucked back into the modern designs. I think this is the real return to the traditionals, I have just not been happy with my recent modern design purchases and trades.
 
silenthunterstudios said:
This is not my first post of the same nature in here, I just got sucked back into the modern designs. I think this is the real return to the traditionals, I have just not been happy with my recent modern design purchases and trades.
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I know exactly what you mean, hunter. I don't think there is a knife nut here that has not been sucked into the convienence of the one hand fast opening lockblade knife at least once, including me. I tried them out as well, and I almost got hooked on having a knife I could open with a flick of a thumb. It was damm convienent.

But,

It was only a matter of time that I missed having a second blade, or a screw driver. The single blade knife got old fast because it was so single purpass. I missed the versitility of having multible blades or in the case of a scout knife or sak, tools. Not to mention that most of the modern whiz-bang knives come with a thick saber ground blade, that when it comes right down to it, does not cut well. Syderco makes a good knife if fast one hand opening is that important to you, as does Benchmade. But niether will cut with an old flat ground Imperial Barlow made out of strait carbon steel. Even a Victorinox recruit will give them a run for the money, and the recruit is a heck of a pocket knife for about 12 dollars. That fast tactical won't handle a loose coolent hose on the car, or give you a back-up 2nd blade for when some dirty job dulls the main blade.



And like you said, they are lacking something. Something called history. A track record of real use, by real working men in many different environments. Knives like the traditional stockmen, barlows, harness jacks, sodbusters, all came from an era where a working man who did not have alot of money, needed to get a job done. A cowboy out on the range, a frieght wagon driver needing to mend a harness, or just a poor farmer trying to get a crop of barley in. They could'nt afford frivilous buying on something that did not work, so if they bought a knife, it was to work as a cutting tool. It HAD to work at its intended use.

The modern tactical knife was designed only to stimulate sales in a commercial market. To convince the buyers to keep buying to get the newest version of the axis lock or the frame lock, or the new wonder steel of the month. Never mind that our grandfathers and great grandfathers worked more outside than we do, in a rougher environment, with far simpler working tools to get the job done. I'm sure they would look at the modern folders and wonder what they were for. Even in military combat use, look at what was used in WW2 by the armed forces in places like the south pacific. The Camillus and Ka-bar made knives were versions of century old designs. The old 225Q was used well by many a grunt.

What sells the modern tactical folder is macho mall ninja fanticy. The makers have put out a message of the knife as a weapon, and weather they admit it or not, most of the market is toward that end. One company goes as far to advertse that the design of thier knife minimizes blood spray while de-animating an enemy. TV shows feature Micro-techs killing the bad or good guys with equal ease, and a certain type of person will buy aknife just for this reason. The companies know this. Theres no drama in a slip joint cutting a piece of rope or opening a box.

There's another forum here that they debate things like if attacked what knife would be best. It gets a little silly. So far in this life I've managd to go about my life without getting attacked by 6 armed ninja's while unlocking my car. Our corgi did get attacked by a off leash pit bull, but a stout hornbeam hiking staff stopped that right there. No, I just can't think of anything that the averge joe will encounter in daily life that a nice soddie, sak, teardrop jack, or stockman can't deal with.

Ooops, sorry for the rant, I sometimes forget myself and get a bit carried away on certian subjects. My appoligies to the forum.
 
I think people's focus changes as your perspective changes. (Note I'm tiptoeing around saying, "you're getting older", or "maturing".)

Most guys go through a phase where everything has to be cool, whatever the local definition of cool is. Vehicle preferences tend toward the fast and flashy, things black and tactical are the items of the day, and the mindset is somewhat aggressive, shall we say. Hence the higher insurance premiums for male drivers under the age of 25.

As they age they can afford to take a step back, look at things in their life, and decide what they really like, and who they really are. It's nothing to be ashamed of, it's just life. If you get married and have kids when you're young it happens even faster. It's hard to keep that "hunter/aggressor" attitude when you're someone's Dad. (I'm assuming here, as I'm not one. I just happen to know some very "mature" parents who're 10 years younger than I am...)

What cracks me up more than anything are the guys of 50+ years and 100+ extra pounds still swaggering around with a ballistic nylon belt and 30lbs of gear hanging off it, like they're some kind of Special Forces commando. In an office environment. And yes, they're out there. They're the same one that sit around in their underwear at night, discussing their "SHTF" doomsday scenarios in geeky online forums, and not seeing the irony.

-- Sam
 
I'm with you SHS... When I was young, one of my favorite things was to sit with my grandfather and go through his 'knife drawer' one by one. Somehow, it wouldn't have been the same if the drawer had been populated with tactical folders. I hope that my slippies will evoke a pleasant nostalgia in someone else one day, that would be just fine.
 
I appreciate a nice slipjoint, but I can't stand it riding loose in a pocket. For me that is always the deal breaker when it comes to EDC.
 
I find that as I'm getting older now I seem to want to "go back to my roots" in different ways. Simple knives and good revolvers are a couple of them. I've got a Spyderco Endura and a 4 inch Cold Steel Voyager (both one-hand openers) that take turns riding in my back pocket, but I consider them to be for emergency use ... of whatever kind comes up. A Victorinox Farmer is my "don't leave home without it" knife, though. And just yesterday I bought a Case Sodbuster (the big black one, of course) from an old fellow I hired to help me rake the front yard. I found him sellling greens out of the back of his rickety old Ford pickup, and he wasn't selling a lot of greens right then, so he followed me home. He went back to selling greens in about an hour, minus his knife, but by then he had $15 for raking a helluva lot of leaves, $12 for his knife, a couple of gallons of gas from my can, two sandwiches, and a cold beer. :D The old Sodbuster needed a good cleaning (with lots of hot water, soap, and a stiff brush), but it's got a lot of good use left in it now. A couple of years ago I got a new Boker Sodbuster (made in Argentina) that's as good as a Case for a third of the price. I like my Opinels, Mercators, and Douk-Douks, too, so I guess you could say I'm into traditional folding knives mostly, especially those made of carbon steel. :thumbup:
 
I don't carry anything at work, but outside of work, my weekday EDC is a Benchmade 710, a 705 and a Schrade USA made 34OT that was free with another knife purchase, sort of a freebie thrown in. I love my 710, no question, and I really like knowing that if I need a big folder, its there. I like the immediacy of the 705, always in my pocket, but I find myself using the old Schrade, with loose blades etc.

I still use and will keep most of my modern designs (I fervently believe that the word tactical is counterproductive to the publics acceptance of knives).

In the past years, until I hit some debt ;) , I was buying high end productions left and right. I had no use for most of them, I was just buying on a whim. Someone mentioned the old timers buying only what they needed. My father had an old Schrade jumbo Sharpfinger (not its name, I've been told, but forgot, he used it for camping and hunting), and some old Pakistan folders, in addition to some old Imperial and Schrade 2 and three blade folders. That was all he had, and for as long as I can remember, he usually had a small single blade Schrade in his pocket. Thats all he needed. I think he carries an old Imperial that my mother found banging around inside the washer :eek: .
 
silenthunterstudios said:
I still use and will keep most of my modern designs (I fervently believe that the word tactical is counterproductive to the publics acceptance of knives).
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Many of us feel similarly. And that's why we take exception to companies that market their knives as "tactical weapons designed to de-animate an enemy." Or even as self defense weapons. This is the marketing that jackknife spoke of.

It's not "us" tossing around the "tactical" label that has any affect on the public's perception.

-- Sam
 
I like both modern and traditional styles. As long as it's well made I can find beauty in any knife. But I get a certain satisfaction admiring the materials and construction of a well made traditional knife.

Most of my purchases this year has been traditional folders.

One thing I notice about my older traditional folders is that as they get worn they develop a certain character, but most tactical knives just look "used".

It's hard to explain...
 
I think Mike Stewart is going to do a folder. It's even going to be a slipjoint as far as I know.
 
I'll admit it...the tacticals can be pretty cool looking.

But after much thought I concluded that I need a knife to cut things.

A peanut of SAK will do that as good as a 4 inch titanium Stabinator. The Stabinator is overcompensation.

That said, if any slippie folk want to send me their Delicas and Sebenzas, let me know...I'll take 'em.
 
I find it easier to accumulate traditional knives than tacitcals- there seems to be a lot of variations, instead of just having a couple functional tools.
 
I like a delica for some things - like if you are doing a LOT of cutting in a nasty environment... need to trim some roofing shingles or something. I use (abuse) my delica where most people would probably use a boxcutter. It's also handy for saltwater fishing where you need the quick one hand opening and it's easy to clean. Also handy for handing to people who want to borrow a knife for something.

But 99 days out of a 100, there's a slipjoint in my pocket. Right now it's a beautiful redbone USA era 6207 case. If I'm heading somewhere where I expect there to be a lot of knife abuse, I will carry the delica too - just for that.
 
I use both modern (I hate the word "tactical") and traditional folders, and like them both. Pocket clips and one hand opening are useful to me. However, aesthetically I'll always chose a traditional knife over a modern one. My Endura is useful, but definitely ugly. One thing I HATE about modern one hand openers is the plastic (call it whatever you want, FRN, whatever) handles. I can stand plastic in my $20 SAK, but it bugs me in other knives.

To me, a one hand opening locking knife is a good tool when you can't have a fixed blade. When I get out of the city, or go to one of the smaller rural towns, I leave my tactical folders at home and carry a fixed blade instead.

Tactical fixed blades have never appealed to me, I just don't have a use for such a tool.

The good thing about knives is that you don't need to choose. You can have Spydercos and Queens and enjoy them both.
 
It's funny that this thread come up now. I have been carrying a Spyderco native everyday for about the last two years, but last week I got out a case yellow handled trapper my grandfather gave me when I helped him find it after it fell out of his pocket while working on the tractor. I was about fifteen or sixteen at the time. I carried it for some time only putting it up because I received a spyderco delica as a gift and it was "cooler." Now reflecting back, all I ever use a knife for is day to day cutting jobs. There is nothing the spydercos have done that the case could not have done equally as well. I have decided to carry a traditional slipjoint for a while, and went out and bought a case sodbuster jr ss. I really like this little knife. I would carry the trapper, but for fear of losing it I don't. The only thing I think I will miss about the spydercos are the pocket clips. They are convenient. I will carry both for a while.

P.S. I really wanted the CV sodbuster, but all they had at the hardware store and at lowes was the ss. This just gives me a good reason to buy another.
 
I like both. I grew up with slipjoints, and I always have one in my pocket. Historically, it has usually been a stockman (I like the Queen #9 CSB), but lately it has been a Queen gunstock amber stag bone. I really like the look and feel of a good slipjoint. I collect antique slipjoints, too. Slipjoints have personality and warmth, and are up to just about any real cutting task you come up against.

That being said, you will usually find me with a one-hand opener, too. Lately that has usually been a small Sebenza.
 
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