Is there a term to describe these knives?

Henry Beige

Henry Beige

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Another poster called them "must-have traditionals from around the world". To me, that means the class of traditional knives headed by Mora and Opinel: Low-tech, simple, usually inexpensive knives with some kind of a national or ethnic tradition behind them. These are the knives that brought me to BF, and the traditional sub-forum in particular.

I was ready to call them "folk knives" until I googled the term and found it had already been taken by knives that had been turned into folk art by decoration, kind of like an art car. Of course, an interesting knife will typically have some appeal as an objet in addition to its utility, but that is a different matter from putting a psychedelic paint job on an Opinel or a VW Beetle. The knives I am talking about do have aesthetic appeal of their own, but it is something inherent in the thing itself, and not added on.

In addition to Mora and Opinel, these knives would include Marttiini, Filmam, douk-douk, Laguiole, Mercator, Higonokami, resolza, okapi/kudu, puukkos, the Svord peasant knives (certainly simple and low-tech, even though the tradition is more manufactured than real).

SAKs would certainly meet the definition of "must-have traditionals" but I do dot think of them as among these others because they are slipjoints, and because they probably stand in a class of their own in many respects.

I do think of Condors and Anzas as among this class, I guess because they are low-tech, and because they interest me.

I am not so much desperate to come up with a term as I am curious whether such a term exists that I have overlooked or not yet run across. Anyone?
 
I would call such knives, "working knives". Simply because you would use them in that manner without a thought.
 
I like to call these examples regional traditional knives. They are to me, very fascinating, and threads regarding them are some of my favorites in this sub forum.
 
In todays world of politically correctaphobic frenzy I would probably term such knives as "Globally Diverse Ethnically Specific Cutting Tools of Traditional Forms of Employment". :eek:
Did anyone mention those Persian style Kards or the Peshkab style curved daggers of the Middle East and Sub continent?
Does the Machete or Golok fit in here -they really shouldn't be discriminated against because of length.
 
If there is a single word to describe that diverse set of knives, I don't know what it is.
 
Workers of the World Unite! :thumbup:

Actually Henry Beige, Laguioles ( are a style of knife rather than mark) and Mercators are also backsprung knives so in that case SAKs do count, yes.

The Sodbuster is derived from a wooden handled workman's knife from Germany & Netherlands. Working-Class Knives?:D:D

Thanks, Will
 
bozack said:
I would call such knives, "working knives". Simply because you would use them in that manner without a thought.
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sitflyer said:
I like to call these examples regional traditional knives. They are to me, very fascinating, and threads regarding them are some of my favorites in this sub forum.
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I agree with both bozack and Duane. I've tended to think of these knives as "regional work knives".

(Many, but not all, of the knives Henry mentioned are friction folders, aren't they?)

I also agree with Duane and Henry that these types of knives are fascinating. The ones I picked up while visiting my daughter in Spain have immense sentimental value to me, of course, but they're pretty doggone interesting in their own right just as foreign knives that look unfamiliar to me (or else as foreign knives that look familiar to me, as Will's example of sodbusters from around the world).

Will Power said:
Desirable:D:thumbup:
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IMHO, that word certainly applies to the knives being discussed!

- GT
 
Based on my Opinel's and from what I've read about the others you mention, the term for them that comes to my mind is "very, very sharp".
 
As long as French knives are considered regional (régionaux) is correct as most traditional patterns originate from a specific town or country (sometime only few miles distant). Opinel (the only brand) and Douk-douk (easy to remember, aimed at colonies) are exceptions confirming the rule. Their first was cutting bred. Then on the same pattern sometime a second blade/tool would do some specific job (corkscrew -but this is recent as peasants could not afford sealed bottles -; veterinary flame for a rouennais, to clean horse hoof; trocar on laguiole for curing sheep; etc.)

Other countries, other ways, some name knives by the first maker or according to their purpose. So finding a generic name is uneasy, except "traditional".
 
Today, I came across this term while reading reviews of douk-douks. One reviewer described his douk-douk as a "hipster knife". A light went on; I googled "hipster knife'. One of the first pages to come up was full of knife photos, about 85% of them Opinels.

Then, I thought back to the other evening at my son's house. A young lady there, who might easily be described as hipsterish, was wearing an Opinel no. 3 on a cord around her neck. Her boyfriend was using a wood-handled Marttiini to process some smoking material. His facial hair was nothing if not ironic. Ah, so! Is "hipster knife" the term that most accurately describes this category of knives?

Good lord, I hope not. Look what happened to waxed canvas motorcycle jackets.

In any event, my investigations next led me to China Made Mini Two-Blade Hipster Knife. This one was definitely not one I had in mind, nor would its picture be permitted in these pages, so perhaps "hipster knife" is too broad. Whew.
 
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I've heard "peasant knife" used to describe certain "regional" knives like Opinel and Douk Douk. I'm not sure if that's correct or not, but it seems a fairly apt description of cheap knives that were readily available and widely used by people with low income.
 
Henry Beige said:
Then, I thought back to the other evening at my son's house. A young lady there, who might easily be described as hipsterish, was wearing an Opinel no. 3 on a cord around her neck. Her boyfriend was using a wood-handled Marttiini to process some smoking material.
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Oh yeah?

How many hipsters does it take to change a light bulb?

Who cares, it was better before it changed.

Cirrusly, thanks for getting me to do the same search for "hipster knives". I liked most knives described as such actually, and a carabiner knife wouldn't be too bad for some uses if it actually had a decent blade on it. Maybe hipsters can "save pocket knives".
 
I just call these my French knives, i have some more i call my SAKs and three cigar boxes containing my USA made traditional knives and i just got back from cycling into town wearing my Barbour waxed cotton jacket, now i am confused.

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davek14 said:
Oh yeah?

How many hipsters does it take to change a light bulb?

Who cares, it was better before it changed.

Cirrusly, thanks for getting me to do the same search for "hipster knives". I liked most knives described as such actually, and a carabiner knife wouldn't be too bad for some uses if it actually had a decent blade on it. Maybe hipsters can "save pocket knives".
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LOL. I couldn't resist. I have one on order; I'll let you know about the blade.
 
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