Let's hear why traditional knives are the best!

You may feel that you grew up during the wrong decade, but all of us folks that did grow up during the 50's and 60's are OLD now. I bet a lot of folks here have never experienced no interstate highways or only freeways in the city. Actually interstate construction was well underway when I was a kid.

Traditional knives are like an old friend and they bring back memories of times that were simpler, life revolving around hunting and fishing, and always looking toward a brighter future.
 
You're not in the wrong decade. There are things that were worse "back then" and things that were better. Tools were generally better made.

You just carry a traditional and pick the better thing in that Case (pun intended). If more young folks carry a "pocket knife" instead of a "tactical" it can only be better. Think of it as raising consciousness.


Balrog99 said:
Wow, amazing. I love the answers. I always have felt I grew up in the wrong decade. Fifties would be ideal for me, people seemed to be kinder then, everything was simpler, you didn't have all the problems they have today, and above all cars were better :) On a more serious note I really dislike a lot of the modern technology, especially the cell phones. They have created a dependency that I admit I didn't have a year ago before I got my phone. A year ago it wass scout knife or SAK in one pocket, possibly a pocket watch or folding magnifying glass in the other, I admit I felt jealous of my friends and their fancy new phones, but now I'm jealous of myself a year ago when I didn't have it. Havnt carried that mag glass for a while now, but I was holding it today and it sure brought back memories, just like that old colonial scout knife.
Click to expand...
 
I like moderns and traditionals, where I live I cannot legally carry all that many moderns, so I have focused upon the traditionals. I don't associate either with any particular social values or trends.

The traditionals have a few advantages, mostly I think they age better - they look good with smoothed bone, and blackened carbon steel, as opposed to scratched powder steel and worn FRN scales.
 
Traditional knives just have mojo.

Also, the blades are generally better suited to tasks I need out of a pocket knife and the lack of thumb stud makes cutting apples and whatnot easier. Modern knife blades usually seem to be quite thick in comparison and not as well suited to slicing.
 
I started off buying a mini trapper because it reminded me of my grandfather. That was my gateway.

Soon I found they were incredibly practical. Sliced instead of just separated my apple. Fine carbon steel that took a hair shaving edge oh so easily and could be brought back with a strop. The longer I carried knives, the more value I put to ease of sharpening. Do I really want to haul out my diamond stones every time I need to touch my knife up?

Cutting ability, pocketability, easy of sharpening brought me to stay here in traditional a while.

Besides, there is just something oh so sweet in the way a darkened carbon steel blade lies next to a brass liner.
 
Others have responded before me with some of the reasons I'm interested in traditional knives. For example:

1. Functionality
knarfeng said:
...I like traditional designs because with a traditional I can carry a knife with multiple blade shapes, each different shape optimized for a different type of cutting.
Click to expand...


2. Aesthetics
jc57 said:
...Short version: I think they're pretty!
Click to expand...


3. Nostalgia
Cory Hess said:
...In a day and age where I need an advanced degree to change the spark plugs on my truck, I appreciate that there's one thing that I can buy that's still made the way it was 100 years ago. These knives remind me of when I was a kid, which was a great time in my life. They bring a smile to my face on a regular basis, and when I look at a dealer's site it has that same magical feeling I used to get flipping through the toy section of the Sears Christmas Catalog. ...
Click to expand...

jackknife said:
For me, they are what I grew up with, and all I knew in pocket knives back then as there was no 'modern' knives. Case, Schrade, Camillus, Imperial, and other were what everyone carried. If a man had pants on, he had a small two bade jack or pen knife in one of those pockets. ...
Or maybe I'm just a nostalgic old fart that remembers times gone by with rose colored glasses.
Click to expand...


Balrog99 said:
Wow, amazing. I love the answers. I always have felt I grew up in the wrong decade. Fifties would be ideal for me, people seemed to be kinder then, everything was simpler, you didn't have all the problems they have today, and above all cars were better :) On a more serious note I really dislike a lot of the modern technology, especially the cell phones. They have created a dependency that I admit I didn't have a year ago before I got my phone. A year ago it wass scout knife or SAK in one pocket, possibly a pocket watch or folding magnifying glass in the other, I admit I felt jealous of my friends and their fancy new phones, but now I'm jealous of myself a year ago when I didn't have it. Havnt carried that mag glass for a while now, but I was holding it today and it sure brought back memories, just like that old colonial scout knife.
Click to expand...

Thanks for starting a very interesting thread, Christian! :thumbup::thumbup: I'm working on growing up in my 7th decade now, and I don't think I'd say any of them were the "right" or the "wrong" decade for me; I tend to try to follow the motto "Shut up and play the hand you're dealt." I do know that my first car, a 1964 Plymouth Barracuda with a small V8 and push-button automatic transmission, has always lived in my memory as a sporty little black beauty, but when I looked them up online a couple of years ago, I discovered that in reality those old 'Cudas were ugly and not very reliable cars!

Since you brought up old Colonial scout knives, I'm gonna show you a couple of pics of my first knife, a Colonial Forest-Master from about 1960:

XLwiAXEl.jpg


IMx0aU6l.jpg


- GT
 
5k, thanks for your answer and the pics of your knife. This is the colonial Knife and magnifying glass in question.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top