Most ergonomic hard use small traditional folder?

This might be a good case for one of those pocket prying tools. As for feel in hand, my favorites are my Otter Anker Messer or Buck 112. A Buck 501 is more pocket friendly and still comfortable for my use.
 
The Marbles electrician knife feels pretty substantial, a bit of a lump compared to my other TL-29s. The scales are textured and seem grippy enough. The blade has a hollow grind with a noticeably thicker spine than the others. You probably won’t bend it.

The best thing is, it’s cheap. Buy a fistful, so when you wreck the pivot you can archive the knife and pull a fresh one off the shelf, if that’s how you want to roll.
 
Danke42 said:

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Not traditional.
 
Prester John said:
True. My opinion only, I guess. Looks like a hybrid to me, and I just don't like them. To each his own. I am glad there is such a diversity of knives out there. But I have my preferences.
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Yeah I don't like lots of stuff too but I"m not sure if that's the best way to categorize them.

I think the rule of thumb here that if you handed to someone in the 60s and they didn't say woah then it's good is reasonable.
 
kamagong said:
It would seem that they agree with me. Modern slipjoint? Sure, I'll buy that. Modern traditional? Nope, nada, no way.
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I agree. The term "modern traditional" doesn't have any meaning as they are two separate things that can't be combined; It's either one or the other. Modern slipjoints are a thing but are separate from traditional. My opinion.
 
An electrician pattern is the only one I've used recently for any type of (light, non-abusive) prying. I've been carrying a 1974 Case 12031L lately, and the secondary screwdriver blade has been used for removing staples, opening the press-fit lid on a can of paste wax, and (who knew?) turning screws. It also has a liner lock, so it's a little less-prone to accidental closing in doing such things.

I have one Victorinox SAK with a twisted tip on the screwdriver/caplifter tool. Somewhere out there, there's a screw or bolt that apparently proved a little too tough for it. Seems it's not even fully immune to heavier-than-normal prying or twisting. So, regardless of original design, some common sense must still apply in using tools like these.
 
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Hickory n steel said:
The Grohmann mini Russell pretty much fits the bill but is a little bigger than you're looking for.


A TL-29 pattern electricians knife would do well too, that large robust driver / scraper is great for all the non knife things you may do with with the blade of a " hard use folder ".
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Before I even opened this thread it was the smaller lockback Grohmann knife that jumped to mind. How the handle swells gives it a better feeling in the hand and the weight is very nice.. I wish Grohmann would offer a few more handle material options though. But still no on the pry bar use.

,,,Mike in Canada
 
Can OP have been serious?
Small and ergonomic? Small and securely grippable with wet frozen hands? Small folder as strong as a prybar?
And what could this mean: "is it a recent trend that perhaps old timers were simply too hard and too careful with their gear to prioritize?"?

No offense intended to OP, who seems to have bowed out politely twenty five posts ago. No offense intended to those who are serious, and apologies to OP if he's serious.
 
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Dfunk1210 said:
It is a category at bladehq
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I took a look at that category. Whoever named it had his head in the wrong place. It should have been named "Slipjoints", IMO. This is probably the wrong thread to rehash the old question of whether it's styling or materials or construction that makes a knife traditional. We're not going to agree anyway. :) I put a Gerber Shard on my keychain for prying, opening bottles, and destroying screw heads. I won't say that it's a fantastic tool, but it beats the heck out of a knife for any of those tasks. I think I paid about $5 for it.
 
SAK Alox Pioneer. The scales are super grippy even when wet, the blade is thick without compromising cutting performance and the bottle opener is a great pry tool.

Oh and it's traditional even for those who will only use the word as an adjective.
 
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Dfunk1210 said:
“Modern Traditionals” is a pretty widely used term these days. They describe a knife with similar looks and function as a traditional slipjoint, maybe even using a tried and true pattern such as a barlow, but uses modern materials such as titanium, carbon fiber, and modern steels such as s30v and m390.

https://www.bladehq.com/cat--Modern-Traditional-Pocket-Knives--3446

It is a category at bladehq
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I looked at every page, and with the exception of a couple customs every single one of those knives was either 100% traditional ( Victorinox and GEC ) or was a 100% modern knife that happened to be a slipjoint.

It will never be agreed upon, but I've just never seen a knife that fits this description and don't think I ever will.
 
Hickory n steel said:
I looked at every page, and with the exception of a couple customs every single one of those knives was either 100% traditional ( Victorinox and GEC ) or was a 100% modern knife that happened to be a slipjoint.

It will never be agreed upon, but I've just never seen a knife that fits this description and don't think I ever will.
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I, too, thought that the knives they put in the category didn’t quite fit the description. Especially the Victorinox and the GEC. But nonetheless, I just posted that as an example to show that we didn’t just make it up. The way I see it, a “modern traditional” is something that fills the need for that traditional aesthetic but contains modern materials or a bit of modern influence that would otherwise disqualify it from being traditional. Mind you that it is not simply a modern slipjoint that does not necessarily fill that traditional aesthetic. Take for example, the Lionsteel Roundhead, an example people associate with the term modern traditional. It is very much a barlow pattern, but so modernized that Prestor John above literally called it “not traditional.” So what would you call it then? Its “not traditional” because it has modern design cues, titanium, and m390, yet its clearly a barlow. I guess theres only one thing to call it. A modern traditional
 
I feel the thread might be veering in the wrong direction, cat-fight over what's REALLY Traditional:rolleyes: Reductive. The OP seems to have conceded the controversial point about pry bar requirements;) and in fairness states that his/her knowledge of knives is limited. Nothing wrong in that nor in asking for opinions, that's what a Forum is for - not a Besserwisser encounter group:D

I'll take a different angle: need an inexpensive yet sturdy enough Traditional? One whose handles can take a dirty day and throw it off? GEC Bullnose in Micarta, there's even a bigger locking example, a CASE Sodbuster in Delrin or similar Wood handled German sodbuster. Then there's an Opinel No.7 or 8. these lock too! Tough knives all, decent to own and use and pleasing all round.
 
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