New to traditionals

Sigsog226

Sigsog226

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2013
Messages
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Hello all, so lately i have been getting kind of bored of modern folders(in the knife hobby for about 20yrs, im 33 now). Not the ones i own, but the new stuff just isnt all that exciting to me lately. Everything seems kind of rehashed or maybe i have just 'been there, done that' too many times with them. I've done lots of modern folders and fixed blades over the years.

Anyway i came across a thread here about the Le Thiers Coutellerie Chambriard Compagnon and found it to be one of the prettiest knives I've ever seen, so i ordered one. And i realized that there is a whole knife world i have never explored all this time, so im jumping right in.

As far as traditionals go, i have only owned Victorinox's, Opinels, and Svord's (love them all btw).

So the subject matter of this thread is: i'm very overwhelmed with this side of the knife world and don't know where to start. Is there a good thread for newbies, like a traditional 101? Terminology dictionary? Best brands to look into? What is the difference with Tidioute Cutlery, Northfield Un-X-LD and Great Eastern Cutlery in the GEC company?

I guess the real problem is i don't quite know the right questions to ask either.
Sorry for the long rant and any help is definitely appreciated in advance!
 
Welcome to the porch :thumbsup:

You'll get plenty of helpful responses here shortly by those more knowledgeable than myself, but I'll start by saying that your about to contract a condition for which there is no cure, so be forewarned :D

For now I would simply start browsing some of the ongoing threads here, such as what traditionals people are carrying today. Have a look around, see what patterns strike your fancy.
If your looking to dip your toes in Case is a great place to start. They have a nice variety of patterns and you get quality knife at a good price.

GEC make a fantastic product if your looking for something in carbon.

Oh, and forget about trying to find the perfect pattern. Once you find it you'll see another that you 'need', and another, then another, and on she goes. ;)
 
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solphilos said:
Welcome to the porch :thumbsup:

You'll get plenty of helpful responses here shortly by those more knowledgeable than myself, but I'll start by saying that your about to contract a condition for which there is no cure, so be forewarned :D
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Looking forward to it :)
 
Great thread! I was recently thinking about starting a similar one. I'm also new to traditional knives, but I have been very intrigued with them for a while now. I also don't know much about all of the different ones, but I browse the Traditional Folders page a lot. I am trying to learn more about traditionals and I hope to join this great porch community!
 
Welcome to the Dark Side .... Umm er, I mean the Porch, as its known here. Greatest forum I've ever been on. I to recently been burned out on modern folders, seems to me to much emphasis on being a weapon that can breach a t72 tank. More bout looking tactical than BEING practical. I'm still learning about the GEC branches myself. I would say what path you take in traditionals depends on your budget like any other hobby. I myself have limited funds to splurge on knives, so I tend to do budget friendly options. But ones that are of good quality. I would suggest checking out Rough Rider brand, really well made, very nice looking, wide variety of patterns. Best of all surprisingly affordable, their quality for cost ratio, well I don't know how they do it. Even being produced in China. At that cost you can try out a pattern see if its something you may like, without a big loss if you don't. I also do flea markets, yard sales and pawn shops. There's a whole thread here about flea market finds, worth checking out. I got my eyes set on a early 1900's challenge brand that looks great, with original patina(no dreaded buffer) for $100 hoping I can talk them down a bit. If I score it that will be my biggest traditional splurge yet, plus my oldest score. Welcome and know this is a great place to get to know the traditional side of things, great people with astounding knowledge and generosity. Sorry for the long winded answer!
 
Welcome. I remember when I came here wondering the same things. jprime84 jprime84 started a helpful thread here. Looks like it has some missing pictures now but still some helpful information on patterns, blade shapes and terminology. As for the difference in Tidioute and Northfield, they are both brands owned by Great Eastern Cutlery. The Tidioute tend to be more utilitarian in finish and materials while the Northfield try to fancy the knife up a bit. So on the Northfield you will see things like long pulls, stag handles, threaded (grooves in the bolster) bolsters, and polished blades.
 
+1 on perusing GEC's website. When I started to really appreciate traditionals I read over their site to kind of school myself on some of the lesser known aspects. They have a ton of information, like all the different terms and lingo involved with this style of knives, as well as a long list of all the different runs they did previously(that's priceless).

Another thing I'd suggest is just read more threads on the Porch(and ask questions when needed). Anything you'd ever want to know about traditionals have probably been talked about in here at some point. I know I haven't ran into a single member that wouldn't help me if I asked. Just about everyone on the Porch is good people!
 
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Welcome to the Porch!

I'll second or third the Rough Rider suggestion.
They have more patterns than Case, cost considerably less, so you can try a lot of different patterns without bankrupting the bank, and even though they are sub $20 knives, they have a lifetime Warranty/Guarantee!!!
How cool is that??
Rough Rider knives are made in China, but the brand is owned by that big knife store in Tennessee, so you are "buying American".
 
Thanks so much already guys. Its coming together way faster now. And those both were really good links. I know there will be some trial and error and learn as i go, but this is a good way to jump start it. I really like how GEC is set up, kind of like Benchmades color classes in it's own way.

So as far as brands go, which are some of the best. Let's say in the sub $200 range. I'm kind of done with $300-500 knives for the most part, i just never use them.

Is Northwoods and the GEC family like the Spyderco, Benchmade, and ZT's of the bunch?(which i consider great materials/craftsmanship for the money). Is Case like the go to's, like a delica or griptilian. I know it's all subjective, just wanting some personal opinions.

And also, is Northwoods like the Busse family, where the window of opportunity is small, and if you miss out the prices get up there in the secondary market?
 
Sigsog226 said:
So the subject matter of this thread is: i'm very overwhelmed with this side of the knife world and don't know where to start. Is there a good thread for newbies, like a traditional 101? Terminology dictionary? Best brands to look into? What is the difference with Tidioute Cutlery, Northfield Un-X-LD and Great Eastern Cutlery in the GEC company?
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pistonsandgears said:
Welcome. I remember when I came here wondering the same things. jprime84 jprime84 started a helpful thread here. Looks like it has some missing pictures now but still some helpful information on patterns, blade shapes and terminology. As for the difference in Tidioute and Northfield, they are both brands owned by Great Eastern Cutlery. The Tidioute tend to be more utilitarian in finish and materials while the Northfield try to fancy the knife up a bit. So on the Northfield you will see things like long pulls, stag handles, threaded (grooves in the bolster) bolsters, and polished blades.
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Great summary pistonsandgears pistonsandgears While I don't post often like I used to, I do have videos of 27 different GEC knives here on my YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg3zHQ7uiAUtJqx8nhPskQfaJBvTyOAlC

Take a peek and you will see some of their different patterns and techniques, as well as the differences in the "trim levels". Welcome!
 
Since a Great Eastern is the best current production knife, and generally less than 100 dollars (with quick resale at purchase price if new in tube) just get a Great Eastern you like, in a cover material you like, and then start trying other brands as you use the GEC knife.

Get a Case pattern or two next, and decide if you can enjoy them. These are usually 30-40 dollars on the web for delrin or chestnut bone covers.

I would not buy a Rough Rider as a first slip joint unless money was very tight.

North woods is just a super nice Great Eastern built knife with fancy covers and unusual grind.

If you gotta have something awesome right now, the Maher and Grosch Boys Knifes are pretty sweet.
 
Sigsog226 said:
Thanks so much already guys. Its coming together way faster now. And those both were really good links. I know there will be some trial and error and learn as i go, but this is a good way to jump start it. I really like how GEC is set up, kind of like Benchmades color classes in it's own way.

So as far as brands go, which are some of the best. Let's say in the sub $200 range. I'm kind of done with $300-500 knives for the most part, i just never use them.

Is Northwoods and the GEC family like the Spyderco, Benchmade, and ZT's of the bunch?(which i consider great materials/craftsmanship for the money). Is Case like the go to's, like a delica or griptilian. I know it's all subjective, just wanting some personal opinions.

And also, is Northwoods like the Busse family, where the window of opportunity is small, and if you miss out the prices get up there in the secondary market?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately there are not many players in the slipjoint arena. Several makers have closed in recent years. The big USA makers that come to mind currently are Great Eastern Cutlery (GEC), Case, and Buck. Northwoods is a brand label owned by knives ship free. Currently the Northwoods knives are made for them by Great Eastern Cutlery. Debatably GEC produces the highest quality slipjoints currently. They also tend to command a higher price.
 
I am relatively new to the Porch but I can tell you this...there are some great threads to read through and some awesome people who created them. There is a huge amount of cumulative knowledge and experience in traditional knives amongst the members here. I am constantly surprised by the kindness and generosity I witness here...and it doesn't suck to look at some of these AMAZING knives.
As has been recommended already, I would say start with a few Case designs to get the ball rolling and let things evolve from there. There are a lot of different patterns to choose from, they are fairly inexpensive and readily available. You can't really just get any GEC you want whenever you want it these days but there are quite a few available. If you want to get an idea of what items are changing hands (and how much they cost) check out the traditional market sub-forum here (Forums/The Knife Exchange/For Sale by Individuals/For Sale: Traditionals, Slipjoints, "Old Timey").
The good thing about GECs is that they generally don't run more than $100-ish and they are a high-quality knife. You could easily spend twice that on a Northwoods or several times that on something from a custom maker (Bose, Lloyd, T.A. Davison, etc).
I have found that using the search function within this sub-forum provides a wealth of information.
Welcome, good luck, and enjoy :)
 
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Welcome to The Porch! You've got some great suggestions already before you, so I'll just say that spending time in the threads will give you a lot of great information as well. Better get a budget started, though, because traditional knives cut deepest into wallets, piggy banks, checking accounts, and credit lines!
 
What I would suggest is for you to go through a number of pages in the What Traditional Knife Are You Totin' thread and look for patterns/knives that strike your fancy. Then you can quote the post and ask about that particular knife.
 
Great advice has already been given here by porch members who are oh so wise in the ways of that sultry siren, the traditional knife. They are making sure you don't OD on your first taste.

However, if you feel the need to dive into the deep end of the pool right away, this will probably "get yer motor runnin.."

Not for the faint of heart or the weak willed, but since you have already discovered the "Le Thiers" style, with the Laguiole soon to follow, I suggest taking a quick jaunt to the south-east into the Mediterranean and discover the knife of Sardinia, the Pattada! Long thread with a lot of photos. I'll not be held responsible if you sell off every modern folder you have at a loss, if only to relieve the shame you may suddenly develop! :D https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-sardinian-connection.1159722/
 
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There's some good advice here and not much I can add, but I would say to any traditional knife newcomer that GEC is good and all but don't get hooked on just them. There are so many old brands to explore and they are the ones that it's all about. Without them there would be no gec.
 
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