Old man knife?

Looks to me like the youngsters are in the driving seat on this thread, so how old is old?? Old Man is the new Young Man:D

Anyway, ageism is like all other forms of irrational prejudice, irrational!

Beauty and function are timeless, fashion and trends are ephemeral.....:cool:
 
waynorth said:
"Old man knife" is not an insult IMO!
I carry a one hand knife (imagine that!) occasionally, when I am working rough (framing, fencing) because I may only have one free hand, and I don't care if it gets dinged up or even broken (not likely). But otherwise I carry a traditional slipjoint.
I'm not interested in scaring/intimidating people, and can usually talk my way out of a sticky situation. I don't need anything that is bigger than yours, or blacker than yours!!
I'm 67, near 68. I'm getting old, but I'm not old yet!
When I get truly old, I'll give my one hand opener to someone who still feels like framing or fencing!
And I'll be able to ponder and appreciate the true beauty of ancient Schrade jigging while rocking in my handmade rocking chair!
What could be better than an "Old Man Knife" to open my mail, and eat an apple??
Click to expand...

Well said Charlie. At 62 I'm not far behind you. I do carry a one hander, typically a button lock in a clip sheath. It gets used when I can't easily get to my traditional knife. I always prefer to use a traditional slip joint. There's a link to the past there, that scratches an itch.
 
At 23 i'm still at the beginning of my knife collecting and using life. Although I do have a couple one handed opening folders the knives I use most are slipjoints. My cutting tasks do not require an "indestructible" frame with a super steel blade. For my uses, the classic materials of my current slipjoints are tough enough and the thin sharp blades are just right for the cutting I need to do. Slipjoints may be the knives of old men but only because they have been around and useful for that long. But us youg guys appreciate them also.
 
I have to say, I'm (positively!) surprised to see "the youngsters in the driving seat", to say it in Will's words :) (not that I'm much older actually....)
Back to the OP...
No matter what we think, a stag handled stockman with carbon blades will always look like "old man's knife" while a framelock OHO will look more modern...cause that's what they are, basically. The issue comes when the "old school knife" concept is badly judged, or looked down to...which is probably the attitude your friend had, considering your reaction.
Let him talk, and think what he wants. At the end of the day, variety is the salt of the world, and if, among all knives, you choose to carry a slipjoint, at least here no one will think it's an "old man knife". We will just take it as it is: a traditional knife. And if you post some pictures, we might even tell you that we do like it :rolleyes:

Fausto
:cool:
 
I'm just a year older then you and I had a 30 something SSgt in the ANG say the exact same thing when I pulled one of my slip joints out! He just recoiled and goes "you got an old man's knife"! Well when your around grunts you can't be thin skinned and I just laughed anyway! I ended up reburishing a Japan made stockman for him that belonged to his late father. I think that was about 5 or 6 years ago.
 
Old man's knife?

Yeah I guess so, since I'm an old man and use them. But I used them when I was a young man as well. I guess I always valued effective cutting, compact design, multiple blades in a single pocket size package. And then there's style. It's nice to have some bone or stag, or wood scales that have some character to them instead of a black plastic. It's nice to have a knife that does show it's aging along with the owner instead of some never changing tool. And it's nice to have a knife that gives me a link to the past generations who have used such a knife in a day to day life that was much harder than the life we live now. I like having a knife that a cowboy from the 1880's would recognize, or maybe a working man from the 1920's.

Yeah, I'm an old man, and I love traditional pocket knives that did their job back when a knife was needed much more than todays office cubicle environment, yet did their job with nice thin blades that cut what was needed to cut. But then I still like lever action rifles and revolvers.

Carl.
 
I'm just turning 18 in a few months. I dont use tactical folders at all anymore and love traditionals. I think some of it depends on where/how you grow up.
 
Im 18 about to be 19. I have about 10 traditionals and 4 modern one handed knives. I prefer the traditional, for one people seem to respect them more. They age and get character as the years of use go on. I just love them, im actually in the process of selling my modern folders so I can buy more traditionals.
 
The only knives I ever use to actually cut anything on a day to day basis are my traditionals,besides kitchen knives.I don't think I've used a modern one hander now in a few years.I still love carrying my Buck 110s from time to time,but that's just for nastalgia purposes,not any real need.I'll be 50 soon,just mellowing in my prime.;)-Jim
 
David and Jeff, I am going to remember these two for a long time ... "wise-man knife" and "You don't usually get to be old by being stupid.".

I'm only 46 and I'm glad to see traditionals are not being forgot. Case, Buck, GEC and others seem to be going strong from what I can see. That bodes well for the future.

While I may have a few modern folders, a traditional is my first choice and always with me.
 
When I was young (1980s) the only knives I knew were made by Case, Schrade, Victorinox, and Buck. Then I fell out of knives for a number of years and returned to them in the early 2000s.

I'm 33 now and just sold my last modern, one-handed opener. I was really into them for a while; collecting what most people do (CRK, Spyderco, Strider, Zero Tolerance) but I bought a GEC and fell back in to slipjoints.

I don't mind one-handed opening knives, but when I look at the slipjoints I have, and all the different varieties (patterns, blade shapes, handle materials) I just can't imagine going back to black G-10 and a silver blade.

Plus, I always felt a little silly carrying a huge knife to open a letter or do some other menial cutting task that the blade just felt too large for.
 
I grew up with slipjoints, so when I originally started collecting some Case knives along with my Zippos they were all I knew. It wasn't until after I bought a SAK one handed Trekker that I discovered the new "tactical" style one hand openers that my Scouts had. I've found that I like both and use both as they each have different purposes.

Still, when I want a real slicer though, I go with an "old man" knife. I overheard one of the kids at camp say, "man, he keeps those old knives sharp" :D
 
I am 15 and am beginning to fall in love with slipjoints. Now I do like modern knives, but for their versatility and hard use capabilities. I like slipjoints for their classic appeal and craftsmanship, as well as versatility.
 
Old man take a look at my knife
Its a lot like yours were
It means that much to me
That it means that much to you
With tradition lost
Oh what a cost
Give me something that wont get lost
Rollin back to you
Take a look in my eyes
Cause you can see that's true
We both have something to love
Our whole lives through

Thanks Neil Young
 
I'm in my 30s and carry a peanut every day. Been carrying Opinel and SAKs for years. I also carry some kind of OHO clip knife but even if I don't have one of those on me, I do have the peanut.
One of my friends was given a OHO clip knife last year and for his birthday I gave him a medium sized jack knife. He carries the jack and told me to never tell his uncle that he likes the slipjoint better. I've run into him here and there and he does carry the slipjoint over the one hander. He just turned 19.
 
I'm only 24, and use traditionals pretty exclusively. Like many, I transitioned from a tactical phrase in my teenage years to a slipjoint phase that I'm currently still in...I don't anticipate it ending.

Frosty
 
For the record, I am no longer in my 20's by a few decades.
Howsoever, when I was in my 20's, I carried a stockman every day.
 
Mid 30's here, and I have "enough" tactical knives, especially fixed blades.

I recently wandered into the traditional forum, and stayed to enjoy.

I am a scout leader, and the kids all think I am pretty cool (I snowboard, shoot, mountain bike, throw knives and axes, have "cool knives" like Busse etc). Every time we do something they make comments about what I know, and can do. I am trying to get them to appreciate traditional knives. I make it a point to bring and use my slip joints and explain why I love them.

Hopefully I can convert a new generation. I still bring a few fixed blades in the pack, but try make a point of showing how well the traditional slip joints perform.


I try to explain to anyone who will listen why I love them. My grandfather, and own father had traditional knives. Used as tools, and just great pieces to use!
 
Last edited:
I'm 32. I have carried a Case trapper since I was 17. My dad always had Uncle Henry stockmen knives until i bought him a minitrapper. Now I carry varying trad. knives. I use trappers for work and others for play...i do have a one hander for firefighting though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top