Old Pocketknives vs.Modern pocketknives.

[Sayoc01]

Went to [a big box sporting goods store] this morning & wound up in the knife section! I looked at the NEW Old Timers,New Case knives etc.I was carrying a Chicago Cutlery stockman.I'll take the OLD pocketknives!! If the Case collectors want to scream & yell....go right ahead....I'll take the OLD Case knives! I know,I know....be more specific...ok...fit & finish....& stee OLD is superiorl!I've stated this in the past.....just reaffermed it today.Going to BLADE next month.....while others are oohing & ahhing over the new stuff(THIS rent is NOT about customs) I'm gonna be looking for the OLD stuff....bet I find some old Chicago Cutlery,Kissing Crane & Eye brand stuff! LOL! Ok,my friends go ahead...call me all those bad names!
Jim

 

[nugun55]

I feel like I've been Rick Rolled.

 

[kamagong]

Went to Bass Pro this morning & wound up in the knife section! I looked at the NEW Old Timers,New Case knives etc.I was carrying a Chicago Cutlery stockman.I'll take the OLD pocketknives!! If the Case collectors want to scream & yell....go right ahead....I'll take the OLD Case knives! I know,I know....be more specific...ok...fit & finish....& stee OLD is superiorl!I've stated this in the past.....just reaffermed it today.Going to BLADE next month.....while others are oohing & ahhing over the new stuff(THIS rent is NOT about customs) I'm gonna be looking for the OLD stuff....bet I find some old Chicago Cutlery,Kissing Crane & Eye brand stuff! LOL! Ok,my friends go ahead...call me all those bad names!
Jim

That's a very sweeping statement Jim. It might be true in some cases, in others I know it is not.

The old stuff has undeniable appeal, but I haven't seen any old barlows that were made to the extremely high standards of GEC's Charlows. I have a hundred-year-old Miller Bros harness jack that I adore. Barehead, with beautiful jigged bone covers and rat-tail iron bolsters. It's not as well made as the Queen HJ I also use. Just a couple of examples, but they serve to illustrate my point.

- Christian

 

[jackknife]

To a certain degree, I agree with you. But that could be said of most things these days. Modern business is a cut throat affair, with pennies making a difference. Yes, the modern Case knives are not what they once were back in the 1950's, but what is. I've been a Smith and Wesson revolver fan most of my life. Just over them. But if you compare an old 1950's revolver against a modern one, you'd be amazed. No pinned barrels, MIM lock work, rough trigger pulls. Half the new stuff needs attention from the shop gunsmith before it's sold off to the customer. Same with lot of stuff.

Given todays market, maybe Case should think less of collectables, and go more for a real nicely finished using knife. I really don't care about how old Elvis would be now, or whatever anniversary some tractor brand is having.

 

[supratentorial]

I'm not sure about your delivery but I think I understand. You like old knives. I do too! And you're in the right place!

 

[davek14]

There's no tool like an old tool, and no fool like an old fool.

(like me)

Someone here on BF called Case Beanie Baby knives due to their penchant for creating "collectables".

 

[daizee]

I like older only if it's better.
Older S&W K-frames? Oh yeah. Got a couple.

Otherwise I tend to like new production, improved materials and improved designs in classy styles.
For instance, I prefer a Ruger Blackhawk over a Colt SAA any day of the week.
(though I prefer steel-framed bicycles - go figure)

There are good and bad executions of every style in every age. Being old doesn't make 'em automatically better, IMO.

 

[Joe58]

For me, the older traditionals seem to have a bit more "flavor" to them, and a little less impersonal than the newer production lines do. The newer productions seem to be a little less refined as well. Edges left a little tougher. Blade finish not as nice. Rough, toothy edge in the blade. And I just can't get past that shiny chromed finish Case uses. Also, the comment concerning every knife issued has to be a commerative/collector of some kind seems to me they're just pushing out knives for their collector club. I could be all wet on that too. Ha.

Kinda one of the reasons I like the custom traditionals. I get the benefit of the advanced materials, but one craftsman made and handled my knife. If I want to, or have a question, I can talk directly to the person who made it.

But I'm older and have been carrying a pocket knife since grade school so I'm more comfortable with the older stuff. But many of the new designs and models appeal to me as well.

Same as I can appreciate an old Remington .22 Bull barrel target rifle from 1944, and a new Cooper, at the same time. Not all new is bad. Lol.

 

[NMpops]

I like quality slip joint knives and I really don't care if they are old or new. I've seen some pretty poorly made knives (F&F) both old and new. Which is why I rarely buy over the net. I like to check em out first.

 

[Sayoc01]

Kam,
YOU......gotta be kidding...you can't be serious!! I consider GEC to be "custom"!!
Jim

 

[screened porch]

Got a picture of the Chicago Cutlery stockman? I've seen only their kitchen knives (love the 6" chef's).

 

[thawk]

GEC definitely makes traditional knives "the old way" with some modern technology, but I still like the older knives that were hand made 40 or 50 years ago.

I agree with your statement, although a good knife is a good knife regardless of when it was made.

 

[Primble]

It is a tough choice. You can find some fine examples from both eras if you look hard enough.

I love the smaller hammered pins MUCH better on the really old knives though.

1975 Case XX model 6383 red bone whittler:

1970 Case XX model 6308 red bone whittler:

 

[Will Power]

Old stuff has the aura and atmosphere for sure but they weren't all marvelous. Back in the old days there were knife enthusiasts certainly, but I'd suspect LESS than these days, correspondingly knives were in general use much more than today and used up without too much thought or grief. The point being that a lot of knives were probably not that closely inspected, faults just were not perceived as such. Due to this rate of use, few old knives of rare quality have survived and the ones that did are greatly (and rightly) prized. Still, there were an awful lot of low grade to crypto-junk knives produced in any era.

Controversially, I'd argue that we are actually paradoxically lucky to live in this time. On the one hand knife use is much reduced and many forces are hostile towards knife carry (due to sensationalist media mostly....). On the other, the numbers and general quality of Traditional knives is really impressive, a dozen years ago I reckon that the general quality level and availability of Traditional slipjoints was lower than it is today. Consider also the expansion of Custom/Artisan workers in Traditional knives. If you want a decent to excellent Traditional slipjoint you can turn to CASE, Buck, Queen, CS, GEC, Böker and RR for a tidy number of patterns and finishes. OK, Camillus and Schrade US are no longer around but their stuff was not that good frankly towards the end. Plenty of contemporary knives can hold their heads up with the Old School and this makes collecting and using very rewarding just now. Looking at some of my collection I'm just thankful that men&women STILL have the skills needed to make these beautiful knives and the economic opportunity to continue so doing, it's impressive & comforting.

As the Master B.Levine says 'Read the knife' Old or new.

Regards, Will

Old left c.1900 New right 2013

 

[r8shell]

Got a picture of the Chicago Cutlery stockman? I've seen only their kitchen knives (love the 6" chef's).

I have a little (2 7/8") Chicago Cutlery stockman I picked up at a show. From the looks of it, I'd bet it was made for them by Camillus.




As others have said, both very good and not-so-good knives are being made nowadays, and always have been. There is something neat about carrying and using very old knives. I find the older I get, my definition of "very old" is changing.

 

[Brian.Evans]

I like older only if it's better.

This.

Junk then is still junk, just older junk. I'm pretty content with my TC Barlow. However, I had an EO Imperial '36-'52 that was pretty awesome too. I hope my knives are around 100 years from now and that they are judged good.

 

[FordRanger]

I really don't care about how old Elvis would be now, or whatever anniversary some tractor brand is having.

This is why I'm not a huge Case fan. They make some good looking knives, but seems like the only ones that can be found locally to hold before buying are all gimmicky commemoratives. I buy knives to use them! Maybe if Case knew that people wanted more user knives they might make more? Or maybe there are just too many people who would prefer the collectible knives?

Either way I've seen plenty of old knives that weren't worth a thing, and plenty of new knives worth even less. I'll take whatever knife is good, affordable, and will serve me well for years to come, new or old. :thumbup:

 

[silenthunterstudios]

Given todays market, maybe Case should think less of collectables, and go more for a real nicely finished using knife. I really don't care about how old Elvis would be now, or whatever anniversary some tractor brand is having.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Woodrow F Call]

I prefer to have the old style and materials, but prefer a newer knife simply because I don't want a knife I'll spend too much time worrying about.

 

[jackknife]

I prefer to have the old style and materials, but prefer a newer knife simply because I don't want a knife I'll spend too much time worrying about.

I can only speak for me, but in the end that's all I want. Give me a old time knife with the old materials, and I'm a happy camper. Ust make the workmanship pretty good, not perfect, But the main thing is, I want an everyday using knife, that if something happened , I can pick up or order another one with little trouble. Not an antique that I can't replace if something happened.

Maybe Case needs to bring out a 'working man's' line of knives. Take a page from the John Russell Company, and give us some plain carbon steel working knives with saw cut bone scales like the old Barlow's. Make the blades as ground instead of polished. And don't worry about a few rough edges, I can take a bit of scotch brite and smooth things off. Go after the market share that used to be held by the Schrade Old Timer line. I could be wrong, but I'd be willing to bet that there are anymore people who would buy a good old fashioned working knife for a moderate price, than collectors buying some garish color handled commemorative knife celebrating some country western singer or truck brand.

I know I would.