I'd like to propose a summer bracketology series.
The basics are this. Eight traditional patterns (not individual examples, but patterns) will be selected. I'll create a simple bracket and each week, we'll run a poll thread in which 2 of the patterns are put head to head for a week - winner of the poll advances. First round will take 4 weeks, second will take 2 and we'll let the final round poll run for 2 weeks. That will give us 8 weeks of deliberation, along with however long this nomination thread takes.
The purpose of this thread to accept nominations for the 8 traditional patterns. Not be greedy or anything, but I'm appointing myself judge and jury for the nomination round, mostly to allow the nominations to finish off in a week or so. So, putting the cards flat on the table, that means for a pattern to get accepted into the selected 8 patterns, you need to convince *ME* of the traditional virtues of your favorite pattern.
For guidance on what I think of in terms of "traditional", I would direct you to the Wikipedia page on Tradition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional
The opening sentence is particularly important. It reads, "A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past."
To help make this more specific to knives... I'm looking for patterns that strong, deep and meaningful ties to the culture of some society. I'm looking for patterns that have been passed down and around by different manufacturers over multiple generations. Cultural, literary and cinematic references to a patterns will be taken as evidence that a particular pattern has achieved iconic traditional status.
To be honest, I have my own secret list of 8 already, but I will try my best to be open minded. As an American, I know American knives better than those from other cultures, so I'm very,very open to folks from other cultures making their case for knives from their culture. To give you a better idea of my biases from the git go and to give you some idea of what I'm thinking of in terms of traditional patterns, let me share 3 that I rather suspect will make the final 8...
THE "BOWIE"/KA-BAR KNIFE - While the original was quite large and used primarily for fighting, the smaller versions and variations have morphed into general utility, survival and hunting knives. I'm thinking here of fixed blade knives with blades in the 5" to 12" range with finger guard and clip point. Examples include, the Ka-Bar, the Buck hunters (105, 119, etc), various Western and Marbles hunters and knives like the Schrade H-15.
THE BARLOW JACK KNIFE - Two blades, one clip, lots of variations. Almost beyond the need to defend this one....
THE LOCKBACK FOLDING HUNTER (aka THE BUCK KNIFE) - The Buck 110 is the obvious center of this set but in it's 50 year history, it's become one of the most widely copied designs from California to Pakistan. It's almost impossible to find a knife manufacturer who doesn't produce a single blade lock back knife with wood scales and either brass or nickle bolsters. Add to this plastic scales, fancier bone or exotic wood scales and the whole wild world of customization and you have a pattern that has become a new traditional.
Ok... so that's a start. Nominate others and make a case for their deep cultural and traditional significance. I'll update the list of 8 periodically as the thread stumbles along.
CURRENT NOMINEES
-------------------
1. Bowie/Ka-Bar fixed blade
2. Barlow jack knife
3. Lockback folding hunter (e.g. Buck 110)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The basics are this. Eight traditional patterns (not individual examples, but patterns) will be selected. I'll create a simple bracket and each week, we'll run a poll thread in which 2 of the patterns are put head to head for a week - winner of the poll advances. First round will take 4 weeks, second will take 2 and we'll let the final round poll run for 2 weeks. That will give us 8 weeks of deliberation, along with however long this nomination thread takes.
The purpose of this thread to accept nominations for the 8 traditional patterns. Not be greedy or anything, but I'm appointing myself judge and jury for the nomination round, mostly to allow the nominations to finish off in a week or so. So, putting the cards flat on the table, that means for a pattern to get accepted into the selected 8 patterns, you need to convince *ME* of the traditional virtues of your favorite pattern.
For guidance on what I think of in terms of "traditional", I would direct you to the Wikipedia page on Tradition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional
The opening sentence is particularly important. It reads, "A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past."
To help make this more specific to knives... I'm looking for patterns that strong, deep and meaningful ties to the culture of some society. I'm looking for patterns that have been passed down and around by different manufacturers over multiple generations. Cultural, literary and cinematic references to a patterns will be taken as evidence that a particular pattern has achieved iconic traditional status.
To be honest, I have my own secret list of 8 already, but I will try my best to be open minded. As an American, I know American knives better than those from other cultures, so I'm very,very open to folks from other cultures making their case for knives from their culture. To give you a better idea of my biases from the git go and to give you some idea of what I'm thinking of in terms of traditional patterns, let me share 3 that I rather suspect will make the final 8...
THE "BOWIE"/KA-BAR KNIFE - While the original was quite large and used primarily for fighting, the smaller versions and variations have morphed into general utility, survival and hunting knives. I'm thinking here of fixed blade knives with blades in the 5" to 12" range with finger guard and clip point. Examples include, the Ka-Bar, the Buck hunters (105, 119, etc), various Western and Marbles hunters and knives like the Schrade H-15.
THE BARLOW JACK KNIFE - Two blades, one clip, lots of variations. Almost beyond the need to defend this one....
THE LOCKBACK FOLDING HUNTER (aka THE BUCK KNIFE) - The Buck 110 is the obvious center of this set but in it's 50 year history, it's become one of the most widely copied designs from California to Pakistan. It's almost impossible to find a knife manufacturer who doesn't produce a single blade lock back knife with wood scales and either brass or nickle bolsters. Add to this plastic scales, fancier bone or exotic wood scales and the whole wild world of customization and you have a pattern that has become a new traditional.
Ok... so that's a start. Nominate others and make a case for their deep cultural and traditional significance. I'll update the list of 8 periodically as the thread stumbles along.
CURRENT NOMINEES
-------------------
1. Bowie/Ka-Bar fixed blade
2. Barlow jack knife
3. Lockback folding hunter (e.g. Buck 110)
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
