Tactical to Traditional??

There's no reason you can't have a nice balance of traditional and modern if that's what you want. I moved out most of my modern one hand openers and stuck with a small stable of Spydercos. Other than that it's SAKs, old Case, old Camillus, and a GEC.
 
Ok guys if this turns into an excuse to talk about and post pictures of your non-traditional knives it'll get closed real quick.
 
It seems I am moving more toward traditionals myself. A year ago I was heavily into Benchmades and thought the axis-lock was the greatest thing in the world. But, I guess, the novelty wore off and I started to look for something different and decided to get a traditional to see if I would like one. I did. I now have 6 Sod Busters, 3 trappers and 1 swayback gent, all by Case. The swayback gent is my favorite traditional. It is a 2009 (NOS) with navy blue bone scales. I bought it at a hardware store, which seems highly appropriate for a Case. It does most of what I use a knife for. And I can sharpen this knife with the equipment I already have.

There is something appealing about things that were designed a long time ago that are still being made today. Like a Harley V-twin motor, a Colt 1911 pistol, a Buck 110 or a bone handled slipjoint knife. I myself have a Walther PPK/S that I carry for self defense. That line of guns was designed in 1929. I guess I'm old school deep down.

Looking at the vintage catalog sticky thread in the traditional forum I found a 1913 Sears catalog sheet with a Wilbert "sensible cattleman's knife" that looks amazingly like a Case trapper pattern. Heck, Wikipedia tells me that the oldest pocket knife was found in Austria and was made around 500 BCE. It had a bone handle.

When I die I would like to be found carrying a quality knife that reflects my values. I'd like the coroner to say "Well, he had good taste in knives." Perhaps a bit morbid but that's just me. I'd be OK being found with my traditional navy blue, red shield, bone handled wharncliffe bladed knife.
 
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I was in your same position. I will say this though. There is a tool for every job and need. I wouldn't rush out and sell your "tactical" knives just yet. Instead of looking at them as macho "tactical" knives, look at them for what they are, a rugged tool that you can appreciate the engineering and design that went into them. A quality built knife is a quality built knife, no matter if "tactical" or "traditional". If you are going to sell off stuff, get rid of the lower quality knives and keep the good ones. As someone who just loves knives, no matter what style you want to put them in, I prefer quality over quantity. I love traditionals and my new forum knife, but I've also rekindled my love with Emerson knives. Can you think of two totally different knives than a 77 and a Commander? That all being said, I know from experience, if you sell a quality knife to pigeonhole yourself, you'll eventually end up regretting it or buying the same knife down the road for more $$. It's easy to get wrapped up in something new and exciting. Variety is the spice of life. Just my .02
 
Hawk45 said:
I was in your same position. I will say this though. There is a tool for every job and need. I wouldn't rush out and sell your "tactical" knives just yet. Instead of looking at them as macho "tactical" knives, look at them for what they are, a rugged tool that you can appreciate the engineering and design that went into them. A quality built knife is a quality built knife, no matter if "tactical" or "traditional". If you are going to sell off stuff, get rid of the lower quality knives and keep the good ones. As someone who just loves knives, no matter what style you want to put them in, I prefer quality over quantity. I love traditionals and my new forum knife, but I've also rekindled my love with Emerson knives. Can you think of two totally different knives than a 77 and a Commander? That all being said, I know from experience, if you sell a quality knife to pigeonhole yourself, you'll eventually end up regretting it or buying the same knife down the road for more $$. It's easy to get wrapped up in something new and exciting. Variety is the spice of life. Just my .02
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Yes, there is much truth here. I don't plan on selling any knives. Quality is quality, I, like you, buy quality when I can.
Traditionals are new to me and perhaps I am being biased due to the "newness."
But there is something about them that is different from my other knives.
I do enjoy my high tech stuff, too.
 
No stable of traditional pocket knives is complete without an SAK :)

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Vic Farmer in orange Alox
 
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Have you used the saw at all on that Farmer? I don't think I would use the saw on the SAK. If I'm going out camping or on a long hike, I usually just take a Laplander along and stick it in my backpack.
 
ellipticus said:
Traditionals are new to me and perhaps I am being biased due to the "newness."
But there is something about them that is different from my other knives.
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Agreed. Once I got my GEC 72 I was hooked. What I love/hate is that you can't just go out and buy whichever you want. It's like they are all limited editions and once gone, they are gone (at least with the GEC stuff). I really love the single blade versions, but everyone has their favorites. I remember making a list of about 8 the day after I got my first. You do just feel cooler with a traditional in your pocket.
 
csisland said:
Have you used the saw at all on that Farmer? I don't think I would use the saw on the SAK. If I'm going out camping or on a long hike, I usually just take a Laplander along and stick it in my backpack.
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I haven't on my Farmer, but I have one on a SAK I got when I was in Boy Scouts as a kid, and it does very well if you take your time on small limbs and if you need a precision cut.
Most anything you are going to cut with it you can probably break by hand if it's dry. It is useful if limbing small green limbs. It won't do as well as your folding saw though. It's serviceable in a bind.
 
Lately, my interests have been running back to traditionals like those of my youth. As far as SAKs go, I've been carrying one or other regularly for over 30 years now...for the last 15 years, a Vic Executive.

I went through a few years of hardly buying any knives at all. So far this year, I've bought a few traditionals by Case and a Buck. Not only are good traditionals very effective in most day-to-day uses, but in general, except for GEC, they tend to be much less expensive than most basic modern folders. I also like fidgeting around with them when I'm sitting around, something I don't do with my moderns.

That said, I still find moderns have their own uses. I carry a Spyderco Pacific Salt down in my pocket and don't clip it. I also own a Sebenza and Umnumzaan. That's not counting the high number of moderns I also own. They have their place for me. So for myself, there is no either/or.

I have been preferring to hang around the traditional and multi-tool forums lately more than the other forums/subforums, though I rarely post, since I can't post photos of my knives.

Jim
 
I got into traditionals as they are easily pocketable, have thin blades, and good cutting performance. I haven't purchased any tactical style knives in awhile. Been sticking to pretty much just traditionals.
 
Us older guys were into traditionals before they were called traditional. I remember when it was just called a pocket knife. ;)

If you think finding certain ZTs is difficult try finding a Case/Bose Swing Guard Coke Bottle/Swell Center Jack.

There's a lot more chance of building a nice collection of vintage traditional knives and definitely a lot more to choose from.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Us older guys were into traditionals before they were called traditional. I remember when it was just called a pocket knife. ;)

If you think finding certain ZTs is difficult try finding a Case/Bose Swing Guard Coke Bottle/Swell Center Jack.

There's a lot more chance of building a nice collection of vintage traditional knives and definitely a lot more to choose from.
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Exactly! I remember the first time I saw a "modern" one hander. I thought kinda cool, but wow is it ugly. As a mechanic I can appreciate the tight tolerances and mechanical locking systems, but for me it's kinda like seeing a TV screen in a car. They are kinda cool but not my cup of tea. I miss the days when travel time included family conversation and games of "I Spy". There is an element that's missing for me, a complete disconnect with the values my father tried to pass down. There is an elegance that is missing that I cannot find in "tacticals". And yes I do occasionally wax nostalgic.

Chris
 
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