Tactical VS. Traditional

[dalefuller]

I have to confess that I reject the term "tactical" for what are really modern knives with modern design features such as pocket clips, alternate deployment methods, and so on. Traditionals are called that because they are what our fathers and grandfathers carried. Modern knives (along with Traditionals) will be what our children and grandchildren carry.

Tactical, to me, suggests a military or self-defense use.

Same here. I have traditionals (slipjoints in both historical and modern patterns with natural materials for covers, mostly stag) and I have modern one-handed, locking folders. At work I mostly use the moderns and small fixed blades. At church, or for other dressy carry, I usually pack a more traditional GEC or Schatt & Morgan.

 

[James Y]

I think fast one handed opening is also very important and useful in other possible emergency situations, such as kayaking, mountain climbing, diving and anything involving horses. I love a good traditional, but if something goes down and I need my knife now, I'm reaching for my Paramilitary 2 rather than my SAK, which wouldn't be too helpful should my other hand need to stay on a ladder, a rope, a harness or whatever else.

I agree.

I would also add that back in history, I'll bet in plenty of situations one-handed openers would have been preferred if they'd had them. But they only had what was available to them. I remember in the movie Titanic (1997), in one scene, men shown using their teeth to open their jackknives in order to cut the lifeboats free. I don't know if it was because their hands were occupied, or if their hands were too wet/cold to open their knives, but using one's teeth is not a good way to open a pocketknife. Certainly bad for your teeth and, depending on the knife, not very reliable. And I'm sure that's happened in situations.

So yes, there are a LOT more reasons for one-hand opening than for martial uses.

Jim

 

[pinnah]

I think fast one handed opening is also very important and useful in other possible emergency situations, such as kayaking, mountain climbing, diving and anything involving horses. I love a good traditional, but if something goes down and I need my knife now, I'm reaching for my Paramilitary 2 rather than my SAK, which wouldn't be too helpful should my other hand need to stay on a ladder, a rope, a harness or whatever else.

That's an interesting observation and one that isn't too far removed from me. A shoe-string relative of mine and the guy who gave me my first job in Boston died in a canoing accident in Maine. They were using fixed ropes to cross a spring river when something went wrong and he got caught in the ropes under water just below the surface. People who were with him said he was carrying his Leatherman and they speculated he may have been able to get free had he been carrying a fixed blade.

For outdoor activities where you may need to cut ropes, like you get when boating, I'm not sure what you gain using a flipper compared to a fixed blade. With the fixed blade, you have instant access to the blade. Period. No moving parts flipping around when things are going bad.

As for climbing, while I've done some roped climbing, I steer clear of it. I know a bunch of climbers though and can't think of a single one who carries a knife for the purpose of cutting loose in a fast emergency situation like you might in a boating or sailing situation. When things are going bad in climbing, people are looking for ropes to hold, generally speaking, not to cut them loose quickly.

But, I concede the general point, at least to level of thumb studs and spydie holes.

 

[EChoil]

.....Well... the one hand opening with the general design of some knives does carry a certain gestalt.....

I'd hate to gestalt anyone either....is that gestalt assault?

 

[Kwon Kwang]

That's an interesting observation and one that isn't too far removed from me. A shoe-string relative of mine and the guy who gave me my first job in Boston died in a canoing accident in Maine. They were using fixed ropes to cross a spring river when something went wrong and he got caught in the ropes under water just below the surface. People who were with him said he was carrying his Leatherman and they speculated he may have been able to get free had he been carrying a fixed blade.

For outdoor activities where you may need to cut ropes, like you get when boating, I'm not sure what you gain using a flipper compared to a fixed blade. With the fixed blade, you have instant access to the blade. Period. No moving parts flipping around when things are going bad.

As for climbing, while I've done some roped climbing, I steer clear of it. I know a bunch of climbers though and can't think of a single one who carries a knife for the purpose of cutting loose in a fast emergency situation like you might in a boating or sailing situation. When things are going bad in climbing, people are looking for ropes to hold, generally speaking, not to cut them loose quickly.

But, I concede the general point, at least to level of thumb studs and spydie holes.

That's a sad story. I'm sorry to hear that. I think that from a performance perspective a fixed blade is always better than any folder, traditional or otherwise. One of my favorite fixed blades is the Buck 119. Now there's a classic that's earned its keep. Never been able to put such a fantastic edge on a knife. I need some more traditional fixed blades in my collection. I've got a few, but as we all know around here it's never enough, is it?

 

[EChoil]

..... using fixed ropes to cross a spring river when something went wrong and he got caught in the ropes under water just below the surface. People who were with him said he was carrying his Leatherman and they speculated he may have been able to get free had he been carrying a fixed blade.

For outdoor activities where you may need to cut ropes, like you get when boating, I'm not sure what you gain using a flipper compared to a fixed blade. With the fixed blade, you have instant access to the blade. Period. No moving parts flipping around when things are going bad.

As for climbing, while I've done some roped climbing, I steer clear of it. I know a bunch of climbers though and can't think of a single one who carries a knife for the purpose of cutting loose in a fast emergency situation like you might in a boating or sailing situation. When things are going bad in climbing, people are looking for ropes to hold, generally speaking, not to cut them loose quickly......

I encountered similar situations in both activities.

I ALWAYS have a fixed blade on my belt when canoeing, kayaking, boating or any other activity where I'm on the water. Probably*have a SAK or other folder in my pocket but it's secondary. I've had to cut away ropes and nets before. It needs to be quick with little thought. It's also why I have a double edge on my Tekna knife.

I lost a Benchmade 925 in the high Sierra years ago fumbling with cold gloved fingers. It dropped into a small chasm, still closed, and I'm sure it's there to this day untouched. Broke my heart--worse knife loss I ever suffered. Finished the job with a small leuku on my belt that I should have reached for first. I was too lazy to reach under and tug the bottom of my smear suit top up to get to it because I had an ice hatchet in the other hand.

 

[davek14]

No, we wouldn't want to do anything archetypically violent like opening a knife.....

Well... the one hand opening with the general design of some knives does carry a certain gestalt.

OK, OK,

I'd hate to gestalt anyone either....is that gestalt assault?

Responding in an arch manner is so typical of me. (I really shouldn't post in the morning, I got nothing)

 

[22-rimfire]

I ALWAYS have a fixed blade on my belt when canoeing, kayaking, boating or any other activity where I'm on the water. Probably have a SAK or other folder in my pocket but it's secondary. I've had to cut away ropes and nets before. It needs to be quick with little thought. It's also why I have a double edge on my Tekna knife.

I use a Gerber River Shorty for this purpose and also would have a SAK in my pocket. The River Shorty is there for emergencies which might result in downing. I may change up a bit on a boat and carry a SAK that includes a seat belt cutter/serrated edge. It is about the only time that I want a serrated edge on me.

 

[TsarBomba]

It really should be called one handed opening knife and two handed opening knife. Honestly a knife can become 'tactical' once it becomes opened. Then again it mostly is a tactical letter opener, or a tactical fruit cutter, or OCD flipping, because we got too used to flip phones back in the days and NEED to flip something.

It's an interesting distinction. I ordered a bolt-on thumb stud for one of my Buck 110s, basically as a test to see if it works as a OHO which gives me more flexibility for each day's carry. Does that make it "tactical"? A 110 is hardly "modern", stud or not, so I've gotta imagine that as collectors and students of the cutler we occasionally find ourselves making distinctions without a difference.

 

[TsarBomba]

I think fast one handed opening is also very important and useful in other possible emergency situations, such as kayaking, mountain climbing, diving and anything involving horses. I love a good traditional, but if something goes down and I need my knife now, I'm reaching for my Paramilitary 2 rather than my SAK, which wouldn't be too helpful should my other hand need to stay on a ladder, a rope, a harness or whatever else.

And I promise you neither the PM2 nor the SAK will be offended at your choice at the time.

It's about the harmony of the carry. Each knife serves in a particular set of situations. And if the situation is sitting down to carve up an apple for an afternoon snack, the decision is often made by which blade is cleaner at the time.

 

[TsarBomba]

Today's carry brings up a question prompted by this thread. Is this "tactical" or "traditional"?

 

[jackknife]

I use a Gerber River Shorty for this purpose and also would have a SAK in my pocket. The River Shorty is there for emergencies which might result in downing. I may change up a bit on a boat and carry a SAK that includes a seat belt cutter/serrated edge. It is about the only time that I want a serrated edge on me.

The one time in my life had to cut a seat belt for real, I used the sheepfoot blade of a old Buck stockman. It did fine. Contrary to what is put out there, any sharp knife will cut right through a seat belt. Even a little Victorinox classic will work in a pinch. Serrated edges on folding knives are a marketing gimmick.

 

[TsarBomba]

The one time in my life had to cut a seat belt for real, I used the sheepfoot blade of a old Buck stockman. It did fine. Contrary to what is put out there, any sharp knife will cut right through a seat belt. Even a little Victorinox classic will work in a pinch. Serrated edges on folding knives are a marketing gimmick.

I think 22-rimfire might have been thinking of other materials in the marine world that might be easier to saw through with serration. I know when I go diving I'm glad that my fixed Aqua-Lung has serrations near the tang. I also don't know if I agree about serrations on folders being a gimmick, but having said that I have only one folder (a modern) with serrations. Most of my serrated blades are fixed.

Those sheepsfoots are super versatile, though. My 11031 SH is getting more and more general purpose carry, and my 6375's sheep blade is still the go-to on that knife.

 

[Spydiefan04]

I like both "tactical"/modern AND Traditional. Think my username suggests my fav brand of modern knife. While I collect both types, prob 75% trad and 25% modern as far as the collection goes, I now only carry traditional style pocket knives. I carried modern one-hand openers, typically Spydercos of 3"-4" blade lengths, and thought there was nothing else like them. Used to live in a rural area but I now live in a city and work in an office where it's not illegal but not exactly encouraged to carry/use knives. Over the past several years I pretty much rotate a Case Med Stockman, Case Peanut, Case Sodbuster Jr., Vic Spartan, and Buck 303. They all get the job done and nobody seems to mind me carrying or using them. I've always preferred Case and Boker when it comes to traditionals but have to admit that the Buck 303 is probably, at least in my opinion the best EDC pocket knife on the market, followed by the Case Peanut.

 

[stabman]

Serrated edges on folding knives are a marketing gimmick.

No, they most certainly are not.
Well done serrations cut very well...perhaps you have only encountered the crappy type (of which the vast majority admittedly are).

Just because you don't personally have need of a feature does not make it a "marketing gimmick", whether the product is a knife, a car, or a toaster oven.

 

[EChoil]

I don't like serration on a blade but it does seem to be better for cutting some things...at least it feels that way while you're cutting.

 

[22-rimfire]

The one time in my life had to cut a seat belt for real, I used the sheepfoot blade of a old Buck stockman. It did fine. Contrary to what is put out there, any sharp knife will cut right through a seat belt. Even a little Victorinox classic will work in a pinch. Serrated edges on folding knives are a marketing gimmick.

The Shorty stays clipped to my life jacket/vest and the only time I ever carry it. And yes, I wear the vest all the time on the water. The knife is also designed for prying and does not have a sharp point. I don't think serrations are a gimmick, but I prefer plain edged knives except in very defined circumstances such as when I am in my kayak or a canoe. Cutting fabric or rope is where serrations excel. As I said, the Shorty is purely for emergency situations otherwise it is just a decoration.

The only time I have ever cut a seat belt was when I was tearing out the interior of a van.

 

[Lee48]

Yeah, I gotta disagree with jackknife's opinion on serrations. I carried a fully serrated knife daily for over 10 years and never found a time those serrations limited my ability to cut anything I needed to cut. These days I have several partially serrated knives in my rotation and those serrations sometimes are indispensable for me. I know many people dislike serrated edges but they definitely have their uses.

 

[jpm2]

For the first years of my life i carried traditionals, case, old timer, etc.
Then I discovered moderns, HS steel/one hand opening/pocket clip.... what I carried (only) for 15+ years (one knife).
Now days since my (one knife) 15 year carry is no longer made, and nothing similar made, and what I had is so rare it's not come up for sale used, I need to carry both a modern and a traditional at all times to comensate.

 

[Cutlover]

That's a sad story. I'm sorry to hear that. I think that from a performance perspective a fixed blade is always better than any folder, traditional or otherwise. One of my favorite fixed blades is the Buck 119. Now there's a classic that's earned its keep. Never been able to put such a fantastic edge on a knife. I need some more traditional fixed blades in my collection. I've got a few, but as we all know around here it's never enough, is it?

Buck 119...you have excellent taste man. I wish I could get fixed blades since they look better than most folders, but it'd be impractical for my needs. Ah well

Today's carry brings up a question prompted by this thread. Is this "tactical" or "traditional"?

Unless the I am missing something, that is quite obviously a traditional. I don't see a thumbstud, flipper, button, frame/liner lock, or anything else that would hint as tactical. The cutout at the edge looks cool though.