The decline of the traditional slipjoint?

I think it has to do with the fact that knives require thinking.

Nobody wants to think anymore, they want to be entertained by TV, Facebook, video games, and DVR's. For those TERRIBLE moments when the modern human is pulled away from those things by reality, there exists instant internet access and smart phone applications to resolve the issue without any conscious though or effort. Then its back to the fantasy.

Thus you have why many of the legendary traditional knife makers have gone out of business, while the tactical knife market explodes. The market is driven by 16 year olds who spend their days playing 'call of duty', instead of actually DOING their duty getting educated and learning their culture.
 
Hi James,

I'm also from the UK and my job is as an outdoor/bushcraft instructor for a charity. I work with many different groups including those with mental health issues and children. I have to add the bigotry, ignorance and negativity shown towards knives, fire, archery (but less so!) and guns is endemic in the UK. I find it absolutely maddening, that these TOOLS are what we needed to actually help create our modern society. We needed these TOOLS to help create our landscape and many of the comforts we take for granted. I constantly stress that a knife, a fire or a gun are all TOOLS. I'm actually trying to put together a project at the moment that will look at our culture and heritage and that will try and address this negative balance.

I try and engage with the people and organisations (including Councils, Health Authorities, Educational Authorities and Police) who hold such negative attitudes towards these TOOLS, but they never want to engage or always make a lame excuse, it's not them, it's there manager's or Health & Safety. And I've also been involved with the "authorities" who themselves did not know the UK law.

I sometimes despair what is going to happen to the next generation, what will they be allowed to do or carry in the future? We hold skills such as algebra as immensely important (as they can be), yet the ability to light a fire, skin a rabbit or look after yourself is very often ridiculed or totally ignored.

Rant over! But, sadly I know it will come up again and again!

atvb, John
 
I remember reading that some politician dared to suggest that maybe gun crime in the UK would be better addressed by a program to teach kids to use air rifles. The idea was to give them an education about firearms that wasn't Hollywood nonsense, and maybe teach them to respect firearms.

He was universally condemned by other politicians, who used words like 'disgusting', 'perverse', and 'irresponsible' to describe his idea.
Sir, I salute you and wish you the best of luck. I'm afraid you're going to need it :(
 
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I think most of the legal problems with knife ownership and possession stem from the unwillingness of the government to hold criminals accountable; instead they limit the rights of the law abiding citizens. On the one hand government claims that it is not liable for the individuals safety and defense, while on the other hand they would like to limit the individual's rights and access to self defense devices (guns, knives, and so on). In Chicago and New York where the most arcane of knife laws exist alongside of serious gang and drug problems, I suspect that the majority of the thugs carrying knives are carrying illegal ones. The law abiding poplace finds itself in a situation where the criminal has weapons that the law abiding citizen doesn't because the law is not enforced and it may be impossible or extremely difficult to do so. I think it much easier to enforce a law on folks that tend to be law abiding than it is to enforce a law on those that tend not to be law abiding. Such laws have very little benefit to society (IMO). - Ed J
 
They are mostly cosmetic in nature, to give the appearance that something is being done.
I actually live in NY, and at the moment, we have a problem with cops taking pretty much any locking folder to be a gravity knife.
There's a silver lining though, I have gained a renewed interest in traditional knives :)

There are pending lawsuits on this issue, and also an exciting one that may give us shall-issue CCW, so hopefully we'll see some imprivements in the near future.
 
jamesbeat said:
They are mostly cosmetic in nature, to give the appearance that something is being done.
I actually live in NY, and at the moment, we have a problem with cops taking pretty much any locking folder to be a gravity knife.
There's a silver lining though, I have gained a renewed interest in traditional knives :)

There are pending lawsuits on this issue, and also an exciting one that may give us shall-issue CCW, so hopefully we'll see some imprivements in the near future.
Click to expand...

You must live in NYC. The rest of the state has extremely reasonable knife laws.
 
Times they are a changin... and depends on where you are. Not just slipjoints, but knives in general have disappeared from everyday carry.

I lived in Vermont for a couple of years not too long ago. If you had a knife, it wasn't anything unusual. Actually if you didn't have a knife many people would find it rare.

I live back on Long Island. On the rare occasion I take my knife out at work to cut a box, open a package, cut wrapping, etc. I get a "You got a knife?", "Who you gunna cut with that?", or "Don't piss him off, he's packin!".

People here on LI think of it as a weapon, people elsewhere think of it as a tool.
 
TLARbb said:
I think most of the legal problems with knife ownership and possession stem from the unwillingness of the government to hold criminals accountable; instead they limit the rights of the law abiding citizens. On the one hand government claims that it is not liable for the individuals safety and defense, while on the other hand they would like to limit the individual's rights and access to self defense devices (guns, knives, and so on). In Chicago and New York where the most arcane of knife laws exist alongside of serious gang and drug problems, I suspect that the majority of the thugs carrying knives are carrying illegal ones. The law abiding poplace finds itself in a situation where the criminal has weapons that the law abiding citizen doesn't because the law is not enforced and it may be impossible or extremely difficult to do so. I think it much easier to enforce a law on folks that tend to be law abiding than it is to enforce a law on those that tend not to be law abiding. Such laws have very little benefit to society (IMO). - Ed J
Click to expand...
:thumbup:

Django.cj said:
You must live in NYC. The rest of the state has extremely reasonable knife laws.
Click to expand...
The main difference in the letter of the law between NYC and the rest of the state is a 4" blade limit. All the gravity knife nonsense is re-interpretation of state law with a make believe dictionary and fear of their own shadows.
 
Django.cj said:
You must live in NYC. The rest of the state has extremely reasonable knife laws.
Click to expand...

Nope, another Long Islander here, Nassau County.
Apparently, we have a lot of ex-city cops here, and they've brought the 'gravity knife' crap with them.

Knife Rights are suing them though, so hopefully we'll see some sense soon.

The really weird thing is that this only applies to locking folding knives, we can still carry fixed blades.
The only stipulation against fixed blades is that they are not a 'dagger, dirk, or other dangerous knife'.
Of course, this is even more vague than the gravity knife part of the law, so I don't think I'll strap on my Ka Bar and stroll down Main Street.
Knife Rights are claiming that the gravity knife law is 'unconstitutionally vague' as applied to ordinary pocket knives.
I believe there has been legal precedent set in other states that exclude a knife from the 'gravity knife' category if it has a detent or other mechanism that biases the blade towards the closed position.


Jaymeister99, you're right about the 'knives are weapons' mentality here.
 
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Interesting thread, guys! In fact, this is my first reply to the forum, and first ever day surfing it.

A bit of a background for myself and my own views...
1) I got interested in knives mostly via boy-scouts as a younger boy. However, I did come across two fix-blades in Canada that were my father's and his brother's from their scouting days.
2) I actually learned to properly handle (as much as one can at that age) axes and knives with my boy-scouting experiences. As much of a joke as we made it, the Totem Chit (Totin' Chip?), it was useful to learn to respect blades and axes.
3) Soon thereafter I played with various swiss-army knives, eventually realizing that the larger multi-tool knives weren't as useful as the ever-present SAK classic (bigger ones were harder to pocket). I've carried the classic almost every day since around freshman year of high-school and perhaps even in middle-school. I never made a big thing about it, and it rarely came out at school, and if so, it was done in a quiet way without any florish. Get the job done back in the pocket. Luckily I was never called up for it, thank goodness as today's climate is insanely extreme on carrying something simple as a classic.
4) Around middle-school, I cut myself doing silly stuff- once bad enough to go to the hospital. I learned how good a level-headed Dad was in that situation. I learned the value of a sharp knife from the ER doc who helped - asked which knife I had cut myself with- told him (perhaps even showed him it). He was impressed- said it was like a scalpel cut, and wouldn't need sutures- they applied suture-tape instead, bandaged me, and sent me home with a few instructions. [Dad cut his thumb-pad mostly off with a circular saw while I was a toddler, and learned the pain of sutures in his thumb... he was very happy I didn't have to go through that.]

Speaking of school rules... I have a junior groomsman in my upcoming wedding who I'd love to give an SAK classic to. But, he's a young teenager, and I know it'll end up in his pocket and at school. I find I just can't bring myself to gift him one because of this. As well his father suggested that I don't gift him any knife. I feel bad about this, I certainly had blades by his age, but he's a bit rambunctious and rebellious. I'm afraid it'll just end up in trouble. Any opinions on this, please feel free to message me or reply here (I don't want to thread-jack).

In graduate school I was introduced to my first real high-quality knife that bordered on tactical. I purchased a Benchmade Mel Pardue model from a friend who had a friend who dealt in knives. Loved the thing. Lost it way too early. [still miss it, although it was a bit daggar-like and was a bit too small for the hand] But, after having it for a while, I realized a longer blade is really horribly useful.

Today? Well, for over 10 years (I think it's been) I've been carrying a Ken Onion Chive in the pocket- fantastic knife, very easy to open, love it. It's a bit shocking to the folks around here (midwest) when I take it out, but it's small and not very scary (green handle). They see me use it to eat fruit with and open packages- I think it's never really questioned. At least no one has ever really discussed it with me, so it must be much more common here. I do however worry about it's use or carry of it. [Especially with spring-assist.]

In order to evaluate knives for the groomsmen, I've purchased myself a Spyderco Salt1 - love the thing dearly now that I've spent some time with it! Great knife. That was going to be the groomsman's gift. But, most of my pals are not knife-guys. I worry it won't be used or carried. For those up near Chicago, I'm worried it'll be a problem if they go into the city. Alternative? I might be getting them a Salt I ladybug... but it's just so small. I used to have a ladybug (old version), and without keys to help hold it, it's almost dangerous it's so small. But, the blade is very legal and around the same size as the SAK classic- just a bit more aggressive cutter with Spyderedge. I wanted the H1 steel to try and keep it useful to them for many years to come even if they lose it in the salty ice near their driveway until spring.

It's sad, though. I use my EDC knife every day for many tasks. That classic gets use almost every other day as needed (often just for the scissors!). I just can't see myself without a knife on hand. It pains me to go places I can't carry one, because I feel a bit naked without something so useful on hand.

Of course I know what I'll be teaching my own children, and I am open with the knife(ves) amongst friends and family members - who clearly see its usefulness. So great to find this thread and like-minded knife fellows. Sorry this post was so long- you touched on a hot-button issue I have, as I too have seen people's emotions become inflamed about knife carrying. It's a shame.

[After submitting- Holy crap- that was long!! I'm sorry! I've even shortened it a few times!]
 
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