The next decade for Traditional Knives...words from the wise desired!

waynorth said:
"Bringing a lot of Joy" is what mainly keeps this collecting alive IMO!!
The knives I enjoy best from 10 or more years ago are well-made ones,
from competent companies. Or well-kept really old ones from companies that no longer exist!! Third category; custom made ones by genius knife makers like Tony Bose and Ken Erickson!!
I get bored with technology, and talking to phones and computers! I can spend quiet time contemplating a special knife!! Or I can use a well- designed one, made in a free country with reasonable laws and ethics, and enjoy life!!
I can't see much of that changing in 10 years!! Unless the rule of law get's overthrown!!:mad:
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Best answer yet!! I can't afford the customs, or many of the new ones, but I sure enjoy the "well-kept really old ones from companies that no longer exist!!".
 
Of all the things in this thread to weigh in on, on subject of "0" I have this to say. 0 represents nothing, and nothing is something that doesn't exist. Even if you had a vacuum chamber and vacuumed out all the atmosphere therein, you cant say it contains nothing. For there would be empty space there,and by acknowledging the space we give it substance. If something doesn't exist you wouldn't know of it because there isn't anything to know of. To acknowledge nothing is to give it substance, which is illusion. Hence our desire to give value to zero, which by definition has no value.
As to where traditional knives will be in 10 years? Of that I know nothing.

I'll show myself out now....
 
I’ll steal a few ideas others have posted. Also not being a long time collector, but a long time user of traditional knives. I think a lot of what happens in collecting anything has to do with disposable income. I’m not rich, but within reason there’s not a knife out there I can’t buy, as long as I’m willing to pay the price. That being said, I’m not always willing to pay the price. I think most of us would say we have a limit on what we are willing to spend. But does a true “collector” have limits? Especially if they are trying to complete a set, acquire one of every model made, etc... Personally I think it’s going to be harder for small companies like GEC to stay in business as time goes on. The cost of automobiles and homes are rapidly rising and small companies usually can’t keep up with salaries. I hope I’m wrong, but we have seen it with so many other businesses the last 30 years it just seems to be inevitable. The only way for this not to happen is to take the $90 knife and charge $150, $175, $200...and so on. Will the folks who buy them now be willing to pay for them? Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.

Instead of thinking 10 years in the future, I’d love to go back 40 years to see what was available. Without the internet, finding knives would be a bit harder but I’m sure there were some gems to be found for pennies on the dollar.

Edited to add: The $14ish I paid for a Schrade 34OT in the early to mid 80’s would cost $36 today, according to an inflation calculator. But I’m too cheap and won’t pay more than $20 for one in good to great shapeo_O
 
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Misplaced Hillbilly said:
Of all the things in this thread to weigh in on, on subject of "0" I have this to say. 0 represents nothing, and nothing is something that doesn't exist. Even if you had a vacuum chamber and vacuumed out all the atmosphere therein, you cant say it contains nothing. For there would be empty space there,and by acknowledging the space we give it substance. If something doesn't exist you wouldn't know of it because there isn't anything to know of. To acknowledge nothing is to give it substance, which is illusion. Hence our desire to give value to zero, which by definition has no value.
As to where traditional knives will be in 10 years? Of that I know nothing.

I'll show myself out now....
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:D:D:D
 
Prester John said:
Babies are generally born nine months old--rounds up to a year!
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Good information in this thread....

The eggs I put in the incubator yesterday are actually day old chicks - I hope if I go into the business a buyer doesn't disagree ;)

No wonder time seems like it flies; I went from 51 to 52 years old in a single second on my 51st birthday.
 
knifeswapper said:
Traditional knives have been on the way out for well over 20 years.
-.
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Wow, there's a lot within that post. I can appreciate your vantage point as a seller in the industry.
Of course, I am left with many rhetorical questions .

Like how is it that Moki can make money in Traditionals, producing a product easily as good if not better than a GEC? All whilst grinding / custom fitting every component? Maybe it's apples to oranges comparing a Japanese company with an American one ??

"In ten years I expect Case will be the only American brand still being produced in a quality fashion. Bill Howard will be long retired. And slipjoint supplies will be from Asia and Europe; but all will be modern variations - there is simply no money in custom fitting / grinding every component."

Does your quote above include Buck?
Not trying to challenge the assertion. I respect your place in the industry and am simply curious.

Maybe what we're looking at here is manufacturing in America and can it survive?

Another thing to consider about Traditional knives is they're (the patterns) are really from another era. We love them and all, but they were created when folks trapped, farmed, fished and sampled cotton. Not a lot of that stuff in the future, sadly, at least how it was historically done.

I mean you can clean a fish with a flipper-folder.
Sigh :(
 
JonMcD said:
VERRY INTRIGUING THOUGHT. I could definitely see Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw/ZT, etc. greatly increase their slipjoint and modern traditional offerings. It would be interesting to see those companies absorb a style and influence similar to Jared Oeser, Nick Birdvis, and the like.

I could see a strong continuation with millennials, and even Gen Z, loving items with patina (leather, 1095, beards), which bodes well for traditional minded makers.

I think the future of Case is a fascinating question. On one hand, their collector base is massive. I’ve seen some of this culture through my father in law who has well over 100 case knives and counting. 10 yrs might not provide a huge scare, but 20 definitely will if they can’t attract younger collectors.

In any case, dividing up my collecting pile of cash between GEC, solid quality/accessible modern traditionals, and custom makers is a very exciting outlook.
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Pena has a foreign company making his modern traditional "flip joints". Oeser has a line coming out with benchmade.

It's an interesting time for us on the porch. Lionsteel has a new slipjoint coming out that is monoblock titanium frame with a retractable pocket clip.

Times are changing for sure, I'm just glad to be a long for the ride :)
 
Jiki said:
One thing I believe is that if you buy a GEC today and throw it in your pocket, it will not be ½ used up in 10 years. So buy 2 and you will have a quality knife for the rest of your life.
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I hate your logic. You're saying that I have enough knives to last a normal(not guilty) person for hundreds of years (guilty). That makes it hard to justify another. And another.
 
Let's make the record complete!! GEC has created good old American jobs!!
He (Bill) has taken people with a little mechanical talent off the street and turned them into cutlers!! A dedicated teacher!!
They would have had to apprentice for many years to achieve what they are now achieving!! GEC has added some business to a struggling small Pennsylvania town, and continues to do so!! Foreign-made appropriation of traditional designs hacks away at the foundations of American financial well-being! When we realize that buying local adds to our prosperity and pride, we will all grow!! And traditional knives will keep their value; Because they represent our proud history! Forgetting our history means we must struggle to learn values all over again!!
I hope for the continuing appreciation of traditional knives: I fear the disdain of same!!
 
gaj999 said:
I hate your logic. You're saying that I have enough knives to last a normal(not guilty) person for hundreds of years (guilty). That makes it hard to justify another. And another.
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Nothing wrong with handling a quality knife or 7 down to your grandchildren. Heck if knifeswapper knifeswapper is correct, you're just setting up your family for generations.
 
Generally speaking, most predictions turn out way off the mark;) But I'm generally with knifeswapper knifeswapper here, Traditionals are in a decline. Financial factors & uncertainties constantly press upon the manufacturers and consumer, that ghastly word 'lifestyle' may also impact. Moreover, knives are in general becoming less and less 'acceptable' to most people, the laws&media constantly lurk in an oppressive fashion. We live at one of those immense junctures of history, when everything is about to change, out of recognition. I also believe that the property and land bubble that we've become to accept as an axiom is about to distort, massively.

Still, knives will always have followers, perhaps more underground , and not all follow the current mindless herd ;):D
 
Jiki said:
One thing I believe is that if you buy a GEC today and throw it in your pocket, it will not be ½ used up in 10 years. So buy 2 and you will have a quality knife for the rest of your life.
Click to expand...

gaj999 said:
I hate your logic. You're saying that I have enough knives to last a normal(not guilty) person for hundreds of years (guilty). That makes it hard to justify another. And another.
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If you're honest with yourself, you'll see that what he's saying is true. Nothing wrong with buying knives because you like them. But don't delude yourself into thinking you need any more. I doubt anyone who hangs out on a knife needs any more.

It's the difference between want and need.
 
Old Engineer said:
I really did not want to get in on this but : When you start a walk you are at ZERO feet or miles or whatever , only after you go a Mile can you say you are on ONE Mile until you have gone all the way until you get toMile Two.

Harry
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This is the result of getting “first” conflated with “one”. Progression must begin somewhere. That point is “zero”. Like, oh, the year 2020. The annual progression begins the
first year at 2020 (zero) heading toward the year 2021 which will be the second year of the decade.
The progression that began on 1/1/20 happens during the first year.
 
waynorth said:
Let's make the record complete!! GEC has created good old American jobs!!
He (Bill) has taken people with a little mechanical talent off the street and turned them into cutlers!! A dedicated teacher!!
They would have had to apprentice for many years to achieve what they are now achieving!! GEC has added some business to a struggling small Pennsylvania town, and continues to do so!! Foreign-made appropriation of traditional designs hacks away at the foundations of American financial well-being! When we realize that buying local adds to our prosperity and pride, we will all grow!! And traditional knives will keep their value; Because they represent our proud history! Forgetting our history means we must struggle to learn values all over again!!
I hope for the continuing appreciation of traditional knives: I fear the disdain of same!!
Click to expand...

Well put indeed, the future of the industry may be to follow the path that was taken historically by the Sheffield makers in England with small batch production of bespoke knives for a niche market.
 
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