The more I use my Traditionals, the more things I realize/re-learn....
I own a few nice modern OHO knives (all Spydies) and they are nice knives, very convenient, very comfortable, I love Spyderco's emphasis on ergos over looks, but I also own a few nice Traditionals, and I've found that...
1; even the newest traditional, let's say my amber bone Case CV Canoe, has an organic feel to it, a "life", maybe even a "soul", if you will, that's missing from a modern OHO, a modern may be technically proficient and efficient, but it also seems "dead" or "sterile", I pick up a OHO, and I use it, wipe the blade clean, and put it away without thinking, it's a *tool*, nothing more! with no more to it than a hammer! or screwdriver, or pair of pliers! it is what it is! nothing more
When I pick up a traditional, be it my aforementioned Canoe, or Dad's Mini Stockman, or even my humble Vic Pioneer, I can't help but smile, I admire their feel,turn them over a few times, admiring the organic shapes, and graceful curves, while I mull over which blade to use (or in the case of the SAK's, which tool to use), it's a moment to think, a moment lost in idle thought, where the work-a-day world slides away and becomes less important, it's just me and a treasured freind, a trusted assistant, planning what to do next...
After the cutting chore is complete, I take the extra step to admire the amorphous patina on the blade, watch it shimmer and change (in the case of a carbon blade) before wiping the blade clean, giving it a few stropping strokes on a bit of cardboard, or my jeans leg, maybe a couple passes down the Sharpmaker, and quickly thumb drag the edge to make sure it's still razor sharp, before folding the blade, and giving it one last admiring look before pocketing it, and patting the pocket appreciatively
2; I've realized that the latest "Supersteel race" is a farce, for the average knife user, one not in harm's way, the vast plethora of exotic super steels are nothing more than an elaborate ruse to separate the unwitting Knife Knut from his hard-earned money, much like most fishing lures are designed to catch *fishermen* and not fish, as are many firearms accessories designed to divest the shooting sports enthusiast from their disposable income...
Sorry, tangent there....
Anyway, back on track, it's clear that any decent steel, as long as it's heat-treated right, would easily handle the typical Knut's cutting task, and when you consider that many of us spend more time *admiring* our blades! with an almost Gollum-esque obsessiveness, instead of *Using* them! then what does it matter what steel it's made out of, as long as it cuts well! holds an edge for an acceptable amount of time! and re sharpens easily, what more is needed? Anything else is merely Bragging Rights within the Knut community, as the Non-knitters don't care about the minutiae of different steels, I've tried to explain why H-1 steel in the Spyderco line was so cool, and I could see the Non-Knut's eyes glaze over, or they shake their heads and walk away out of boredom....
3; for the most part, a Modern knife is a time capsule, it may pick up some scratches, dings, and usage marks, but it never really changes what it is, it just looks like a fattier, more worn version of itself, a Traditional grows and evolves with it's owner, every scratch, ding, and mark tell a story, I guess this reason is really an offshoot of my first point, but to me, a traditional just seems more organic, more "real", perhaps, I dare say, even more "alive"?
I don't plan to stop using my moderns, or selling them, I may hand them down to my niece and nephew, as some of them are rare and unique (Spyderco Dodo, Foliage Green Manix 1, UK penknife drop point), but I find I just enjoy my Traditionals more....
I own a few nice modern OHO knives (all Spydies) and they are nice knives, very convenient, very comfortable, I love Spyderco's emphasis on ergos over looks, but I also own a few nice Traditionals, and I've found that...
1; even the newest traditional, let's say my amber bone Case CV Canoe, has an organic feel to it, a "life", maybe even a "soul", if you will, that's missing from a modern OHO, a modern may be technically proficient and efficient, but it also seems "dead" or "sterile", I pick up a OHO, and I use it, wipe the blade clean, and put it away without thinking, it's a *tool*, nothing more! with no more to it than a hammer! or screwdriver, or pair of pliers! it is what it is! nothing more
When I pick up a traditional, be it my aforementioned Canoe, or Dad's Mini Stockman, or even my humble Vic Pioneer, I can't help but smile, I admire their feel,turn them over a few times, admiring the organic shapes, and graceful curves, while I mull over which blade to use (or in the case of the SAK's, which tool to use), it's a moment to think, a moment lost in idle thought, where the work-a-day world slides away and becomes less important, it's just me and a treasured freind, a trusted assistant, planning what to do next...
After the cutting chore is complete, I take the extra step to admire the amorphous patina on the blade, watch it shimmer and change (in the case of a carbon blade) before wiping the blade clean, giving it a few stropping strokes on a bit of cardboard, or my jeans leg, maybe a couple passes down the Sharpmaker, and quickly thumb drag the edge to make sure it's still razor sharp, before folding the blade, and giving it one last admiring look before pocketing it, and patting the pocket appreciatively
2; I've realized that the latest "Supersteel race" is a farce, for the average knife user, one not in harm's way, the vast plethora of exotic super steels are nothing more than an elaborate ruse to separate the unwitting Knife Knut from his hard-earned money, much like most fishing lures are designed to catch *fishermen* and not fish, as are many firearms accessories designed to divest the shooting sports enthusiast from their disposable income...
Sorry, tangent there....
Anyway, back on track, it's clear that any decent steel, as long as it's heat-treated right, would easily handle the typical Knut's cutting task, and when you consider that many of us spend more time *admiring* our blades! with an almost Gollum-esque obsessiveness, instead of *Using* them! then what does it matter what steel it's made out of, as long as it cuts well! holds an edge for an acceptable amount of time! and re sharpens easily, what more is needed? Anything else is merely Bragging Rights within the Knut community, as the Non-knitters don't care about the minutiae of different steels, I've tried to explain why H-1 steel in the Spyderco line was so cool, and I could see the Non-Knut's eyes glaze over, or they shake their heads and walk away out of boredom....
3; for the most part, a Modern knife is a time capsule, it may pick up some scratches, dings, and usage marks, but it never really changes what it is, it just looks like a fattier, more worn version of itself, a Traditional grows and evolves with it's owner, every scratch, ding, and mark tell a story, I guess this reason is really an offshoot of my first point, but to me, a traditional just seems more organic, more "real", perhaps, I dare say, even more "alive"?
I don't plan to stop using my moderns, or selling them, I may hand them down to my niece and nephew, as some of them are rare and unique (Spyderco Dodo, Foliage Green Manix 1, UK penknife drop point), but I find I just enjoy my Traditionals more....
