This just occured to me...

P

Philbird

Joined
May 10, 2014
Messages
131
I'm a bit green when it comes to knives(and this forum, as you may have noticed), but I was while I was browsing around something struck me. As time goes on, what we consider "traditional" will rapidly change. I pose a question to the members of this forum. Do you think that 50 years down the road we'll see things like Spydercos in the Old Knives thread(just an example, the question applies to all threads)?

No pictures, just a bit of knife philosophy,

Philbird
 
A lot of the knives we now call Traditional have been around a lot longer than 50 years. Traditional is traditional and fads fade away. Example: Disco music and shag haircuts.
 
This question comes up from time to time. Here's how I answered it the last time somebody asked, which was last month...


http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...a-handled-traditional?p=13549521#post13549521

knarfeng said:
onespdfrk said:
.... when will we start calling the modern knives of today the traditionals of tomorrow? I have to imagine that there were many folks 100 years ago who scoffed at the synthetic materials, calling them modern and non-traditional.....
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In ~2075, perhaps. One handers started hitting the market in about 1980. Folks being born at that time are becoming parents about now and will become grandparents in another 30 years. Then the grandchildren have to be about 30 to care about their grandfather's knives and post about them.

In any case it will be long after Gary and I have retired from being moderators.
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When your adult grandchildren look back fondly years after your passing and remember when grand-dad taught them how to use a one-hand opener carbon fiber handled knife with a pocket clip and thumbstuds, then those will be traditional knives. By then, phones will all have a cutting laser built in and there will be an app for cutting fruit with them. :)
 
Don't hold your breath as I'm guessing Knarfeng IV will be here to protect our beloved Traditionals even then! :)
 
I think the term 'traditional', while it's dictionary definition will stay intact, will mean different things to different generations. So, yeah, I think spydies and the like could very well show up in threads like the "Old Knives" Thread, as long as my generation (i'm 17) keeps them around and uses them because they were what we had when we were growing up. Also, new innovations will continue to push the old tech further back from the cutting edge (rimshot), making them more of a nostalgic object than pure utilitarian tools. Think about it with regards to other tool/technology innovations- The first generation of electric watches was certainly a game changer and a very modern innovation. But now there are whole threads on watch-centered forums dedicated to showing off 'vintage' electric and quartz pieces. They've been canonized, in other words. I think the same thing will happen with Spydies, Benchmades, Reeves, and the like. Just my two cents. I'll probably think about it for awhile then come back and rewrite :P

Edan
 
I think it may depend on if the knives we call modern today, are still being produced that far into the future. What we consider traditionals today, NEVER WENT OUT OF STYLE! They've been continually produced, with essentially no changes, for up to 200 years or more, for some designs. I wouldn't consider a hand-and-a-half sword traditional, it's just OLD, or maybe ANTIQUE, but not traditional, because no one carries them anymore. Now a Scottish dirk (sgian dub?) would be traditional, because folks still carry them. The Higonokami would be considered traditional, because you can still buy a new one. Roman Gladius, ancient, not traditional...

If one-handed openers with holes or studs on the blade, pocket clips and 3-point serrations are still in use in 50-100 years, they might earn the designation TRADITIONAL.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Traditional Modern will enter the dictionary, that is my prediction. ;)
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You mean vs traditional 'classic'?

I think it will evolve something like the guns in cowboy action shooting. Made before 1899, or/unless shooting in a "Wild bunch" shoot, then early military 1900's is acceptable.

I think knives will be like that; pre WW2 era and modern. Maybe a criteria like pattern must be listed in cutlery catalogues prior to a certain period in time, like a certain date or historical period.
 
The problem with the one handed knives becoming classics is 50 years down the line these knives we love on this forum will still be around and still will be Traditional, I am almost shocked that the one handers are still as popular as they are.
 
One James have been around since the civil war, One Armed Razor Knives, the crescent hooked into the seam of your jeans to open one handed.

695269745_tp.jpg


Along with EO Jacks they were probably the first one handed knives with the exception of a fixed blade that also only needs one hand to draw.

270620576193.jpg


Not my pics, borrowed off the interweb.
 
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