Tourist Knife Term Meaning

[lzenglish]

Hello all, What does the term "Tourist knife Mean"?

Thanks

 

[RoyalHolic]

Typically found in swap meets or outdoor markets where it's usually "etched damascus or pot metal damascus" with some goofy handle designs or symbols.

Presentation pieces made from crap steel.

 

[Kmikaz3]

Found this on a knife site, could be right or wrong but here a start.

Features of Army (tourist) knives
A tourist knife must meet the following requirements:
• versatility;
• size sufficient for dealing with most of the challenges that people may encounter in nature;
• easy-to-use;
• durable steel;
• absolute reliability and failure-free performance;
• usable sheath and fastening;
• ability to reach weapon quickly;
• an Army knife must be effective in self-defense;
• a knife for tourism should conform to the legislation of the country.

 

[Silent H]

Generally a lower quality knife like object made to look interesting. It's usually very flashy and meant to be a wall-hanger, not a functional tool. They're mass produced and sold in tourist souvenir shops, hence the name.

 

[killgar]

Generally a lower quality knife like object made to look interesting. It's usually very flashy and meant to be a wall-hanger, not a functional tool. They're mass produced and sold in tourist souvenir shops, hence the name.

That's basically what I mean when I say "tourist knife". A cheap, low quality knife, or knife-shaped object, made for the tourist trade. A knife bought by people who don't know or care what a quality knife truly is. Often they just want a souvenir.

 

[JAB]

Generally a lower quality knife like object made to look interesting. It's usually very flashy and meant to be a wall-hanger, not a functional tool. They're mass produced and sold in tourist souvenir shops, hence the name.

This.

 

[not2sharp]

Generally a lower quality knife like object made to look interesting. It's usually very flashy and meant to be a wall-hanger, not a functional tool. They're mass produced and sold in tourist souvenir shops, hen the name.

I don’t disagree with you; but it is not always that simple. Many of the tourist knives from late 19 and early 20th century were actually very high end. “Tourist” during the period were often wealthy personages on their world tours (think upper class passengers on Titanic). And these high end knives were intended for them. For India and Middle Eastern knives, these tourist knives were often made with dramatic blades and colorful jade handles. Silver and jeweled decorations were common. As with everything else, it’s about the money; relatively wealthy military or private “tourist” attracted premium eye-catching products.

Examples: (I can not vouch for the authenticity of these examples - but stylistically they are representative of late 19th tourist items)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Is...gger-khanjar-In-Jade-Gold-sword-/224289945853

https://www.etsy.com/listing/869689005/old-vintage-indo-persian-mughal-agate

N2s

 

[GIRLYmann]

imo, its a loose term for a tourist souvenir knife ... normally overpriced to fleece the
unsuspecting buyer but quality may vary

 

[afishhunter]

Inexpensive and over-priced "Knife Shaped Object" Souvenir, made to look like what the people in that area have "historically" used, or the area is "known for" (example: India and Nepal the Kukri; Texas and "The American West" a "Bowie")
Usually "aged" to look like an antique.
Not necessarily intended for actual use. (probably isn't, blades are rarely heat treated or sharpened, many are made with recycled auto fenders or other sheetmetal that can't be heat treated, or hold an edge)
Not made for the locals to use..
Found in hotel/resort gift shops and at the tourist markets.
"Wall Hangers"
The "Ivory" "Horn"/"Antler" (and sometimes the "wood" are cheap plastic. Any "gems" are either colored plastic or glass.
Generally cost more than the "real thing", depending on location.
(if you buy at the not a tourist markets where the locals shop, you can probably get a real one for less than the hotel gift shop charges for a fake.)

 

[afishhunter]

Found this on a knife site, could be right or wrong but here a start.

Features of Army (tourist) knives
A tourist knife must meet the following requirements:
• versatility;
• size sufficient for dealing with most of the challenges that people may encounter in nature;
• easy-to-use;
• durable steel;
• absolute reliability and failure-free performance;
• usable sheath and fastening;
• ability to reach weapon quickly;
• an Army knife must be effective in self-defense;
• a knife for tourism should conform to the legislation of the country.

Whoever wrote that was either dreaming, high, or drunk ... quite possibly all three. The only part that might be accurate is the last line.

 

[lzenglish]

Thanks for all the replies. I have collected old tools and old knives for many years now, and tonight is the first time i have ever heard this term, so i googled "tourist knife meaning", "what is a tourist knife", etc. and the answers i got were about as clear as mud, so i'm still confused. Now what i thought i would get was something like, "cheap. poor quality, advertising knife" etc., but appears that is not always the case, or so it seems.

Thanks Again

 

[RIP Dequincy Jynxie]

soldier's knife, camp knife, and tourist knife are traditional knife patterns, in my mind. and they're very similar

you basically get an awl, bottle opener, can opener, corkscrew (this is often omitted from soldiers knives I've seen), a smaller pen blade and larger drop point/spear. may get a bail in camp or soldiers knives, but not on my tourist pattern knife

something like that, as a pattern. I have a great German knife of this design, which is certainly no less quality than good present day Case knives (very similar blade steel, generally something along the lines of 420)

as a more general term, what everyone else said, if we mean tourist knife to be synonymous with souvenir knife.

as a pattern, I was under the impression it's very similar to camp knives and soldiers knives

 

[Kmikaz3]

Whoever wrote that was either dreaming, high, or drunk ... quite possibly all three. The only part that might be accurate is the last line.

That’s why i wrote: could be right or wrong.
In my mind, it’s a souvenir knife or one you can get at the flea market for tourists. But maybe the term is broader than my knowledge, so i post what i found.

 

[Arathol]

I think the term depends on when and where you are. Today most see a "tourist" item as a cheap souvenir, not really a quality fully functional item. These two are representative of what most think of when you say tourist knife

However, not all tourist knives are junk. Iisakki Jarvenpaa realized the value of Western tourists as a source of income long ago before WW2 and introduced a line of knives that were called "halpahintaisia kauhavan puukkoja", meaning "cheap Kauhavan knives", in the old catalogs. They mostly had colorful handles made of Galalith and Bakelite, with fancy blade engraving and "Finland" or some associated term on the blade.

Some were miniature knives, made to look just like the full size real knives

Janne Marttiini made this knife in 1939 as a tourist souvenir for the 1940 Helsinki Olympics.

 

[Arathol]

Whoever wrote that was either dreaming, high, or drunk ... quite possibly all three. The only part that might be accurate is the last line.

I'm thinking that there is something lost in translation here. "Tourist" might have had a different connotation in some European countries at an earlier point in time. Our perception today is a person in a Hawaiian shirt wandering the streets with a suitcase and a cheap camera. At one time it may have meant a person who lived on the road and traveled about the country, sort of like what the Australians call being on walkabout. In this case a "tourist" knife would be the equivalent of a survival knife in todays American English language.

 

[RIP Dequincy Jynxie]

^enter the world of SAK

okay, sorry, had to mindless comment

now back to your scheduled programming

 

[knarfeng]

Here on the forums, the term "tourist knife" is typically used to describe a knife made in a local style but not actually meant to be used and not made of high quality materials. It's designed to be something a person on vacation might purchase then later use to open the mail once home. See "wall hanger".

 

[afishhunter]

I'd not complain about a traditional sheath like this for my Mora Number 1. Is that leather or waxed paper? I know both materials are "traditional" for a Puukko.

Beautiful collection of Puukko, real and mini, you have there.

 

[eveled]

I think we have two different conflicting themes here.

First:
A Tourist knife from the time when you had to outfit yourself to take a trip. Think Abercrombie and Fitch during their hey day. (When they sold things like Randall knives.)

While maybe not a specific pattern.A tourist knife was similar to a camp knife having blades that a traveler (Tourist) would need.

American Tourister luggage was meant to imply that it was strong and ready for anything. I think this is a remnant of the old possibly European definition of tourist that A Arathol mentioned.

Second:
A souvenir knife made for the tourist trade. Is something different. A cheap version of a locally famous pattern. Or just a normal cheap knife with the location stamped on the handle.

Words and terms evolve, they also are misused.

Buy the knife not the story!

 

[Hal]

Tourist knife = a knife shaped object designed to elude an extreme amount of lust from a 5 to 7 year old child.....

(said child will later grow up to lust after fishing lures which claim to catch fish by magic, romantic partners from foreign countries & goods offered on television where your purchase may be multiplied if you "pay a separate fee".)