Traditional Enough For Ya?

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cinnamochoil

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Some definitions of "traditional" are, based on customs usually handed down from a previous generation. Tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions.

After somehow getting through the guidelines thread for this board. I am still at a loss for what is traditional/acceptable here. Almost every thread has someone displeased about solitary posts that do not align with what they see as "traditional". Choosing to blindly dictate what is posted rather than provide any clarification on their idea of "tradition".

I understand you're trying to maintain the integrity of your online message board, but making users apologetic for participating is bad karma. I came to this particular board because there is no other area where Fixed Blades are specified. I left questioning my own standards of convention.

A board devoted to what is traditional would be as varied and subjective as life on earth. A board devoted to what is traditional in the eyes of a handful of western men is obviously much more restricted/restrictive.

What makes a blade traditional to you friend?

best,
---cinna
 
Looks like a traditional to me. Work in progress? How long have you been knapping?
 
Hey smithhammer, As a child of the 21st century, it takes a bit more for me to get rustled. I read the guidelines, apparently you didn't read my post. So I'm not sure why I'm giving you the dignity of recognition, but I will.

Its a message board, I can page through literal years of content. A few pages was enough to get an idea of what is traditional here: case slip joints(sarcasm). Are you saying I have to keep up with posts here to form a concept of tradition? I don't think this would be traditional, rather would be the tradition of this board.

I believe I am behaving constructively. In not finding any truth about what is traditional, I delve deeper.

---cinna
 
I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["traditional knife"], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it.
 
I get where you're coming from, cinna. I have a different view of traditional than what the guidelines give. My view of traditional is based more on manufacturing and marketing techniques than a specific characteristic of the knife. I see a Case trapperlock as much more traditional than a SAK, but trapperlocks are forbidden here whereas SAKs are celebrated. I suppose that if I wanted to severely limit my enjoyment of this subforum I could spend my time focusing on this "injustice". Instead I choose to focus on just how awesome it is that somebody took the time and effort to put together a place for me to gather with people that share my interest, even if we disagree on the fine points on where the limits of that interest lie.

I don't see the level of dissent that you see, buy I think you touched on a truth in that every person here could come up with a different opinion of what constitutes a traditional knife and have a valid defense of that viewpoint. Yet, any time spent in the trading section of this forum will quickly illustrate just how drowned out traditionals become when they aren't segregated into their own area. It therefore becomes necessary to set some hard boundaries as to what is and isn't traditional. Setting these boundaries in a way that everybody will agree with 100% is impossible. I think that the guidelines that we have are an honest effort to do the best possible job, though I think we all recognize that they aren't perfect.

Instead of bucking against the traditions of the traditional section, I suggest you relax, grab a beverage, and pull up a chair on the porch. Nobody here means any harm. We're all just enjoying the company of others that are as knutty as we are. After a while you'll come to realize that the boundaries aren't a problem. They do more to keep us in than to keep others out.
 
It looks like a stone that I would skip across a pond when I was a kid. I could probably get close to 20 skips with that one your holding.
 
justsomedude said:
I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["traditional knife"], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it.
Click to expand...

In which case the term "traditional knife" is quite subjective and may require further standardization in a public forum.

I know what's traditional when I see it as well, but I can't be sure anyone else is seeing the same.
 
Cory Hess said:
...Instead of bucking against the traditions of the traditional section, I suggest you relax, grab a beverage, and pull up a chair on the porch. Nobody here means any harm. We're all just enjoying the company of others that are as knutty as we are. After a while you'll come to realize that the boundaries aren't a problem. They do more to keep us in than to keep others out.
Click to expand...

Well said, Cory.

Cinna, I think you'll find that this is a great place, and there is a lot to learn here from folks whose knowledge of traditionals is vast and impressive. I've been on here for some time, and honestly I have never seen that "almost every thread has someone displeased..." Quite the opposite, actually.

We can debate "What is traditional" till the cows come home (although personally I can think of a million things I'd rather do), but ultimately, between the stated guidelines and the moderation that occasionally takes place by necessity to keep things on track, it all works pretty darn well in my opinion.
 
justsomedude said:
I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["traditional knife"], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it.
Click to expand...

I always thought it was comparable to the famous quote "I don't know what it is, but I know it when I see it." I won't say what that quote is in regard to, because I'm not at all trying to bring in that negative connotation. However, I think that kind of definition lends itself to a club culture.
 
The staunch traditionalism really doesn't bother me here, but the occasional intolerance of, shall we say, "alternative" lifestyles does get to me sometimes.
 
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I know that my new to me GEC #33 (thanks again to KBA, I love this knife) is traditional because when I showed it to my mother she said "This looks like the knives your dad used to collect when he was young."
 
Cory Hess said:
I get where you're coming from, cinna. I have a different view of traditional than what the guidelines give. My view of traditional is based more on manufacturing and marketing techniques than a specific characteristic of the knife. I see a Case trapperlock as much more traditional than a SAK, but trapperlocks are forbidden here whereas SAKs are celebrated. I suppose that if I wanted to severely limit my enjoyment of this subforum I could spend my time focusing on this "injustice". Instead I choose to focus on just how awesome it is that somebody took the time and effort to put together a place for me to gather with people that share my interest, even if we disagree on the fine points on where the limits of that interest lie.

I don't see the level of dissent that you see, buy I think you touched on a truth in that every person here could come up with a different opinion of what constitutes a traditional knife and have a valid defense of that viewpoint. Yet, any time spent in the trading section of this forum will quickly illustrate just how drowned out traditionals become when they aren't segregated into their own area. It therefore becomes necessary to set some hard boundaries as to what is and isn't traditional. Setting these boundaries in a way that everybody will agree with 100% is impossible. I think that the guidelines that we have are an honest effort to do the best possible job, though I think we all recognize that they aren't perfect.

Instead of bucking against the traditions of the traditional section, I suggest you relax, grab a beverage, and pull up a chair on the porch. Nobody here means any harm. We're all just enjoying the company of others that are as knutty as we are. After a while you'll come to realize that the boundaries aren't a problem. They do more to keep us in than to keep others out.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to buck against traditions mate, I am genuinely sorry if anyone feels that this is coming from a place of opposition. I do want to find out more about what is a traditional blade. In lieu of playing along with what is perceived as traditional here, I proposed a question I found relevant. I appreciate the boundaries set fourth in the guidelines, but they are more of guidelines of what not to talk about, with a short line of acceptable topics highlighted in green. Meanwhile what is actually being discussed on the board is largely at odds with these guidelines.

Just trying to understand.

---cinna
 
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