Traditional Switch Flipped

R

ratman57

Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
39
Am I the only one? I have a small collection of both traditional and spyderco knives, but I only carry one type or the other. I go through phases. I just got off of an exclusively Spyderco phase. I even bought a couple.(the last ever Spydercos but thats another story)

When I'm carrying one type, the others aren't even in sight. I don't reallly even like them. Then for whatever reason, I switch. I just went back to traditionals yesterday. I'm carrying a nice little Rich Con Equal end with carbon blades and brown swirley celluloid scales. All the Spydercos are in a pile waiting to go into a box.

Now I'll drag out and fondle my traditionals for a month or two and never give a thought to the others until I do again.

Am I alone in my lunacy?
 
Well you are likely not alone. I pretty much exclusively use traditions simply because with my line of work they fit best. I work as a professional and simply cannot have a clipped knife. This is okay because I love slip joints anyway. I do still use a modern clip knife for certain jobs that require 1 handed action or when I'm out running for some self-defense against a nasty dog etc
 
Since going to traditional pocket knives 6 months ago I've basically lost all interest in anything else. I never collected knives and still don't. I've owned and carried assorted modern folders over the last 20 years or so, thinking of them as mere tools and having no real attachment to them.

That all changed in June of this year when I stumbled upon pics of GEC's pocket knives. I was amazed and captivated at their beauty and quality. Since then I've lost all interest in anything else and don't see myself going back. Why would I need to? These do essentially 95%+ of what I personally use a pocket knife for.

The proper tool for the job is the key in life. Choose the correct tool for the job at hand. For my lifestyle and needs I just don't need a massive 4"-5" folder for one thing. Secondly I don't find the moderns attractive in the least, they're tools. They don't evoke any sort of companionship or attachment like the old classics do. They have their usefulness, but I just don't care about them any more than I do a screwdriver or paint scraper. My traditional classics are very special to me and are cherished daily companions. I have just a handful of them and carry just a couple of them the most often. They're meticulously maintained and go with me eveywhere. The longer I've had them the more I like them.

Everyone is different. If variety is what you like, then by all means enjoy the variety. :)
 
I'm bipolar too, but in a more consistent manner. Most days I carry at least one of each. The moderns get the most difficult or dirty jobs (done in a hurry) and the traditionals are for the more delicate work (done slowly and carefully). I don't see anything wrong with this approach, or yours either. It's not required that we be all one way or all the other in our use and appreciation of cutting tools
 
only ever carried traditional type knives. never much cared for modern thumbstud knives with the clip and all.
depending on what the holidays bring i may get my first modern. but maybe not. lol
 
I stopped to figure out just how often I do carry or use a modern OHO, and came up with about 7 days a year on average, or just 2% of the time. We do keep one in the center console of the car for emergencies, and I carry one the 3-4 days a year when deer hunting, and a couple more times a year working outside, but that's about it. The traditional knives just have so much more character and provide so much more satisfaction in their use, that they have become IT!
 
I have 3 moderns with clips and studs that were gifts over the years but I never carry them....not versatile enough and I like more traditional stuff anyway.
 
111 mm SAK in my pocket everyday. I am trying to use my GEC #42, but I keep grabbing the SAK. It is probably akin to handgun hunting... carry a rifle with you and you never use the handgun. Seems to be an all or nothing kind of thing at least for the day.

The convenience factor of modern folders is exaggerated. I like traditionals better, but still have some modern's that get pocket time.
 
I get the bug every so often abd since I don't collect I will just sell the modern folder when I am board with it and purchase a traditional to start carrying again. For some reason I can't shake the smoothness of a ikbs flipper from time to time.

Nick
 
I have switched between traditionals and moderns for several years now. These times it's almost daily. Nothing wrong with that, keeps the thing fresh like playing some games in the bedroom if you know what I mean. :D
Best of both worlds!
 
Some years ago I had some surgery on my left hand and thumb. Made opening my peanut impossible. So a younger family member loaned me a few one hand moderns to try. Yes, I could open them with just my right hand, but I just couldn't like them. The single blade was either too long, or too thick, or too something that most of the time it wasn't that good a knife for the purpose of just cutting something. Gave them all back to the nephew and just hung a small sheath knife on my belt.

Fixed blade, the original one hand knife.

I like the choice of blades a traditional jack gives me. A couple different blades with different profiles in one package is just too versatile for me to ignore. Add in the texture and looks of traditional materials and smoother shapes, and you have a good looking package as well as effective. Not to mention a link to our grandfathers and great grandfathers, who got a lot done in the real world with them. Sometimes under far less than ideal conditions. I also feel the advantages of the modern one hand knife is over exaggerated. I've been using knives now for a very very long time, and I've never been in a position where I desperately needed to open my knife one handed. I've been a hunter and fisherman, a soldier in a war zone, and backpacker and canoe camper. If I need more knife than a pocket knife, then I have a sheath knife on hand. It's what men did when I was growing up, and I see no reason to change.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Carl.
 
Vast majority of my knives are in the Traditional school, I like the massive variety, appearance and individuality of these knives. They also tend to be beautiful, no bad thing.:)

That said, I have I think three Moderns: A BM Mini Grip, a Byrd Meadowlark and even a cheap but surprisingly good Sanrenmu. There are certain times I find them useful and practical no disputing that, but I have hardly any desire to extend my collection of these, they are about as interesting as screwdrivers to me...

So, no I certainly don't oscillate between Ancient & Modern:D

Regards, Will
 
Since I've rekindled my interest in "traditionals" (they were just pocketknives when I was growing up, I find myself less interested in one-handers.
The traditionals (even the inexpensive ones) are way nice looking, and just more interesting to me. Also, I find I can do what I need with a smaller
and often less-expensive blade. I will keep a couple of moderns for use as tools, and carry my traditionals the rest of the time.
 
I switch back and forth, but nowadays I usually have a modern clipped to my pocket and a slipjoint in my jacket.
 
I don't switch up like that. I have mostly traditional patterns and a few modern one-handed openers. I normally carry a small modern one-hander every day, along with a slipjoint, because that's what works for me. I have some larger modern folders which I use when they are the right tool for the task.
 
jc57 said:
I don't switch up like that. I have mostly traditional patterns and a few modern one-handed openers. I normally carry a small modern one-hander every day, along with a slipjoint, because that's what works for me. I have some larger modern folders which I use when they are the right tool for the task.
Click to expand...

+1 :thumbup:
 
It pleases me to see folks discovering traditionals after using modern knives. My "journey" has been the opposite of that. About three years ago I decided I needed to see what the fuss was all about concerning Spyderco knives. I ordered a Dragonfly with G10 covers and VG10 steel. I'm very impressed with the knife - great ergonomics, especially for such a small knife, great slicer with the FFG blade, and carries unnoticed in the watch pocket. I could go on and on, but this isn't the place for that.

I rarely carry the Spyderco though - I haven't found anything it can do that my traditionals can't. On the other hand, I'm not sure there's anything my traditionals can do that the Spyderco couldn't do either. I haven't felt the need to switch back and forth, nor the need to carry one of each. I guess in the end it comes down to personal preference, and for a variety of reasons I prefer traditional knives. But owning the Spyderco has certainly given me an understanding of the appeal of non-traditional knives.
 
I don't do them separately. I mostly carry one of each or a traditional with a fixed blade, but I have a traditional like 99% of the time. I definitely am almost exclusively attracted to traditional right now. Just got my second gec! Should ship soon
 
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