Traditional

[pholder]

Hello all, At what point in time does a knife cross over as traditional. What I am trying to ask or say is if the knives of my grandfathers are considered traditional wouldn’t my modern knives become traditional to my grandchildren? And if so wouldn’t my grandfathers then become antique. Thoughts please.

 

[TheChunk91]

Traditional knives are more about a particular style than age. Look at case for example, the vast majority of them are traditional patterns made with traditional materials but made in the modern age.

 

[pholder]

Thank you I had not thought of it from that perspective

 

[Frivolity]

The definition/rule of thumb in the forum guidelines I think works well:

“A bit more detail:
If a regular knife user of the mid 1960's would find nothing out of the ordinary about the design, then it's traditional.”

 

[afishhunter]

To me, a "traditional" is a pattern of slipjoint, or friction folder, with no daRn pocket clips, no one hand opening holes/thumbstuds/thumb bars, locking blades, etc. with multipul blades in many the cases of the slipjoints, depending on the pattern.
BTW, any company can make a pattern, and not be accused of "copying" or faking a knife made by someone else

As for the "modern" single blade one hand opening flipper or whatever, with frame or post 1980's "tactical" liner lock design ever becoming "traditional" to later generatons ... I m not sure if "traditional" is the proper terminology. They may well become/have become "a knife like daddy or grand daddy carries"
(In not to many more years "like great grand daddy carried". Those of us born in the 50's are old enough now to be great grand parents now. I'm sure some from my generaton who carry a "modern" knife. Those born in the '70's and started carrying the then new "modern"/"tactical" one hand opening liner and frame lock blade knives in the '80's are old enough now to be parents and grand parents.)

Are any of the modern knives a pattern that anyone can make, or are they all a patented propritary design that no one else can make until (a) the patent expires or (b) They pay a royalty or licensing fee to the patent holder?

Personally, I think there will always be a market for the versitility of a multi blade slipjoint, by people who realize no one blade type/profile is "ideal" for all tasks, and carrying a single (or pair) of knives with two or more blades in the bottom of their pocket is a lot easier (to say nothing of more discrete) than carrying two or more single blade knives.

Also, a small/medium multi blade slipjoint, or a friction folder like an Opinel (with or without a lock ring, Opinel is a friction folder. They don't depend on a spring or detent to keep the blade open or closed. Use of the ring lock is optional, and the ring lock can be removed without affecting the useabilty/function of the knife) or MAM (without a linerlock), is less likely to be confused with/mistaken for a "weapon"

 

[pholder]

The definition/rule of thumb in the forum guidelines I think works well:

“A bit more detail:
If a regular knife user of the mid 1960's would find nothing out of the ordinary about the design, then it's traditional.”

Would that not hold true now as a regular knife user that we find nothing out of the ordinary of our modern day knives say 50 years from now?

 

[Frivolity]

Would that not hold true now as a regular knife user that we find nothing out of the ordinary of our modern day knives say 50 years from now?

 

[Railsplitter]

Hello all, At what point in time does a knife cross over as traditional. What I am trying to ask or say is if the knives of my grandfathers are considered traditional wouldn’t my modern knives become traditional to my grandchildren? And if so wouldn’t my grandfathers then become antique. Thoughts please.

I get what you're saying and in my opinion, yes, that does make perfect sense.

I'm also of the opinion that the word "traditional" seems seldom used when describing knives outside of this forum. In my circle of friends and family for example, we just call it Grandpa's knife or Dad's knife or just an old knife. We might use the term "vintage" occasionally but I've never heard anyone say: look at this nice traditional knife that I inherited from my Grandpa.

 

[pholder]

The definition/rule of thumb in the forum guidelines I think works well:

“A bit more detail:
If a regular knife user of the mid 1960's would find nothing out of the ordinary about the design, then it's traditional.”

Would that not hold true now as a regular knife user that we find nothing out of the ordinary of our modern day knives say 50 years from now

your reaction is funny, this topic is not about modern day folders more as it is about establishing tradition. The reason for my previous Statement in response to someone using a knife in 1960 is they were using modern day pocket knives then were they not

 

[pholder]

By the way thank you all for your insight

 

[Frivolity]

Would that not hold true now as a regular knife user that we find nothing out of the ordinary of our modern day knives say 50 years from now

your reaction is funny, this topic is not about modern day folders more as it is about establishing tradition. The reason for my previous Statement in response to someone using a knife in 1960 is they were using modern day pocket knives then were they not

No doubt. I was thinking about in what time period would someone be shocked to see a lionsteel or a similar brand

 

[Just Tom.]

I think probably all pocket knives could be considered “traditional” in the sense that they are knives you fold up and put in your pocket, the same way folks have done for hundreds (thousands?) of years. Despite all the hype, there is nothing radically innovative about current knife designs. They are not light sabers or anything.

What makes a knife “traditional”, I think, is that it does not belong to the class of ridiculous, overpriced, “tacticool” frippery which seems to have dominated the market in recent decades (in the view of those in the “traditional” camp), or that it belongs to the class of dangerous antiquated grandpa-knives which will close on your fingers if the wind blows and rust if you look at them funny (in the view of those in the “modern” camp).

The cutlery industry has never been immune to fads and marketing hype, though, and certainly the “traditional” category today has its share of that.

 

[Nature Boy]

When I think of traditional, I think generation after generation. 1960 is referenced in the Guidelines of this sub forum since knives had been made in a similar way for generations leading up to that time. Post war mechanization changed the way many things were made after that.
The modern processes making today’s modern knives may, indeed, be considered traditional one day, but my thinking is that they will have to been made in the same manner for more than 50 years; more than just the current generation.
All knives will get older. Not all will follow a tradition.

 

[JohnDF]

When you think of Traditional Dance, you don't immediately think of twerking... even though it's been around for generations.

 

[TheJon]

The definition/rule of thumb in the forum guidelines I think works well:

“A bit more detail:
If a regular knife user of the mid 1960's would find nothing out of the ordinary about the design, then it's traditional.”

It's interesting that that definition narrowly includes the SAK pioneer it being from 1957 and almost excludes the Buck 110 it being introduced in 1964 nd technically does exclude the Buck 112. All of which the general population would consider solidly in the "oldtimey knives" category.

 

[JohnDF]

It's interesting that that definition narrowly includes the SAK pioneer it being from 1957 and almost excludes the Buck 110 it being introduced in 1964 nd technically does exclude the Buck 112

It's the style and construction that make it traditional, not the exact models.
The 1960s are not a deadline, but rather a benchmark... if it looks right, it is.

 

[TheJon]

It's the style and construction that make it traditional, not the exact models.
The 1960s are not a deadline, but rather a benchmark... if it looks right, it is.

I wholeheartedly agree. That was the point I was making. I think the design is what separates traditional and modern knives. I think you can have CLASSIC knives in either. ie the previously mentioned 110, or the barlow, or a stockman. And on the modern side things like the Spyderco Worker or BM 940 are arguably classics, but even though, in the Spydercos case they've been around for 40 years, they're not traditional knives.

 

[Hickory n steel]

Would that not hold true now as a regular knife user that we find nothing out of the ordinary of our modern day knives say 50 years from now?

I think your confusion comes from relating style with age.

Traditional knives in the sense of what we discuss here follow a tradition that has already been set.
It's the types of knives, the materials that have a traditional appearance , and the construction that make them traditional.
In 50 years traditional will still mean what it does today.

The modern knives of today will probably be in the category of " retro knives " or something like that.