Traditional?

[quattromori]

First of all, thanks to Dan for the thread. This is a very interesting topic, and it's really nice to discover different points of view. I will throw in some random thoughts too.
I guess it's hard to imagine what our ancestors would think of us and our knives, and the money we spend. Maybe they would carry an Endura, maybe a GEC, maybe a Buck, maybe something else...hard to tell, even though it's a nice conversation topic Christian said that carrying a knife is traditional in itself these days...and, in some way, he is very right on this. No matter how hard I try, a knife for me will never be what it was for my ancestors, even if it's nice to think so.
Here on my island, I guess a knife was never cheap. There were no case, Buck, Camillus or Schrade here. There were (and, actually, are) blacksmiths forging knives and crafters making them by hand, and they weren't that cheap. Still, my ancestors bought one knife (and owned just one), and used it for what they needed a knife for. Probably not abused, but surely not babied. It was a useful (therefore respected) tool.
As others said (OP included), anyone can (and has to) spend his money in any way, and as long as he enjoys it, everything is fine.
I'm almost sure that, of all the habituals of this subforum, very very few have spent less than me on knives, and very few own less knives than I do, but since I seem to be immune to the "collector's bug", and it's more difficult to get knives here, it's easier for me to spend less. And I'm more than sure that, for the scary price of a few dollars, any person on the planet can buy an Opinel or SAK and live his "knife life" with no regret. So I do understand the OP well.
But, most people end up spending their money in unnecessary things. Be it tech items, shoes, watches, guns, handbags, cars, whatever (Visa stamps for me ). So why not knives?

Fausto

 

[LKJW]

We are moving tomm and I don't have time to respond to everyone individually...I'd like to. There have been some very thoughtful replies here and I appreciate hearing everyone's point of view. And I appreciate the memories it has sparked for me. My grandpa collected things, but they were free things. He was bald and wore a 'trucker cap' every day. He had at least a hundred. They were free and from hardware stores, garages, feed stores, etc. He also had a bunch of little knick knack things from his travels. And he did have some promotional knives that he collected (a very small amount). My Paupa was the same way. He collected things that sparked memories for him - a matchbook from a hotel he stayed at. A business card with a funny picture on it. Neither of them were wealthy. But they had their vices. They both owned more fishing stuff than one man needs. As do I.

My Grandpa was always the first to buy the 'new thing'. He had a VCR before I knew what one was and he bought my family our first one. That was another of his vices. He liked to buy 'newfangled' things. He had a Harley he doted on. He spent money on things that weren't necessary, but he did not have hundreds of knives.

I would never buy a VCR when it first came out. We don't even have a TV. (Choice) But I don't operate like that. He would have had an iPhone. I have an old Nokia that is so old people think it's cool again.

I am not rich by any means. In fact, a lot of people would consider me poor. I chose to teach and write for a living and that doesn't make you rich. I don't have a nice car. I don't have a fancy watch. I don't have a flatscreen TV. For whatever reason, I have boxes and knife rolls full of knives. Most of them used. Most of them American. And for some reason, though I always carry a knife, and though there are knives I go months without looking at - just knowing they are there makes me happy.

Thirty minutes ago I sold my 73 Honda CB450. Didn't want to sell it, but I was happy that the guy who bought it was an old Honda enthusiast. Not a rich guy who will treat the bike like a trophy. But someone who will love it and ride it like I did. Stupid, maybe. Sentimentality and attachment to "things" is a tricky business.

Both of my grandfathers had knives because they were tools. My Dad doesn't carry a knife. I bet you my Grandpa would have a tricked out multitool if he were still alive. My Paupa would be carrying an old Imperial or Buck. But they had their strange compulsions, too. My Paupa loved trains and had a layout in the basement that blew my mind when I was a kid. Right next to the big wooden box full of nightcrawlers for fishing.

Human nature is a weird thing. And we are all so different. I have enjoyed reading all these posts. Thank you. If you gotta collect something, knives are a pretty good choice. They are useful, they don't take up much space, and they are as pricey as you want them to be. They won't keep the sun off your head or make an authentic train whistle when they go through the tunnel, though.

 

[jackknife]

Would our fathers or grandfathers have used a sak or stainless steel knife if they had one?

I can answer that one for sure because I tried to give my dad a sak tinker. I'd discovered sak's while in the army, and when I rotated home from Germany I had a few of them. I handed a tinker to dad, and he looked it over carefully, examined all the blades/tools, dropped it in his pocket and felt it with a hand in pocket. Then he handed it back to me and said thank you for the offer, but it just didn't feel right. Something about it he just couldn't bond with. I think when compared with a bone handle traditional, the tinker just felt a little cheap to him. I knowhe had a funny look on his face when he tapped the plastic scale with a index fingernail and it sounded a bit hollow.

Maybe some would, but there's some who wouldn't. I tried to bring dad over to the semi modern side, but he wouldn't come along.

The other thing is the peanut had a powerful emotional pull to him. I think it had traveled too far, too long, for him to change. But when he got into his 70's, and arthritis finally hit his hands, he did switch to a little Christy knife on his keyring. I can only wonder if he'd have adapted to a one hand folder if he'd lived longer.

Carl.

 

[JAB]

^^As long as I can remember, my dad (70) always carried some sort of small pen knife (except when we were fishing) but, nowadays, he finds his Leatherman Micra to be indispensable and wouldn't think of going back to a regular pocketknife.

 

[Django.cj]

Would our fathers or grandfathers have used a sak or stainless steel knife if they had one?

My grandfather, the perfect southern gentleman, has a Tinker hanging in the kitchen, and a PSTII on his belt. I can answer that yes.

 

[Stelth]

Would our fathers or grandfathers have used a sak or stainless steel knife if they had one?

Our grandfathers (aren't/weren't) a single-minded entity. Some would love the idea, some would hate it, and some would be indifferent.