What traditional patterns do you use (or see being used) when working in the trades, on the farm, in the shop, in the military?
I think it's a foregone conclusion that the single blade tactical folder and the modern multi-tool are hear to stay. So, the question really is, do traditionals still have a place? And if they do, for what? And why?
They
do have a place, but I think less and less folks see them as having one. Outside of the group here and a couple of other forums, I don't know of anyone that really loves traditional knives. They don't understand the sheer daily utility value of them and when they want a knife, they only think of it as a tool to cut the one thing at hand they are concerned with. For those of us that grew up with one in their pocket, it is hard to imagine a day without a slipjoint in the pocket. Before box cutters/razor knives were common place, with the exception of cutting sheetrock, most hand cutting operations were done with a folding traditional. For decades the venerable 110 was the undisputed king of the hill among the younger set. All of us older guys carried large slipjoints like a stockman pattern, and many carried the 301. The convenience of having a small slipjoint on the job is immeasurable to me.
Here are some of the patterns I would expect to be mentioned. If you carry one of these in the workplace or you see it carried in your workplace, could you describe how they get used and why they get used instead of a tactical or a multi-tool?
I don't see the old folding traditionals much anymore. People have other, more convenient choices. I see a lot of the folding, lockback razor knives. This is an answer to a prayer for a lot of guys. I mean
a lot. It is cheap (sometimes 2 for $12 at HD around Christmas) and will take a heck of a beating. With that super thin blade they make wicked slicers, and most important on that issue is that the guys never sharpen or have to learn how. I carry a large "tactical style" knife a lot and it gets the dirty jobs I won't risk my traditional on.
As far as multitools, I don't see them much on the job, just an occasional small model. The trade people that use tools tend to carry the correct tool for the job; a multitool is seen as an emergency of quick convenience tool, not an all day work tool.
Would also be interesting to hear your thoughts on how common you think your use of a traditional is in your field or line of work.
Sadly, not very. To me, a lot of folks are missing out on not only the utility value, but the pleasure of using a nice tool.
Lastly, I would love to hear how much you typically pay for a working knife and how much you think your peers are willing to pay.
I really want to emphasize, that we're talking about actual I use this for work type of feedback. Not I think these look cool type of feedback.
This is another mark on the downside of the traditional. A domestic working knife costs much more than a blue collar guy will want to spend. I don't see any of my peers spending more than about $25 for a simple working knife which is why among the traditional carrying guys, the CASE soddie (available at some of my vendors and at Lowe's) and the Buck 110 are sill popular.
The other guys that carry knives carry something like the Buck Ecolite and its million imitators, near imitators, and similar models. They are domestic and foreign, mostly price driven in the decision to purchase. They hold up well under fierce beatings (rarely used as an actual knife....) and they are cheap to replace if broken, stolen or misplaced.
Robert
