Traditionals outnumbering moderns

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Deadman 300

Joined
Sep 13, 2019
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Anybody else having this "problem"?

I myself have been a knife nut for a long time, as have many of you, and as a result I've collected and still collect a lot of spyderco's and benchmade knives. Spyderco being my goto. I try to get whatever exclusives that come out etc. and like to think I've collected ok.

So since the traditional knife bug hit, my moderns are taking a beating. Anyone else have this problem or even think about it?
 
Its an adjustment to go from thinking about the best steels, M390, MP4, S30v or whatever and accept 440 or 420 or whatever is out there. You go from blade material to handle material and history, etc which I got into myself.

I love the traditional's from a historical standpoint but I hate looking at my moders and seeing them outnumbered. haha.
 
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Once I got a modern pocket clip flipper that checked all the boxes for me - m390, blade shape and length, weight, etc - I lost interest in them.

I had a few traditionals but it wasn't until I really examined them that I got seriously hooked. Take a moment to think about the craftsmanship and dedication it takes to put 3 blades into a 2 spring knife and minimize or completely eliminate blade rub. My taste leans hard towards stockman for that reason. With the level of quality that GEC and even some of the Case products have it's easy to become addicted.

I bought maybe 5 moderns before I found 'the one', my traditionals outnumber them by over 20 to 1. And that ratio isn't ever going to decrease.
 
Thanks man, that's what I was looking for, although the GEC stuff is out for me. Sorry new guy but it seems like GEC owns this place.
 
While my go to knife is a CRK inkosi, I find that traditionals are more emotionally satisfying (and cheaper) Guardians of the Lambfoot has hooked me and I have been importing knives from Sheffield. At the moment I have three A. Wrights, one Jos Rodgers, and a Michael May on Order. I also have a Waynorth lambfoot. I am seriously considering selling off most of my Benchmades as they are no longer fun. That's kind of unpatriotic as I live about 20 minutes from the factory. At the moment, I have seven traditionals by my chair just to play with.
 
Tx308, I had a similar experience. I found my coveted modern dream knife in a recent Spyderco release. I even bought an aftermarket titanium clip for it. And....I lost interest in modern folders thereafter. I don’t know what happened!

Recently, I discovered Case and Schatt & Morgan (on the big auction site and here too) and have acquired five models in the last few months. They are so gorgeous, functional and historical (in terms of patterns) that I cannot imagine going back. Though I suppose I still lean partially modern because I find that I can only make myself purchase those with Tru sharp or ATS 34 blades. Yes, I know these may not be true traditionals, but, hey, I’m a noob...

The wild thing about traditionals, to me, is the cost. I used to spend $200+ on a modern folder with titanium slabs mined on Mars and unobtanium steel that can slice photons or some such crap I guess. Now, I can get a gorgeous and functional traditional for around $100, and it cuts just fine!
 
Traditionals out number modern knives in my "collection" ...
I tried an Ontarion RAT 1, didn't care for it, and gave it away.
That was my first and last "modern" knife.
I don't need one hand opening, and I detest pocket clips.
 
I think it's just a case of how your tastes evolve and then take on a structure. It might just be that with use and familiarity, Traditionals become more appealing more 'you' with time. However, it could very easily go the other way, not a popular notion here ;) Person might find that Moderns suit and interest them more etc.

The thing I don't 'get' with Moderns is the size of the things....just too large and unwieldy for my tastes, Traditionals are usually more compact, and sexier looking;)
 
Deadman 300 said:
Thanks man, that's what I was looking for, although the GEC stuff is out for me. Sorry new guy but it seems like GEC owns this place.
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GEC does not "own" this place... it is simply that they are that well made. Not that you won't find the occasional "lemon", but a GEC lemon is as good as, or better, than many other company's "best".

Case still makes a very good knife, right up there (almost) with GEC, but in my somewhat limited experience, GEC is just more consistently excellent.

There are other makers that are very good, but for consistent quality, smooth operation, aesthetics... GEC is at the top of the list.... IMHO, of course.
 
I started out with the more tactical knives as well.
It was actually Rough Rider that got me into traditionals, as they are cheap enough to try out the various patterns.
Ultimately, I've found I prefer Stockmans and Canoes.
I still own maybe 6 or 7 tacticals, but possibly 15 or so traditionals and 8 SAK's.
I just find traditionals to be very pretty and functional knives.
I wish I could collect more Case knives (I have two) - but they are stupidly expensive in the UK compared to what you guys pay in the US.
 
I'd say my collection is about 90% slip joints, 3% fixed blades, and 7% modern knives.

I want to EDC a fixed blade but I've tried several times and I just can't adapt to it. I can remember 2 times in my life that I truly needed a one hand opening knife and the most recent time was over a decade ago.

I'll enjoy my slip joints as long as I can. Hopefully the rest of my life but if something like arthritis ever prevents me from operating them I'll consider something a little easier to open. Maybe a lockback like a Buck 503 or maybe even a modern assisted opener.

I use the term "slip joints" because I really like my Lion Steel Best Man and most folks don't consider that a traditional knife.
 
garryt said:
I started out with the more tactical knives as well.
It was actually Rough Rider that got me into traditionals, as they are cheap enough to try out the various patterns.
Ultimately, I've found I prefer Stockmans and Canoes.
I still own maybe 6 or 7 tacticals, but possibly 15 or so traditionals and 8 SAK's.
I just find traditionals to be very pretty and functional knives.
I wish I could collect more Case knives (I have two) - but they are stupidly expensive in the UK compared to what you guys pay in the US.
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Out of curiosity, what two Case knives do you own?
 
.....times have changed, just as tastes change

I suggest it would have been an answer given by many in the knifey world around 5 years ago, that traditional slipjoint folders are on their way out, and modern tacticals were the 'in' thing.

Anyone seeing some of the apparent buying habits of the growing number of under 25's for high-end tacticals would have possibly agreed.

My own view is that slippies are on the up.

There are now more manufacturers making slippies than just over 5 years ago........more specialists have jumped in the slippie arena too. For example, just look at Viper and lionSTEEL....as well as smaller guys - look at JE Made for example.

Slipjoints are being made with variations to traditional patterns like I've never seen before, and, we have slipjoints being made in modern materials like Ti and Carbon Fibre......and then you get giants like CRK making their own version of a slippie, The Impinda.

A question to @Peregrin and @knarfeng - would it be true to say that this section on the whole of BladeForums is one of the liveliest....?

Add to all this the political and media hype in various countries and states around the globe for stopping some types of folders, but allowing slipjoints below a certain size.............no, I think it is possibly little wonder that folks are seeing their slipjoints outstrip their other knives.

And long may it continue ;)
 
at one gec rendezvous, there was a pin that some collectors wore. the pin itself stated "I can stop, any time!" or something to that effect. Collections change all the time as do the collectors themselves. We all collect and enjoy these things in different ways. As long as you are having a good time, why stop?
 
Deadman 300 said:
Thanks man, that's what I was looking for, although the GEC stuff is out for me. Sorry new guy but it seems like GEC owns this place.
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they don't own the place, but as one of the last traditional knife companies still standing they may dominate the market currently. Queen/S&M, Canal Street once were also contenders for production traditional knives and have faded due to their closing, but Canal has come back with limited engagements. They still have market share as their knives are still good, despite Queen/S&M's quality control. Plus there is always Case which some may see as the McDs of traditional knives. Millions of knives sold and plenty of happy customers.
 
That change occurred for me in 2013, shortly after I got into over-accumulating pocket knives.

I have a few modern folders that fill (very infrequent) niche needs, but I guess traditional folders outnumber them by about 10 to 1 in my collection.

I like GEC knives and own a little over a dozen of them, but the Case brand makes up the majority of my collection, and alternate with Victorinox as my most carried and used, brand-wise.
 
Deadman 300 said:
Thanks man, that's what I was looking for, although the GEC stuff is out for me. Sorry new guy but it seems like GEC owns this place.
Click to expand...

That's because they're the last man standing that produces a decent quality product in the US. Boker makes a nice knife, but they're a) offshore, and b) don't produce limited runs in lots of different covers. Lionsteel and Viper are making some very nice knives for Mike, but many find them not quite traditional enough, with screwed-together construction, they're made offshore, and they're not cranking out new patterns every few months.
 
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