Trends in knife world?

As someone who primarily carries folders, the bigger trends that affect my purchases (whether I'm buying for these purposes or not) are material and mechanical trends, like ball bearing pivots, opening mechanisms, lock types, steel trends, etc. These are often the influencing factors that impact product choice in a market at a given time. For example, around the early 2000s when I joined BF, assisted opening was pretty trendy. Around that time, titanium frame locks were rarer and more fancy than they are today. A little later Zero Tolerance started getting popular and they brought higher quality frame lock manual flippers to mass production. Now titanium frame lock manual flippers are virtually ubiquitous in modern folders. A newer trend these days is drop-shut action. Then there are the aesthetic trends. I've noticed lately a lot of very high end customs are turning to mirror polishing their knives quite a bit.

Since most of today's modern folders are in some form copying from and iterating on the competition, it's pretty hard to avoid these sorts of trends. And with the aesthetic variety in today's market, it can be easy to not think about how these underlying trends are sharing common traits with other choices we might otherwise think is a different kind of knife.
 
There's a lot of stuff shifting constantly and bushcraft is a big one. For me though what's more interesting is the crop of niche EDC makers that are making very small, high performing, non threatening folders. It's occuring alongside the previously mentioned move to traditional slipjoints but a lot of these EDC makers are coming over from making keychains, fidget spinners, pens etc and are bringing fresh style and ornamentation to things.

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WKRMN is a great example of this. Only a small portion of what he makes are blades, with projects ranging from desk toys through to composite handle materials and coffee scoops. The variety and personalisation that comes through the meeting of all these different fields is pretty significant.
 
Oh, I forgotten to mention, another not so 'micro' trend is 'ultralight'. Just look at those FRN offerings from Spyderco, and the recent success of BM Bugout...
 
All this batoning hatred. Most of Youtube is batoning and I live vicariously through them because I can't bring myself to smack my knife like that.
 
Sigguy said:
The ultralight is what I see moving up now. Bushcraft isn't going away, it lacks a the bigger audience.
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This statement. I remember when I held my first plastic handle knife that made me put my 110 in the drawer.
 
Good choice. No matter what anyone says, it's not good for your knife. Whether it was "designed to take it" or not. Stresses add up, period.

Sam⚔️
John_B said:
All this batoning hatred. Most of Youtube is batoning and I live vicariously through them because I can't bring myself to smack my knife like that.
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Instagram scammers is a trend i've been dealing with...

JFC
 
The primary audience for tactical knives in the 90's were teen boys in the suburbs. Rambo was a big influence, too.

As far as trends, the one we've been in for the last 10 yrs or so was titanium framelock flippers. Which transmuted to multiple opening knives (flippers with spydie holes or grooves).
 
I think I have never seen as many luxury folders around which is sort of weird considering the economy.

Edit: damn, three year old thread too..
 
I ignore labels. This is what I look for in a folding knife.

1. Blade between 2.75 and 3.5 inches in length.
2. Small belly or no belly, no fan of big bellies on knives.
3. Wharncliffe or sheepsfoot preferred, but a small bellied drop point or clip point is okay too.
4. Lightweight. I used to not care, but after awhile I noticed that I always reach for my lighter knives when deciding what to carry for the week. Under 3.5 ounces generally.
5. I like all locking mechanisms for the most part, but I do have occasional issues with Axis locks, they are too difficult to disassemble at times. I am a big fan of a well designed liner and framelock.
6. Price. I am a value/budget whore, no getting around it. But I do enjoy buying an American made knife. I own Kershaws, Bucks, and custom knives made in the USA.
 
There are two trends I follow:

Collector
User.

The former might *cough* include 'Safe Queens' etc.

The latter might *cough* include blades that are not 'super steels'.

In between these currents is a myriad and plethora of pocket knives I love.
 
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