What is Traditional?

Nah - there are some slipjoints that don't fit the rules either. Add a thumbstud to a slipjoint and it's no longer acceptable. Friction folders and some types of fixed blades are allowed too.

Basically it's whatever old American men remember from their youth. :)
 
jc57 said:
Basically it's whatever old American men remember from their youth. :)
Click to expand...

Hahaha...ain't that the truth. This place is like the local watering hole, with its core base of customers. The regular patrons for the most part have similar backgrounds and share the same values. When a stranger (different, unusual knife pattern) shows up he is scrutinized to see if he is a kindred spirit (traditional). He is then welcomed into the fold. Young whippersnappers on the other hand, despite being from the same place, best find their own space.

- Christian
 
There was a time when this forum (Traditional Flders and Fixed Blades) didn't exist on Blade Forums. All discussion was conducted in the "General Knife Discussion" Forum and other forums. Then, I think "Blues", "Bastid", and others called on "Spark" to let them start the "Traditional Folders and Fixed Blades" Forum. It seems that the intent was to discuss knives of the old Sheffield patterns and other knives of like patterns to include, Schrade, Camills, Case, Imperial, and the like.

They also only discussed "the knife" (pattern, construction, covers) which was drummed into my head by "Blues" on more than one occasion - not "what I did with my knife today", etc..

Since "Blues" and "Bastid" left as the moderators of this forum, to my mind, it has evolved more into a general, free-form, discussion of mostly Traditional Knives and the goings-on with them which is still a very interesting and worth-while forum and still seems to be based on the knives of Sheffield and their offsprings no matter the origin of them - Sheffield, Soligen, etc..

I don't think the discussion of traditional knives has to be restricted to stockman, cattle, barlow, toothpick, knives but I think that those types of knives are what a lot of us have on our mind when traditional knives are discussed in this forum.

It would be a mistake if this Traditonal forum was re-inserted into the "General Knife Discussion" Forum as someone above suggested. There is plenty of room in the Traditional forum for the inclusion of more general uses of traditional knives and patterns that Gary and Frank have allowed since they took over as the moderators of this forum.
 
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Kamagong;

I agree with you. What the group commonly calls traditional is definitely USA knife history oriented. I do find the Balisong traditional though as our family moved to Batangas in 1953 when I was all of 9 years old. My father transferred out there from California as a supervisor for the Caltex oil refinery being built there. Growing up there the balisong was the standard all purpose folding knife that men carried. That was many years prior to it becoming common in the USA even though it had already had a long history in some parts of Europe.

If I had lived somewhere else in asia, or even in another part of the Philippines, I am sure that I would consider some other form of knife to be traditional. I believe that southern Philipppine knife designs were much closer to Indonesian designs and were mostly fixed blades.
 
Puukos, Douk-Douks, and Laguioles are just several examples of "non-American" traditionals which have always been welcome here.

I think the biggest reason to exclude balisongs would be simply that they already have their own forum...
 
I read through this sub forum regularly, but have rarely posted.
I've always admired the workmanship of traditional American knives. My grandfather and father always, and I mean always, had a slipjoint on them. My first knife, at the age of 5 or 6, was a case.

Now, as an adult, I've started making knives. I like the old designs. I never really got into the whole tactical craze, or the new bushcraft craze.
However, I'm a machinist by trade, and I like all the new materials. I like to try to incorporate an older style of knife with modern materials, and assemble it using more modern means.
I definitely wouldn't call anything I've made traditional, but I still would hope that people like my grandfather and my father would appreciate my work and see the beauty in its functionality.

I hope this wasn't terribly off topic.

Leif
 
That's an interesting comment, Ed. Great perspective. I think I'll have to cogitate on that.

To get back to the OP's original question as to "Why have a separate traditional forum?" Similes are always suspect; but to me I guess it's like asking why you would have a separate "Mustang Forum" and a "Model T Forum". By Golly they are both cars that perform the same function. Both are made by the same company (more or less). But they are very different items; and each has features that you look for in one, but not the other.

Traditional knives have features not found in most modern knives.
(spring strength, alignment of the springs, jigged covers, etc.)

Modern knives have features not found in most traditionals.
(speed of deployment, number of people who can stand on the blade, etc.)

Reason enough to have a separate forum for traditional knives.
 
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