What will be the Fad for Knife Design in the FUTURE???

A

Allen Blade

BANNED
Joined
Oct 29, 1999
Messages
498
Hi Members,

What in your opinion , or where do you think Design is going , as far a Fixed blade design goes. My personal opinion , from what I see is a move to more of an everyday carry piece in the 3.5 to 4.5 inch blade length,fixed blade style,designed as a dual purpose Utility/defence type.

Do you think the future is more open for large Fixed blades ie... Bowie format 9 inch
and up.

Or maybe will it be the midrange Fighter/tactical style 5 to 7 inch blade range.

Or do you see the 5 inch and under everyday carry style, Defence/tactical blades
becomming more popular.

Input?? ideas?? or what would you like to see become more popular.

Remember i am just refering to fixed blade designs.

Thanks ,

Allen blade
 
I think that you are close to being right on on the blade length of 4.5" that seems to be a good length for the purpose of everyday carry looking at it from a fright stand point.That is unless you live in the coountry and blade carry is common. For city dewllers it is a different game we have to but up with frightening the people around us sad it's true. But I like a fixed blade over a folder for most jobs.Smaller stuff requires a smaller knive thats when I use the folder
 
I think we are going to see more smaller fixed blades, perhaps utilizing exotic or semi-exotic materials in blade and handle materials. Combine this with multi-carry sheath options for concealed or semi-concealed carry.

There will always be a market for larger Bowies, fighters, utilities, etc. but with the increasing sensitivities socially, fewer and fewer people will feel the need for one or several large knives they can carry once or twice a year.
 
I'm finding myself gravitiating more toward fixed blades in the (+/-)4" range. I live in the city & that blade size gets it for me in terms of legality & ease of carry. It's easy now to find a blade in this range that will handle most chores, as well as most defensive roles & it's hard to justify the Ka-Bar to the cops in the parking lot of the grocery store.
There are so many makers out there who are doing really super work in this size range-

------------------
Runs With Scissors
AKTI# A000107
 
I could be wrong, but it seems to me that there have been many more manifestations of the Bowie concept in the past couple of years, which is OK by me. I like larger fixed blades.

It also makes me happy to see the trend towards black, tactical self-defense combative folders. I'm not heavy into folders, but I'm in the market to replace one of the ones that I carry on a daily basis. I have yet to find a new design that really catches me. My only hope is in the future.
 
Hopefully, 4-6" blades with full length/width tangs. I would love to see factory versions of Polkowski's Bulldog or something similar.
Bob Kasper told me in an email that some of his fixed designs may be factory produced later next year.
My vote is for sturdy, concealable fixed blades!
Ten
 
Smaller fixed blades in the 3.5" to 4.5" blade range are getting hot right now IMO.

A good way to tell is to look at what the factories are up to.
Many are coming out with knives in this size range, and the factories tend to be pursuers of what's hot in the custom knife world. Sooo... if they are making smaller fixed blades its a good bet that is what folks are asking for from the custom makers, and the factories are following suit.

This makes sense to me because lots of knife people want to carry a fixed blade but many of us live in urban or suburban areas where the little sheeple are irrationally frightened of the big, bad fix bladed knives, and we, being the generally considerate knife people that we are, don't want to be the source of their little sheeple nightmares.
So we look for smaller fixed blades to help keep the peace.
It might also be that a smaller blade is more comfy for everyday carry, but, what the hey!


------------------
The individualist without strategy who takes opponents lightly will inevitably become the captive of others.


 
My thinking is that it would be wise to stay away from "bottom end" fixed blades - those of extremely simple construction and low degrees of finish. This market has been proliferating in the past few years, but I believe the factories are poised to wipe it out.

We have seen dramatic improvements in facotry folders in the past decade, some approaching low-end handmades in quality of construction. Still, there is little overlap because the demands of producing a folder with a "custom" level of fit and finish are very great. This is far less true of fixed-blades.

Handmade makers have, in some cases, "lowered the bar" on fixed-blades with simple working pieces that have very basic finish and construction. This is fine in its own right, but there is nothign about such knives that factories cannot reproduce. Witness the Camillus Cuda, a simple ATS-34 fixed-blade with G-10 scales that appears to rival the "low-end" pieces of many makers. If other companies notice and pick up on this market, I'm betting makers will be forced back into more complex, high-finish pieces if they want to stay in business. I doubt customers will pay for a simple "handmade" fixed-blade when factory knives of higher quality are available at lower prices.

I could be way off-base here... after all, "name sells." But we have already seen on this board examples of sub-$100 "custom" neck knives getting trashed by factory alternatives, and I think this trend will increase to cover all low-end fixed-blades.

For a handmade knife to stand out, it will have to offer high finish, fancy construction, embellishments, or truly state-of-the-art materials or design.

------------------

-Corduroy
"Why else would a bear want a pocket?"

Little Bear Knives
Drew Gleason:
adg@student.umass.edu
 
I think the future will be about like it is now. A little mix of all types, sizes and periods. I would love to see someone create a lightsaber though.

------------------
If a man can keep alert and imaginative, an error is a possibility, a chance at something new; to him, wandering and wondering are a part of the same process. He is most mistaken, most in error, whenever he quits exploring.

William Least Heat Moon
 
I don't know about the fads of the future, but I am very interested in small fixed-blades right now. 3" to 3.5" blades that don't look tactical, but are extremely versatile.

I have a Barry Dawson design that I am really high on right now, with a drop point, dropped edge profile. The blade is about 31/8". The handle is three fingers long. The dropped edge allows the blade ricasso to act as a very effective integral guard. The handle is the perfect length for the butt to nest in the cup of my palm. It is ground out of .25" 440C, and has tan paper micarta handle scales. It is the least intimidating fixed-blade I own. I think I could carry it anywhere in a belt sheath, and nobody would take notice. It cuts really well in all sorts of ways, offers a very secure grip, and has very good ergonomics for both cutting, and thrusting. It is an excellent, everyday, tactical blade.

Sean Perkins' knives are very close to what I am talking about. My Dawson knife is a little bigger, and has a more ergonomic handle.
 
I don't think smaller knives are popular because it is a fad or trend. I think they are popular because the are practical, and easy to carry, without loss of strength you find in a folder. I think smaller knives are the most used. I know for me, that my best seller is my 7 1/4" o.a.l. "Patrolman" followed only by the "Sniper" that is the same length. To me that is a good indication of what people prefer. I think small fixed blade are here to stay.

------------------
Lynn GriffithMy website
GriffithKN@aol.com


 
Hey Allen I got a quick one for ya.What type of design do you have in mind? Id love to see something with a 5"-6" blade,with sheep horn handle.That will suit me fine.Lets say you figure something out,how long will it be befor we see a proto,figuring its a simple design?
Thanks and good luck,
Jay


[This message has been edited by STIHL (edited 29 October 1999).]
 
We're already seeing collaborations whereby a knifemaker, a martial artist and in some cases video production and a production knife company ALL get together on one large product.

Sometimes the maker and the martial artist are the same person, like Mad Dog or Ernie Mayer.

The most impressive collaboration is Bill Bagwell/Keating/Keating's videos/Ontario.

Bagwell makes high-end fighters. He collaborates with Keating on understanding the combat dynamics of the blade style; Keating gives direct instruction in the large light Bowie and then sells videos, and if as a knife buyer you can't afford $700+ for a hand-forged Bagwell you buy a stock-removal production version from Ontario, who then kick back a bit to Bagwell.

That is freakin' IMPRESSIVE. Some lessons: the sales of the low-end versions of the knife won't seriously impact Bill's sales of the handmades. On the contrary; with all this "market energy" being developed via Keating, Ontario, etc more customers get exposed to the ideas and the ones that can afford a genuine Bagwell are liable to do so.

We can and should see more collaborations like that. Picture a martial artist and a knifemaker getting together and selling a knife, sheath AND videos on using 'em all in one package aimed at, for example, basic women's anti-rape defense. The video wouldn't just be pure tactics, it would be how to rig up the sheath, how to pick a concealment and carry method, draw sequences, tips on awareness of surroundings plus training in some sort of "rip and run" gameplan for novices.

Another example: I dunno why I've had Kerampits on the brain lately, but I have. Oh well. What if a US maker made contact with Kris Cutlery and agreed to sell high-end improved-materials versions of the basic Filipino-style blades they already sell? And then the US maker would either sell the high-end versions through Kris Cutlery or sell them on his own but link his website to Kris so that if a customer couldn't afford $140 for a Kerampit in ATS34 and micarta and a Kydex sheath he could pay $55 or whatever for one in wood and 5160 with a wood grip. Kris cutlery wouldn't lose, in fact if the American maker put his stuff in the hands of a good Filipino-style martial artist of some repute and started getting attention, the extra "market energy" would also trickle down to Kris for those who can't spend $140.

What I'm saying is, creative partnerships can be a KILLER marketing machine, going way beyond "one guy with a grinder".

Jim
 
Howdy,


Except for a few Prototype`s i am finishing for my Stepson, im not going to be doing any other work untill i get caught up with the people i owe a few knives to.

So im not going to be doing much except
getting caught up and back to square one.

Afterwards im sure i can come up with somthing. 8-)

Thanks ,Allen Blade
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top