Which do you favor, modern or traditional folders, or both?

[jpm2]

I have my favorite traditional, and favorite modern. Both are selected mostly from necessity, and always with me.
My favorite of the two depends on what I'm doing at the time.

 

[Fire Beard]

Fun thread to read. I voted Traditionals, but I do like both. For my needs, a slipjoint can handle 99.9% of my cutting tasks. I also find traditional knives much more aesthetically pleasing. But I like a nice modern, too. Here’s my current setup. The 35 often gets carried in a leather slip. The Mini Crooked River is absolutely fantastic.

 

[TheEdge01]

Fun thread to read. I voted Traditionals, but I do like both. For my needs, a slipjoint can handle 99.9% of my cutting tasks. I also find traditional knives much more aesthetically pleasing. But I like a nice modern, too. Here’s my current setup. The 35 often gets carried in a leather slip. The Mini Crooked River is absolutely fantastic.

View attachment 844752

I used to own the Crooked River, very nice knife, you have a nice looking traditional folder there too.

 

[jackknife]

I've been strictly traditional my whole life. What can I say, I'm an old fart who instinctively hates the 'new' stuff. So far I haven't run into anything I couldn't cut with a regular ol pocket knife.

Boker 240 pen gets a lot of carry.


If my pen knife isn't enough, a stockman or SAK will do me.


If they don't work, then the hell with it, I'm using my machete on it.


Locks? We don't need no steenkin locks!

 

[TheEdge01]

I've been strictly traditional my whole life. What can I say, I'm an old fart who instinctively hates the 'new' stuff. So far U haven't run into anything I couldn't cut with a regular ol pocket knife.

Boker 240 pen gets a lot of carry.


If my pen knife isn't enough, a stockman or SAK will do me.


If they don't work, then the hell with it, I'm using my machete on it.


Locks? We don't need no steenkin locks!

I carry an SAK like yours at work.

 

[Korean Hog]

I have a few traditionals and like em but I've always carried a modern locking folder of some type. Spyderco or CRK most days.

Nothing really against traditionals but I feel like you get more performance "ounce for ounce" out of a modern folder and having a pocket clip and one-handed opening and closing is much more convenient when you're up on a ladder.

Digging through my pocket to grab a knife and having to use two hands for operation is really annoying when you're balancing on studs in the attic or 20 ft. Off the ground. I don't knock other people using traditionals they're just not for me.

 

[Fire Beard]

I used to own the Crooked River, very nice knife, you have a nice looking traditional folder there too.

Thanks. That’s a GEC 35 and it easily handles nearly all of my cutting needs. I’ve always loved the Crooked River, but never picked one up due to its size. When the mini became available I had to have it.

 

[G. Scott H.]

I prefer modern, as I like to see new and different things come out, and I like to be able to clip a knife in my pants pocket and pop it out, flip it open, use it, and then close and put it away with a minimum of trouble. I love various traditional knives, of course, but this is about preference, so I'll have to give the nod to modern.

 

[elnero]

I'm a fan of both, each has it's place, they actually if paired up right create an awesome cutting system where each blade compliments the others. How about a traditional pattern done in modern materials?

JD Ellis Lanny's Clip, blue G-10 frame, red linen micarta liners, maroon canvas micarta bolsters with natural canvas micarta covers.

I agree. Here's my contribution that line of thinking, a Peña Lanny's Clip flipper .

 

[afishhunter]

No one blade profile is "ideal" for every task.
I prefer the traditionals.
A stockman gives me a choice of a clip, sheepsfoot, and spey blade.
While I may not spey critters, it does make for a good skinning blade. (Probably why it is one of the blades on a trapper)

I recently bought my first "keeper" modern, an Ontario RAT 1, which I have taken to carrying clipped to my RF pocket.
This gives me a drop point blade.
I kept my Buck 110 on my belt, for the clip point.
In my RF pocket, there is also a 4 blade "Scout" knife or SAK Huntsman.
That gives me a spear point blade, and in the case of the Huntsman, a pen blade,as well. (A canoe or sunfish pattern is an alternative carry for the spear point and pen blades)
Also in the RF pocket, is a Stockman, for the sheepsfoot and spey blades.

I remember hearing somewhere while growing up the phrase "Be Prepared".
I figure with a good selection of blade profiles, I'm prepared for pretty much any cutting task that may present itself.

 

[Wowbagger]

. . . and another thing :
I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it,
allow me a moment to compose myself.
For the walls of text . . . yes just gushing gobs see those other posts of mine of late (most of you know what I refer to )

Just the facts here :
If the Spyderco Para 2 M4 is thee modern knife for me of all time then what I am about to unveil is THEEEEE slip joint of all time for me.
Mostly a color and blade shape thing but now that I have it and have carried it for several days I can report a surprise.
Though it is fairly close in size to a full size Trapper this large Sockman is completely comfortable to carry in the bottom of my pockets. No way can I do this with a Trapper; it starts to annoy me and into the belt pouch it goes.

This is my first large Stockman; I never realize they could carry like this. I always assumed I would pouch carry it.
Hmmmm
doubly happy now
So BOTH ! I'm even more intrenched in the "BOTH" camp now.

 

[b2edhmep]

I like and own both. I favor traditional. They were the knives of my childhood, parents and grandparents and what I am accustomed to. The modern knives I own were bought for work. They are good knives and good cutters. I am drawn back to traditionals though for EDC.

 

[Floatingby]

I own a bunch of traditional style folders, from Europe and America, and I am pleased to own them and play with them from time to time, but I never carry them, I just got used to the convenience modern knives afford(pocket clip, lightweight, one handed opening and closing, modern steel...).

 

[gazz98]

Modern. Although I am looking for a traditional Case or maybe a Queen (I'm too cheap to spring for a GEC) to add to my rotation. I'm debating between a lock back or slip joint.

 

[Comeuppance]

I own both and like both for varying reasons. I generally pick the knife for the day based on what I expect to encounter. Am I just going out for a normal day? I'll probably bring an OTF because I can and my girlfriend likes playing with them. Am I going to school that day? Probably a slipjoint for the sake of being unobtrusive and nonthreatening / not breaking campus weapon rules.

 

[DocJD]

Traditional is what I grew up with, but now really have no practical use for . The moderns are just better in every way for my uses . I have some keepsakes with nostalgia factor for the old stuff from family and my youth , but never carry or use any . Same for my old vinyl records and film cameras , etc .

 

[Kels73]

I appreciate both, but I definitely favor modern. Right now I only have one traditional in my collection.

 

[knarfeng]

I like and carry both, often one of each at the same time. But, if I only have one knife on me, it's likely to be ... (surprise) ... a traditional.

I like traditionals for several reasons.
♦ They are what I grew up using. "Modern" knives weren't invented yet when I started carrying a knife. "Traditional" knives were all that was available until I was about in my 30's.
♦ I find them more useful for what I use a knife for.
o I find a small thin blade to be easy to control and able to be placed exactly where I need it to use it to best effect. (often where I need it is is inside a loop or a knot or some such where a large blade just won't fit.
o I prefer using a blade with a shape which is optimized for what I am cutting. I prefer a sheepsfoot for starting a cut in the middle of a surface. I prefer a blade with some belly for slicing. A traditional pattern with two or three blades gives me those options in a single knife. Very few modern patterns do.

I also like modern knives. (Of course I do. I'm a knife knut.) Interesting variations in steels and patterns. And assisted open is very cool. So, yeah. I carry moderns, too.

 

[Danke42]

I have found that with modern or traditional I really bias to single blade folders.

My most common knives in my formative years were all multi blade folders like Swiss arm knives. I really like the sensible idea of them and I've bought many but I never really warm up to them. Maybe because they're too much like tools they don't inspire any excitement in me the same way something like a Fremont Jack does.

 

[Carboniferous]

I prefer traditionals. I can't open mine one-handed, but I don't need to most of the time. Sometimes I have to open it and set it down until I need it, but I don't find that to be too vexing. Opening a slipjoint requires more interaction with the knife, I suppose, which can be good or bad. Deployment times are slower, but I think you get to know the knife better. The backspring makes the knife feel . . . almost alive I guess, something dynamic and forceful that you have to overcome with a lot more deliberation than flicking open a Spyderco with your thumb. I don't have super huge hands, I can get a full grip on a 3 7/8" closed Queen tear drop and a comfortable three fingers on a <3.0" closed Case peanut.

Traditionals also use more natural handle materials which I really like, I think the knives have more "character" generally (obviously subjective). They also tend to have thinner blades that cut better, although they also tend to have comparatively soft/low carbide-volume steel (an issue for some people, not a big issue for me).

I also like the history, and seeing old knives/advertisements that look just like the knife in my pocket.