Who is buying these old-timey knives that don't even lock?

r8shell said:
Exactly. I like and carry both modern and old timey knives. It's nice to be able to use a one hand opener if I'm up on a stepladder. I sometimes will carry a small fixed blade, but I actually find a folder easier to deal with. I can fold it and clip it back in my pocket without having to look. I'm always a little more cautious re-sheathing a fixed blade, concerned about stabbing myself in the leg.

There are both great slicers:
JgCM5ve.jpg
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I certainly understand the convenience of opening a knife with one hand. I like switchblades, myself, especially stilettos. Haven't bought a "modern" yet, though. Spyderco seems to me like the Glock of the knife world: innovative, of high quality, and kind of ugly but hard to stop looking at! MAYBE someday I'll buy one.

I am glad there are so many options available. It's a shame that many places (cities, states, countries) have lots of knife restrictions. Also glad I live in Texas.
 
r8shell said:
Exactly. I like and carry both modern and old timey knives. It's nice to be able to use a one hand opener if I'm up on a stepladder. I sometimes will carry a small fixed blade, but I actually find a folder easier to deal with. I can fold it and clip it back in my pocket without having to look. I'm always a little more cautious re-sheathing a fixed blade, concerned about stabbing myself in the leg.

There are both great slicers:
JgCM5ve.jpg
Click to expand...
When I know I'll be on a ladder, I take it even a step further than a modern folder. I've got an old beater otf that is my dedicated ladder knife. The convenience for me is unparalleled, even by a fixed blade.
 
craytab said:
And now you are acting just like the OP. They might be better for you but not for me and certainly not for everyone.
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I was just being a bit tongue in cheek but of course I failed to make it obvious.

Traditionals are 100% my preference these days but I do have an appreciation for pocket clips and thumb studs regardless of the fact that they're no longer my thing.
They're popular for a reason, as a teenager I loved them for those reasons, and they're not going away.
If I couldn't carry a fixed blade at work I'd have to have one for sure.
 
Motega Motega , here is my answer to your question. There are many of us who are pulled to a simpler way of life and an earlier aesthetic. Any or all (and many more) might apply: Our 4-wheelers are horses, our knives might rust if they don't get oiled, our trucks have carburetors, our tactical rifles are stamped "U.S. RIFLE CAL. .30 M1", our razor blades have two edges (or fold into a handle), our watches wind up and tick, we drink coffee that comes off the stovetop, we light candles with matches, we occasionally hunt and fish for meat, we grow fruit and vegetables, we plan our lives with paper and pencil, we write thank yous on nice paper with fountain pens and put them in the mail, and we hold our partners when we dance. Locking knives? Sure, I have many: Buck 110s and 112s, a Mercator, a dozen Opinels, a Le Thiers slipjoint with a liner lock, two ring-pulls by CS, and for my most tactical a Gerber Harsey Air Ranger II (great knife BTW, but I haven't carried it in years). It's not like we're Luddites, though. We're using the internet, right? Hell, I even use a Fiskars plastic hatchet for camping! But there's a lot of pleasure to old things, old styles, old ways; and pleasure is why we pursue this hobby. It sure isn't out of practicality. I have far too many knives for that excuse!

Pick yourself up an old timey knife with nice fit and finish, some good looking scales, and maybe even a carbon steel blade. Give yourself a month to slow down and enjoy it. Take a breath. Look at the world. Chew your food a bit more slowly. Enjoy your hard won civilian life. Use two hands to open and close your pocketknife and take your time doing it. Your blood pressure will come down and the corners of your mouth will go up. The world will look a lot better, I promise. All because of a knife. ;)

Old timey stuff:

h1feO9y.jpg


Laguiole by Le Sabot (about 25 yo, not their best work, but sharp as all get out, a spring like the aforementioned bear trap, and ready for work); 1937 Brazilian army contract S&W M1917; Breitling Aviator 8 Day Date 41mm automatic. <<Disclaimer: Guns and alcohol don't mix!>>

Zieg
 
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jpm2 said:
It's hard to explain, but maybe when you get 40, you'll understand.
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All the way from the second page.

I started losing interest in modern folders when I was all of 38. I didn't believe that just spending more and more on knives would get me more satisfaction, and I decided that I wanted to explore alternatives to the go-to option for mid-tech, mid-price folding knives. Slipjoints are a different niche, although I'm still hanging on to some of the modern touches.
 
Fisher1573 said:
I just fell in love with that Boker.
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Boker Slack. There's a Cocobolo scale version, somewhere around page 3 or 4 (?).

I'm not sure if the Slack is being made anymore, and if you fancy picking one up, you shouldn't wait too long. It's about $80, so it's not a big risk, money-wise.

I should consolidate these posts, somehow....
 
craytab said:
That's unhelpful when having a discussion to counter a myopic point of view, especially when you fail miserably.
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Then here's a more helpful one.

They're as much as I need in a knife, they cut very well, they're very attractive, and they're a great value.
The steels are fine for me too, I've been using a 1095 GEC H20 fixed blade all day at work today ( on lunch ) and I just strop it a few strokes on my pants leg before putting it away and it's not getting dull yet, also hepls clear it of tape residue.
Oh and if you get bored with current production stuff there's the past 120 years worth of knives to look Into.
Plenty of good vintage or even " antique " knives out there, of course they might not be for you if fancier steels are your thing.
 
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Motega said:
I scrubbed the maker's mark, but I'm sure you know what I am talking about. I just got a whole catalog full of 100 slight variations of this exact same knife, or even worse the one that looks like a hooker's boot from 1805.
Many of these are going for $50 or so, and not only is the steel mostly unmarked or 440, but they don't lock in most CASEs (no names, no names). If it were a once a year edition I would get it, but there are literally like 100-200 permutations of the same basic design.

Enlighten me as to why these are still popular.
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Sometimes it is nice to have a gentleman's folder for formal events.
I recently picked up this modern slip joint.
New materials yet classic.

PuSS88e.jpg
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
Tell that to Blade Smith Jerry Fisk. He palm strops his Bowie Blades ..
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Well, there is some part of me that stopped maturing at 12. Hang on now, I'm going to have to do some reading.....

Edit: Huh. Pretty easy to find some information. A fella named Joe Calton on the 'Tube, who advocates palm stropping as a way of cleaning the edge, if not strictly for dressing the edge.

He also sounds like Nicholas Cage, which was puzzling, at first. I guess it's a regional speech pattern....?

I wear cotton fabrics most of the time, and I have the feeling that stropping against them is going to be more effective than the palm of my hand. Safer, too. But if Jerry Fisk says it works, my dumb ass isn't going to argue.

Also for what it's worth, there is a thread over in Traditionals about this. Some similarly middle-school humor there, so I'm at least in good company. I'm going to zip my yapper now, and either allow the thread to wander back on topic, or allow others the opportunity to continue derailing.
 
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