Spyderco Forums

What production knives do you consider "classic" (stood the test of time)?
Benchmade has their griptilian, 94x series
CRKT has their M16, which still remains popular ages later (actually wish they'd make a nice one, that's not auto)

Chris Reeve Sebenza

The Buck model 110 immediately comes to my mind. Also that one Ka-Bar fixed blade that the US military used so much over the years. Ashamed to say I can't recall the model number on that one>> but you all know which one I'm talking about.

As far as Spyderco blades go my vote is the C-36 Military. To me that is Spyderco's rendition of the Buck 110 :cool:

A bunch of different Case knives
Muskrat, Trapper, etc...

also, why do you think they are classics?

The M16 is the first production flipper, but it's kinda crude and doesn't cut that well - and they still sell boat loads - it looks cool, though

Modern? There are tons of them.

- Randall Model 14.
- Spyderco PM2.

Ka-Bar USMC knife.

Buck 110

Kershaw Leek

In my home town we have had two awesome local hardware stores. The two brands that one store carries is Buck and Queen Cutlery. Recently Queen Cutlery went out of business which I was very sad to hear about. Just about any of Queen's knives were truly a slice of Americana.

Another hardware store we had sold Ka-Bar and CASE>> both of those brands were reflective of true American workmanship.

I got a feeling that we are going to see those old Hardware store knives disappear from the landscape in the next few years.

MacLaren wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 20, 2020 5:38 pm

Chris Reeve Sebenza

That was my first thought too.




I also agree with Spydergirl about the Leek.

I got a feeling that we are going to see those old Hardware store knives disappear from the landscape in the next few years.

If you still have any feel fortunate. We lost ours some years ago to the large national chain. There might be some old stores like that far away from the cities in feed stores but everything else around here is strictly large chains. I love those old Queen knives in D2 with wood grips. Now it's pretty much overpaying on E Bay for me to get them.

When I was a kid large Bowie knives from Solingen were what everyone wanted. The Western model 47 and 49 bowies are still classics and command a pretty penny in good condition.

In my earlier married days when I was always poor I longed for SOG Tigersharks and Bowies in SK5 steel. Those Blued bowies were beautiful to look at but not really the best cutting tool around. I still want a nice one but the really high condition examples are ridiculous money.

Gerber Sportsman 1, 2 and 3 were classics in their day. 440C and even Vascowear ( a few years in the 80's in the Sportsman 2 ). Pretty sporty stuff for those days.

The Stanley knife was introduced in 1934 and has spawned a zillion variations. One notable one is the Olfa utility knife with the break off blades.

Probably not what most people would think of as a modern classic, but it certainly is, as far as modern hand cutting tools go.

And no one’s said it yet, so I’ll nominate the C01 Worker, with its one hand opening hole and pocket clip as a substantial paradigm shift in modern knives.

Sebenza has been taken, so...

SS Spyderco Police SE. It’s iconic and still around today (AFAIK).

Endura and Delica, too.

If it were still in production, I would also include the Benchmade 710.

Jim

While I only have limited experience with modern knives, I'd say Spyderco's Police, Endura and Military deserve the classic title.
For fixed blades, I'd say ESEE has some good non-prybar models, such as their HM line and Camp lore series. TOPS seems to have the BOB models, among others.
Not experienced with other brands so I can't talk about these.

Victorinox Standard comes to my mind.

Opinel is one that hasn't rec'd much attention here lately.

The Mastiff wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 20, 2020 8:12 pm

I got a feeling that we are going to see those old Hardware store knives disappear from the landscape in the next few years.

If you still have any feel fortunate. We lost ours some years ago to the large national chain. There might be some old stores like that far away from the cities in feed stores but everything else around here is strictly large chains. I love those old Queen knives in D2 with wood grips. Now it's pretty much overpaying on E Bay for me to get them.

When I was a kid large Bowie knives from Solingen were what everyone wanted. The Western model 47 and 49 bowies are still classics and command a pretty penny in good condition.

In my earlier married days when I was always poor I longed for SOG Tigersharks and Bowies in SK5 steel. Those Blued bowies were beautiful to look at but not really the best cutting tool around. I still want a nice one but the really high condition examples are ridiculous money.

Gerber Sportsman 1, 2 and 3 were classics in their day. 440C and even Vascowear ( a few years in the 80's in the Sportsman 2 ). Pretty sporty stuff for those days.

Then you know exactly the type of old Hardware store I'm talking about. The two we have>> one is a True Value Hardware and the other is in the ACE hardware chain. But both of them are great keeping great products in stock. We also have a Feldman's Hardware that is family owned>> they are more of a farm supply store than they are a traditional Hardware Store. But they keep Ka-Bar, Gerber, and Buck. They used to have a wide variety in including Queen, Case, Western, Camillus and I'm speaking of when these companies had the older USA made stuff. I was just sick when Queen and Camillus both folded. Camillus name is still out there but it is 3rd World, gas station junk. I don't hate anyone enough to give them one of those types of knives.

When I go to garage Sales I look for Buck, Ka-bar and some of those others I've mentioned and I specifically ask if they were out of the 1980s, 90s and earlier. Some of Buck's stuff in the 70s was great for the time. Spyderco has truly filled the void with super high quality units. And I hope that they continue. But the older tradition stuff is going to have a battle to continue.

I bought my first pocketknives in the ‘70s at an old family-owned hardware store. They used to have a big Schrade display case that had been there for decades. Sadly, that store finally closed a few years ago.

We have Home Depot, Ace, and one last big hardware store called San Diego Hardware that originally opened since 1892. Ace and San Diego Hardware used to carry pocketknives, but the Ace Hardware around my area (that I know of) stopped carrying pocketknives many years ago. They used to carry Case, Buck, Gerber, and some Victorinox. San Diego Hardware used to carry Buck and quite a variety of Victorinox, but last time I checked, no more. Other stores in my area that used to carry pocketknives that are still around don’t carry them anymore, either.

Jim