Ethnic Designs Interpetations

[arzh]

what about a friction folder ?
it's a simple and legal system i like a lot
here le couteau des sorgues by Xavier CONIL

[Manix Guy 2]

Really like Ethnic styles but I would covet your Humpback design , a real beauty Ed . MG2

[Michael Bolton]

Wow. So Spyderco has covered China and Japan, is there a design that is native to Korea? I will do some research, but I would LOVE to see a korean inspired folder if a korean blade exists....anyone know anything about this? I'll go ahead and design it myself!!

---NEWS FLASH---- KOREAN DESIGNS DO EXIST!!

[jmp]

Hi,

Micheal Bolton posed an interesting question concerning such designs.

Skipping the Japanese and the Near East, for of all of Asia, I only ever
found (non-sword) designs/images/... for Nepal (Khukri & the sickle-like
field work design), the ubiquitous Chinese Chopper, and finally Kris & Barong.
Other than that, I came up empty in both replicas or even mere images
of traditional blades; both of fighting/SD or of user-type.

Ed / Micheal / *: Can you share some pointers to resources of traditional
knifes, esp. for "lesser known" regions? Maybe to be collected in this thread
or in a new faq-style thread?

I couldn't even locate an image of the Ja Dong (sp?) that Micheal mentioned.
The few hits I had neither descriptions nor images.

thanx for your help.
Peter

[jmp]

Ed, your Khukri design really is a nice folder, and it is
true to the overall shape of the original. And nicer than
any small versions of the real thing that I've seen (e.g. the Biltong,
that small khuk-turned-South-African fish knife) - starting with
the handle and definitely not ending with it:)

But I really miss the sharp recurve in front of the handle - on the
original it's softer and has a less acute edge angle than the belly,
but it still sharp. Is there still a tiny chance for a small _sharp_
recurve instead of the full thickness curve shown in Wouter's images?

Thanx
Peter

PS: to spread our Thank-You-Wouter to yet another thread:)
Thanx for the nice Amsterdam pics!!

[Michael Bolton]

Hi JMP:

I have found some info, though I am going to have to translate some Korean over the next few days (not a lot of stuff in English on Korean designs as the Japanese and Chinese designs have been held more interest for westerners) but I will relay more info as soon as I translate the materials I have gathered.

I was toying with the idea of drafting something inspired by the Korean Jang Do, which is a small blade traditionally given to Korean women as a self defense weapon. I really love the connection and fusion of metals and natural materials in the traditional Korean blades.

Before I even really dig into this project (I have been sketching in the studio when taking breaks between painting) do you guys (and gals) think there is a market, or interest for a small blade like this? Ideally, at this point I would want a more "natural" feeling handle materials, like a micarta, and it would be small and a variation of the tanto, but the end isn't as angular as the tanto, the edges (except for the tip) are rounded out. The blade would also have a slight curve to it in keeping with the traditional Korean blade..

I'm finding, as with most things Korean, that because Japan and China have held a greater interest to the west, that there is very little english-translated material available, so I'm going to my family members and speaking with them and doing some digging on my own. Everything I am finding is written in Korean.

[pedro navaja]

Hello Ed,

I would like to see a folder with 5 inch blade based on the spanish or basque "navaja", those ratcheting huge folders. It should have a clip.

Hi Ed,
I second it. It is great to be inspired by blades that illustrate the creativity of man with iron and steel all over the planet.
Also if it could be done a "machete" folder in a small scale with a resemblance to its typical handle and blade. "Machetes" are working tools with a history of freedom fighting weapons in the Caribbean.

[jmp]

I have found some info, though I am going to have to translate some Korean over the next few days (not a lot of stuff in English on Korean designs as the Japanese and Chinese designs have been held more interest for westerners) but I will relay more info as soon as I translate the materials I have gathered.

Great news. Please post also any untranslated links.

Images are always of interest, and for the rest, we can always translate web pages into "NANSENSU [tm]" via google language tools or ancient babelfish.altavista.com . This allows at least a rough first guess at what a text might be about :) .

Thanx,
Peter

[kimjune01]

You can use Google Translate or you can PM me on any korean-language needs. As guessed, I'm korean.

[Shike]

I like the idea of the Navaja. Here is a pic of one I just purchased a few weeks ago. I had uploaded it in the Non Spydie purchases.

[Michael Bolton]

I like the idea of the Navaja. Here is a pic of one I just purchased a few weeks ago. I had uploaded it in the Non Spydie purchases.

You know...with a Navaja folder you can make it waved and not have to credit Emerson at all!

:) :spyder:

[Halfneck]

You know...with a Navaja folder you can make it waved and not have to credit Emerson at all!

:) :spyder:

Why would you want to do that?

[clovisc]

i've got to represent alaska here, and mention the ulu. :D in appalachia, a similar sort of blade is called a "coleslaw knife." guess you could market it either way? :rolleyes:

sal, a folding version could certainly be doable...

also... traditional chokwe design... now that might make a good african folder... hmm... :D

the dragonfly's shape reminded me (and my father) of native american spear point shapes. which raises a challenging question... how could someone take the concept of a flint-knapped native american hand knife, and transform it into a modern folder?

folding santoku?

smaller folding version of a chinese guan dao or horsechopper?

a knife design based on older frontiersman designs of our colonial days of yore? "american primitive" knife?

an affordable FRN karambit geared towards EDC rather than specialized MBC?

i like the idea of a basque knife, as well.

tlingit knife? http://www.naalive.com/cataloglistingit ... id=1564720

Garu Dhaw: http://www.himalayan-imports.com/one-time-knives.html

Jambiya

folding knife based on the extremely common african "lupanga" or "panga" pattern. (cold steel makes a "panga")

[224477]

"american primitive" knife?

an affordable FRN karambit geared towards EDC rather than specialized MBC?

Jambiya

Clovisc, not sure if "american primitive" would be a cool name for a knife :p

I would be happy about a new FRN kbit in the price range of FRN folders, howerer, I think we are talking about tooling a completely new design, which is thanks being specialized very thin profile seller. :rolleyes:

Jambiya would be cool, but in my opinion the Ed Bradichansky designed Shabaria is very closed the a jambiya design. I will appreciate to be corrected if this statement is not correct :)

[Shike]

The Folding Santoku has been done

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_type ... ezers.html

but I must admit a :spyder: one would be cool!!!

[jmp]

Jambiya would be cool, but in my opinion the Ed Bradichansky designed Shabaria is very closed the a jambiya design. I will appreciate to be corrected if this statement is not correct :)

I'd also expect that the 2 originals pretty much map to the same folder shape. A short discussion on this was in 05 in this very thread. Kind of explains why I had so much trouble to find the postings again, even when I *knew* I've read them only in the last two weeks or so :p

cu
Peter

[clovisc]

The Folding Santoku has been done

http://www.agrussell.com/knives/by_type ... ezers.html

but I must admit a :spyder: one would be cool!!!

yea, shike -- i've seen this too. i've never handled one, so i can't comment on what it's like... i'm sure spyderco could do an awesome one.

keep in mind, the "ethnic" serious is essentially a spyderco take on already existing designs...

224477 -- "american primitive" is a respected and conventional name used for certain kinds of rustic painting and furniture. by saying an "american primitive" knife, i mean a knife design contemporaneous with this "genre" of do-it-yourself rural craftsmanship.

good question raised... is the shabaria indeed intended to be a jambiya? hmm! guess that might explain the unusual handle shape...??!

[pedro navaja]

I like the idea of the Navaja. Here is a pic of one I just purchased a few weeks ago. I had uploaded it in the Non Spydie purchases.

Muy bonita y afilada navaja, nice music to go with it. The navaja folder will fit Spyderco nicely

[Shike]

Pedro: Check your pm

[jaislandboy]

I believe I have a Navaja somewhere (can't find it)....it was gifted to me from a friend who travelled to Spain and brought it back to the USA....it's around 10 inches opened with a bone handle....gotta find it for pix... a :spyder: - version would be sweet
also a smaller Laguiole folder w/ a 3" blade or less would be awesome too :cool: