Uk knives from the 1980’s onwards, how thing change

[MikeLA]

Just thinking how the quality and amount of knives and knife making has changed since the 1980’s/early 90’s. When I was having a clear out and found a K Bar and a Spec Plus Navy knife still in their boxes. Also remember having other knives of Less quality which were difficult to sharpen when the bench stones etc were rare. Only using a 2 inch oil stone or a butchers steel. On the market were SpecPlus knives ( many kinds), Cold Steel SRK, Golock and the MOD Survival knife and others of a military nature.
Lofty Wiseman tool and the Wilkinson Sword knife were the few makers knives available but out of price range for most youths.

Then around the early 90’s I guess we began to see a change with new knife makers on the market like fallkniven, mora and many independent UK knife makers selling good quality knives. Until the choices of today. What knives can you remember having to struggle with or owned and still miss.

 

[Allans865]

The knife of choice for me in my youth was the old cheap Chinese hollow handled "survival" knife with the big ball compass on the pommel.
The steel was so soft the tip would bend.
The amount of times I cut my fingers trying to sharpen the blade with that tiny oilstone!
Never did manage to catch any fish with the fishing kit either.
Managed to find a photo online of one.

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[Danqrl]

The knife of choice for me in my youth was the old cheap Chinese hollow handled "survival" knife with the big ball compass on the pommel.
The steel was so soft the tip would bend.
The amount of times I cut my fingers trying to sharpen the blade with that tiny oilstone!
Never did manage to catch any fish with the fishing kit either.
Managed to find a photo online of one.

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This was my first fixed blade knife I owned as a child (and shouldn't have owned really) I had 2 of these growing up and the handles broke on both.

 

[Allans865]

This was my first fixed blade knife I owned as a child (and shouldn't have owned really) I had 2 of these growing up and the handles broke on both.

I don't think I should've owned one either...especially as I was only about 12 at the time but that didn't really matter back then!

Still, learned most of my fundamental knife skills on blades like these.

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[Kadushu]

The knife scene has changed dramatically in the last 10 years or so, particularly with regard to steel types. I recently heard S35VN described as a low mid-range steel where not so long ago it was regarded as high end. Some of this super steel chasing is completely overblown, especially when it comes to collectors who barely use their knives, but a general increase in steel quality can't be a bad thing.

 

[Great egret]

i still have my opinel 8 i bought when i was around 14.

 

[MikeLA]

The knife of choice for me in my youth was the old cheap Chinese hollow handled "survival" knife with the big ball compass on the pommel.
The steel was so soft the tip would bend.
The amount of times I cut my fingers trying to sharpen the blade with that tiny oilstone!
Never did manage to catch any fish with the fishing kit either.
Managed to find a photo online of one.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Now that knife I remember having as well.

 

[demographic]

Knives branded Whitby with blades of that gummy steel that gave stainless steels a bad name.

There are very good stainless steels about nowadays but they still get tarred with the same brush.

 

[Tiley]

My first knife was bought from the Scout shop. It had a stacked handle built up of bits of fibre and a wodge of antler that was far to thick and knobbly for viable sustained use, a Sheffield steel blade and the most useless sheath on the planet. It was only when my father brought back a knife, which I now know to be a puukko, from a business trip to Finland that I realised quite how terrible my 'Scout' knife had been.

Things have certainly changed over time. Buyers' interest in the steel, geometry, grind angles, handle materials and heaven along knows what else have had a signal effect on the quality of knives. The appearance of very skilled knife makers has also changed the landscape for the better. Perhaps the biggest change around knives and their ownership and use appear in the laws that now govern what we can and can't carry and utilise...

 

[Laurentius]

My first knife was bought from the Scout shop. It had a stacked handle built up of bits of fibre and a wodge of antler that was far to thick and knobbly for viable sustained use, a Sheffield steel blade and the most useless sheath on the planet. It was only when my father brought back a knife, which I now know to be a puukko, from a business trip to Finland that I realised quite how terrible my 'Scout' knife had been.

Things have certainly changed over time. Buyers' interest in the steel, geometry, grind angles, handle materials and heaven along knows what else have had a signal effect on the quality of knives. The appearance of very skilled knife makers has also changed the landscape for the better. Perhaps the biggest change around knives and their ownership and use appear in the laws that now govern what we can and can't carry and utilise...

I had a similar item, my dad was not impressed (with it's quality that is) and I replaced it with a decent sheffield steel bowie. I also had one of those old British Army jack knives (as they were called at the time) with a broken tin opener blade. This would be tail end of the 1960's when I was a teen.

 

[Toddy]

I still have mine, and Himself's versions of those knives from the Scout Shop.
Carp. Absolute Carp. You just had to get used to doing a lot of sharpening. Mine has a brass end and his has an aluminium one. The leather stacked handles were comfortable though, and they've lasted well.
We also both had army 'jack' knives....with the marlin spike. Those got an awful lot more use.

My little bother and I played with a Kukri, a real one, my Uncle did his national service as the M.O. for the 2nd Battalion the Gurkha Highlanders in Hong Kong in the late fifties, as children.
Thinking back on it, it's astonishing neither of us lot any digits or limbs and an assortment of sharps from Grandpa's shed. From army sabres to cutlasses. Wasn't even that uncommon really.

Different times indeed.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I must have been a trend setter then as I had a Mora Scout and Opinel, bought from the local sport shop.
A lot of scouts had a plastic handled mini Bowie thing that if you hit handle first when playing splits was likely to shatter.
Had the Mora stolen whilst I was a Junior Leader at Arborfield, but now have my brothers that he bought when the handle broke on his mini Bowie.


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[Van-Wild]

My first ever knife was gifted to me by my grandad. A small, stainless steel pocket knife in the shape of a fish. Double bladed, one small (about 1/2 inch) and one larger blade (about 1.5 inch). I eventually lost it as I got older....

My first ever fixed blade knife was a J.A Sheffield small Bowie with a bone handle and brass pommel. Very nice but I recall it being incredibly difficult to sharpen. That one got stolen.

Then I went all Rambo and got an MOD Survival knife. Kept that for a long time until I gifted it to a good friend.

My wife got me an SWC Woodlore (pre Ray days) in 2006 and I've hardly used or felt I've needed any other type of knife since.

I have had a couple of Mora Robusts over the years. They're solid knives and if I didn't have my SWC they'd be the only knife I'd use. I've gifted quite a few to very good friends over the years.

Another knife I've also carried for a long long time is the Victorinox Rangergrip 79. Its my EDC pocket knife and the perfect back up to the SWC in the woods.

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[ONE]

I recall a real hankering for a Chris Reeve hollow handle knife, but never having the money!

 

[Pacman01]

My first knife purchase was a Chinese saw back survival knife bought from one of the shops on Blackpool Pier. I somehow talked my parents into letting me buy it which they agreed to even though I was 12 (how times change). I still have it although it has been relegated to box opening duty. Still going strong since 1982!

 

[lostplanet]

There wasn't much choice or information back early 80's so I had one this utter garbage. I cannot believe these are still being sold

https://www.contactleft.co.uk/explorer-kit-knife-black.html

Explorer Adventure Kit Knife | Knifewarehouse

Explorer Adventure Kit knife - 13.5cm Blade - Survival kit in handle & rigid sheath. 30 function survival kit with a catapult built in.

www.knifewarehouse.co.uk

 

[Great egret]

I still have my SAK from army training. I think the model is KL89

 

[Billy-o]

My wife got me an SWC Woodlore (pre Ray days) in 2006 and I've hardly used or felt I've needed any other type of knife since.

If ever there was a thread in need of the 'useless without pics' tag

 

[Van-Wild]

If ever there was a thread in need of the 'useless without pics' tag

I can put up some pics if you like? I am a believer in 'pics or it didn't happen....'

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[Danceswithhelicopters]

C'mon, some of the stuff was sheer class. Al Mar SERE from 1983 I reckon. Still used and admired. Had it with me on a couple of canoe/wild camping trips in 2021.