So, I ran this question up the flag pole in the traditional forum but thought I'd post it here to see if I could pick up some different perspectives.
QUESTION: What knives were popular for backpacking, hiking and mountaineering during the 1960s, 70s and 80s?
Obviously, the Swiss Army Knife (SAK) is almost synonymous with backpacking but it's not clear when it gained broad acceptance among backpackers. Nor is it clear to me what other knives were popular and when.
PLEASE NOTE: I am not looking for advice on what sort of knife to carry or buy today. I'm really only interested in hearing about knives in use in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
My hunch here is that most people got their knives from some place other than a backpacking and climbing store and I'm trying to get a bead on this.
If you were hiking and climbing during that era or if you were working in shops catering to backpackers during that time, I would love to hear your reflections.
If anybody has or can point to catalogs outfitters of the day that would show what knives were carried, that would be ideal.
Some specific questions:
SAKs - When did they start to become popular among backpackers and climbers? What stores carried them? Which models were the most commonly seen and used?
Boy Scout Knives and Traditional Pocket Knives - These include "Boy Scout Knives" made by Ulster and Camillus among many others. This also traditional "jack knives" like those made by Case, Schrade, Boker and others. Were these commonly used? What brands to you recall being sold in backpacking stores or catalogs?
Buck Knives - These are the large, wood and brass folding hunting style knives like the Buck 110 and 112, as well as the numerous knives of the same style sold by other manufactures like Schrade, Ka-Bar, Camillus and Case. Did you see this style of knife in use during that these times periods? What backpacking or climbing stores carried them?
Multitools - The first Leatherman tool appeared in the early 80s and the Early Winters catalog carried them in the 1982 or 83 time frame. Did you see multitools on the trail during the 80s? Which brand? What stores or catalogs carried them?
Tactical Folders - The Spyderco CO1 Worker was introduced in 1981 featuring a large hole in the blade allowing for one hand opening. Did you see similar tactical folding knifes on the trails during the 1980s? Did any backpacking or climbing stores that you know of sell knives of this sort?
Traditional Fixed Blade Knives - These include hunting knives like the Buck 119 and military knives like the classic Ka-Bar. Did you see them in use backpacking or climbing and were they carried by backpacking and climbing stores?
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I'll start... I was just a boy in the 1960s, which meant goofing around in the Scouts or raising havoc in the neighborhood with a BB gun. I got my first Ulster made Scout knife when I was 8 and lost several. I recall going to Sears stores to buy replacements with my folks, usually with a sterm lecture to take better care of my knife. This continued through the early 70s. I lived in teh mid-west and had never heard of backpacking or climbing. Just camping.
In the mid to late 70s, I discovered skiing and backpacking. I also discovered the REI mail order catalog, which tooks its place on my reading stand next to a stack of Herter's catalogs. Herters sold hunting and fishing supplies. While I still have an old SACS Millet rucksack that I purchased in 1978, I don't recall ever seeing a knife in an REI catalog. I did order a Buck 110 from Herters though, as well as a cheap Barlow.
I remember visiting "mountain shops" in Vermont in the 70s when we would visit in the summer and I remember buying various bits of "gear" like a down jacket (Mountain Lion) and my first real hiking boots (Lowa) but I don't recall seeing knives for sale. Just have no recollection.
I saw my first dedicated brick and mortar outdoor store in the early 80s when I went to college there. There was Wilderness House on Comm Ave and across the street, the big Eastern Mountain Sports. My interest in visiting those stores was more towards things like crampons, sleeping backs and stoves. Again, I just have no memory of what knives were sold there.
I do recall getting my first multitool towards the end of the 80s; a SOG Paratool which went into my pack for a long time.