"Tribal" blades?

S

scouter27

Joined
May 27, 2000
Messages
1,090
What does it mean? I've been looking, and it appears that a knife with a natural-material-cord-wrap is the one big thing they seem to have in common.

I realize that there is not regulation for the use of the term, but for the tribal style makers here, what does it mean to you?

Don't get me wrong, in searching I've liked just about every one I've come across. Although, I must say, my favorite is this one

http://wildertools.net/?portfolio=tribal-dagger

Thanks
 
I say aesthetics and process. There are several makers who fall into this Genre, my favorites would be Rick Marchand and Zombietools.
 
I don't really know... I just call em Tribal... lol.

Tribal to me is a raw, natural, multi-cultural stylized piece that doesn't fall directly into a historically "correct" period or style. For example, I wouldn't(intentionally) make a rustic Kuhkri clone and call it Tribal. My inspiration comes from the guys like Tai Goo and Tim Lively, who, to me, are the forerunners of the whole Neo-Tribal knifemaking movement. I use a combination of traditional and modern methods and materials.

Thank you so much for mentioning me in your post... I am flattered.
 
My inspiration comes from the guys like Tai Goo and Tim Lively, who, to me, are the forerunners of the whole Neo-Tribal knife making movement
Click to expand...
FWIW and to keep the facts straight - Tai Goo is THE Godfather so to speak of the Neo-Tribal metal smiths movement - he is the first maker to have coined the term as regards metal smiths (not just blade/knife smiths). With due respect to Tim, who was mentored by Tai, he ran with the term to mean the more unplugged side of the original movement, which originally (and simplistically) meant the best of the past mixed with the best of modern times technology - the unplugged version versus the original version has unfortunately caused a bunch of confusion re: the tribal term.

And a cord wrap grip is only one of the methods used and really has nothing to do with defining the term as it was originally intended - it's more about the "way" of doing something overall rather than specific methodologies/materials such as cord wrap, forged finish, etc.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for giving Tai his deserved credit, Wild Rose. I didn't realize he was THE grand poobah! This Wiki explanation of Neotribalism certainly fits the bill as well...
French sociologist Michel Maffesoli was perhaps the first to use the term neotribalism in a scholarly context. Maffesoli predicted that as the culture and institutions of modernism declined, societies would embrace nostalgia and look to the organizational principles of the distant past for guidance, and that therefore the post-modern era would be the era of neotribalism.
Click to expand...

I don't think anybody said cordwrap was a defining feature... I certainly didn't.
 
Rick Marchand said:
I don't think anybody said cordwrap was a defining feature... I certainly didn't.
Click to expand...

I did, sort of. It was supposed to be an observation on a trend I've seen here on Blade Forums, not a proposed rule. Even your knife I linked wasn't a cord wrapped handle.

I lusted after that knife while it was for sale here, but lacked (still do) the funds to pick it up. I've been admiring your work for some time, and I have liked the way you've grown into yourself as a knife maker. Even without your mark your work is easy to spot (in a good way).

But, now that you mention it, I may need to charge you for the add space ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top