Musings: scripture vs. tradition

Catholics believe that scripture plus thousands of years of history in its interpretation, called tradition, jointly convey God's revelation to the world. Most Protestants believe in Martin Luther's rubric of sola scriptura ("scripture only"). Yet if you accept that view, it contradicts itself, because nowhere in scripture does it say to accept only scripture... Even so, once a Protestant says "scripture only," it shuts out the Catholic's view, who is forced to backpedal by saying, "Now wait a minute..." (By the way, Anglicans and Episcopalians believe in scripture, tradition and reason.)