American Service Knife (ASK)

If it has edge geometry similar to other Medford knives I've used, it won't be able to slice a banana without turning it into baby food.

Plus, I find the design repellant and not even close to traditional.

Not a big fan of SAKs to begin with but I'd take any of them, any day, over this.
 
I didn't realize we had an ASK thread here.

I purchased one awhile back when they came across my radar. Admittedly, I am not a big SAK fan - I think they serve a general purpose and folks tend to get a lot of use out of all of their tools but they generally get left unused by me. I am also a fellow that doesn't get much use out of a caplifter on a knife really so you can take my opinion with hefty amounts of salt.

The ASK offering intrigued me due to how customizable it can end up being for a user. Personally, the ability to tailor exactly what I want on a multipurpose knife/tool has great appeal to me and I figured I'd give it a try. I am not buying a lot of knives these days but I had some money burning a hole in my pocket so I found a DLT exclusive version that piqued my fancy.

I got the Jefferson model with the P40 Warhawk covers - this model comes standard with a spear blade, caplifter/screwdriver, and chisel/nail puller/1/4" wrench. The steel is S45VN, with titanium hardware and liners, and injected molded plastic covers. I've been carrying it the last couple of weeks (though I have had it for awhile now) and feel comfortable enough to give it an honest assessment.

Pros:
- 100% Made in USA (a singular point of pride for this company).
- Premium stainless steel and high end hardware (save the covers...).
- Robust tools. You will be hard pressed to break the blade or tools, they are of stout stock.
- Spear blade is of an excellent design, hollow ground, and very sharp - this thing cuts very efficiently.
- Stock tool arrangement on the Jefferson is simple, yet versatile. The chisel is an interesting addition and I'd probably find more use for it if I didn't work a desk job.
- Tools are accessible without being obtrusive and everything nests together perfectly (on this arrangement anyway).
- Action is excellent for a slipjoint like this with medium pulls and the typical snap one expects from a more modern built slipjoint
- The tools and tangs are designed in a way that minimizes risk of unintentional closing - in my opinion, this in particular is thoughtfully designed.

Neutral:
- Customizable. I haven't bought anything additional to try and tweak the arrangements so I can't really comment on how feasible that is, despite the design being intentional about that capability.

Cons:
- Expensive. Despite the premium materials and robust construction being what supposedly justifies the cost, it's still a hard pill to swallow when one can pick up a SAK for a fraction of the price.
- Plastic covers. Seriously, this is a misstep. It does allow for a lot of neat flair that a user can select from but it is not a durable material. Much like the cheap plastic on SAKs, these covers won't hold up to the hard work this knife is supposed to be able to handle. It would be better served with some micarta or G10 options.
- I think it's a bit silly to force a user to buy a base model before they can even consider customizing it. In other words, you can't select your options when ordering - you have to buy one of their prebuilt models, and then change things out after the fact.
- No way of knowing if your customization preferences will actually work out. Coming from a UX standpoint, it would be nice if they included some sort of utility on their website that would allow a potential customer to build a knife and see if their desired arrangement is even compatible. Currently, it's a trial and error process and I don't think that will lend itself to much success when it comes to marketing this feature.
- Lack of tool options. I think there is a lot of potential for this platform but right now, many of the tool options are a bit too niche - there needs to be more general purpose tools like saws, scissors, etc.

Conclusion:
I think that it is a cool idea that needs more time to develop. I like the stout nature of the knife (despite the plastic), some of the design elements are thoughtfully executed, and the customization opportunities are intriguing. That said, most folks are simply going to be content with a SAK and I don't see many converting to the ASK - especially given the expense. Hopefully the Medford crew continues to develop this concept, I think overall it has some promise.

3DBQKda.jpg
 
Pàdruig said:
I didn't realize we had an ASK thread here.

I purchased one awhile back when they came across my radar. Admittedly, I am not a big SAK fan - I think they serve a general purpose and folks tend to get a lot of use out of all of their tools but they generally get left unused by me. I am also a fellow that doesn't get much use out of a caplifter on a knife really so you can take my opinion with hefty amounts of salt.

The ASK offering intrigued me due to how customizable it can end up being for a user. Personally, the ability to tailor exactly what I want on a multipurpose knife/tool has great appeal to me and I figured I'd give it a try. I am not buying a lot of knives these days but I had some money burning a hole in my pocket so I found a DLT exclusive version that piqued my fancy.

I got the Jefferson model with the P40 Warhawk covers - this model comes standard with a spear blade, caplifter/screwdriver, and chisel/nail puller/1/4" wrench. The steel is S45VN, with titanium hardware and liners, and injected molded plastic covers. I've been carrying it the last couple of weeks (though I have had it for awhile now) and feel comfortable enough to give it an honest assessment.

Pros:
- 100% Made in USA (a singular point of pride for this company).
- Premium stainless steel and high end hardware (save the covers...).
- Robust tools. You will be hard pressed to break the blade or tools, they are of stout stock.
- Spear blade is of an excellent design, hollow ground, and very sharp - this thing cuts very efficiently.
- Stock tool arrangement on the Jefferson is simple, yet versatile. The chisel is an interesting addition and I'd probably find more use for it if I didn't work a desk job.
- Tools are accessible without being obtrusive and everything nests together perfectly (on this arrangement anyway).
- Action is excellent for a slipjoint like this with medium pulls and the typical snap one expects from a more modern built slipjoint
- The tools and tangs are designed in a way that minimizes risk of unintentional closing - in my opinion, this in particular is thoughtfully designed.

Neutral:
- Customizable. I haven't bought anything additional to try and tweak the arrangements so I can't really comment on how feasible that is, despite the design being intentional about that capability.

Cons:
- Expensive. Despite the premium materials and robust construction being what supposedly justifies the cost, it's still a hard pill to swallow when one can pick up a SAK for a fraction of the price.
- Plastic covers. Seriously, this is a misstep. It does allow for a lot of neat flair that a user can select from but it is not a durable material. Much like the cheap plastic on SAKs, these covers won't hold up to the hard work this knife is supposed to be able to handle. It would be better served with some micarta or G10 options.
- I think it's a bit silly to force a user to buy a base model before they can even consider customizing it. In other words, you can't select your options when ordering - you have to buy one of their prebuilt models, and then change things out after the fact.
- No way of knowing if your customization preferences will actually work out. Coming from a UX standpoint, it would be nice if they included some sort of utility on their website that would allow a potential customer to build a knife and see if their desired arrangement is even compatible. Currently, it's a trial and error process and I don't think that will lend itself to much success when it comes to marketing this feature.
- Lack of tool options. I think there is a lot of potential for this platform but right now, many of the tool options are a bit too niche - there needs to be more general purpose tools like saws, scissors, etc.

Conclusion:
I think that it is a cool idea that needs more time to develop. I like the stout nature of the knife (despite the plastic), some of the design elements are thoughtfully executed, and the customization opportunities are intriguing. That said, most folks are simply going to be content with a SAK and I don't see many converting to the ASK - especially given the expense. Hopefully the Medford crew continues to develop this concept, I think overall it has some promise.

3DBQKda.jpg
Click to expand...
Great write up. I have been looking at these but didn't really know too much about them. I'm glad you are liking yours. I wanted to get an option not in the standard varient but did not realize I can't get it direct that way. I am out because of that.

Glad everyone is enjoying them.

Paul
 
Jakeywax31 said:
Great write up. I have been looking at these but didn't really know too much about them. I'm glad you are liking yours. I wanted to get an option not in the standard varient but did not realize I can't get it direct that way. I am out because of that.

Glad everyone is enjoying them.

Paul
Click to expand...

From a marketing and sales perspective, I understand why they did it this way. However, it casts shade on the whole "customizable" concept and only serves to make the bar to entry that much higher. I don't see it working out over the long term - I think they would be better served by developing a "Build-your-knife" utility on the site and allowing the customer to tailor make their multi-tool.
 
Pàdruig said:
From a marketing and sales perspective, I understand why they did it this way. However, it casts shade on the whole "customizable" concept and only serves to make the bar to entry that much higher. I don't see it working out over the long term - I think they would be better served by developing a "Build-your-knife" utility on the site and allowing the customer to tailor make their multi-tool.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Maybe it's in the works. Until then, I will be watching from the sidelines.
 
Jakeywax31 said:
Great write up. I have been looking at these but didn't really know too much about them. I'm glad you are liking yours. I wanted to get an option not in the standard varient but did not realize I can't get it direct that way. I am out because of that.

Glad everyone is enjoying them.

Paul
Click to expand...
Yea I definitely think more things are coming down the pipe. I have head of different cover options and more tools as well.
 
Im
Pàdruig said:
I didn't realize we had an ASK thread here.

I purchased one awhile back when they came across my radar. Admittedly, I am not a big SAK fan - I think they serve a general purpose and folks tend to get a lot of use out of all of their tools but they generally get left unused by me. I am also a fellow that doesn't get much use out of a caplifter on a knife really so you can take my opinion with hefty amounts of salt.

The ASK offering intrigued me due to how customizable it can end up being for a user. Personally, the ability to tailor exactly what I want on a multipurpose knife/tool has great appeal to me and I figured I'd give it a try. I am not buying a lot of knives these days but I had some money burning a hole in my pocket so I found a DLT exclusive version that piqued my fancy.

I got the Jefferson model with the P40 Warhawk covers - this model comes standard with a spear blade, caplifter/screwdriver, and chisel/nail puller/1/4" wrench. The steel is S45VN, with titanium hardware and liners, and injected molded plastic covers. I've been carrying it the last couple of weeks (though I have had it for awhile now) and feel comfortable enough to give it an honest assessment.

Pros:
- 100% Made in USA (a singular point of pride for this company).
- Premium stainless steel and high end hardware (save the covers...).
- Robust tools. You will be hard pressed to break the blade or tools, they are of stout stock.
- Spear blade is of an excellent design, hollow ground, and very sharp - this thing cuts very efficiently.
- Stock tool arrangement on the Jefferson is simple, yet versatile. The chisel is an interesting addition and I'd probably find more use for it if I didn't work a desk job.
- Tools are accessible without being obtrusive and everything nests together perfectly (on this arrangement anyway).
- Action is excellent for a slipjoint like this with medium pulls and the typical snap one expects from a more modern built slipjoint
- The tools and tangs are designed in a way that minimizes risk of unintentional closing - in my opinion, this in particular is thoughtfully designed.

Neutral:
- Customizable. I haven't bought anything additional to try and tweak the arrangements so I can't really comment on how feasible that is, despite the design being intentional about that capability.

Cons:
- Expensive. Despite the premium materials and robust construction being what supposedly justifies the cost, it's still a hard pill to swallow when one can pick up a SAK for a fraction of the price.
- Plastic covers. Seriously, this is a misstep. It does allow for a lot of neat flair that a user can select from but it is not a durable material. Much like the cheap plastic on SAKs, these covers won't hold up to the hard work this knife is supposed to be able to handle. It would be better served with some micarta or G10 options.
- I think it's a bit silly to force a user to buy a base model before they can even consider customizing it. In other words, you can't select your options when ordering - you have to buy one of their prebuilt models, and then change things out after the fact.
- No way of knowing if your customization preferences will actually work out. Coming from a UX standpoint, it would be nice if they included some sort of utility on their website that would allow a potential customer to build a knife and see if their desired arrangement is even compatible. Currently, it's a trial and error process and I don't think that will lend itself to much success when it comes to marketing this feature.
- Lack of tool options. I think there is a lot of potential for this platform but right now, many of the tool options are a bit too niche - there needs to be more general purpose tools like saws, scissors, etc.

Conclusion:
I think that it is a cool idea that needs more time to develop. I like the stout nature of the knife (despite the plastic), some of the design elements are thoughtfully executed, and the customization opportunities are intriguing. That said, most folks are simply going to be content with a SAK and I don't see many converting to the ASK - especially given the expense. Hopefully the Medford crew continues to develop this concept, I think overall it has some promise.

3DBQKda.jpg
Click to expand...
with you on all points Dylan. It’s gonna be interesting to see where this goes.
 
Funny, I started this thread and never put my thoughts on it once I finally picked one up. I too picked up the DLT Warhawk. Bought mine on the secondary market like new. I am used to SAK and other quality traditional knives. Upon receiving the knife my initial thoughts were this. Thick tool stock, well finished metal surfaces, cheap feeling scales, ok action, felt a little loose.

So after giving it a once over I realized the action was loose so I grabbed my bit driver and tightened up the pivots. Just a smidge, tested the action. The snap disappeared. Loosened them up, snappy action but overall felt loose. Not to mention the screws felt like could just work them selves out. (No loctite was present, assuming due to the knife meaning to be modular and taken apart) further inspection I noticed the on back spring was bent laterally causing some gaps along the back. I disassembled the knife which was easy and straightforward. Everything seemed to be well made and precise. Compared both back springs which one was indeed bent. I contacted ASK and explained to them I bought the knife on the secondary and it has a bent back spring. Whiteout issue the sent me a replacement free of charge. Once the new part came I installed it and the action felt better and I carried it for a few days.

I think the spear blade is beautifully shaped. Nice slicey hallow grind, love the tumble/polished finish. The tools are useful and don’t feel flimsy. I think the weakest part are the scales. This knife needs some titanium or carbon fiber. Would class it up but more importantly, sturdy the whole knife up. I carried for 2 weeks and decided while the concept is good and most of the execution was good it just wasn’t right where I needed it to be. Like I said, I bought it on the secondary for 150 and sold it for the same. No loss. For what it’s worth I still have my SAK’s.
 
Been using the ASK for a while now. It does everything I've asked of it. It is sharp, extremely so. I got a pretty bad cut by being a dumb person with the knife. The tools all work well, and I do like how the chisel works, especially because a chisel can be a very multi-purpose tool. The screwdriver being off the center point also makes it easy to use. In the pocket it is invisible. The blade is also very capable and does everything from cardboard to zip ties. Still has a respectable edge for those that want to use their pocket knife. Fairly easy to take apart for a slip joint, good half stops and excellent sound design for the closing (it has a muted close sound which is very unique). I like how there are a lot of tool options and more on the way. But honestly for what I need on a day to day basis, the Jefferson's knife, chisel, and bottle opener/screwdriver covers all my needs. In Swiss Army Knives, I only really ever needed a Cadet Alox, which is what the Jefferson is a beefed up version of in my opinion. While the blade and tools are thick, I would argue they are not unreasonably thick and they do in fact cut anything you would need. I was initially a bit worried about my purchase because I watched the notyouraverageedc video on the ASK, and I'm not really sure how she got it to cut so poorly.

aILrOCG.jpg
 
I would make the argument that this ASK thread may be more suited for the multi-tool forums. While it does use a slip joint mechanism, I don't think it really belongs in the traditional forum. While Swiss Army Knives are very similar, I think they earned their position in this forum through seniority. The ASK from the start is first and foremost a multitool, and is modular to the point of even removing the knife. Some models, (The Atlas) don't even come with a knife installed.
 
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