Becoming acclimated.

[jackknife]

You'll be surprised by how strong the classic is. I've cut some tough stuff with mine; thought I loosened the pivot for sure. But nope, mine is still as good as ever, and I bought mine second hand.

This to the max!

It doesn't matter what model 58mm you choose, they are all way tougher than people think.

Did I ever tell you guys how I got turned on to the classic? It was my better half, Karen.

Up until about 1995ish, I thought the 58's were a joke. Fit only for opening mail, an occasional thread off a suit. I always carried a 'real' SAK. A tinker, a cadet, a Wenger SI. The joke was on me.

One day Karen comes home from work at a real estate law firm, with a red handled little knife. Her boss, Dave, had bought them with their company logo on them to hand out to clients along with the other stuff like little flashlights, pens, all with the company logo. It was a SAK classic knock off made in a large Asian nation. It was junk. Crap. an abomination to all things with red handles. The scissors wouldn't even cut paper but folded it it between the scissor blades. It bugs me to just even thing about how junky it was. I pointed it all out to the better half.

The next day on the way home from work, I stopped off and bought a real Victorinox classic to give to Karen. She was amazed. It cut, sliced, screwed, and plucked. All the tools worked like they were supposed to. Soooo, Karen puts it on her keyring and sets out to use it. For the next few months I watched, sometimes in horror, as she cut, pried, and used the little thing way above what I thought it capable of. I really expected to hear the tinkle of small metal parts hitting the floor as it came apart for the stress. It didn't happen.

I watched as she used the SD tip as a dollar store screw driver to the point of abuse. Using the SD tool for prying up flag stones on the patio, or using the scissors to cut through stuff way heavier than they were ever designed for. It actually surprised me to see it hold up. I took to waiting for her to be in the shower and I'd sneak it out other purse to examine, and finding only a little bit of wiggle in the SD tool. A bit of dulling of the scissors, which she asked me to touchup. I also had to sharpen it up for her a few times when she abused the blade like it was a 2.99 paring knife from a discount store.

My curiosity got the better of me. I went and bought one for myself, to carry in a pocket with my trusty old tinker. I made it a sort of test, if I needed my knife or whatever, I made it a point to try to use the classic first, and if it was not up to the job, then my tinker was right there. For the next month, then two, the little 58mm was a source of surprise. It cut open all kinds of packages, rope, twine, cardboard boxes, dealt with Phillips screws, trimmed my nails, and plucked a few splinters. The only fail was food stuff, not enough blade for a loaf of fresh Italian bread and cheese, but that was rare. It did handle baguettes though.

At the end of my own test, I had gained a new appreciation for the 58mm SAK's, not to mention, respect. They were a fully capable little pocket knife with more capability than a dedicated knife. I made a couple of leather pouch sheaths to go on the keyring so the SAK could be pulled out and put to work without being connected to the keyring. Now, because of my wife, I have been a fan of the 58mm's to the point that the classic has replaced my old beloved Case peanut as my minimalist EDC pocket knife. No matter what 58mm you choose, they are much more capable than you think, and will stand up for some abuse now and then. They are the little SAK that can.

 

[dogstar]

This to the max!

It doesn't matter what model 58mm you choose, they are all way tougher than people think.

Did I ever tell you guys how I got turned on to the classic? It was my better half, Karen.

Up until about 1995ish, I thought the 58's were a joke. Fit only for opening mail, an occasional thread off a suit. I always carried a 'real' SAK. A tinker, a cadet, a Wenger SI. The joke was on me.

One day Karen comes home from work at a real estate law firm, with a red handled little knife. Her boss, Dave, had bought them with their company logo on them to hand out to clients along with the other stuff like little flashlights, pens, all with the company logo. It was a SAK classic knock off made in a large Asian nation. It was junk. Crap. an abomination to all things with red handles. The scissors wouldn't even cut paper but folded it it between the scissor blades. It bugs me to just even thing about how junky it was. I pointed it all out to the better half.

The next day on the way home from work, I stopped off and bought a real Victorinox classic to give to Karen. She was amazed. It cut, sliced, screwed, and plucked. All the tools worked like they were supposed to. Soooo, Karen puts it on her keyring and sets out to use it. For the next few months I watched, sometimes in horror, as she cut, pried, and used the little thing way above what I thought it capable of. I really expected to hear the tinkle of small metal parts hitting the floor as it came apart for the stress. It didn't happen.

I watched as she used the SD tip as a dollar store screw driver to the point of abuse. Using the SD tool for prying up flag stones on the patio, or using the scissors to cut through stuff way heavier than they were ever designed for. It actually surprised me to see it hold up. I took to waiting for her to be in the shower and I'd sneak it out other purse to examine, and finding only a little bit of wiggle in the SD tool. A bit of dulling of the scissors, which she asked me to touchup. I also had to sharpen it up for her a few times when she abused the blade like it was a 2.99 paring knife from a discount store.

My curiosity got the better of me. I went and bought one for myself, to carry in a pocket with my trusty old tinker. I made it a sort of test, if I needed my knife or whatever, I made it a point to try to use the classic first, and if it was not up to the job, then my tinker was right there. For the next month, then two, the little 58mm was a source of surprise. It cut open all kinds of packages, rope, twine, cardboard boxes, dealt with Phillips screws, trimmed my nails, and plucked a few splinters. The only fail was food stuff, not enough blade for a loaf of fresh Italian bread and cheese, but that was rare. It did handle baguettes though.

At the end of my own test, I had gained a new appreciation for the 58mm SAK's, not to mention, respect. They were a fully capable little pocket knife with more capability than a dedicated knife. I made a couple of leather pouch sheaths to go on the keyring so the SAK could be pulled out and put to work without being connected to the keyring. Now, because of my wife, I have been a fan of the 58mm's to the point that the classic has replaced my old beloved Case peanut as my minimalist EDC pocket knife. No matter what 58mm you choose, they are much more capable than you think, and will stand up for some abuse now and then. They are the little SAK that can.

Well, it is because of stories from you, Carl, and other folks on BF that about 10 years ago, I purchased my first TSA recycled Classic and put it on my key ring. Back then my job was installing and repairing small benchtop robots. The Classic came in handy for opening packaging (our shipping manager packed it like fort knox), applying decals, fastening serial cables, cutting zip ties, flicking dropped screws out of tight spots, you name it. Since then, I am on my third one, because I keep giving mine away. Each one has been used before coming into my possession, and each one has held up equally well. I'm sure some day I will actually hurt my Classic, but it has already earned my respect many times over.

 

[Storm 8593]

Reckon you're onto something there Carl, I've been using my small Tinker a lot at work and play lately due to its small unobtrusive nature and easy pocketability, and going to even a 91mm is quite the jarring difference( for a whole 7mm !)
Its still big enough to swing off properly eg when using the pry bar (large SD) and I"ve done meal prep with it just because I could and to see how it went.
Then again, I do have what some describe as "carney hands"
I'm just stoked that we have such variety to choose from to find the one that works for us, at whatever stage of life/career we might be -viva la difference as our French comrades would say

 

[Jrgn]

The Classic is all I ever use these days. I don’t have a real need for anything larger in my day to day suburban life. For a long time I held on to larger SAK’s just to have a bottle opener. I do need a dedicated one because I just prefer it to any alternative method like using a coin or whatever. This problem got solved with a simple keychain bottle opener. This opener plus the Classic give me all tools I need. Plain and simple. There is no need to use anything else just because I can. Give me a Classic and I am a happy dude.

 

[jackknife]

The Classic is all I ever use these days. I don’t have a real need for anything larger in my day to day suburban life. For a long time I held on to larger SAK’s just to have a bottle opener. I do need a dedicated one because I just prefer it to any alternative method like using a coin or whatever. This problem got solved with a simple keychain bottle opener. This opener plus the Classic give me all tools I need. Plain and simple. There is no need to use anything else just because I can. Give me a Classic and I am a happy dude.

I think in that modern suburban life, this is why not many people these days even bother to carry a knife at all. Most places these days, especially in the outright urban places like New York, Chicago, London, Rome, Washington D.C., Tokyo, Copenhagen, St. Louis, most people don't carry any knife at all. Yet the streets are not littered with the bodies of those who perished for want of a knife.

After WW2, about two thirds of the American cutlery companies that produced knives for the war effort, went under. Bankrupt. Kaput. Out of business. I think it was because of the great migration in American society. All those farm and ranch kids went off to fight a war, got taught all kinds of new skills from truck mechanics to electronics, to welding, to aircraft maintenance. They came home and didn't want to go back to work for dear old Pa on the back 40, so they went to the cities and the bright lights, and most importantly, bigger paychecks than dear old dad was paying. This gave birth to the new phenomenon; the suburbs and tract housing.

Through the 1950's and 60's, the cutlery industry faltered, and by the 1980's, many companies were failing. Not much need for a knife in an office cubicle or dry cleaning plant. A new reason had to found to carry a knife and the was the birth of the so called 'tactical knife'. I saw it all happen. The knife came into re-birth as a urban survival self defense weapon. Advertisements showed a knife stuck through a car body to demonstrate how strong it was. I've never been attacked by a rogue Chevy, but I on't trust some of those Fords. But the knife got. a new showcase platform in magazines, movie placement, as a end all survival tool and weapon to take out sentries. One company even touted their knives for the "De-animation of enemy personal".

The new tactical knife became a badge of something like the old switchblade of the 1950's and the James Dean era. El Macho. The old guys with the two bladed pen knives were the old obsolete fogies. For some reason the knife now had to open with one hand in a blink of the eye, and be able to pry open a tank hatch.

In my life, I've never had to take out a sentry, or do any heroic Hollywood deeds. But in 1991, I did crawl into an upside down old Datsun B210 that was starting to burn and the driver was hanging trapped in the seat belt. A semi sharp 1 3/4 inch sheep foot blade of the well used Buck stockman cut the seat belt with no problem. A Vic classic could have done the job. That was my sole brush with anything dangerous and my old Buck did just fine.

For most people going about a normal life, a inch and a half to two inches of blade will do just fine. Theres always gonna be mail and packages to open, and maybe a loose screw on something now and then. Its all about who we are, where we are, and what we're really doing. Walter Mitty fantasies not included.

 

[1911bphil]

I think in that modern suburban life, this is why not many people these days even bother to carry a knife at all. Most places these days, especially in the outright urban places like New York, Chicago, London, Rome, Washington D.C., Tokyo, Copenhagen, St. Louis, most people don't carry any knife at all. Yet the streets are not littered with the bodies of those who perished for want of a knife.

After WW2, about two thirds of the American cutlery companies that produced knives for the war effort, went under. Bankrupt. Kaput. Out of business. I think it was because of the great migration in American society. All those farm and ranch kids went off to fight a war, got taught all kinds of new skills from truck mechanics to electronics, to welding, to aircraft maintenance. They came home and didn't want to go back to work for dear old Pa on the back 40, so they went to the cities and the bright lights, and most importantly, bigger paychecks than dear old dad was paying. This gave birth to the new phenomenon; the suburbs and tract housing.

Through the 1950's and 60's, the cutlery industry faltered, and by the 1980's, many companies were failing. Not much need for a knife in an office cubicle or dry cleaning plant. A new reason had to found to carry a knife and the was the birth of the so called 'tactical knife'. I saw it all happen. The knife came into re-birth as a urban survival self defense weapon. Advertisements showed a knife stuck through a car body to demonstrate how strong it was. I've never been attacked by a rogue Chevy, but I on't trust some of those Fords. But the knife got. a new showcase platform in magazines, movie placement, as a end all survival tool and weapon to take out sentries. One company even touted their knives for the "De-animation of enemy personal".

The new tactical knife became a badge of something like the old switchblade of the 1950's and the James Dean era. El Macho. The old guys with the two bladed pen knives were the old obsolete fogies. For some reason the knife now had to open with one hand in a blink of the eye, and be able to pry open a tank hatch.

In my life, I've never had to take out a sentry, or do any heroic Hollywood deeds. But in 1991, I did crawl into an upside down old Datsun B210 that was starting to burn and the driver was hanging trapped in the seat belt. A semi sharp 1 3/4 inch sheep foot blade of the well used Buck stockman cut the seat belt with no problem. A Vic classic could have done the job. That was my sole brush with anything dangerous and my old Buck did just fine.

For most people going about a normal life, a inch and a half to two inches of blade will do just fine. Theres always gonna be mail and packages to open, and maybe a loose screw on something now and then. Its all about who we are, where we are, and what we're really doing. Walter Mitty fantasies not included.

But I NEED that blade to pierce a car door. Just kidding.
Well said. I really don't need to carry 4 or 5 knives everyday. An SAK will do 99.9% of the tasks I need done. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

 

[Jrgn]

One aspect that is often overlooked is what I’d like to call the ‘usage ratio’. Let’s say on average you carry a pocket knife in your pocket for 8, 12 or even 16 hours a day. How many usage does it actually see over the course of a day? Open a package, cut some twine, open another package, cut some wrapping etc. In all likelihood it will be a few seconds each time. Maybe a minute a day? Two at most? The rest of the time a knife rides in the pocket. To me this has to mean two things.
1. The knife should be there when needed but definitely not be there when not needed. In other words it should be small and light. The Classic is perfect here.
2. When in use for those few seconds or maybe a minute or two over the course of a day, it doesn’t really matter that in a perfect world there would be a perfect knife that would fit my hand perfectly. Perfection does not really exist anyway. But the Classic is still the most perfect imperfect knife that I can think of. Yes it’s small, but guess what: it does the job and it does it well. That’s all I need to know. Again, the Classic is perfect.

 

[jackknife]

One aspect that is often overlooked is what I’d like to call the ‘usage ratio’. Let’s say on average you carry a pocket knife in your pocket for 8, 12 or even 16 hours a day. How many usage does it actually see over the course of a day? Open a package, cut some twine, open another package, cut some wrapping etc. In all likelihood it will be a few seconds each time. Maybe a minute a day? Two at most? The rest of the time a knife rides in the pocket. To me this has to mean two things.
1. The knife should be there when needed but definitely not be there when not needed. In other words it should be small and light. The Classic is perfect here.
2. When in use for those few seconds or maybe a minute or two over the course of a day, it doesn’t really matter that in a perfect world there would be a perfect knife that would fit my hand perfectly. Perfection does not really exist anyway. But the Classic is still the most perfect imperfect knife that I can think of. Yes it’s small, but guess what: it does the job and it does it well. That’s all I need to know. Again, the Classic is perfect.

Something my dad told me when I was a kid lodged in my mind. He said that a pocket knife is something you carry a lot, and use a little bit now and then. And when not in use, it should be unnoticed in the pocket and forgotten about until needed. He carried that little Case peanut all those years and it did what he needed.

 

[Jrgn]

He carried that little Case peanut all those years and it did what he needed.

And he probably bought it off the shelf without giving it much of a second thought. It was there available to him at that moment and it was perfectly fine what he needed it for. That was that and life went on.

 

[cupton]

And probably never a second thought on the blade steel or blade centering when closed.

 

[jackknife]

And he probably bought it off the shelf without giving it much of a second thought. It was there available to him at that moment and it was perfectly fine what he needed it for. That was that and life went on.

Actually the knife was a gift from his mother on the morning that he was leaving the family to go off to college, the first in his Irish immigrant family to do so. They were working watermen on the Chesapeake Bay, and dad grew up carrying a large single blade boat knife with a marlin spike on it. Grandmother thought the little pocket knife was more suited for the life of an academic. This was just a few years before WW2 broke out, and that little Peanut Made it through the war in his pocket.

It became part of his persona, like his Zippo lighter, Peterson pipes, and the Colt Woodsman that was his only gun.

 

[Jrgn]

Actually the knife was a gift from his mother on the morning that he was leaving the family to go off to college, the first in his Irish immigrant family to do so. They were working watermen on the Chesapeake Bay, and dad grew up carrying a large single blade boat knife with a marlin spike on it. Grandmother thought the little pocket knife was more suited for the life of an academic. This was just a few years before WW2 broke out, and that little Peanut Made it through the war in his pocket.

It became part of his persona, like his Zippo lighter, Peterson pipes, and the Colt Woodsman that was his only gun.

Great story, thanks for sharing!

 

[Storm 8593]

Great story, thanks for sharing!

You think thats a great story, boy oh boy have I got the thread for you

Links to jackknife's Tales Redux 2022

This is a rebuild of an existing thread, that has broken links due to software upgrades. Thanks to @jackknife for all the wonderful stories he's shared with us over the years. Thanks to @Bastid and @Blues for keeping it up to date for many years, and thanks to @stockman242 for his help in the...

www.bladeforums.com

That'll keep you in stories for a while.

 

[Jrgn]

I think J jackknife hit the proverbial nail with his post. It really is only about getting accustomed to things. As I’ve said before, my ‘main’ pocket knife is the Classic. Does all I need even though others would consider it not worthy because of the 58mm frame. But that is what I am used to. So it works. I make it work. You make do with what you have. Even if it’s a conscious choice in a world where there’s an abundance of choice in anything. I choose the Classic for various reasons. Small size being an important consideration. And now I make it work. Consciously. And guess what? It works.

 

[jackknife]

I think J jackknife hit the proverbial nail with his post. It really is only about getting accustomed to things. As I’ve said before, my ‘main’ pocket knife is the Classic. Does all I need even though others would consider it not worthy because of the 58mm frame. But that is what I am used to. So it works. I make it work. You make do with what you have. Even if it’s a conscious choice in a world where there’s an abundance of choice in anything. I choose the Classic for various reasons. Small size being an important consideration. And now I make it work. Consciously. And guess what? It works.

And sooooo much of it is ego. The manufacturers know how to tap into this, no matter if its knives, guns, cars, homes. They tap into the desire to one up the Jones, the heck with just keeping with them. The makers of various stuff will create fanciful scenarios in which they make you think you really need the bigger, fancier, and definitely higher priced items that really don't do anything more than what you already have, if that. Yes, that knife for 300 dollars with the wonder steel of the month will most likely in a test, out cut the SAK.

BUT...thats all it does. With a 25 to 30 dollar SAK, you get two knife blades of decent steel that will cut good and be able to be resharpened on the bottom of a coffee mug, flat screw driver and pry tool, bottle opener, can opener with SD tip that makes a fine Phillips driver, awl, tweezers and toothpick. And...here's the biggie, it can be replaced at the next big box store for the price of a chain restaurant dinner with a beer.

But...for most of us who are not Navy SEAL's, action movie characters in a desperate situation, the small SAK in the pocket is enough to get through life in the wilds of suburbia. I really can't count the times my little SAK got me home after a quick repair out someplace.

But people are used to the "big" stuff the manufactures push in the market place. They are convinced that they really need that big SUV or 300 dollar knife that opens in the blink of an eye and has the wonder steel of the month. People are acclimated to the big stuff now.

 

[Jrgn]

But people are used to the "big" stuff the manufactures push in the market place. They are convinced that they really need that big SUV or 300 dollar knife that opens in the blink of an eye and has the wonder steel of the month.

Lots of truth in those words. Our car is a small late 1980’s Japanse model that is really showing its age now. I am looking for a new one, something that does the job without fanfare. Has to be small so it’s easy parking. It has to have an airco for really hot days and a basic radio. All my real world needs are met with those few requirements. This means I’m not looking at expensive German cars, but at well made basic and efficient Japanese cars like a Mazda or Honda. I like efficient, well made stuff that lasts and doesn’t cost an arm a leg to buy. A basic Classic, a Bic pen, a Mazda. That sort of thing.

 

[dogstar]

Lots of truth in those words. Our car is a small late 1980’s Japanse model that is really showing its age now. I am looking for a new one, something that does the job without fanfare. Has to be small so it’s easy parking. It has to have an airco for really hot days and a basic radio. All my real world needs are met with those few requirements. This means I’m not looking at expensive German cars, but at well made basic and efficient Japanese cars like a Mazda or Honda. I like efficient, well made stuff that lasts and doesn’t cost an arm a leg to buy. A basic Classic, a Bic pen, a Mazda. That sort of thing.

You are talking about "basic transportation" to get from point A to point B . That is all I have ever needed in life, but I try to live a simple life. My wife and I share a little hatchback with a manual transmission that gets 34 mpg. You can barely find a new car like this nowadays. Change is a harsh reality.

My friend likes old school pickup trucks, like a Ford Ranger or Toyota 1 ton. He is also running out of options these days. Can't find anything besides "muscular" trucks that look like a semi. Advertisers sell a "lifestyle" ascribed to a certain vehicle, because in reality you don't need a 2-ton monster. If you buy this vehicle, you can climb mountains! Paddle lakes! Clean up the beach (and kill every living thing while you do it)! The oversized vehicles now pose an enhanced hazard to pedestrians, cyclists and small cars. You either need to join the arms race, or become extinct.

Maybe enough of us will sustain a demand for small efficient vehicles, that they will live on, just like the SAK.

 

[Jrgn]

You are talking about "basic transportation" to get from point A to point B . That is all I have ever needed in life, but I try to live a simple life. My wife and I share a little hatchback with a manual transmission that gets 34 mpg. You can barely find a new car like this nowadays. Change is a harsh reality.

My friend likes old school pickup trucks, like a Ford Ranger or Toyota 1 ton. He is also running out of options these days. Can't find anything besides "muscular" trucks that look like a semi. Advertisers sell a "lifestyle" ascribed to a certain vehicle, because in reality you don't need a 2-ton monster. If you buy this vehicle, you can climb mountains! Paddle lakes! Clean up the beach (and kill every living thing while you do it)! The oversized vehicles now pose an enhanced hazard to pedestrians, cyclists and small cars. You either need to join the arms race, or become extinct.

Maybe enough of us will sustain a demand for small efficient vehicles, that they will live on, just like the SAK.

I guess my ‘luck’ is that I live in Europe. Lots of small cars over here, especially in urban areas. Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan etc. And for a little more we have actual European brands that also make these small cars; Citroën, Peugeot and Renault from France and even Volkswagen and Opel from Germany is still fairly obtainable. Really cheap gets you a Dacia from good old Romania but that’s where you start to see cost cutting that I’d rather avoid. Cheap plastics for crucial parts etc. Everything manual transmission which is the standard in this part of the world.

 

[Stelth]

I tried to like the 58mm Vics but they're just too small. To me, this is the true "Classic".

 

[jackknife]

Lots of truth in those words. Our car is a small late 1980’s Japanse model that is really showing its age now. I am looking for a new one, something that does the job without fanfare. Has to be small so it’s easy parking. It has to have an airco for really hot days and a basic radio. All my real world needs are met with those few requirements. This means I’m not looking at expensive German cars, but at well made basic and efficient Japanese cars like a Mazda or Honda. I like efficient, well made stuff that lasts and doesn’t cost an arm a leg to buy. A basic Classic, a Bic pen, a Mazda. That sort of thing.

If you can find Toyota there, we've had outstanding luck with them. The wife had a Toyota minivan in the 1980's that lasted to 2001 when it was replaced with a Honda Element. The Toyota went 273,000 miles before it went belly up. The Honda Element went 178,000 with very little trouble. It got replaced with a Toyota Camry in 2013 that we toured the country in before moving to Texas in 2015. In 1988 I bought a little Toyota pickup that I used until 2001 when I had my right rotator cuff rebuilt and couldn't drive a stick anymore. It had close to 200K on it, and it was replaced with a 2001 Toyota pickup that I drove until 2019, and it had a bit over 200,000 miles when I sold it to a young mechanic for a project truck.

I replaced it with a 2019 Corolla that has served me for 45.000 trouble free miles and has carried me to California and back a few times visiting our daughter who lives in Mission Viejo. Gas milage on the road is silly, at 44 to 50 if I take it easy. One tank between Tucson and Yuma at the wee hours of the morning and I had slowed down to avoid hitting any Jabalina that ran across the road, it got to 50mpg. City is 35.8.

I love Toyota! Never had a bad one and I keep them for long term and high milage. The Toyota is the Victorinox of the automobile world. Very high quality for a moderate price. Like Victorinox classic, the Corolla is the most produced car in the world with a long history.