Best idea yet! Gives him a keyring knife he can't leave home without, and a nice flat pocket knife that disappears in a pocket. The nail file on a cadet can be profiled to be a very good flat phillips.
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Buying a pocket knife for someone who isn't into them
- Thread starter Lefty923
- Start date
Best idea yet! Gives him a keyring knife he can't leave home without, and a nice flat pocket knife that disappears in a pocket. The nail file on a cadet can be profiled to be a very good flat phillips.
Gary, this is the tricky bit for me as soon as key ring knives and SAKs come up.
I can accept SAKs as traditional, to a point. But as soon as LEDs and USB drives are being discussed.... ??
I don't mind being waved off of discussing folding pliers style multi-tools but at some point, don't SAKs wander clearly into the multi-tool arena too?
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My comment wasn't meant for anyone in particular, although the flashlight, usb etc knives would be some of what I'm referring to, as not being traditional. I don't think multi tools are traditional, but the Traditional SAKs obviously are. I hope that helps.
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I know you weren't necessarily calling me out Gary but I know I'm pushing the boundary in mentioning non SAK tools. Don't mean to run things afoul.
Serious questions....
1) When did Victorinox replace the traditional bail with the more modern nubbin'/thingie-ma-bob that holds the spiral keyring/lanyard holder?
2) Is/should this modern nubbin'/thingie-ma-bob be a disqualifier for the traditional forum in the same way that adding a thumbstud is? (e.g. Case Trapper lock or Buck 110 with a 1 armed bandit mod).
2) Is "key ring knife" a traditional classification? I know lobsters and small sleeve boards are. But are they still traditional when sold for and discussed as being for key ring carry?
Serious questions....
1) When did Victorinox replace the traditional bail with the more modern nubbin'/thingie-ma-bob that holds the spiral keyring/lanyard holder?
2) Is/should this modern nubbin'/thingie-ma-bob be a disqualifier for the traditional forum in the same way that adding a thumbstud is? (e.g. Case Trapper lock or Buck 110 with a 1 armed bandit mod).
2) Is "key ring knife" a traditional classification? I know lobsters and small sleeve boards are. But are they still traditional when sold for and discussed as being for key ring carry?
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Sometime in the mid-1970s, a time when I was knife-less, a girlfriend gave me a Vic Classic in classic red (perhaps the only color they had then). I was touched by the gift, and it reminded me of my long-lost Imperial Scout knife.
But actually, I was more puzzled by the Classic than anything else. I knew about Swiss Army Knives, of course, yet how could such a wee bitty thing actually be much use to man or beast? I had real doubts — I mean, just look at it. But because it was a gift, and because it was so easily pocketable, I started to carry it every day.
In less than a week, I was wondering how I'd managed to do without it for all those years. I'm not kidding in the least.
That silly little Classic, with the same toolset as today's, ended up getting used for one thing or another, at work or home, several times a day, every day. Yeah, the toothpick eventually went astray, ditto its replacement, then the tweezers, and one of the scales came off, then the other, until about a year after I'd been given it, that Classic was down to its bare-metal essence. Then the scissors-spring died, and I decided it was time to buy another. So I did.
More followed over the years, as they came apart under use. Now I know some people don't think much of their durability, and truth be told, it's not great. But c'mon, it's 2.25" long and costs $12 on sale — does anyone really think it'll last forever? (Even if you forego batoning with it?)
Back to the OP's question: strongly consider giving him a standard (red) Vic Classic. Or if that doesn't seem "gifty" or grand enough, get him the alox scale version (no toothpicks to lose or tweezers!). And if that's still too underwhelming, consider the Cadet or something similar that's a bit larger but still pocketable in all clothing.
But actually, I was more puzzled by the Classic than anything else. I knew about Swiss Army Knives, of course, yet how could such a wee bitty thing actually be much use to man or beast? I had real doubts — I mean, just look at it. But because it was a gift, and because it was so easily pocketable, I started to carry it every day.
In less than a week, I was wondering how I'd managed to do without it for all those years. I'm not kidding in the least.
That silly little Classic, with the same toolset as today's, ended up getting used for one thing or another, at work or home, several times a day, every day. Yeah, the toothpick eventually went astray, ditto its replacement, then the tweezers, and one of the scales came off, then the other, until about a year after I'd been given it, that Classic was down to its bare-metal essence. Then the scissors-spring died, and I decided it was time to buy another. So I did.
More followed over the years, as they came apart under use. Now I know some people don't think much of their durability, and truth be told, it's not great. But c'mon, it's 2.25" long and costs $12 on sale — does anyone really think it'll last forever? (Even if you forego batoning with it?)
Back to the OP's question: strongly consider giving him a standard (red) Vic Classic. Or if that doesn't seem "gifty" or grand enough, get him the alox scale version (no toothpicks to lose or tweezers!). And if that's still too underwhelming, consider the Cadet or something similar that's a bit larger but still pocketable in all clothing.
silenthunterstudios
Slipjoint Addict
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Not only get him a SAK, whether a classic or any other simple SAK, but take him out in the outdoors. Maybe he never took to the woods because he had no one to get him interested. I have given gifts to family and friends, who are not knife nuts by any sense of the word. My little brother likes balis, my father likes small slipjoint knives, and everyone appreciates ONE knife. However, one of my sisters said she thought the classic my baby sister got one year was cute. So all of my sisters got a classic. Too many knives though. My one sisters's Uncle Henry 897UH is enough of a gift. She uses it all the time. My other sister got a Case seahorse whittler, and is proud when she uses it, it is her "console knife". My baby sister has a no name hoof pick knife, a Queen baby stockman, a classic and a few other knives. She's the only one that likes knives to any extent amongst my sisters. I think I gave my mother a small stockman, a little bit bigger than a peanut, she keeps that in her car too. I've given an electrician to my cousin's husband, he's an electrician (duh). Got a SAK for my little brother to give to my cousin, my cousin is my little brothers Godfather, and my cousin did just fine in south America and Alaska with just a sak, he didn't need any machetes or choppers down there. My brother in law is a knife nut, mainly into Buck, and he will be getting a Buck 301X, with bone scales, along with the Victorinox kitchen knives he and my sister will get. You might uncover a knife nut in the making, but it is best to stick with the SAK. If they lose it, they can get another easily.
We want to give the recipient knives that WE want them to carry and use. We might think that a full size stockman is the best thing for so and so, or a peanut might be good for so and so. My father tends to lose knives, he's lost every knife I've given him, except for the Case peanut I gave him last year. He really likes it, but has told me no more knives, that one's perfect. Well, I have a small Schrade OT pen knife for him, similar to what he carried when he was my age. Maybe this one will go through the wash like the peanut, but he is good with his knife, he is content. We want to find kindred spirits in our knife collecting, to find someone that doesn't roll their eyes and shake their head. I've never had anyone do that after showing them ONE knife, but after the second one comes out of the pocket, they smile in the "you're nuts" fashion. After the third one comes out, they smile in the "you really are crazy" fashion.
I think that the Victorinox classic is the way to go to start him off. Don't overwhelm him with knives, and explain the utility of the classic to him.
We want to give the recipient knives that WE want them to carry and use. We might think that a full size stockman is the best thing for so and so, or a peanut might be good for so and so. My father tends to lose knives, he's lost every knife I've given him, except for the Case peanut I gave him last year. He really likes it, but has told me no more knives, that one's perfect. Well, I have a small Schrade OT pen knife for him, similar to what he carried when he was my age. Maybe this one will go through the wash like the peanut, but he is good with his knife, he is content. We want to find kindred spirits in our knife collecting, to find someone that doesn't roll their eyes and shake their head. I've never had anyone do that after showing them ONE knife, but after the second one comes out of the pocket, they smile in the "you're nuts" fashion. After the third one comes out, they smile in the "you really are crazy" fashion.
I think that the Victorinox classic is the way to go to start him off. Don't overwhelm him with knives, and explain the utility of the classic to him.
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I keep several NIB Victorinox Alox Soldiers on hand for just these people.
It is my traditional gift to nieces/nephews when they get old enough to use it competently.
Many grow up looking forward to getting their first knife from me.
It is my traditional gift to nieces/nephews when they get old enough to use it competently.
Many grow up looking forward to getting their first knife from me.
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There's a lot of wisdom here. Along the same lines, when helping someone here on the forum decide what knife to buy for a friend, we often ask stuff like: What's his job? What are his hobbies? What sort of pants does he usually wear, jeans or slacks?
Well, I've got one that I think should be added to the list: Where does the person live?
For a guy in Montana or, say, El Paso, Texas, a 4" stockman or full-sized trapper might be a perfect choice. But someone living in a golf course community in Boca Raton, Florida? You might as well give him a 10-gallon cowboy hat. A small SAK or maybe an equal-end penknife would be a much better choice. Likewise, a guy in east Tennessee might really appreciate a GEC 73. It'd fit in with his lifestyle and similar knives are surely carried by others in his area. But give that same knife to a computer programmer in Dublin, Ireland? Odds are, you'd just be gifting someone a rather expensive letter opener or paper weight rather than a useful tool they'll get in the habit of carrying.
Anyway, just food for thought. Good on anyone who's out there spreading the gospel! :thumbup:
-- Mark