Carrying a Swiss army knife for EDC

I dont even carry any tactical folders anymore,and very seldom use them,mostly saks,opinels and kitchen-butcher knives,and find that they work better than most overpriced stuff they try to sell you as better.
 
This guys tests all sorts of knives\steels for edge retention. He was pleasantly surprised to say the least about how well the Victorinox steel held up in his cutting test vs the "better" or more popular boutique steels. SAK for the win!


jackknife said:
Yes, the SAK slices better than a lot of knives due the nice flat grind of the blades and thin stock. For the business of cutting, thin blade stock is a good thing. SAK's are always under estimated when it comes to cutting and edge holding by the fan boys of more expensive higher status knives.

When my sister-in-laws large sofa she ordered on the internet came, it was totally cocooned in cardboard. Just getting it out was a job. Then the cardboard all had to be cut down to fit in the recycle bin. My Vic Tinker did the whole job without sharpening. I did have to stop about 2/3ds the way through to get the glue residue off the blade with some alcohol based hand sanitizer so I could keep on slicing. Lot of that brown packing tape holding it all together was tough stuff. When I was done, the tinker got a few minutes touchup on the little Eye-Lap model L with the cut down handle that I keep in my wallet and it was like a razor again.

I love that the SAK blades are so easy and fast to touchup when they do start to drag in the cutting. A minute of light honing on the diamond or a few strokes on the bottom of a coffee mug, and it's ready to go again. Victorinox blades just flat-out work great. Not to mention that all the other tools on them give you options that no other pocket knife comes close to giving. Theres a reason that Victorinox makes and sells more knives than any three of the 'other' big knife companies do. They work.

I still think now and then of getting another peanut, but I know that I have trouble at my age with the arthritis in my fingers dealing with a small stiffly sprung slip joint with snappy half stops. The Vic SAK's on the other hand, aside form giving me a well made pocket knife with unmatched versatility, gives me a smooth opening knife with easy and very predictable pulls. With Victorinox uniform production, I now that I can go on vacation and buy a small SAK in a big box store where ever I land, and it will be just like the one at home. And it's low cost enough to just give away go the airport shuttle driver when I leave. They all recognize the rd handled SAK logo and are happy to get it.

For a very very good all around pocket knife, you just can't beat a SAK. It cuts, screws, prys, opens bottle and cans, plucks splinters, and a host of other jobs no other knife can do.
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Country_Squire said:
Tactical folders are actually what got me into SAK’s. For several years I’d been carrying a tactical folder but was afraid to use it because it was expensive and looked threatening. I ended up slipping a Classic SD into my pocket that had been laying around the house and found it to be extremely useful. If it got broken, lost, or stolen it wouldn’t be a big deal. Also, I didn’t look like a creep using it in public.

I used to think that my preference for SAK’s and other traditional knives was an unpractical preference, but now I’m beginning to rethink that assumption. For example, is a large tactical knife with a thick blade really practical? Any Pioneer model can slice just as well if not better, and with the added tools it can also pry/scrape much better. A SAK may not look as rugged or aggressive, but it certainly can be used just as hard.

@Pomsbz I really like that mod. Everything you need and nothing you don’t!
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I'm from the other direction, and it may have cursed me in a way to dislike anything but a multitool kind of knife. My dad gave me a scout knife when I was 12 years old, and in the boy scouts. Our scout master was a crusty old WW2 Marine that we looked up to greatly, and he carried a scout knife. When I joined the army, I was issued a all stainless steel M-I-L knife that was commonly called a demo knife. It was just an all steel scout knife.

Soooo, when Buck campout with the 110 and everyone was going nuts over it, I tried one. Carried it a few months and gave it away to an other GI. It got on my nerves in a huge way. One single blade, usually too big for a fine job like cutting the foil seal out of the coolent jug or other detail work, not worth a tinkers damm for dealing with a screw, and totally useless for opening a can out in the field. The Buck also made a poor bottle opener, awl, and splinter picker. The fact that it weighed more than a small handgun didn't help. When I gave it away, I just went back to carrying my Wenger SI, a nicer version of the 'demo' knife. The Vic pioneer is the same.

When the tactical knife craze was introduced in the mid 1980's I just shook my head and wondered "WHY?"

I can't think of anything the one hand tactical wonder can do with the sole execution of being the weapon to remover a sentry in some video game or Hollywood fantasy movie. In a life with lots of back packing, some hunting, tons of fishing, woods rambling, canoe camping, kid raising, grandkid raising, and traveling with my wife of almost 50 years, I've really never needed anything more than a SAK. But then, I'm ashamed to admit, I've never had to take out a sentry or fight off a half dozen bad guys in a bad movie.
 
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J jackknife : well, I hope you're happy. Your salesmans touch that sold so many peanuts hasn't failed you , I've gone out and bought a Vic florist to use as my everyday single blade at work (which ,coincidentally also satisfies your requirement that I can open it with one hand/ with wet cold hands and a pinch grip)
Looking forward to trying a bit more of this minimalism business of yours.
Thanks for the inspiration and the stories, please keep them coming .
Dion
 
Storm 8593 said:
J jackknife : well, I hope you're happy. Your salesmans touch that sold so many peanuts hasn't failed you , I've gone out and bought a Vic florist to use as my everyday single blade at work (which ,coincidentally also satisfies your requirement that I can open it with one hand/ with wet cold hands and a pinch grip)
Looking forward to trying a bit more of this minimalism business of yours.
Thanks for the inspiration and the stories, please keep them coming .
Dion
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You're welcome. I regret that one of the first qualities I have to check in a pocket knife at this stage of my life is, the ability of an arthritic old fart to be able to open it. I wish I could find a peanut with softer springs and no half stops. I with I could still carry and use the wonderful little Case peanut. But Victorinox springs are so well done and predicable that it is now 'my' knife and the peanut 'class' of knife will had to do. Like the smaller SAKs in the 58mm and 74mm. The coin pocket size pocket knife. The executive is still my EDC at this point.
 
Someone make this man a Nut with a soft pull and no half stop please! And carbon steel while you’re at it!! I’d love to see more Jackknife Peanut posts but I like be your SAK ramblings in the mean time.
jackknife said:
You're welcome. I regret that one of the first qualities I have to check in a pocket knife at this stage of my life is, the ability of an arthritic old fart to be able to open it. I wish I could find a peanut with softer springs and no half stops. I with I could still carry and use the wonderful little Case peanut. But Victorinox springs are so well done and predicable that it is now 'my' knife and the peanut 'class' of knife will had to do. Like the smaller SAKs in the 58mm and 74mm. The coin pocket size pocket knife. The executive is still my EDC at this point.
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Gurdygurds said:
Here is my everyday companion View attachment 1163568
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Many times in my life in and around Washington D.C. the humble classic was my sole EDC pocketknife because of all the government buildings, National Gallery Of Art, the Smithsonian Museum complex, and others. Last summer on our family Key West vacation, the classic got mailed down to the guest house we were staying at and it cut the little key limes for cold vodka tonics, the scissors trimmed fishing line out on the flats, the SD tip of the nail file opened cold Coronas, and in the evening the thin sharp little blade neatly trimmed the end of of some good Dominican cigars. When I left, I gifted it to the airport shuttle van driver. He loved it, and recognized it as a Swiss Army knife right off.

The classic's a fine EDC for urban/suburban environments. Right up there with a peanut!:thumbsup:

Oh my, did I say that?????:eek:
 
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I'm not ashamed to say that I still (and always plan to) carry a manual one-hand opening knife of some sort every day (at least wherever permitted). Usually a Spyderco, sometimes a CRK. But I always have the 2 SAKs on me (Executive, and either a Spartan or Pioneer). I've had the same Executive now for 20 years.

There are times the one-hander is more convenient or more suited to the particular cutting task; but most of the time it's simply because I like it. I don't carry the Spyderco as a weapon, nor do I like referring to my one-handers as 'tactical', as IMO that word is overused and has almost become meaningless and a joke at this point. Tactics for what? To be a wannabe 'operator'? It's like those badly-acted commercials for Bell & Howell "as-seen-on-TV" hearing aids, flashlights, windshield shades, etc., that they advertise as "tactical".

I could go without the one-hander on a given day, but I would feel very uncomfortable without at least one of those SAKs. I discovered just how useful one can be when I was living overseas in Taiwan, and my only knife was a SAK Spartan. That's all I had knife-wise for years, and it served me so well that I always wanted an SAK with me. I laugh to myself when I see people saying that SAKs are cheap junk steel, which has more to do with the person's mistaken perceptions or inability to use SAKs than the quality and usefulness of the products themselves.

Jim
 
Blue Alox Pioneer with a TEC P-7 suspension clip in my left front pocket, and a 'We The People" Classic on my keyring. This was a first for me, just recently getting into the brand. In addition, I have the 2018 and 2019 Limited Edition Pioneers, and the 2019 Cadet and Classic on the way.
This is bad...
 
stevekolt said:
Blue Alox Pioneer with a TEC P-7 suspension clip in my left front pocket, and a 'We The People" Classic on my keyring. This was a first for me, just recently getting into the brand. In addition, I have the 2018 and 2019 Limited Edition Pioneers, and the 2019 Cadet and Classic on the way.
This is bad...
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You misspelled this is the start of a beautiful friendship
 
stevekolt said:
Blue Alox Pioneer with a TEC P-7 suspension clip in my left front pocket, and a 'We The People" Classic on my keyring. This was a first for me, just recently getting into the brand. In addition, I have the 2018 and 2019 Limited Edition Pioneers, and the 2019 Cadet and Classic on the way.
This is bad...
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No, actually it's a good start in a good direction. Unlike a knife that is just a knife, a SAK is such a handy little bundle of tools for those unexpected problems in life, that you will find a use for one of those tools in a day to day function. I can't count the times that even the little classic was handy for a small screw, cutting, snipping, or opening something.

Unlike a dedicated knife that is only good for cutting, a SAK has fixed a dead motor scooter on a dirt road in the middle nowhere, the control on an electric trolling motor at the far end of a long and winding lake saving a long paddle back, replaced the spring latch on a clothes drier door, fixed a loose door lock mechanism, adjusted a carburetor on a rented motor scooter in Key West, fixed a balky fishing reel on a secluded river bank, adjusted the sights on a Smith and Wesson revolver, and a ton more. Not counting the knife used for cutting jobs it has done.

Carrying two knives is just more cutting edges. Redundant. But carrying two SAK's with slightly different tool sets is more versatility and repair capability. Everything from a broken finger nail to a small household jobs like mounting a self in the master bedroom closet or garage. The awl on the pioneer is a great starter for wood screw holes and the can opener is a great Phillips driver. The SD tip of the classic is a great staple remover as is the hook part of the can opener/screw driver.

SAK- the pocket sized solution for a lot of pop up problems.
 
jackknife said:
Many times in my life in and around Washington D.C. the humble classic was my sole EDC pocketknife...... <snip>

The classic's a fine EDC for urban/suburban environments. Right up there with a peanut!:thumbsup:

Oh my, did I say that?????:eek:
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As you know I am not a Vic Classic user and never really have been. The knife is a bit fragile and I would prefer a Case Peanut over it. You got me to try out a Peanut a year or two ago, and I did. I liked it, but as I have said before, I opted for the slightly larger Vic Small Tinker. (Two blades and a few frequently used tools; what's not to like?) I used a regular Tinker and the larger "almost tinker" 111mm Adventurer model for years. It was only in the last 15 years that I honestly came to grips with this SAK thing.... I like them and will ALWAYS carry one. Add another knife for the fun of it from time to time. Add a fixed blade in the woods..... Feeling Good!

So, why on earth do I still buy all these traditional knives? You got me? other than I like them too! But even the regular traditional have taken a smaller size turn in the last couple of years.
 
22-rimfire said:
As you know I am not a Vic Classic user and never really have been. The knife is a bit fragile and I would prefer a Case Peanut over it. You got me to try out a Peanut a year or two ago, and I did. I liked it, but as I have said before, I opted for the slightly larger Vic Small Tinker. (Two blades and a few frequently used tools; what's not to like?) I used a regular Tinker and the larger "almost tinker" 111mm Adventurer model for years. It was only in the last 15 years that I honestly came to grips with this SAK thing.... I like them and will ALWAYS carry one. Add another knife for the fun of it from time to time. Add a fixed blade in the woods..... Feeling Good!

So, why on earth do I still buy all these traditional knives? You got me? other than I like them too! But even the regular traditional have taken a smaller size turn in the last couple of years.
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Why do we still buy the traditional knives?

Habit.

Most of our actions come down to that. Most my life I was going by habit, and now as an old man, I finally see what my dad, uncles and other older men saw that I did not. I used to look at the older guys with their little pen knives and wonder 'WHY?'. Why carry such a little knife when a "real" knife like a sodbuster, stockman, Barlow or a trapper would do?

I think we need to go through enough life to reach senior citizen age, so we can see the truth. Something my dad said to me comes back to me. He once told me that a pocket knife is something that is carried a lot, but used only a little now and then. That's why he liked his peanut; it was small enough to be unnoticed when it was not needed. His other saying; It doesn't have to be big, just sharp, stayed with me.

I don't carry a classic anymore, it's been phased out by the executive as my coin pocket knife. With the new car and the all plastic expensive 'smart key' I'm not loading my keyring like I used to. The executive is my 'peanut class' of pocket knife, like the Boker pen knife, and Buck 309 companion, and they go in my coin pocket. No more keyring carry.

My pocket knives, cars, CCW handguns, and other things have all taken a smaller turn in the past few years. I think thats called evolution.o_O

Live and learn, hopefully.
 
J jackknife The truth sometimes hurts. ;) I like to call it wisdom learned from the school of hard knocks. I am a senior citizen too by the way, just coming up behind you. I can get discounts if I ask at many fast foot places.

Habit has a great deal to do with things. I see a traditional knife that really grabs me and it's hard to resist buying it. But I have little need for it. The SAK takes care of almost all of my cutting needs. It goes beyond need. I just like 'em.
 
jackknife said:
Why do we still buy the traditional knives?

Habit.

Most of our actions come down to that. Most my life I was going by habit, and now as an old man, I finally see what my dad, uncles and other older men saw that I did not. I used to look at the older guys with their little pen knives and wonder 'WHY?'. Why carry such a little knife when a "real" knife like a sodbuster, stockman, Barlow or a trapper would do?

I think we need to go through enough life to reach senior citizen age, so we can see the truth. Something my dad said to me comes back to me. He once told me that a pocket knife is something that is carried a lot, but used only a little now and then. That's why he liked his peanut; it was small enough to be unnoticed when it was not needed. His other saying; It doesn't have to be big, just sharp, stayed with me.

I don't carry a classic anymore, it's been phased out by the executive as my coin pocket knife. With the new car and the all plastic expensive 'smart key' I'm not loading my keyring like I used to. The executive is my 'peanut class' of pocket knife, like the Boker pen knife, and Buck 309 companion, and they go in my coin pocket. No more keyring carry.

My pocket knives, cars, CCW handguns, and other things have all taken a smaller turn in the past few years. I think thats called evolution.o_O

Live and learn, hopefully.
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I mostly agree with this, but everybody's needs and circumstances aren't always the same. My late dad grew up on a farm, worked on a professional tuna fishing boat, and later worked as a gardener, and his fingers were extremely thick from a lifetime of labor. The skin was also hard, too, with some cuts or otherwise broken skin that had healed open. His nails were also wide and thick ( but not fungal). I noticed, from the pocketknives he had carried and used up over the years, that his knives never got very small, because he would have had trouble opening them. He never would have been able to do anything with a peanut, a Classic, or my beloved Executive...or maybe any SAK or other multi-blade at all beyond a certain age. He did have a couple of Christy knives stashed here and there that he probably impulse-bought at a checkout counter in the 1970s, but they didn't appear like they were used much.

I noticed that his last work knife was a well-used (but with plenty of life left in it) Buck 110, that I discovered among his belongings after his death. His last 20 years, he had Parkinson's that got progressively worse. He even had to start writing with his left hand, because he could no longer do it with his right hand. The 110 would have been much easier for him to use while he was still working; he could have easily pinched the blade open without using a nail nick.

So in my dad's case, his needs/preference around folding knives went the opposite way.

Jim
 
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My Dad's slip joints stayed about the same size overall. (I would call them "medium".) He just had this inclination to sharpen them on a grinding wheel.... He had heart issues later in life but never had Parkinson's or severe arthritis that I recall him mentioning. Eventually the heart issue got him.
 
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