Case swayback jack OR victorinox red alox farmer???

I carry a Farmer everyday. Incidentally, I'm looking to get a Sway Back Jack CV next month, for a classy user and my first foray into the traditional world.

Mqqn did sum it up best. For pure utility in every day use, the Farmer wins. It simply offers more tools to accomplish a variety of tasks. Furthermore, alox vics are tough. My Farmer feels and functions like the day I first got it. And to get it in red is a nice bonus; they are rare nowadays. I should know because I sold my last Red Alox Farmer a little while ago. Don't be afraid to use the colored ones. They age nicely:

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The Sway Back Jack is a classy tool that agrees well with a minimalist mindset. I'm looking forward to picking up one of my own. If all you want is a sharp edge (or two), it seems like you can't go wrong with the SBJ. If I were given your choice, I would pick the Vic purely on the basis of it being a more versatile tool. Then I would go ahead and buy myself the SBJ :D
 
SBJ's sure are purty, I want one bad!
That said I have a Vic Farmer in blue, and it's great. However I edc its brother the Pioneer Harvester. Same knife, but has a pruner blade instead of combo can opener/small screwdriver, and no key ring. In daily use I find the pruning blade very useful, the can opener much less. As a matter of fact I generally edc the Pioneer Rancher, which is the Harvester sans saw. Both these are available in any color you want as long as it's silver (best I know, anyhow).
 
Ask yourself how many times you're going to need a bottle opener...a can opener...a wood saw...a hole punch...a slotted screwdriver. Now compare the two knives.
 
For sure the Farmer first...yesterday I had a pretty mother of pearl Trapper and my Mini Recon 1 outside when my wife asked me to get the batteries out of the Power Wheels cars and charge them up for the kids - usually I would just grab the Vic SAK that's already in my pocket and take care of it but instead had to go back inside and get a screwdriver. My Camper is also my main can opener, all the crap ones from the stores end up breaking and often don't work well to begin with. When my wife got a new pair of sandals at the mall a year ago she started to complain that they were too loose so I put a couple new holes in them with the awl - saved me from hours of yappin'


Besides looks and tradition I don't see a reason to pick a normal slipjoint - SAK has enough of that for me and it's very versatile in the house, woods, etc. so it's not just a nostalgia purchase.
 
I like Case knives, especially in CV, but I'd go with the Farmer. I have a silver one and it's the nicest SAK I've ever had, form either of the two main makers. The saw is really good on the Farmer, and is thin enough that it doesn't add too much to the knife. They're a bit bigger and tougher than the standard red SAKs, and a great all around EDC, with one of the best awls you're likely to find on a pocket knife.
 
The swayback jacks are addictive, one is prettier then the next. I honestly cant stop looking at them. They look like 500.00 knives
 
I can't answer that, I have 'em both and EDC them both, although I do carry the SBJ every day, the Farmer gets rotated more with my other SAKs but it does see the most carry of my SAKs other than the Classic on my keyring or the Mini Champ.

If she's gonna get ya one, than you get the other and carry 'em both like everyone else here that have both do.
 
Knifes are for cutting. I carry a knife. Tools are for the workbench or glove compartment. I keep them handy.
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Very well said...today you're carrying a can opener , tomorrow you're toteing along a jackhammer, just in case. Where does it end.
 
Different strokes for different folks. Just because it doesn't work for you doesn't mean it shouldn't work for anyone else.

I'll concede I've used the can opener on my Farmer a handful of times within the past year, if that. And I'll be the first to admit it could be better. I'd prefer a model with a combo screwdriver/cap lifter/bottle opener tool anyway. But I've used the screwdriver head, phillips head, saw, and awl countless times in the urban and woods settings. A screwdriver is my pocket is immeasurably more useful than the screwdriver in the car or tool box for unexpected use.

Besides, when using the Farmer's blade, the added layer adds nice girth to the handle for more comfort in uses that extend beyond a quick cut or two. So you get a better hand-filling handle with an extra 4 tools that could come in handy... not a bad deal to me.
 
Both are good choices. I'd say if you wear mostly slacks and suits, go with the Sway Back. If you're mostly a jeans kinda guy, get the SAK. You may not often have occasion to use all the tools, but when the need arises, it's tough to beat that feeling you get when you whip out your trusty ol' SAK... :thumbup:

Of course, you could always pick up the SBJ and add a small SAK like a Classic or Rambler for your keychain... ;)
 
I say Farmer.
I love a good old traditional knife and find myself carrying one sometimes.

I find myself carrying an SAK more because it's just more practical. It's there when I need extra tools, it's there when I need a good ol' knife/tool in general.

The Farmer is far more useful, and are hard to find in colors anymore. So I'd go with that first.
 
Or, now she said she will buy me an allen elishewitz she likes. Any opinions on the elishewitz????
 
I'm not sure you can get a current production Red Alox Farmer, but you can get the Case SBJ, so assuming you have the money and you are a collector, go ahead and get the Farmer. If you are intending to use the knife, then there is no reason to have to have a Red Farmer. Having said that if you have the money for either, get the Case SBJ, and buy a Farmer later when you can stash the money away, it will be less expensive than the SBJ. There is more theoretical uses for the Farmer. You may or may not need the ones the SBJ doesn't accommodate.

The best option of course is to get both.

Ed J
 
TLARbb said:
I'm not sure you can get a current production Red Alox Farmer, but you can get the Case SBJ, so assuming you have the money and you are a collector, go ahead and get the Farmer. If you are intending to use the knife, then there is no reason to have to have a Red Farmer. Having said that if you have the money for either, get the Case SBJ, and buy a Farmer later when you can stash the money away, it will be less expensive than the SBJ. There is more theoretical uses for the Farmer. You may or may not need the ones the SBJ doesn't accommodate.

The best option of course is to get both.

Ed J
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The person you're addressing hasn't even logged in since August
 
I think my blue Swayback Gent's Knife is the nicest looking knife I own. I am hoping to get the 2 bladed Jack version for Christmas.
 
The Case SBJ is just a good looking piece of cutlery. If you don't get it, you will always long for one. As to which knife you will enjoy carrying and find more useful in the long run, that is harder to say. Personally, I find the SAK more useful, but the Farmer is a bit too chunky for me to pocket carry. SBJ, I bet, feels like it was born in your pocket. I'm gonna try out a Victorinox Bantam myself; it's a thin knife.
 
HikingMano said:
...Don't be afraid to use the colored ones. They age nicely...

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I'd say so! Seeing this makes me wish I had one, I like the look of that wear quite a bit. Looks a ton better than the plastic when its worn.

Out of the two I'd definitely choose the farmer, more useful and if you don't need those other tools, well...it doesn't hurt to be over prepared :D
 
Yeah, I lost that one a little while ago, after years of faithful service. It's ok, since I went ahead and had a custom one made with the tools I wanted in the knife :thumbup:

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(Middle one)

I also got a swayback jack since my earlier posts in this thread. I agree it was nice for light, dressed in slacks, gentleman's carry, but ultimately I was a bit underwhelmed by the knife. It was much smaller than I had anticipated, and while not necessarily a bad thing, I found I just prefer the 91mm or 84mm SAKs for size in-hand, let alone pure utility.

I know this thread was resurrected, just figured I'd update anyway.
 
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