How many layers before a SAK is too big?

afishhunter said:
Belt pouch/holster?
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I have a nylon belt pouch that will fit either of them, just dont like having it on the belt really. Im sure i could get use to it if i tried it for long enough though.

https://imgur.com/a/nEng9Tk
https://imgur.com/a/eS8B5rt

This is has been my setup for years (left front pocket) and i guess im just trying some different stuff to give it a shot comfortably without fighting habits too much. Have thought about making a new pouch for the other 3 slots and using a dangler for a bigger one, just havent got around to it yet.
 
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The seven-layer Champion Plus is the thickest SAK that I find to be comfortable to carry and hold. The SwissChamp’s thick pliers layer pushes it out of the comfortable carry and use range for me. The main aspect of thick SAKs that I find awkward is having the blades so far offset in the handle.
 
3 is my limit. The Compact is still probably the most practical of all SAK knives and carries as thin as a 3 layer Pioneer X
 
I find 3 to be the sweet spot. In the hand I actually prefer 3 over 2 in a 91mm. But I keep looking at a Compact and wonder if that would change my mind. I can carry the Huntsman ok, but the Explorer is just a smidge thicker and I don’t care for how it fits in my pocket. But the weird thing is when I jump up in layers to an Outdoorsman, I actually don’t mind it. The Outdoorsman will ride flat in my pocket with the back springs against my leg and it’s completely comfortable. Given that I’ve been tempted to pick up a Ranger or a Champion plus, just to add the metal file. I think both of those would be similar and ride flat in the pocket.
 
315 said:
I find 3 to be the sweet spot. In the hand I actually prefer 3 over 2 in a 91mm. But I keep looking at a Compact and wonder if that would change my mind.
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Lots of people favor the Climber over the Compact because it's cheaper and it has almost the exact same functionality as a Compact, but in 3 layers instead of 2. It also comes in a variety of different colors including glow in the dark nylon. It's very rare to find a new Compact in anything other than red.

It's also not a bad idea to just add a Plus Scale to the back of a Climber so that you can have an ink pen slot. You can also add a mini screwdriver to the corkscrew, and a straight pin to the pin slot, and then you've got a Compact's big brother completed.

There's also the Super Tinker, which is the same as a Climber except that it has a phillips screwdriver instead of a corkscrew. People have been complaining for years that they want Victorinox to make a phillips version of the Compact.
 
Guy McVer said:
Lots of people favor the Climber over the Compact because it's cheaper and it has almost the exact same functionality as a Compact, but in 3 layers instead of 2.
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The Compact really seemed like the perfect edc sak for me. After giving one a try I learned that the combo tool isn’t an adequate replacement for the can open/bottle opener layer, at least not for my typical uses.
The climber is popular for a reason. Lots of utility for your buck. It’s becoming a favorite of mine.
 
My standard EDC SAK is an Explorer with Plus scales; the magnifying glass comes in handy in the office and in the garden. I like the Explorer's ratio of width to thickness; it's almost a square in cross-section. It's the thickest SAK that I find to be practical for extended use (such as whittling). Even the Champion Plus (that I mentioned earlier as being the thickest that I find comfortable to carry and use) is too thick for carving.

So, yeah, I guess four layers is my max comfort level for actual extended use in the hand.
 
Guy McVer said:
Lots of people favor the Climber over the Compact because it's cheaper and it has almost the exact same functionality as a Compact, but in 3 layers instead of 2. It also comes in a variety of different colors including glow in the dark nylon. It's very rare to find a new Compact in anything other than red.

It's also not a bad idea to just add a Plus Scale to the back of a Climber so that you can have an ink pen slot. You can also add a mini screwdriver to the corkscrew, and a straight pin to the pin slot, and then you've got a Compact's big brother completed.

There's also the Super Tinker, which is the same as a Climber except that it has a phillips screwdriver instead of a corkscrew. People have been complaining for years that they want Victorinox to make a phillips version of the Compact.
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I’ve got both the Climber and Super Tinker and I do like the way they feel in the hand.
 
315 said:
I’ve got both the Climber and Super Tinker and I do like the way they feel in the hand.
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I've got neither of them. 😁

As much as I talked them up, you'd figure that I'd have one or two, right? The actual truth is that I can't stand them! 🙃

In my mind, a SAK larger than 2 layers without a saw is extra baggage. Give me a Camper over a Climber any day. If I need scissors, I've already got some on my key chain that will cut just about anything despite their small size. If I do need bigger scissors, then I can either carry a 2 layer Compact, or I can just carry a pair of Fiskars folding travel scissors which will cut just as well if not better than the Victorinox scissors.
 
I have a Compact and a Cimber and like both of them but the Compact does carry the best and probably the most practical of all SAK's and why it's so popular but they need to offer as many scale choices as they do with the Climber.
 
It depends on the size and handle type.

For full sized 84mm and up it's 2 layers for Cellidor, and I could do 3 for alox.
For 58mm I've only had single layers so I don't really know.
 
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