How many of your daily tasks could be done with a SAK instead of your tactical knife?

[nolan raborn]

I would like to know how many of you guys clean fish or game or cut fishing poles with a SAK? Or clear a path through limbs, vines or briars? I still can't believe that so many people actually take the SAK seriously as a usable cutting tool. Cutting bananas, peeling grapes, opening letters, maybe.

 

[jtb49er2000]

I would like to know how many of you guys clean fish or game or cut fishing poles with a SAK? Or clear a path through limbs, vines or briars? I still can't believe that so many people actually take the SAK seriously as a usable cutting tool. Cutting bananas, peeling grapes, opening letters, maybe.

Well, unless you only count huge critters as game, then yes I have cleaned plenty of game with a Victorinox. Squirrels, rabbits, birds, fish, frogs, etc. I would even venture to say that I could skin a deer just fine with a SAK (granted it would take a bit longer) even though I have two Buck skinning knives for that purpose. I've hacked and whacked plenty of vines and briars as well. I'd much rather have a nice machete on hand as any large growth of briars will grab you pretty quickly if you use a small pocket knife on it (regardless of the brand of small folder). As far as cutting limbs and such, I'd put a Victorinox saw up against any tactical folder you like - a nice full sized bow saw beats them all of course, but I have sawed many a decent sized limb and sapling with a SAK while camping and making dirtbike trails and such. I think that a SAK will hold its own with any make of knife of comparative size. In other words a SAK isn't going to chop down a tree that you need an axe or hatchet for, but neither would a similiar sized Case, Queen, Schrade, super duper ninja folder, etc.

Bottom Line: If I'm going trail blazing, I take a large sheath knife or a machete. If I'm cutting limbs and branches, I take a saw or machete. If I plan on skinning large critters, I take a skinning knife. But, have I used a SAK to do all of those tasks before, most definitely yes I have, and yes I use a SAK on a daily basis.

 

[nolan raborn]

I could probably kill an elephant with a .25 Auto too, if he would hold still long enough and if I had enough ammo. What is the point in that?

 

[Hateman]

All of my regular cutting chores can be handled by my trusty Swisschamp. I know this for a fact as I once intentionally carried only the 'champ for one week, leaving my tactical folders in a box the entire time. I needed the tactical folder only once during that week.

SAK's are great for the jobs they are made for: little EDC chores.
Anything else, you may need a different tool for the job.
That's why I also carry bigger EDC's (a large BM Grip of late).

To each his own (box cutter, butter knife, shank, whatever).

 

[jtb49er2000]

Nolan - it sounds like your mind is pretty made up that a SAK is a piece of junk. I am curious then, what do you consider to be the minimium folder to carry to be prepared for every day use? What exactly do you use a folder for?

By your last reply I think that you missed my point a little - I'm not saying that a SAK is the best tool for clearing an entire forest or skinning a full grown grizzly bear while it's still kicking. I'm just saying that a SAK is a good quality knife and tool and when used properly (just like any knife or tool should be), that it will hold up and perform just fine.

I tell you what, spend $20 and put a normal sized SAK through its paces for a month or two. I bet you'll be mighty surprised at how well it performs.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Well, unless you only count huge critters as game, then yes I have cleaned plenty of game with a Victorinox. Squirrels, rabbits, birds, fish, frogs, etc. I would even venture to say that I could skin a deer just fine with a SAK (granted it would take a bit longer) even though I have two Buck skinning knives for that purpose. I've hacked and whacked plenty of vines and briars as well. I'd much rather have a nice machete on hand as any large growth of briars will grab you pretty quickly if you use a small pocket knife on it (regardless of the brand of small folder). As far as cutting limbs and such, I'd put a Victorinox saw up against any tactical folder you like - a nice full sized bow saw beats them all of course, but I have sawed many a decent sized limb and sapling with a SAK while camping and making dirtbike trails and such. I think that a SAK will hold its own with any make of knife of comparative size. In other words a SAK isn't going to chop down a tree that you need an axe or hatchet for, but neither would a similiar sized Case, Queen, Schrade, super duper ninja folder, etc.

Bottom Line: If I'm going trail blazing, I take a large sheath knife or a machete. If I'm cutting limbs and branches, I take a saw or machete. If I plan on skinning large critters, I take a skinning knife. But, have I used a SAK to do all of those tasks before, most definitely yes I have, and yes I use a SAK on a daily basis.

Wow what a great post. I agree 100%.

 

[nolan raborn]

Nolan - it sounds like your mind is pretty made up that a SAK is a piece of junk. I am curious then, what do you consider to be the minimium folder to carry to be prepared for every day use? What exactly do you use a folder for?

By your last reply I think that you missed my point a little - I'm not saying that a SAK is the best tool for clearing an entire forest or skinning a full grown grizzly bear while it's still kicking. I'm just saying that a SAK is a good quality knife and tool and when used properly (just like any knife or tool should be), that it will hold up and perform just fine.

I tell you what, spend $20 and put a normal sized SAK through its paces for a month or two. I bet you'll be mighty surprised at how well it performs.

I don't intend to give the understanding that I think the SAK is junk. It is a nice little cute knife that is somewhat of a novelty with all the tiny little implements (bottle opener, scissors, screw driver, etc.) But most of the blades are very thin and not made for heavy work.

I just can't believe all the guys who seem to be advocating it's use as a heavy duty every day carry knife.

And I open boxes, cut cardboard, cut plastic ties, etc. Probably, the minimum folder I would carry would be a Buck 112 or 110 or maybe a Kershaw Assisted Opening knive such as my Whirlwind. The knife I carry every day is an Emerson Commander or BM Skirmish. I did carry my SAK one day but decided that digging that little blade out of all the other junk surrounding it and then tryhing to cut through a plastic tie or whatever was just too much trouble. I can pop out my Skirmish or Commander, open it with one hand, cut whatever needs cutting and have it closed and back in my pocket in the time I can fish that little SAK out of my pocket, open it and do my cutting, hoping that I don't apply too much pressure and snap or bend that little tiny blade.

What my mind is made up on is the SAK is a cute little novelty to keep in my drawer along with my other knives that did not get carried today and take out now and then to play with.

Nolan

 

[jackknife]

I've found that the combo of a sak and an Ontario 12 inch machete covers most all the real world uses camping or what ever. I used to carry large single bladed knives like the Buck 110, Gerber folding sportsman. But they did not do anything I could not do with a Victorinox soldier. I have no fantacies of knife duals with the evil mall ninjas or brain eating zombies, so I just carry a sak.

When the experts were outfitting the survival kits used in the space program, for use in case the spacecraft came down anyplace in the world, the two cutting tools they put in to cover every senerio was a small machete and a scout type knife.

When the Mrs. and I took a trip through the rain forests in Costa Rica, our guide carried two knives; a small machete and a sak.

I may not be the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but after using that combination I found I had little use for large locking knives.

 

[the_mac]

I don't intend to give the understanding that I think the SAK is junk. It is a nice little cute knife that is somewhat of a novelty with all the tiny little implements (bottle opener, scissors, screw driver, etc.) But most of the blades are very thin and not made for heavy work.

I just can't believe all the guys who seem to be advocating it's use as a heavy duty every day carry knife.

And I open boxes, cut cardboard, cut plastic ties, etc. Probably, the minimum folder I would carry would be a Buck 112 or 110 or maybe a Kershaw Assisted Opening knive such as my Whirlwind. The knife I carry every day is an Emerson Commander or BM Skirmish. I did carry my SAK one day but decided that digging that little blade out of all the other junk surrounding it and then tryhing to cut through a plastic tie or whatever was just too much trouble. I can pop out my Skirmish or Commander, open it with one hand, cut whatever needs cutting and have it closed and back in my pocket in the time I can fish that little SAK out of my pocket, open it and do my cutting, hoping that I don't apply too much pressure and snap or bend that little tiny blade.

What my mind is made up on is the SAK is a cute little novelty to keep in my drawer along with my other knives that did not get carried today and take out now and then to play with.

Nolan

Cutting zip ties and cardboard are no problem with a sak.

 

[jtb49er2000]

Cutting zip ties and cardboard are no problem with a sak.

For that matter, cutting tie wraps and cardboard are typically no problem for a $3.00 utility knife.

When it comes down to it, everybody can carry exactly what they want to carry for whatever reason that makes them happy. I used to carry a Buck 110 eight days a week, but found that I was pulling a smaller plain jane pocket knife out for 99% of the cutting jobs I had. So, I left the Buck at home and started toting the smaller knife. That freed up room for a nice multi-tool on my belt which gets a ton of use just about everyday. Some people need a big strong folder, others don't - so like I said, to each his own. For me, a Victorinox Soldier and a Leatherman Supertool 200 covers about everything I need to conquer on a daily basis.

 

[22-rimfire]

Once you get past the stage of whipping your little tactical folder out and slipping open the blade with one hand, you learn that you rarely need such a beast. I carry my SAK because I use it every single day. I don't carry a tool box around with me and as a result the SAK comes in handy for little jobs. I used to think of them as novelty knives and as a kid never would consider carrying around all the extra weight so you can have a saw blade, scissors, phillips screwdriver, or whatever. As an adult, I see things differently and find that the SAK satisfies most of my day to day needs with a knife. I choose the Locksmith for the very reasons that I shunned them as a kid.

I did some work in South America boonies and after that experience, I will never travel with anything other than a SAK.

If I'm in the woods and suspect that I will NEED a knife for substantial cutting chores, I don't choose the SAK. But I have it with me... that's important, because it is always with me and not sitting in a drawer at home. I have gotten quite intriqued with the SOG Hunter Revolver for woods chores with it's aggressive saw blade that you can actually use and the very sharp regular blade with a gut hook. The gut hook comes in handy for nipping off small branches. I have never used it for field dressing a large animal YET. Both blades would be quite useful hunting, camping, or hiking. In the car camping scenario, I will have an axe and bow saw with me for bigger cutting chores. But if I had to, the two knives I mentioned would take care of most tasks within reason.

I have quite a few knives. My interests change. For a long time, I carried a small Gerber lockblade ($20) as the everyday carry knife because it was so thin and light. Then switched back to the SAK. It is much heavier, but it is more versatile.

 

[jtb49er2000]

If I'm in the woods and suspect that I will NEED a knife for substantial cutting chores, I don't choose the SAK. But I have it with me

That's exactly the point I'm trying to get across - the SAK might not be the first choice of cutlery for every single cutting task, but regardless of where you're at or what you're doing, it'll be there in your pocket ready to go. For the functionality, performance, price, quality, etc., I have yet to find a better bargain than a SAK.

 

[nolan raborn]

Today I was at Academy here in Houston, near my home. It is the only store I have seen around here that carries the SAK knives and the Huntsman is the biggest, most expensive one that they have. That is where my daughter bought mine to give to me as a present. (And I did request it, as I wanted to get a closer look at SAK knives. Then I came home and dug my Huntsman out of the drawer where it lives and looked at it, opening all the tools and blades and things. I saw a very high quality kids toy. The little scissors would cut paper or cloth if that was all you had but I would hate to have to cut much with them. The two blades were very small and thin. I would not feel good cutting anything more than fruit or tomatoes or something like that. The screwdrivers would be barely servicable if the screws were very tight or had to be made very tight. I certainly would not feel good putting any pressure on either of them. There is a little can opener that I guess would be quite handy on a fishing or camping trip and a bottle opener that I would have no use at all for since hardly anything comes in a bottle with pop off caps. There is a tiny thing that I suppose is an awl the I have exactly no use for and there is a weird little hook that the instructions said could be used to carry a package with that is tied up with string. I certainly do not need that.

I repeat, I do not understand why grown men profess to carrying around such a toy and claiming that it is all the knife that they need. Oh, well, as someone said about the .25 Pistol, it is nice to have if you don't have a gun! If you don't have a knife I suppose the SAK is better than nothing.

Nolan

 

[jtb49er2000]

Nolan -
All righty, here is my least entry about SAKs in this thread. I do understand your point about some of the implements being a bit dinky or even useless. I don't like every model Victorinox puts out either. If you've never looked at the alox line of Vics though, you really haven't seen the best they offer. The alox models (such as the Soldier) have thicker blades and tougher handles. They don't have a whole bunch of frills and extras and such, but they do have some nice tough blades and implements on them. No they're not going to be as stout as a full sized screwdriver, but they're not supposed to be, and they will hold up to a lot more torque than you think. I'm telling you, take a look at a Soldier sometime and you will be surprised.

P.S. ...Victorinox does offer a full lifetime warranty on their products. So, if you happen to break one of their "paper thin blades", you're covered!

http://www.swissarmy.com/cgi-bin/Ms...522240&query=soldier&hiword=SOLDIERS+soldier+

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Then I came home and dug my Huntsman out of the drawer where it lives and looked at it...

Why not take it out, carry it for awhile, use it instead of your usual knife and then after a month or so make a about about how it performed and where you found it lacking. You do need to be careful with the screwdrivers on heavy work as they don't lock and thus they can fold back on you under really heavy pressure, that is a common problem with many multi-tools.

-Cliff

 

[inspira]

Nolan's obviously not acquianted with the Alox models. :jerkit:

 

[Joe Dirt]

I repeat, I do not understand why grown men profess to carrying around such a toy and claiming that it is all the knife that they need. Oh, well, as someone said about the .25 Pistol, it is nice to have if you don't have a gun! If you don't have a knife I suppose the SAK is better than nothing.

Nolan

Hahahahaha!

You're a moron.

 

[thombrogan]

My Victorinox Tinker cuts through thick plastic (a defunct mailbox some j-o a-h's recently hit) and sails through cardboard whether it's sharp or dull. Just needed to regrind the mile-thick factory edge to something much thinner and it works great.

Joe Dirt,

You sure know how coat a field in honey and stomp on wasps' nests!

 

[allenC]

The little scissors would cut paper or cloth if that was all you had but I would hate to have to cut much with them.

The scissors are designed for precise cutting of light material.
Bigger is NOT always better--have you ever tried to trim your mustach with a Buck 110?
How about your nose hairs?
Those little SAK scissors are also perfect for trimming fishing-line.

The two blades were very small and thin. I would not feel good cutting anything more than fruit or tomatoes or something like that.

You are underestimating their potential by a very wide margin.
If you're willing to give them an honest try, and compare them side-by-side, I'll bet that there is nothing that a Kershaw Whirlwind can CUT that a Huntsman cannot.

...and a bottle opener that I would have no use at all for since hardly anything comes in a bottle with pop off caps.

Do you drink beer by any chance?
If so, then you would know that most of your better beers don't come with twist-off caps.
I prefer Heineken for a lager, and you definitely need a bottle-opener.

Seriously, carry the SAK for a couple of weeks and let us know how it performed for you.
I carried one for six years in the US Army and I can tell you that they work just fine for about 95% of all knife tasks.

Allen.

 

[WarRaven]

Someone said, a kid wouldn't carry a heavy large folder, poppycock.

Myself an most of my friends through school,yes school carried larger bucks, 24/7. it was more then fashionable to do so.

Note, my son carries one aswell as a larger spyderco now.


I have given away every SAK i have ever recieved as a gift.
It is a cutting tool, indeed a fine slicer.

However, it would fail long before a decent larger folder that can be used for way more then the former can offer, like the removal of plugged ol evaporator cores, ect.

Yes i tend to use a knife outside of its intended realm of usage, and i can safely say,that some knives have no problem doing so, others will snap off, dull, loosen thier rivets, loosen or lose thier scales ect.

I kinda agree with another poster herer that said, why not subsitute another knife instead of SAK mantra, say like Olfa.
It would exceed the SAKs cutting ability and be worry free if it breaks.

I kind of think, there is no one knife, so this is a death knell to SAK mantra.
There are those that cut, and those that get the job plus more done.

Asbestos equipped post.


WR