I am completed...

Chameleonbear

Chameleonbear

Joined
Aug 14, 2008
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Ok little back story then onto the part I need help (or you can skip to the help part.) actually, help first then the story...

My sister is going to Guyana for 3 months. This morning she asked me for help picking out a "small, girly Swiss Army like knife" I probably will get flamed for this but I am not really a fan of SAKs, they seem more gimicky than anything, maybe because I've never gotten one (even from victorianox itself) that was sharp and the tools work great. So I told her to look at a Leatherman, or a Gerber Leatherman. She asked me to just find something for her, so I humbly request the assistance of the Bladeforum God and Goddesses. My first thought was a leatherman, my second was a douk-douk... What would you all suggest though? Keep in mind she is still very much a sheeple so no Busse, no Sebbie, no M.O.D. nothing that she would be hesitant to have/carry/use. No this won't be for any type of Self-Defense either.


The "I am completed" part comes cause I am a rather excessive(though not by standards here) knife lover. I have around 30 knives in my collection. My family has always been more wary of them. I would even say, downright didn't like them. Anyway, 12 years ago or so for my parents anniversary I get my mom a Victorianox SwissCard. Great little thing, she loves it. She carries it in her purse all the time. I derive great pleasure from the fact that I have corrupted the first member of my family into carrying a knife(knife based product anyway).
So 11 years go by, my mom still carries her SwissCard, and I order my new Spyderco Ladybug. Great little knife, I love it, it's great around sheeple cause everyone thinks it's just the cutest little thing and no one realizes that sucker is sharp! It took the tip of many a finger off(ok 2 fingers and a thumb but that's besides the point). It arrives on the day before my parent's 32nd wedding anniversary and my dad gets all excited. Apparently once he saw it, he decided he really likes that knife and that I knew he would so I got it for him. This was not the case since my father was the STAUNCHEST advocate of "I don't like knives" in the family. After 4 months or so he finally breaks down and asks me where I got the ladybug from because he wants one... I get him one, I now have corrupted 2 of the 3 family members into carrying a knife (or KBP).
Today, my sister asks me to pick out the knife for her to take to Guyana. I am elated beyond belief because it means all those years of taking grief for carrying a blade (or 3... ok up to 7 at times) have been worth it. I have gotten all 3 of my family to relent and carry them as well!
 
Haha, you are far more subtle with your corruption than I was with my family. I bought everyone in my family a Victorinox Classic and stuck it on their keys without bothering to ask if they wanted one.
 
I recommend a yellow handle Spyderco Salt.

It's light-weight so carrying it no problem, even if she's just in shorts and a t-shirt.

The large thumb-hole makes opening the knife a breeze even for women with longer fingernails (a tidbit from my wife ;)).

The yellow handle looks friendly and non-threatening to non-knife folks.
And it's easy to see if you drop the knife by accident.

It's very easy to re-sharpen and it can obtain an extremely sharp edge.

And it's impervious to rust.


And it wouldn't hurt to throw in a Swiss Army Knife with tweezers, scissors, bottle opener, and corkscrew....for recreational purposes. :D
 
What is she gonna do in Guyana? Jungle-expedition, building wells in villages or teaching kids? Is she gonna stay in the city or run around in the jungle collecting specimens of some sorts? Abit more info would help.

The LM Juice series comes in funky colors that will probably appeal to your sister, plus the different models can be had with a decent selection of tools.

The Victorinox Swiss Spirit is pretty nice too, its smaller than the fullsize SwissTool and more ergonomic and has locking tools. Build-quality is impeccable in this one.

LM Wave is pretty good too, and if she wears glasses shell love the little screw-driver. One-handed acces to the knifeblade is a great plus too.

SAK's come in a million different combo's and sizes and theyre excellent tools if she dosent need pliers. Try finding out what tools your sister might need/use the most, that way it wont be a hit-or-miss thing. Will she be carrying it in a beltmounted sheath, tucked away in a backpack or just in her pocket?

Im thinking a good knife-blade, scissors and screwdrivers probably tops the list. Weight and ergonomics probably matters too. If its too heavy and clumsy it wont get used. And if it looks nice she'll probably like it more than if it looks "industrial".

You know your sister best so its up to you, but you cant go entirely wrong with a Leatherman or Victorinox.
 
The Juice seies are all pretty heavy for their size. A Victorinox Classic might be nice for someone who really doesn't like knives generally.

Tiny key ring knife, small blade, scissors, nail file. And the range of colors is astonishing. :)
 
Not so much specimen collection but she will be spending some time in the jungles. Mainly passing through. She is a missionary. She was down in Ecuador for several months before and determined she needed something with a blade and something with some tools for when she is in the jungle-y bits.

It will be belt mounted or in her backpack, she doesn't like things in her pockets and quite usually takes out the pockets on her pants. I hadn't thought of the Salt. I'll look into it.
 
If it was my sister id buy her a Spyderco Endura/Delica and Swisstool Spirit.

The Endura/Delica can be clipped to her shorts and used for cutting-only tasks. Great ergonomics, slim profile for small hands, light weight, stainless steel blade, good lock and a robust and proven construction.

The Spirit has alot of useful locking tools including scissors, no clumping, polished finish that resists rust in a humid enviroment, and she can use the blade as a backup and for food. Weight wont be an issue as she can throw it in her pack or on her hip.
 
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My girlfriend carries a yellow spyderco salt 1 in her pocket and a leatherman wave in her bag and she swears by that combo
 
Leatherman Blast / Wave or Swisstool Spirit + some elegant folder might be good. Of course, Kershaw Zing with Orange handles might be appealing, if she doesn't like it you can take a excellent edc knife into your collection.
 
The swisstool spirit is probably the way to go. I have the full size Swisstool X, and as mentioned above, the quality is awesome.

If you are going to go with a traditional Vic, a lot of the W&SS folks really like the Alox Farmer, the silver has a nice look, and the saw on the Vic's is top notch.

Personally, I really like to have scissors on my swiss army knives, and I like to have two blades, one with a more ragged utility edge for rope, twine, cardboard, etc., and the smaller one with a fine edge. Your sister may find a supertinker fits her needs if she is in a more urban environment, and it is not too thick. Another one to look at is the climber.

I would probably take her to the Victorinox web site, and have her look at the available tools, ask her which ones she thinks she needs, maybe add in the ones you know she will need, and pick out the models that fit.

If she doesn't really need all the gizmos on a multitool or SAK...just get her an Izula in Tactical Pink! Great little blade...and I know girls like it, cuz my wife stole mine for her purse.
 
Do the SAK come sharp these days? Sharp enough to be able to survive 3 months of not being sharpened, and being pretty abused? Would it be worth it to send to get Krein'ed?
 
Hello,

Having traveled extensively, I would say that your sister needs to determine what she can't carry. There may be laws regarding knives or multi-tools where she is traveling. We don't want her being dragged into some remote police station, where the local chief of police has a Napoleonic complex. He may figure on jailing her because he doesn't like the look of her knife. A smaller SAK, assuming it meets her needs, might be a nice choice. If she gets into a hastle over it, with a typically underpaid municipal employee, she can always offer it up as a gift.
 
Trying to recommend a small, girly SAK for someone who may be going into the jungle and needs a knife that can handle abuse for 3+ months without sharpening is like recommending a cute BB gun to someone headed into a war zone. A pink Vic Classic is cute and girly, and can handle all of the knife-tasks a woman needs to accomplish in the suburban United States. It's not going to be all that useful in the jungle.

For a Swiss Army knife, I like the Vic Huntsman. For a multitool, I like the Leatherman Wave. What your sister probably needs is one of each of these, and a fixed blade of some sort. If she simply must have something "girly"- a pink RAT Izula would be a good choice. It's small and non-threatening, and can handle abuse. Personally, if my sister were going into the jungle and wanted a knife recommendation, I'd let her have her pick out of my collection. I'd encourage her to take a mid-sized fixed blade, like a Bark River Bravo 1, a RAT RC-4, or a Busse ASH-1LE. Silly reservations about knives are out the window the moment somebody realizes that they really need a KNIFE.
 
I would get her a Pink Izula ($50) and a Victorinox Hiker ($15). That way she has the bombproof Izula as her primary knife, and the Hiker for the tools and as a backup blade. As for the SAKs, mine are all hair popping sharp, I've found that their flat grind, distal taper, and thin edge out-cut most of my expensive high-end knives. They do not hold an edge like the modern super-steels but they will get you through the day and are extremely easy to sharpen, even with a tiny pocket sharpener.
 
So, I got her set up with a Pink Izula, A SAK Silvertech Climber, and a Kabar TDI LDK... I also am teaching her how to use my Sharpmaker and having her take that with her... Looks like I will have a reason to get an edgepro now...
 
Any of these:
A pink Ba-kar Dozier.
A pink Delica.
or a pink Native.
Why pink? It goes well with ladies, and doesn´t look too tactical...
 
I can't see why you dislike Victorinox. Their knives last forever. Sure the blade steel is only passable, but what they can fit into a convenient, durable, and classic package, it cannot be beat.

Though, I wouldn't take the "classy" models into a jungle.
 
Azraell said:
I can't see why you dislike Victorinox. Their knives last forever. Sure the blade steel is only passable, but what they can fit into a convenient, durable, and classic package, it cannot be beat.

Though, I wouldn't take the "classy" models into a jungle.
Click to expand...
Just personally I would rather have a fixed blade "super steel" with me. Or a Busse/Rat-3/4/Fallkniven/BRKT. But that is just me, and I'm not the one going.
 
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