I like the Vic Bantam

jackknife, you use the nail file to pry open bottles and it does not bend under this application?
 
jackknife said:
Oh boy, now you've done it. You mentioned the classic, my favorite sak.

"Slooowly I turned...":D

I don't know if I told you guys how I got onto the classic? It's my 'ol lady's fault.

Year's ago, when we were both still working and hadn't retired yet, Karen's company got some classics with their logo on them to give to clients. Karen came home with a classic very proud, and put it on her keyring. I always felt the tiny classic was a joke, fit only for snipping threads of a Brooks Brothers suit. The joke was on me.

For months, I watched Karen torment and torture, and use and abuse that little knife. She did things that I never expected it to survive. I gave it a month, if that. The second month ended, and I was now watching with interest. Karen used the ever lovin crap outa that classic. I'd never carried anything smaller than a tinker before, but because of Karen, I started what I called "The Experiment."

I put a classic on my own keyring, and for the next few months I made a point out of going for the classic first when a job came up. No matter what I had in my pocket, for the sake of the experiment I would try to use the classic before going to my so called "real sak" or other pocket knife.

At the end of the experiment, the only single thing the classic did not do well, was food stuff. It was a little short to slice a sub sandwich in half, or cut a piece of pie, or slice off a piece of Italian bread from the loaf. That was it. It opened boxes, cut rope and twine, opened mail, broke down boxes after a shopping trip to Sam's Club, opened all the accursed plastic blister packages things come in these days. It did everything I needed to do in modern suburbia. The scissors snipped, the SD tip on the nailfile was invaluable in dealing with the phillips screws that hold the entire world together these days, and I started to pile up a list of thigs I actually fixed using the classic as my only tool. In short, a person living in an urban or suburban area, can get by with just a classic, if he had to.

Today, the classic is in the keyring sheath so I can't leave the house without it. It gets used everyday on something, either for the knife to open my mail or UPS box, the scissors to snip something from a hang nail to a thread on a fishing fly, the tweezers for splinters in me, ticks on the dog, splinters on people in need I may be around, the SD to to tighten/fix something held together with a phillips screw, or to file a rough spot on a nail, or open a beer.

Classic's are a sak that every sakkist should have on him.

Carl.
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I mostly agree with you , cept I'd substitute Rambler for Classic . That said , I have gifted lotts of classics , all well appreciated .

You are the High apostle of minimalism !

Chris
 
dogstar said:
jackknife, you use the nail file to pry open bottles and it does not bend under this application?
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You don't really pry, but just put the edge of the SD tip under the cap and give a little twist. The cap metal is thin and soft, and bends right out. Do this about half way around the cap, and it pushes right off with your thumb. Been doing it that way for a couple of years with no ill effects on the classic. Use finesse over brute force.

Carl.
 
Mr. Carl, can you direct me please to the keyring sheath that you employ?

thanks
 
cdf said:
I mostly agree with you , cept I'd substitute Rambler for Classic .
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If there is something I don't need it's more SAKs - I have about 8 now and pretty much every need is well covered. I don't have a Classic because I don't like 'em - I gotta have the cap lifter & can opener for the screwdriving & prying capability . . . or do I? I was looking at the Rambler and wondering about whether that would be something I'd want on my keyring - now I'm trying hard to resist the temptation to buy another SAK (or 2). The Rambler looks real good for a very small SAK, the cap lifter with what looks like a pretty decent in-line Phillips screwdriver looks so useful.
I wonder if I couldn't get by pretty well with a Bantam in my pocket and a Rambler on my keyring - the bantam has a combo tool with flat screwdriver/pry tool and the Rambler has a combo tool with a Phillips driver. The Rambler also provides scissors & a file which could come in handy for some tasks.

Maybe I should look into a leather keyring pouch and a Rambler. I also have to get around to making a paracord lanyard for my Bantam - what design of lanyard do you use on your Bantam, Jackknife?
 
powernoodle said:
Mr. Carl, can you direct me please to the keyring sheath that you employ?

thanks
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I did have one I made, but I broke down and bought the one that Victorinox lists in their accessories section on their website. I think it costs something like 4 dollars, and goes on the keyring. I may take it to a leather guy and have it made from goof quality leather.

Carl.
 
Gadgetaholic said:
I wonder if I couldn't get by pretty well with a Bantam in my pocket and a Rambler on my keyring - the bantam has a combo tool with flat screwdriver/pry tool and the Rambler has a combo tool with a Phillips driver. The Rambler also provides scissors & a file which could come in handy for some tasks.

Maybe I should look into a leather keyring pouch and a Rambler. I also have to get around to making a paracord lanyard for my Bantam - what design of lanyard do you use on your Bantam, Jackknife?
Click to expand...

The bantam will handle phillips screws. Just use the lower inside corner of the combo tool. The combo tool will also open cans. It's an amazing piece of engineering. For a lanyard, I just use a doubled over loop about 7 inches long through the keyring, and I shove the end knot under my belt and adjust it so the knife hangs about halfway to the bottom of the pocket, along the outside seem of the jeans. I keep it simple.

Carl.
 
The Classic is the only knife that my sister is carrying. Years ago she bought a pink one by herself, later a green one and last year I gave her one with the edelweiss pattern on the scales. She always carries the green classic on her keyring and she uses it for everything.

Over the years I've been experimenting with keychain tools and it's mostly the Midnight Manager that's on my keyring now. I carried the Midnight Manager for a while as my only pocket knife, to experience how it would be to only have a small tool on me and found out that it was all I needed during that period. I still prefer carrying a bit larger blade, so the Cadet, Ambassador and Executive are the ones I carry most for EDC nowadays.
 
Carl, reading your stories all across this forum is always great :)
As for the Bantam, who can blame someone for loving it? I just wish it had scissors, a keyring, and maybe that it was smaller in size (down to the 3" - 74 mm range).
To me, it would be unbeatable as a keyring.
:cool:
 
powernoodle said:
Mr. Carl, can you direct me please to the keyring sheath that you employ?
Click to expand...

The Victorinox keyring sheath is pretty decent.

VicPouch.jpg


I bought one for my wife's Classic several years ago. But be warned, no matter what the seller's web site says, these are vinyl, not leather. I got burned on that. Still, it's a worthwhile purchase.

Another option that will let you easily remove the knife from your keychain for use is to get a small carabiner clip like so ....

CarbinerClip.jpg


This one cost me less than a buck at the hardware store down the street from my office.
 
One thing I really like about the Rambler Caplifter/#1Phillips , it's magnetized . Great for those pesky recessed screws on kinds toys /electronic gadgets . A
Bantam and a Rambler would be a good combo . If you want to save bulk , go with an alox Bantam . Only fly in the soup is the lack of a key ring .

Chris
 
You talk about the Classic, and that leads to the Rambler - which adds the bottle opener/screwdriver. Then the Rambler leads to the Manager, which has a pen instead of the toothpick. A sweet exchange, IMO. That leads to the Midnight Manager, which has an LED light but no toothpick or tweezers. And so it goes.
 
powernoodle said:
You talk about the Classic, and that leads to the Rambler - which adds the bottle opener/screwdriver. Then the Rambler leads to the Manager, which has a pen instead of the toothpick. A sweet exchange, IMO. That leads to the Midnight Manager, which has an LED light but no toothpick or tweezers. And so it goes.
Click to expand...

Then before you know it you have 8 SAKs and are considering buying more . . .

BTW:
I considered the Manager & Midnight Manager but I already carry a much better flashlight than anything incorporated into a SAK and I don't actually use a pen much, but a toothpick is handy to have on hand. The Rambler might be just what my key ring has been missing.
My EDC (Cybertool 34) has a pen and after 11 years it still works - It's been useful to me (and I was glad I had it on my SAK) less than 5 times over the last 11 years.
 
I graduated to a Mini Champ - I like the small scalpel type blade , the orange peeler gets lots of use , 58mm's are so small , an extra layer or two makes no real difference . The pen is quite handy . About the only thing I haven't used very much is the pill splitter/cuticle pusher .

Probably the best splinter removal platform out there .

Chris
 
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