If a good friend of you ask for your SAKs recomendation...

I

Iyonk

Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
538
whats your TOP 3 saks and why?

i know you could recomend dozends of them but this time, pick your top 3 so your good friend wont be confused and appreciate your suggestions...

mine are:

1. 84mm Tinker small:
very2 pocket friendly, light&slim, got some essential tools for urban EDC... its one of my favorit EDC SAK.

2. 58mm rambler or manager:
super compact and packed with no nonsense useable tools for its size.. the blade open on the correct orientation (opposite of the keyring)... its small but awesome sak... my favorit 58mm model.

3. soldier alox or pioneer 93mm:
the true soldier knife that serve well for almost half decade.. if its good enough for them, it great enough for me... super durable, strong and reliable... solid and would always be classic/never outdated..



i know, i have lots of models and recomendations, but thats my top 3...

so what would be your suggestion?

(i bet 2 of the saks thet Carl/jackknife gonna suggest are the gideon of small saks and alox bantam hehehe... but i'm curious about the third hehehe...)

thanks for your tought guys...


Iyonk
 
My top 3 SAK's would have to be;
1.93mm Alox Soldier or Pioneer if you can't get one. It embodies what the Swiss Army knife is really about, a compact knife with multiple functions made with high quality materials and engineering.

2.Classic - just can't be beat for sheer simplicity and ease of use as well as it has that non-aggressive look to it.

3.Spartan or Tinker - the original Swiss Officers knife. Whether you like and use the corkscrew does not matter since you can have a Phillips screwdriver instead. Personally I like the Spartan with a mini-screwdriver inserted into the corkscrew.
 
Iyonk said:
(i bet 2 of the saks thet Carl/jackknife gonna suggest are the gideon of small saks and alox bantam hehehe... but i'm curious about the third hehehe...)

Iyonk
Click to expand...

You're about half right.:D

The first is of course the classic. The most produced pocket knife in the entire world. Available at any big box store means a very wide availability. Low priced enough that I don't mind giving it away to a stranger in need of a knife, and I know I can replace it at the very next Walmart I come to. I've lost count on how many classic's I've given away to total strangers.

The second is the icon of the Swiss Army. The soldier or Wenger SI. I prefer the Si because of the bail like we had on our boy scout knives. I love the bullet and bomb proof alox construction, and it easily could be your only pocket knife for the rest of your life. Stands up to heavy use bordering on abuse.

The third is a tough call. It comes down to between the cadet and bantam. I love both, and wouldn't have to make a one time choice. My leanings are a little toward the bantam, just for my minimalistic outlook on things.

Carl.
 
Assuming this good friend is not a knife guy, this would be my top 3.

1. Climber. Add a mini screwdriver in the corkscrew and a pin in the hole behind the corkscrew and you've got a lot of functions in a compact package. In my opinion, the Climber is an excellent allround SAK for the urban environment in which most of us live. It has the tools that I think people use most: a blade, scissors and screw drivers.

2. Executive. A bit smaller than the Climber, but bigger than the Classic. It's slim, has a blade and scissors and some other tools that are handy in daily life.

3. Classic (or variant like Manager, Rambler, etc.). A great addition to any keyring. It's small and doesn't scare anyone, but has useful tools. By adding it to the keyring, you take the SAK anywhere you go if you have your keyring with you.

I love the alox models and thought about recommending the Soldier or Wenger SI, but I know there are lot of people too who don't like it that the alox models don't have as many functions as the officer models (especially not having toothpick and tweezers is something many people don't like). Non-knife-people that I know and who own a SAK for hiking and camping, bought that SAK for the many functions. If one is interested knives, I'd recommend the Soldier or Wenger SI. Not only because of their toughness, but also because of their history.
 
The Victorinox Explorer or Explorer plus would be a good choice for a fully featured model.
The Victorinox Ranger is another well appointed SAK.

For a nice Alox model - the Victorinox Alox Farmer is a good choice.

For super slim - the Victorionox Alox Cadet.

For a knife guy that likes one handed openers I might recommend a One Handed Trekker NS (Non-Serrated) instead.

If the friend was a computer tech like me then I'd just tell him that he needs a Cybertool 34 or a Cybertool Lite. (every computer tech needs a Cybertool)
 
I assume he's asking because he's new to EDC, so I'm gonna tailor my recommendation to that.

First would be Midnite Manager. It's Classic + mini Phillips screwdriver / bottle opener with pen and light instead of tweezers and toothpick. Nobody these days seem to carry a pen outside work, so it's nice to have one. The light is bright enough for most short tasks (finding keyhole & stuff that rolled under the cabinet, lighting your way in the theater, etc.). The Phillips is just the right size to open battery door compartments on most electronic devices and toys. It is still very small, it can dangle on his keys without him noticing until it's needed.

If the guy wants something bigger, the second recommendation is the Compact. It's only two layers, so a new guy won't get tired of carrying it. Despite the slim size, it packs a lot of functionality because it has the combo tool (flathead screwdriver / bottle opener / can opener / wire bender) and the "Plus" set (pen, pin, and micro screwdriver). Scissors and corkscrew fit urban environment nicely.

If the guy is ready for something even bigger and willing to carry it on his belt, then it's Swisstool Spirit. No explanation is necessary for this tool.
 
My choices would be close to yours Iyonk.
1. 93mm alox; Pioneer, Soldier, Farmer...
2. Rambler
3. Cadet.
 
hey i been edc'ing a tinker since just before christmas
i dont have nothing bad to say about it, nothing bad at all :)
 
I would pick the Huntsman/Climber,is the same as the Huntsman minus the saw.Next would be the Alox Soldier,kind of like a Scout Knife.Last but not least is the Classic,hard to forget when you leave home when it's on your key chain.
 
Since the advice goes to "a good friend," presumably you know the person well enough to be familiar with his/her personality and preferences. It can be generally assumed that the interested party is not (yet) a knife guy/girl, so that narrows down the choices.

For minimal size: Rambler, waay more useful than the Classic because of the bottle opener and #0 ph magnetized screwdriver, less crap than the Manager, Minichamp etc., just right mix of implements for the format. Brilliant.

For pocket or purse: Climber, basically a Spartan with scissors. Non-knifely persons love they some scissors on their multitools and will not carry anything larger than this model. Forget about the regular Spartan or Tinker. If your friend winds up with SAK that has no scissors, he will resent you forever.

There is no need to consider anything else.
 
so far no body recommend swiss champ and larger saks beside cybertools43 hehehehe...

but some friends actually prefer to have compact saks so they can out them in pocket or elso without noticing bulkiness...
so mostly for non knife peoples, here's some recomedation that my friends actually BUY for them self... to be honest here's my suggestion that actually " works"! :

1. supertinker: scissor is the charm of SAKs for them... it looks good, well design,slim, comfortable to hold/use and just plain works.and its cheaper than 2 layer compact that also got scissor... super tinker give alot for the money they spent!
2. classic: it very afforable, looks cute but truly useable. and it got scissor!
3. explorer: yup, you're right! it got scissors and in line phillips. add a glasses screwdriver and a needele pin and they got a work horse.

thats not even close to my suggestion in the biginning of this post... yup, i still recomend my favorit list... but after reading all your comments, to be hones that top3 is the real world SAKs my friends get hehehe... only a few actually got the alox models.... and thats after they buy those top 3 saks!

can you imagine if victorinox put scissors on the 93mm alox and 84 alox? yup, it would boost the selling!
 
It's so nice to see how the range of products raises these questions on SAK's...anyway, my fav 3 are:
- Classic (the name says it all...I prefer the alox version)
- Tinker (or eventually Super Tinker for those who can't live without scissors), it has all the right basic tools and the perfect size
- Trekker or 111mm Soldier (I prefer the one handed openers), since I believe it's (so far) the ultimate SAK for outdoors.
:cool:
 
When I have given SAKs as gifts I typically go for a Classic, Compact, or a Leatherman Micra. I know the third one isn't a SAK, but all three are unassuming, quality tools which can be purchased readily. If the person wants something small which they will carry on their keychain I give a Classic. If they will carry it in their pocket then I typically give a Compact or Micra - they are more robust than a 58 mm model, but still slim and pocketable.
 
Iyonk said:
so far no body recommend swiss champ and larger saks beside cybertools43 hehehehe...

but some friends actually prefer to have compact saks so they can out them in pocket or elso without noticing bulkiness...
so mostly for non knife peoples, here's some recomedation that my friends actually BUY for them self... to be honest here's my suggestion that actually " works"! :

1. supertinker: scissor is the charm of SAKs for them... it looks good, well design,slim, comfortable to hold/use and just plain works.and its cheaper than 2 layer compact that also got scissor... super tinker give alot for the money they spent!
2. classic: it very afforable, looks cute but truly useable. and it got scissor!
3. explorer: yup, you're right! it got scissors and in line phillips. add a glasses screwdriver and a needele pin and they got a work horse.

thats not even close to my suggestion in the biginning of this post... yup, i still recomend my favorit list... but after reading all your comments, to be hones that top3 is the real world SAKs my friends get hehehe... only a few actually got the alox models.... and thats after they buy those top 3 saks!

can you imagine if victorinox put scissors on the 93mm alox and 84 alox? yup, it would boost the selling!
Click to expand...

The Cybertools and Explorer have some great tools. If I used a magnifying glass or torx drivers a lot, one of those two would make my top list. Scissors, or an in line phillips would be nice on the alox models. I have one of Scibeers Climbers.

IMG_4133-1.jpg
 
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