Is an SAK all you need?

Since I started carrying a SAK I found I really don't even use a blade that often. I use the other tools more than the blade.
 
I'm finding that SAKs are all I need. And with their being so affordable, I find I need a lot of them.
 
All I need: yes
However since when are any of us here content with all we really need??
As a side note, I love my tinker!!
 
pinnah said:
I've owned a bunch of Victorinox products and (for my tastes) there are a ton of negatives.

1) Their heat treatment leaves their Inox very soft compared to industry standards. Most reports and experience put it in the 55Rc range. Plenty of easy to sharpen stainless steels in the 58rc range.

2) Their plastic scales scratch easily, can and do crack and fall off.

3) Their spring tensions vary widely with many impossible to open blades.

4) Their scissors, while nice for fine cutting, have frail springs and are not capable of hard cutting tasks compared to most scissors on Leatheman tools.



Cutting 1" thick branches. I do this on my property all the time. Destroys most knives I've owned in a year. Except for Opinel.
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Yeah but if you had a SAK with a wood saw (like the Farmer) you would have no problem and no destruction. That wood saw will go through a 1" branch in about 10 seconds. I've done it many times.
 
pinnah said:
I've owned a bunch of Victorinox products and (for my tastes) there are a ton of negatives.

1) Their heat treatment leaves their Inox very soft compared to industry standards. Most reports and experience put it in the 55Rc range. Plenty of easy to sharpen stainless steels in the 58rc range.

2) Their plastic scales scratch easily, can and do crack and fall off.

3) Their spring tensions vary widely with many impossible to open blades.

4) Their scissors, while nice for fine cutting, have frail springs and are not capable of hard cutting tasks compared to most scissors on Leatheman tools.



Cutting 1" thick branches. I do this on my property all the time. Destroys most knives I've owned in a year. Except for Opinel.
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1) that's true but not a problem for occasional use. On the other hand the steel is virtual rustproof. Even my second hand ones have zero rust.

2) Perhaps you should switch to the sturdier 11 mm Alox variants, the metal on the tools on those is thicker as well. Those are more suited for outdoor harder use.
That being said; scales are very easily and cheap to replace.

3) I have several Victorinox also some second hand. If you clean them properly the spring is working like it should.

4) Agreed. Still perfect for light tasks like cutting paper or a string though. Springs are easily and cheaply replaced.
 
In my opinion, it depends on your needs entirely. I carried multitools for about five years (Leatherman Charges and Victorinox SwissTool/Spirit exclusively) until I realized I never really used any of the implements besides the knife. Now, I carry a one hand opening folder but always have a multitool close by to me. If I anticipate I'll need some pliers etc then I'll take a Victorinox Spirit in addition to my folding knife. Essentially, I realized big bulky multitools weren't worth the weight for me.
 
pinnah said:
I've owned a bunch of Victorinox products and (for my tastes) there are a ton of negatives.

1) Their heat treatment leaves their Inox very soft compared to industry standards. Most reports and experience put it in the 55Rc range. Plenty of easy to sharpen stainless steels in the 58rc range.

2) Their plastic scales scratch easily, can and do crack and fall off.

3) Their spring tensions vary widely with many impossible to open blades.

4) Their scissors, while nice for fine cutting, have frail springs and are not capable of hard cutting tasks compared to most scissors on Leatheman tools.



Cutting 1" thick branches. I do this on my property all the time. Destroys most knives I've owned in a year. Except for Opinel.
Click to expand...


The positives of SAKs far outweigh any perceived negatives. I've had one SAK travel the world with me, most often in the bush and in some not so pleasant places, over the last 25 years or so. It's been a great knife. Also, as was posted, the saw makes easy work of one inch branches and roots so no worries there at all. My Leathermans mostly stayed at home.
 
Big Mike said:
No. :eek:


Great for light duty cutting chores, that's about all.

I always carry a more substantial knife for EDC.



For folks who only tackle light duty cutting tasks I imagine it might be all they need.
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My VIC Farmer is my heavy duty EDC. Carried a VIC Champion in the Army.
 
kershawguy13 said:
Is an SAK all you need for general EDC uses?
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Yes.

I'm someone with many knives, a confessed steel snob, and I have no problem at all admitting this. It does 5 times more than 99.9% of other knives, cuts very well due to excellent blade geometry, and has better quality than 99% of the knives in its price range.

I could easily live the rest of my life with only a sak and not need anything else, including time in the woods.
 
My Fieldmaster has been and excellent edc for over 20 years... But, this is just more fun:

2uqg55l.jpg
 
Carrying an SAK isn't a make or break for me. I don't carry one every day. If I need one, I don't have it on me, and if I have it on me I don't need it. Always have a knife but I like the Leatherman especially when I'm going to carry a multitool with me when I'm doing any kind of home improvement etc.
 
pinnah said:
I've owned a bunch of Victorinox products and (for my tastes) there are a ton of negatives.

1) Their heat treatment leaves their Inox very soft compared to industry standards. Most reports and experience put it in the 55Rc range. Plenty of easy to sharpen stainless steels in the 58rc range.

2) Their plastic scales scratch easily, can and do crack and fall off.

3) Their spring tensions vary widely with many impossible to open blades.

4) Their scissors, while nice for fine cutting, have frail springs and are not capable of hard cutting tasks compared to most scissors on Leatheman tools.



Cutting 1" thick branches. I do this on my property all the time. Destroys most knives I've owned in a year. Except for Opinel.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but I gotta call you on this one. Varying springs? Impossible to open blades?

Man, since I got my first SAK in 1968, I've bought, used, and gifted so many of them, I've long lost track of numbers. I've never found a nail breaker SAK. In fact, Victorinox is maybe the most consistent factory made knife in the world. In fact, when I'm flying to some location, a SAK is what I'll buy and send to myself sight unseen because I know that the SAK will be just like the last one. I don't know of any knife company that comes close to the number of knives out the door yet maintains the high level of QA that Victorinox does. I don't know what knock off SAK's you've been using, but your constant complaints of how many SAK's you've broken is legend. In fact, on all the forums and real life people I've known in my life, you seem the be the most driven to run down SAK's. But to make a claim of impossible to open SAK's is the crown. I'd like to see these SAK's.

In the over forty years I've been using them, I've had one broken scissors spring, and that cost a buck for the new one. Wow! I've had one scale fall off, and a drop of Goop fixed that. On the other hand, I saw my friend Danny break off an Opinel clean at the handle/bolster line, so should I consider all Opinels junk? As for trimming 1 inch branches, if you have to do this on a real regular basis, you may need a pruning saw, or at least a SAK farmer. If you can destry a farmer, I want to see that on video.

I can only conclude that someone in a past life of yours killed you with a SAK. Your disdain of them seems almost pathological.
 
I've been asking myself a variation of this question for a while, and I've decided yes, a sak is all I need. I define this as "will my life become appreciably more difficult if I only had a sak?". The answer for me, is no. This doesn't stop me from wanting/buying other knives, but it does help put things in perspective. A sak is a need. Everything else, for me, is a want.
 
jackknife said:
I'm sorry, but I gotta call you on this one. Varying springs? Impossible to open blades?

Man, since I got my first SAK in 1968, I've bought, used, and gifted so many of them, I've long lost track of numbers. I've never found a nail breaker SAK. In fact, Victorinox is maybe the most consistent factory made knife in the world. In fact, when I'm flying to some location, a SAK is what I'll buy and send to myself sight unseen because I know that the SAK will be just like the last one. I don't know of any knife company that comes close to the number of knives out the door yet maintains the high level of QA that Victorinox does. I don't know what knock off SAK's you've been using, but your constant complaints of how many SAK's you've broken is legend. In fact, on all the forums and real life people I've known in my life, you seem the be the most driven to run down SAK's. But to make a claim of impossible to open SAK's is the crown. I'd like to see these SAK's.

In the over forty years I've been using them, I've had one broken scissors spring, and that cost a buck for the new one. Wow! I've had one scale fall off, and a drop of Goop fixed that. On the other hand, I saw my friend Danny break off an Opinel clean at the handle/bolster line, so should I consider all Opinels junk? As for trimming 1 inch branches, if you have to do this on a real regular basis, you may need a pruning saw, or at least a SAK farmer. If you can destry a farmer, I want to see that on video.

I can only conclude that someone in a past life of yours killed you with a SAK. Your disdain of them seems almost pathological.
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I'm with Jacknife on this. An Alox SAK in your pocket will take you around the world, and serve a lifetime. My go-to travel knife is a vic compact that I got off ebay for $2. Many would be surprised what you can do with a knife this size. I think that many today think you need a 4" knife to do anything. If you were a boyscout before 1980, you would know that you can fell 1"+ saplings with a SAK, or scout knife with ease. Sadly, today's scouts only know how to make popcorn, and annoy patrons at KMart, but can't make a fire (fire is evil), or sharpen a knife (knives are evil).
 
Victorinox back springs are the most consistent and pleaseant springs I have ever used on any slipjoint ever.
I have handled probably 100 or more genuine victorinox and wenger SAKs and have never found one to be a nail breaker or even hard to open. They set the standard I judge all other slip joints by. I have seen a couple with lazy springs, but they had been used heavily for a very long time and were simply worn out, still functioning, but due for retirement.
 
Shrug.

It would be pathological for me to lie about my experiences.

The nail breakers I've experienced have mostly been on the awls and Phillips drivers on the under side and on the smaller tools like the can openers on the larger picnic trekker sized knives. I'm glad others have more consistent experiences but I haven't. Much more consistently good experience with Leatherman products, not that I've gone through too many.

As for the busted scales and springs, again, whatever. Never busted a Leatherman or an Opinel but have busted up Victorinox (and, while we're at it, several Buck knives). Perhaps I'm hard on my stuff. Or perhaps Victorinox makes weak stuff (as does Buck IMO).

Regarding using a saw to cut 1" branches in 10 seconds, I generally dispatch them in 2 or 3 seconds. One maybe two cuts. Easy breezy. Impossible for me to do with a standard slip joint as the frame is so much smaller than my Opinel n9, which fills my large hands better.

The SAK is just fine for many people and many things. The fact that they don't work well for me shouldn't bother anybody... Unless of course they want to impose their golden vision of knife nirvana on everybody.

No thanks. I'm sticking with Opinel and Leatherman. They don't break and are more useful for my needs. YMMV.
 
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