Just can't warm to SAKs

S

stargawker

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Mar 1, 2014
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When I was young, I thought all the gadgets on Swiss Army Knives were cool. But now that I use knives more, I really appreciate knives that are single purpose with 1-2 blades rather than multitools.

Yes, I can see the benefit of having a multipurpose tool in my pocket, but a regular traditional pocket knife with 1-2 blades just feels more stable and less thick in my hands when I use it for cutting or whittling.

Am I the only one? Or are there some others out there that aren't drawn to SAKs?
 
I have, and love, a few. Nothing bigger/thicker than a Spartan. I have a Spartan Lite that I keep in my bag, but I only use in dire circumstances. The Cadet is my personal favorite, I think it's a fantastic size and combination of the, personally speaking, most useful tools.
 
You're the only one. Since I guess you have come to this conclusion after owning several SAKs, please box them up and ship them to me. I will make sure you never have to suffer their presence again.

Zieg
 
To me the SAK is a tool, not a pocket knife. It's a tool that happens to have a knife blade on it. I always carry a traditional slipjoint as my "knife" and the SAK as a great and very handy tool to complement it.
 
I've never been able to get into them either. When I was in the military and had to carry a multi-tool I preferred a Leatherman. I haven't really had a need for a multi-tool in the years since I got out, though I do still have a Leatherman in the junk drawer and another in the garage.
 
arizonaranchman said:
To me the SAK is a tool, not a pocket knife. It's a tool that happens to have a knife blade on it. I always carry a traditional slipjoint as my "knife" and the SAK as a great and very handy tool to complement it.
Click to expand...

That's funny because I see it the other way. I see it as a knife that happens to have tools on it. Their is a reason it has been called a Swiss Army knife for over a hundred years. :D
Not all SAK's have tools either. Some are single blades or a large and small blade.
 
Capt,

TRUE! Don't get me wrong, I dearly LOVE the SAK, I think it's a wonderful and ingenious tool/knife to say the least :)
 
Big fan of SAKs, especially the ALOX versions. That said, the thick ones with lots of tools are overkill to me. My favorites are the ALOX Farmer, Soldier/Pioneer, Cadet, and especially the Lumberjack. If I'm out in the woods there is a SAK in my pocket.
 
The only ones that appeal to me are the Alox handled versions. I have both an Electrician and a Cadet, which I love, and a backup for each, but no desire to buy more, and no particular attraction to the red plastic scaled versions. The Cadet is always in my pocket, no matter what else I might be carrying.

I do have a Classic SD in the red plastic, part of my mini first aid kit, and I bought a Rambler for my wife to carry in her purse.
 
I always have at least one SAK on my person. My EDC SAK is an Executive. Other favorites are the Alox Soldier/Pioneer, Spartan/Tinker, Rambler, etc. On my belt I carry a Spirit MT.

Lately, I've also started carrying a traditional pocketknife again, usually a stockman from Case or Buck. I like them for rougher cutting jobs, but there are things they cannot easily do that an SAK will accomplish with no sweat.

Jim
 
I could never put one in my pocket BUT I have one in the glove box,tool box ,hunting back pac ,rescue fanny-pac and in the garage workbench;)ps none in the truck glovebox just a Leatherman super-tool and a Buck ..110..:)
 
I tried to get into them but to me they are just not my thing. { I have 4 of them and they are like new. } I carry a Delica ZDP189 and wear an old Gerber Belt Buckle Knife and every once in awhile a GEC ( but I never use them so why do I take them.? ) The Delica does everything I need a Knife to do do except if I go to the woods or fishing. I need to give them a good home and sometime in the future I will probably do just that.! At least a few people will be happy and possibly even carry it and maybe use it.**
 
I can't really get into them either. I carry a tinker at work (heavy equipment mechanic) and that's only because it's something I'm not afraid to lose from my pocket into an engine basket, I can replace it without fail at most chain stores. Now don't get me wrong, it is a very handy tool, but it just doesn't "do" anything for me.
 
I appreciate where the OP is coming from. I grew up on them and find them extremely useful. I know the many uses they excel at so they're familiar to me. I carry one everyday regardless of what other knife I'm carrying.

My son's have tried wearing a watch but don't see the need or use because their smartphone's are a watch to them. I use the flat blade screwdriver, main blade and awl the most.
 
It's a personal preference. Therefore, there are no "right" answers.

Personally, I carried a Vic Tinker every day for four or five years. At the end of that time I came to feel that I needed to carry something else and now I seldom carry one. It just wasn't what I wanted to carry every day.

By the same token, I've carried a Vic Classic on my key ring for a couple of decades. It's never my main knife, but it's always there and I find it useful. I also carry an SAK when I travel. It's more than adequate for my needs and if it goes missing, I can easily obtain another.
 
I feel SAKs pack a lot of functionality into a small package, and I find them more appealing than a cold, lifeless Leatherman. They are non-threatening, and great cutters to boot. I can empathize with the OP in that I find some knife designs completely uninteresting. I like simple knives myself, and you can get SAKs with as many or as few tools as you like (I carry the Bantam a bit). If you don't like your SAKs, sell them to someone who will give them a loving home.
 
For me my SAK's are my traveling knives, I love them, but do not carry them day to day, but rather keep them for when I am away from home on a trip. It is comforting to have all the extra tools for a just in case scenario. Oftentimes, on a dive trip, I will gift them away locally just before leaving, then when I get home I'll pick a few more up for my next trip :)
 
I'm in a similar boat as the OP.
I like the SAKs for camping where I have to open a tin for example.
In every day life however all tins I open are in my kitchen where I have faster tools. For the other tasks where I need a knife when away from my kitchen I prefer something which can be opened with one hand and is poky enough to remove a splinter from my kids.
The only thing I miss from SAKs is the pointed leather stabbing tool. I used it for a lot of tasks where a knife blade would feel wasted on. Saved me from a lot of sharpening I guess. :-D
Again, still liking it for camping and appreciating its many tools in a compact form factor, but just not so useful for me most of the time.
Same goes for my multi tools. They are spread over the house and save me a trip to my proper tools in the garage once in a while but thats about it.
Sorry?
;-)
 
I love my SAKs and I love my slip joints, especially my Case Stockman & Mini-Copperlock. However, most of the time I find myself grabbing the SAK
 
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