Just can't warm to SAKs

Cory Hess said:
I'm curious now to find out if you find McDonald's to be superior over every other restaurant.
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That all depends on if you have a refined palate, and a keen sense of highly functional tools. Those who eat at Mickey D's, and dismiss SAK's have neither.
 
Ok, back on topic please. We've all got our thoughts on this. Keep it respectful and pertaining to the original post.
 
pinnah said:
Careful. Don't put words in my mouth.

I was careful to point out that people of good conscience can have different needs which are met by different tool selections. That is entirely YMMV.

If you're in Europe with an old VW van and armed with an SAK, you might get so frustrated by the lack of pliers that you "invent" your own Personal Survival Tool, as Tim Leatherman did. That's not a put down of SAK, so please don't turn it into one. It's a simple recognition that for some us, when we look at an SAK simply as as tool, we find them lacking, both in terms of functionality and durability. If an SAK works for you or for your son or for your jungle guides, that's awesome. Honestly. Doesn't make them useful for me though.

As for worldwide recognition for mass marketing in a consumer market, you need a combination of good QA, non-offensive design and reasonable price. Nikes are the most popular running shoe, not the best running shoe and certainly not the best for all feet. Budweiser (or maybe it's Beck?) is the most popular beer world wide, but it's not the best and certainly not the best for all tastes. The Corolla is (among) the most popular cars globally but that doesn't make it the best and certainly not the best for all drivers.

I'm not trying to upset you or any other happy SAK owners. You all should just love the heck out of them if they do what's needed for you tool wise. But please don't point to their world wide popularity as a proof of their superiority.



See? That's just nutty and over the top evangelism. Honestly, I look at their web site occasionally and can't find a single offering that is compelling to me as a tool. It's not like I haven't tried them. Perhaps you can tell me the best car to drive, beer to drink and coffee too?
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A reasonable amount of adaptility in order to overcome potential obstacles, along with a fertile and highly active and intelligent imagination is required to see the superiority of a SAK as a pocket tool chest over all other brands. Those without the requisites will never see this reality.
 
Alnamvet68 said:
A reasonable amount of adaptility in order to overcome potential obstacles, along with a fertile and highly active and intelligent imagination is required to see the superiority of a SAK as a pocket tool chest over all other brands. Those without the requisites will never see this reality.
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I have all of the above and don't carry a SAK. Then again I don't eat at McDonalds.

You're moving toward thin ice here. We don't take kindly to denigrating others because they don't subscribe to your particular beliefs. Take the personal arguments off line.
 
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Ken
 
harronek said:
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Ken
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Give me a little bit of time Ken and I'll fix those tracks with this:D

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No right or wrong, SAKS, no SAKS, Leathermans, no Leathermans, it's all good:thumbup:

But what the heck do I know, I LOVE McDonalds:D:p I'm a FAT boy and very comfortable in the skin I'm in:thumbup:

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paulhilborn said:
No right or wrong, SAKS, no SAKS, Leathermans, no Leathermans, it's all good:thumbup:

But what the heck do I know, I LOVE McDonalds:D:p :thumbup:

9o6c.jpg
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Absolutely right that there are no right or wrongs, and I like a nice Egg Mcmuffin once in a while plus they make decent coffee at a very cheap price. :thumbup:
Hold the cheese though.
 
I had no intentions of becoming involved in a thread derailment. My point with the original McDonald's post was that just because something is the most popular doesn't necessarily make it superior. Obviously SAKs appeal to a very large number of people, to the point that the OP feels a little left out for not liking them. There are probably 100 reasons that this is the case. I don't think that it's accurate to say that one of those reasons is because they're superior to every other tool or knife. I think that they're fine tools, just not to my taste. I'm not misinformed or ignorant of their greatness, I just choose to travel a different road. If they sold a SAK with a serpentine frame and jigged bone covers I'd probably be on board.

However, I'm happy to see them so successful because I think that as a product they set a good example for other companies to follow. They put out a consistent, high quality product at a reasonable price. I don't see a ton of advertising for them and overall they seem to heavily value function over flashiness. In other words, they produce a quality product and let it speak for itself. That's very admirable in my eyes, and it's nice to see somebody doing that in this day and age where most companies are going the route of copying somebody else's product and spending the majority of their budget on advertising it as "new and improved". The fact that they outsell everybody else with this model is just fantastic. I am truly happy that they're so popular and wouldn't hesitate to recommend one to somebody that was looking for a multi-tool that they can carry on a daily basis.

BTW: I eat at McDonald's now and then myself. :o
 
Cory Hess said:
I had no intentions of becoming involved in a thread derailment. My point with the original McDonald's post was that just because something is the most popular doesn't necessarily make it superior. Obviously SAKs appeal to a very large number of people, to the point that the OP feels a little left out for not liking them. There are probably 100 reasons that this is the case. I don't think that it's accurate to say that one of those reasons is because they're superior to every other tool or knife. I think that they're fine tools, just not to my taste. I'm not misinformed or ignorant of their greatness, I just choose to travel a different road. If they sold a SAK with a serpentine frame and jigged bone covers I'd probably be on board.

However, I'm happy to see them so successful because I think that as a product they set a good example for other companies to follow. They put out a consistent, high quality product at a reasonable price. I don't see a ton of advertising for them and overall they seem to heavily value function over flashiness. In other words, they produce a quality product and let it speak for itself. That's very admirable in my eyes, and it's nice to see somebody doing that in this day and age where most companies are going the route of copying somebody else's product and spending the majority of their budget on advertising it as "new and improved". The fact that they outsell everybody else with this model is just fantastic. I am truly happy that they're so popular and wouldn't hesitate to recommend one to somebody that was looking for a multi-tool that they can carry on a daily basis.

BTW: I eat at McDonald's now and then myself. :o
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Good post! I forgot I do like the occasional sausage and egg McMuffin.
I like SAKs to. I just don't carry one.
 
Woodrow F Call said:
....I guess, the thing I really like about traditional knives is that they take me to a simpler time. I understand that it's a bit of a romantic view, but I can still see me hunting, fishing, camping with that old Case, Buck, GEC.... or even a SAK, and that makes me happy....
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Ah, you hit the nail on the head - what I was trying to get to; you stated it right there and much better! I deer hunted today with my Buck 110 and a Browning levergun because of the romance of the old stuff - that makes me happy. I bought a Browning Auto-5 last week to replace my Benelli M-2 - the old classic doesn't fire the shell any better - but it does it with a style the new design lacks (to me). The deer is just as dead, and just as well skinned and cut up, with more modern implements - but the old style stuff, levergun and 110, has a charisma that I can see with my eyes and feel in my hand. Heck, my hunting buddies tease me about wearing my CC Filson gear (in lieu of Goretex) and being a "mountain man" living in the past - maybe so and so be it. OH
 
Ps I went to two gunshops at lunchtime because I wanted a leather rifle sling for one of my rifles (most shops stock rubber or synthetic now) - the gunshop that had some leather slings also had a shelf of old knives they had found in their storeroom, with some decent prices to spur sales. Remembering this thread, and being the open-minded knife collector that I am - I grabbed this one to throw in the glovebox of the truck - never know when I might need to rewire my truck in order to get out of the woods! With that leather awl I can also adjust my leather sling to more precisely fit it to my rifle. OH

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An Old cross electrician new in box....I don't even want to know what you got that for! Very jealous!
 
I carry an LM Squirt P4 and a SAK Alox Cadet on me at all times (when dressed and going outside), usually another traditional slipjoint (today: Case Sod Buster), a modern folder, and two flashlights. I also keep a larger LM (Juice S2), a smaller SAK (Classic SD), and another slipjoint (Case Slimline Trapper) in my daily carry bag, and yet another even larger LM (Pulse) in my car.

Since this isn't an EDC gear forum I usually only talk about the traditional knife. Nobody said you could only carry one tool. I like both LM and Victorinox. :)
 
paulhilborn said:
Give me a little bit of time Ken and I'll fix those tracks with this:D

Oikevt.jpg


No right or wrong, SAKS, no SAKS, Leathermans, no Leathermans, it's all good:thumbup:

But what the heck do I know, I LOVE McDonalds:D:p I'm a FAT boy and very comfortable in the skin I'm in:thumbup:

9o6c.jpg
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Two comments .
1. That Grey series of knives is the nicest I have seen , I love my Farmer , but it is reserved for special occasions .

2. That has to be your sister , because no girl that pretty would ever consider stepping out with someone who looks like you :)


Ken
 
harronek said:
Two comments .
1. That Grey series of knives is the nicest I have seen , I love my Farmer , but it is reserved for special occasions .

2. That has to be your sister , because no girl that pretty would ever consider stepping out with someone who looks like you :)
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I laughed until I was near tears!!! That was a good one Ken:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

That is believe it or not my beautiful wife Nanc of over thirty years---she had no idea what she was getting into way back when:p
 
OH, nice find. I'm with ya. Hoping to buy a Savage 99 and a nice moose if I can sell another gun that I'm just not in love with.
 
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