MKM Multi-tool, M390 steel and Micarta scales

Guy McVer said:
I am really glad that you made this point, because it underscores the need to make your product look like it is actually worth its price tag. When people buy expensive luxury cars, you can visually see the difference. It's usually very obvious. This is in fact one of the main reasons why a lot of people do it. It's a status symbol. They are flaunting their wealth. It's as if to say "Look at me. I'm important. I can afford to spend this kind of money on a car." Another thing you get for that premium price tag is all kinds of extra features. I'm not seeing that here. I'm just seeing another bog standard slipjoint swiss army knife clone with leaf spring scissors. The tools look identical to all the other clones out there.

What do I see that's actually different? Micarta scales. Okay that's nice. It's still not worth 100+ dollars over the usual asking price of some of the thicker SAK models. What else do I see? A small serrated blade. Interesting, but not a luxury type thing and not at all costly to do. Lastly, we get screw pivots. That's nice. Being able to take your SAK apart is a big plus, assuming you are even going to be able to put it back together again. Most people would struggle with that. So it's cool that it has that, but in reality most people are never going to bother making use of it, and those who do will likely end up having bitten off more than they could chew. But do you know what else has screws like that? Cheap chinese clones. There's a really popular one on amazon right now that sells for under 13 dollars. Looks cool. Gets 4 and 5 star reviews all day, and it's total junk. It's been a really popular item for years, and it's total garbage. I should know, because I have one.

Look at Swizza. Now there's something different, at least. They're not a super high end brand, but at least they have style. At least they tried to give you something distinctly different and visually unique. Swizza stands out. It's like the hipster version of a SAK. The quality isn't really all there, but at least you can tell that they tried.
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Very good points. You are omitting the fact that we have steel snobs here, and they will pay extra for a premium steel, which is something you can't see, except on the spec sheet.
 
dogstar said:
You are omitting the fact that we have steel snobs here, and they will pay extra for a premium steel, which is something you can't see, except on the spec sheet.
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We also have people who want scissors on the 84mm Vics. They're completely ignored by Victorinox because they don't represent the average consumer. There are very vocal people who want all kinds of things that the average person doesn't care about in the slightest bit. Those kinds of people are over-represented here.
 
By the way, I also want 84mm scissors. Please, Vic. And give us alox Ramblers, please. And stop making 80 different versions of the Classic SD every year.

And I do understand what this probably sounds like to them. I can say "please make X", but what they hear is "Instead of trying to make money, just make what I want so that you go out of business and then my collection will be worth a fortune!"... or something like that.
 
I was so close to pulling the trigger on this guy, but I recall seeing review after review about one of the implements (can't remember which one) being nail-breakingly difficult to open.

I love SAK, but an upgraded variant is something I'd definitely consider. Just not sure if this it it.
 
A.L. said:
We got the fancier steel and fancy handles but I wonder how the saw and the scissors work? Those can be tricky to make.
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have a look here (Youtube)

From watching the video, we see that...

-The scissors appear to cut paracord just as well as the Vic scissors, which is not what I expected. It remains to be seen how well they perform on other tasks. Scissors can be very inconsistent in how they handle cutting different types of things.

-The saw appears to cut noticeably better than the Vic saw, but it also looks like it tends to snag a lot on the pull strokes, which interrupts your sawing motion. This could be because it is a very aggressive pull saw, whereas the Vic saw is a push/pull saw (it cuts on both the push strokes and the pull strokes).

The difference in performance might also be because the saw is new.
 
Solid pass for me. Way out of my budget, for one.
I don't need M390 or other fancy steel, for another.
Whatever it is Victorinox uses does what I need. The blades also take a wicket sharp 20° inclusive (10° per side) edge. The cutting blades don't chip even at the fine/keen edge angle. In the very rare instances the edge rolls, stropping fixes it.

For  me (ymmv) field sharpening  without diamond or SiC stones/plates is a must.
All knives eventually need sharpened. I prefer blades that are quick and easy to sharpen without specialized equipment.

I don't care about Micarta. Whatever works for me, even metal. (Nothing wrong with the Demo Knife's stainless steel handle, or the folded brass/copper/bronze/steel handle knives.)
 
afishhunter said:
Solid pass for me. Way out of my budget, for one.
I don't need M390 or other fancy steel, for another.
Whatever it is Victorinox uses does what I need. The blades also take a wicket sharp 20° inclusive (10° per side) edge. The cutting blades don't chip even at the fine/keen edge angle. In the very rare instances the edge rolls, stropping fixes it.

For  me (ymmv) field sharpening  without diamond or SiC stones/plates is a must.
All knives eventually need sharpened. I prefer blades that are quick and easy to sharpen without specialized equipment.

I don't care about Micarta. Whatever works for me, even metal. (Nothing wrong with the Demo Knife's stainless steel handle, or the folded brass/copper/bronze/steel handle knives.)
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I am right with you, brother.
 
Or get Swiza, another Swiss company making knife multi tool, not more expensive than Victorinox. In 440C/N695 (or whatever analogue), good enough for this type of stuff.

The MKM is a little big for my liking, too. I don't want the bulge in my pants to be it.
 
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