Need some help from the Swiss Army experts...

K

kbog

Joined
Apr 11, 2004
Messages
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I seem to get interested in one new knife every few months (that's a lie; I would buy WAY more than that, but this seems to be an acceptable rate of purchase for the wife... :) )

I am interested in a new Swiss Army knife. My uses for it would be outdoors type (hiking, camping) and I would like a wood saw. Currently, I own a Swamp Rat Camp Tramp for around the camp site and a Bark River Fox River for carry into the woods. Both are great blades, but I think a SAK my be a nice versatile backup (or main depending on the job) carry.

I have one in mind already, but would like some opinions of those who are SAK users already. Anything to look out for? Are the wood saws REALLY functional? Prices are hard to beat.

Thanks.
 
Yes the wood saws are really effective, it's the best small saw you can get in my opinion. I would recomend either the Pioneer Farmer (Soldier with a saw) or the Rucsack (larger locking blade). They're both simple yet effective not loaded with a bunch of stuff you most likely won't use while out camping or whatever. Also the Pioneer Farmer has the best awl you can get on a knife IMO. A good awl comes in handy a lot more than you might think.

hope this helps

Jamie
 
The wood saws on the Victorinox models I've used have been surprisingly functional. My use has all been casual, but I am confident they would do the job in a survival situation too.

As for models, the Rucksack seems to be everyones' favorite for outdoors use. If you might sometimes carry it in urban environments too I would recommend a one-handed Trailmaster or a SwissChamp.

--Bob Q
 
Well I carry a tinker alot and really like it. A tinker with a saw is the hiker model. Probley a good choice their. Also avaliable is the fieldmaster which adds the saw and scissors. The fieldmaster might be a bit fat for pocket carry and VIC. offers some good sheaths. I really like the nylon ones with velcro flap. Good luck.
 
I'm partial to the Victorinox Handyman. A wood saw is included but so is a small set of pliers. Great for holding hot pans and taking fish hooks out. A little bit larger than the Huntsman but still very handy (hence the name). One thing that you might consider is something that I have done. I attached a paracord lanyard to the lanyard ring using a Chris Reeve Knot. To the end of the knot is a very small split ring. On that split ring I can carry a Boy Scout hot spark, photon light and mini-fox 40 whistle.

Hope this helps.

Kev
 
What? seriously? you mean, no come on your joking. I mean you are joking aren't you? No way.
I can't believe you don't already own a SAK! :eek:
Quick, before anyone else notices. Go get a SAK!
Any one of them will improve the quality of your life but sounds as if a Rucksack would suit best.
Whilst enjoying the affordability get two!
You have some catching up to do :D
 
For a larger SAK, the one-hand trailmaster is the one!
(longer saw than reg size sak) (the one hand blade is great)
For a shorter, the alox farmer (with saw) is a great choice.

Those are the top two. Any others with the wood saw would work, since all the saws are the same exact thing. The larger locking models (trailmaster/rucksak) have saws a bit longer, which is nice. I know of no model with a locking saw, but the backsprings are strong enough and even better on the longer models.

BTW, I saw the one hand trailmaster at target stores at a reasonable price.. no UPS guy waiting :)
 
Trailmaster was at Target for $25, That is a great but my favorite is a Delux Tinker.
 
Anarcus said:
What? seriously? you mean, no come on your joking. I mean you are joking aren't you? No way.
I can't believe you don't already own a SAK! :eek:
Quick, before anyone else notices. Go get a SAK!
Any one of them will improve the quality of your life but sounds as if a Rucksack would suit best.
Whilst enjoying the affordability get two!
You have some catching up to do :D
Click to expand...

lol. Well, I fibbed. I have the absolute smallest SAK you can get. The one that fits on the keychain. I lost the toothpick and tweezers and it's a Wenger (which seems to be less popular). I don't carry it because I now have a squirt S4 on the keychain.
:rolleyes:

Thanks for all of the help. The Rucksak is looking pretty good right now.
 
Well, I admit I have a dozen or more SAK. I use all of them from time to time. But for in the outdoors it pretty much comes down to the Pioneer farmer or the one hand trekker(aka trailmaster) or both! :D I also ALWAYS have a minichamp on my keychain. Except when going on a plane, that is a no no!

I recently bought the one hand fireman. It adds a warnie like serrated seatbelt cutter to the trekker. The extra thickness and weight might not make sense on a long hike. :cool:
 
Since your intended uses are for camping/ hiking, and if you already have a primary blade to tote along, I' d say a Farmer Plus is a good choice. Aside from a saw, awl, caplifter/ driver, it also has a spey blade that has a semi circular cutout near its ricasso. This is good for wire stripping, delicate peeling, pencil sharpening, and light pruning. Too bad there is no provision for a key ring nor a bail. :( :grumpy: I keep mine in my front pants pocket or in a utility belt pouch of some sort. The handyman is a nice choice also. A few more utensils in a good size package. But the saw is a bit on the small side.

Oh yeah, the saw really works. My Farmer Plus model can go thru 2x 4 wood pieces quite efficiently. Get the one with the alox handles. :)

N2
 
kbog said:
I have the absolute smallest SAK you can get. The one that fits on the keychain. I lost the toothpick and tweezers and it's a Wenger (which seems to be less popular).
Click to expand...

Most SAK users do seem to prefer Victorinox, myself included, but just about everyone will admit that Wenger also makes outstanding knives.

And keep in mind that you can pick up replacements for your missing toothpick and tweezers for a couple of bucks if you ever want to.

--Bob Q
 
The Alox models are sturdy and compact, but for extended use and possibly cold/wet conditions, I would suggest one of the larger locking models. We had a review and discussion of the Locksmith in this thread. More than a year later, my opinion of this knife has not changed.
 
Nakano 2 said:
Aside from a saw, awl, caplifter/ driver, it also has a spey blade that has a semi circular cutout near its ricasso. This is good for wire stripping, delicate peeling, pencil sharpening, and light pruning.
Click to expand...
That sounds like the Electrician Plus. I really like the small sheepsfoot blade also, on my basic Electrician.
 
The Rucksack or one hand Trekker for a larger model, Camper or Hiker for smaller plastic scales, or one of the Pioneer Farmer Plus with alox handles.

The SAK woodsaw is outstanding.

Paul
 
The saws on SAKs will work. That's about it. Any wood you can cut with it, you can probably cut in a fraction of the time with your Camp Tramp. They're handy for little stuff, and are good for making precise cuts compared to a big knife, but require a lot more time and effort than just chopping or batoning with a larger blade. They work ok on treated wood, or lumber, but I can't remember ever cutting that kind of stuff on a camping trip.
I use the Electrician Plus at work, and EDC the Hiker. The saws come in handy for cutting PVC pipe, and shortening shovel or sledgehammer handles, will even do a pretty good job cutting sheet rock(a big knife wouldn't do any of those things well), but any time we buy a SAK or multitool, we are not buying great tools, we're buying the convenience of having tools that we would not otherwise have with us.
If you just want something that you can make do with, with the other option being not having it at all, something like the Hiker is a good, versatile choice, IMO. I like having two blades, saw, the screwdrivers, can opener, bottle opener, tweezers etc, in one compact easy to carry package.
btw, check out a Target if you have one close to you. The one here locally had the Hiker and Classic in one package for $19.99 last time I was in there.
 
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