Not to be a jerk, but why are SAKs so popular?

I wondered the same thing, until I bought one and used one. Now all of my multitools stay home or in vehicles, and the SAK gets carried and used daily. High quality, low price, durable, very useful (even tools that I didn't think would be), and easy on the pocket. What's not to like. None of my knives get carried nearly as much as my SAKs.

Not to mention, I think Leatherman is overpriced for what you get.
 
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I have 3, but don't carry any of them anymore. However, I love every one of them and had them for many years. My Vic Rucksack at a gun show when I was 12 years old for 5 bucks. I carried that thing everywhere when I was a kid. 20 years later, it still sits, sharpened in my backpack. The first one i got is a single non locking blade model I got from my dad when i was 6. It now sits covered in hockey tape in a draw, but sentimental value is priceless. I look at it and remember fondly of the times I would walk to the river behind my parent's house, cut a fork stick and fish for carps. I would venture to say that no one here remembers growing up with bb gun with a SERE in their pocket.

Several things that have been mentioned that i feel is worth repeating.

- They are light and sits well in the pocket.
- They have a thin blade that doesn't bind easily, handy if you happen to be a plug tobacco smoker
- While they don't hold a great edge, they are easy to sharpen and takes a keen edge
- Travel friendly for those who may go places where they are not familiar with the law, such as foreign countries for work or play
- They are as well made as any other mass producers out there, where else are you getting swiss made quality for 20, 30 bucks?

For many, many people, they are good enough. For every bear you have to defend and trees that you need to baton, there are thousands of oranges that needs peeling and strings that needs cutting. A SAK works fine for that.
 
What other tool that I can wear on a belt pouch will let me.
Hunt down and process a polar bear
Saw down timber to make a log cabin
File through a car chassis to extricate a crash victim
Scale a 150lb Tuna
Rate diamond inclusions and clarity
Partition out medical powder doseages
Cut up reams of paper for a printing factory
Tighten I-Beam bolts in a highrise
Illuminate an underground cave
Sew sailcloth
Pen the Declaration of Indepence
Hook-pull out a small block V8
Tweeze out splinters from making the log cabin

Then.. at the end of a long day, pop a beer bottle, open a can of tuna, peel an orange then pick between teeth, open a bottle of wine and cut a cigar tip after the meal.
 
I keep a SAK Spirit in one car and a SAK Trekker in the other. They just work!
 
I have several SAKs. I also have an Endura, Stretch 2, Dragonfly 2, as well as a Juice S2, an original PST, a Skeletool CX, a Crunch, a few fixed blades, and a couple of Gerber MTs. When I know I might need pliers I end up carrying my CX most often, but I never end up carrying any one of them literally every single day, like I do one of my SAKs. I always keep one in my pocket because for me, no other tool does as many of the small tasks I come across on a daily basis. I've gotten more done with a SAK than all of my other fixed blades, folders, and MTs combined.

Add, as others have already mentioned, the quality, good price, compactness, etc., and it's hard not to like a SAK. From a purely engineering standpoint, I find a quality of design and workmanship in a SAK that I've never found in any other tool (I don't yet own a Swiss Tool though).

In short, I love SAKs because I don't think you can get more tool in a single package that small for the price.
 
Personally, I carry an Izula and a SAK every day. I'm not even sure what model SAK it is, but all it has is a blade, corkscrew, reamer, can opener, bottle opener, file, toothpick, and tweezers. There are a lot of days where the Izula doesn't come out anywhere but at home, but I use the SAK for various things at least 10 times a day. I don't work a manual labor job where these tasks are constant, but I am always finding a lot of uses for it. Did I mention that the tools besides the knife really do come in handy and the SAK is much more versatile than a locking folder? I've carried a lot of locking folders before (all the really popular ones, too) but there's always those tasks where a blade just isn't the tool you need.

Besides that, it takes about 30 seconds to put a razor sharp edge on the blade and even a beginner can do it. I only have to touch up the blade for 30 seconds to a minute once or twice every two weeks. For the amount of space it takes up in my pocket, it is extremely useful. It is thin (2 layers of tools). I don't see myself ever not having one of these in my pocket.

For those of you who are so anti-SAK, try their smaller models out. The larger models are good to throw in a pack on a hiking/camping trip or for your bug out bag, but if you're trying to carry a larger model in your pocket every day I can certainly understand being a little bit frustrated with it.
 
Crazy ol pootnanny said:
Better multi-tools exist. Better knives exist. Better small knives exist, and I don't understand why SAKs have such a high rep on a forum built around knife-owners who know more than the average sheeple. Why are they so popular when I see no reason for them not to be replaced by a higher quality substitute that can get the jobs done better? :confused:
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I've carried a Swiss Champ every day for the last 37 years, and I've used it every day of those 37 years, and whilst I've upgraded to the later Swiss Champs, and also have the original Supertool, Crunch and Micra's, the one tool which remains on my belt is the Swiss Champ.

The quality, versatility and portability are second to none, and I've lost count of the repairs, modifications, fabrications and first aid in the field that I've carried out, for self and others, enabled by the Swiss Champ!

I like quality tools which work, for me that's SAK's, I wouldn't be without mine, and nor would the friend's whom I've gifted SAK's to.
 
The Swiss Champ seems a bit bulky for EDC use. I have a Fieldmaster, one of the 4-layer models, and even that seems a bit thick for regular carry. 4-layers just start to feel ungainly in my hand. Do you use a belt sheath for the Champ?
 
Rotte said:
The Swiss Champ seems a bit bulky for EDC use. I have a Fieldmaster, one of the 4-layer models, and even that seems a bit thick for regular carry. 4-layers just start to feel ungainly in my hand. Do you use a belt sheath for the Champ?
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Yes, though I wore it in the pocket of my trousers for a few years, and after wearing out said pockets, and disliking that it printed, I bought a Victorinox belt pouch and never looked back.

I EDC a lot of gear in belt pouches, besides the Swiss Champ.

My other SAK's are Huntsman's and Farmer's, dotted about in FAK's, cook kits and packraft survival kits.
 
They are a great intro into higher end knives and I would much rather see non-knife people buying SAKs instead of cheap "tactical" United Cutlery/Frost crap.

Basically it's a cheap light duty knife that fits most people's needs
 
spyder10 said:
They are a great intro into higher end knives and I would much rather see non-knife people buying SAKs instead of cheap "tactical" United Cutlery/Frost crap.

Basically it's a cheap light duty knife that fits most people's needs
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Frost/Mora knives are certainly not crap!
 
spyder10 said:
Basically it's a cheap light duty knife that fits most people's needs
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That may be a bit of a misleading statement, if not an outright backhanded insult. The quality is quite good, and the appeal is the versatility of the various models and tools. Maybe "inexpensive" would be a better description of the SAK.
 
AeroNautiCal said:
Frost/Mora knives are certainly not crap!
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Frost of Sweden are great budget knives but Frost Cutlery is the crap being sold on late night TV for "100 knives for $50" or whatever they do now


Rotte said:
That may be a bit of a misleading statement, if not an outright backhanded insult. The quality is quite good, and the appeal is the versatility of the various models and tools. Maybe "inexpensive" would be a better description of the SAK.
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I agree, maybe budget would be a better term. Their aren't any other knives I can think of that are available almost anywhere for <$50 and as versatile as a SAK.

"Light duty" was meant in the same vain. I wouldn't want to cut down a tree with the SAK saw, or build anything with only the SAK screwdriver, etc. But the fact that you can do a bit of everything is a great benefit.
 
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