Recruit was up to the task.

[ElCuchillo]

Yesterday I was at my mother-in-law's house. She needed some help with her carpeting, so I went over to give her a hand. The carpeting was stuck on with industrial staples, and I couldn't get a good purchase on them, so what I did was I cut the whole outline of her carpet off so I could remove that and then hit the spots with the staples. Used my SAK Recruit, as it was cutting better then my multitool and was a bit longer then her utility razor. I cut through that rug like butter. I was cutting for a good thirty minutes. After that she had a bunch of cardboard boxes she wanted me to dispose of, but wanted to have them cut up. I thought "YES!!! This will test my knife's edge." So I went to work on that as well. I must have cut about 40 boxes. I'd stop every so often to strop my knife on the back of my leather belt (a technique I blatantly stole from Jackknife) and get back to work. At the end of the day I even sharpened some sticks for our hot-dogs (we had a barbeque), and when I came home I examined the edge on my blade. I know I've heard all kinds of stories about how the steel on SAKS is so soft and doesn't hold an edge, how it's hard to get them really sharp because the edge rolls over, how they are good fr light duty, but not for heavy cutting. Well, my Recruit was still shaving sharp when I got home. Granted, it pulled a little on the hairs, which means it lost some edge compared to how it worked when I left, but still, the edge was there. Maybe it was the stropping I did throughout the day, I don't know, but this little thing just GOBBLED whatever I threw at it and didn't blink. Another amazing performance for a knife that's apparently not supposed to be able to go. I know for myself, personally, I never thought much of a SAK, and I think the main reasons were because I had owned some cheap chinese knick-offs that were crap, and also because of the plastic handles. It made me question their toughness. However, underneath those scales is a slippie which is as tough as any slippie out there, and put together better then most. Am I saying they are better then the traditionals? No. Just continuing my "my eyes have been opened" commentary.

 

[JD Mandrell]

The Vic' Recruit is one of my favorite pocketknives, great size to EDC.

 

[jackknife]

I won't be one to argue that point with ya!

I think Victorinox makes some of the most underestimated knives in the world. Some of the American companies like Queen for example, could take a lesson from them. I've never seen a Vic that had to be sharpened out of the box, like some we know! A sharp sak will hold its own with alot of very high dollar knives. Really good slicers.

The 84mm saks like the recruit, and the small tinker or spartan, are great knives. And you can't get better factory backing that what victorinox gives you.

The stropping on the belt you gave it, never let it get really dull. In the field or out anywhere, I'm not shy about taking my belt half off and stropping a knife. Keeping it sharp is way easier than sharpening it up from dull! Some people complain the sak does not hold an edge. Maybe in comparison to some tool steels or fancy stainless taken to a high Rc. But I love the easy way a sak can be touched up or stropped back to a good edge in just a few minutes out anywhere. I value easy touch up in the field more than edge holding. Sooner or later even the wonder steel is going to go dull.

What ever traditional knife is in my right front pocket, I have a sak tinker and a AAA LED Dorcy in a nylon belt pouch behind my right hip. Its my grundge knife. The knife for things I may not want to use a nice Hen and Rooster or vintage Remington on. Many times its surprised me in how well it preformed.

P.S.- Hery Cuch, you do know that now you've publicly admitted you stole my idea, I get royalties on that!?

 

[Amos Iron Wolf]

I draggedthe old Swiss Champ out yesterday while working on the car. Good thing I did. I'd carried practically every wrench I thought I would need to change a battery, which included taking loose a fender brace. Had a wrench for everything but the nut on the battery hold down. Out came the SAK, popped out the pliers, off came the nut. A heck of a lot easier than trudging around back to the garage for the toolbox. I ended up using that old companion for a few things mechanical that day. I ended the day by adjusting the eye relief to fit me on a scope sitting on a Marlin 336 I'd picked up in a trade. A number of times I've found the screw driver fits various gun related screws well.

Not really a cutting story, but just remembering why I packed that knife for so long. It sits a little heavy on the hip these days, but it earned a place of honor years ago.

For the longest time I thought SAKs were gadgety things and turned my nose up at them. When I bought my first Victorinox in the Force Exchange in the Sinai, mostly out of boredom, that all changed. I quickly discovered how well made and well designed they were. Those tools really worked! Picking up an imitation after handling the real thing just screams cheap knockoff. A genuine SAK is nothing if it isn't about quality!

 

[db]

That is an impressive amount of work. I was wishing I was carrying my Vic. Cadet today I was moving some sprinklers. It would have been very helpful with the screws on the hose clamps. After sharpening the D2 recurve I was using to cut poly pipe and tree roots I really wish I’d used an easier sharpening knife. I’m really second guessing my choice of steel for down and dirty use knives.

 

[sixgunner455]

...I really wish I’d used an easier sharpening knife. I’m really second guessing my choice of steel for down and dirty use knives.

Those old cowboys who brag about their knives because they're easy to sharpen are looking pretty smart when you're wrassling an edge onto a D2 blade!

 

[jthomas]

I had always thumbed my nose at SAKs as well, until I bought a Soldier at the hardware store one day as an impulse buy. I went back the same day and bought a Huntsman, and now, almost two years later, I have close to 70. Someone posted recently that a SAK does "13 things poorly" and my impulse was to send him one... I don't see how anyone who has owned one (a 'real' one, not a knockoff') could say that.