SAK Classic Blade Rub?

Stropping Young Lad

Stropping Young Lad

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Dec 11, 2012
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I picked up a little Victorinox Classic to hit the free shipping threshold when I bought a GEC Churchill. I figured I’d carry it as a backup/nail cleaner knife, and it’s been a while since I carried a SAK.

I noticed that when opening the main or the file that the file contacts the back of the main blade. When the main the open, the file stays put, hugging the liner, but when the file is open, the main travels over to the middle of the “void”, as shown.

JfYh35G.jpg


Is this normal/typical for SAK classics? Am I expecting too much of a $15 keychain knife?
 
I have a Pioneer with a main blade that, when closed, lightly touches the cap lifter/flat-head a few millimetres from the back of the blade and a few more than that a ways from the tip. I assume that the cap lifter rubs on that area on the blade when it's used as well.

It's a result of the way Victorinox manufactures "main blades" to be bent in a certain direction so that another tool can fit in the same layer. In my case, the main blade in the Pioneer shares a layer with the awl, but most other SAKs use that location for the secondary smaller blade.

It just so happens that the Classic doesn't have a tool in that location and that yours might be bent a tad bit too far off the direction it goes. I once tried "bending" mine away from the cap lifter by putting a folded piece of paper between them while closed and occasionally trying to bend the blade the other way while open yet they still touch.

IMO, we're probably expecting too much of a mass produced tool under $30. Unless it ever got in the way of regular use, I don't think it's worth the trouble.
 
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Not a prob. You can fix it with two pair of needlenose pliers. But the better solution is to put it back in the box, gift it to a friend, and buy another.

Zieg
 
I think I’ll just try to kink it over so that the blade is hugging the liner.

It wouldn’t bother me, but every time I open the file, it goes scrRrRrAaAatch.

Thanks guys!
 
Wilted Kilt said:
I think I’ll just try to kink it over so that the blade is hugging the liner.

It wouldn’t bother me, but every time I open the file, it goes scrRrRrAaAatch.

Thanks guys!
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I don't think I'd mess with it, just use the ever lovin dog poo out of it. It's a ten dollar knife. It's also a ten dollar knife that is the single most produced pocket knife on earth. More SAK classic's are made every year than the next three or four top brand pocket/folding knives.

I use my little classic as my dirty deeds knife. It's more rugged than you think, and when I have a cutting job to od that I think is going to really mess up my edge, I use the classic. It can resharpened at the next coffee mug or car window top, or smooth stone from the creek, or even the underside of the toilet tank top. The screw drive tip is a mini pryer, and the scissors are used for whatever it can handle. Cardboard, nail trimming, small copper wire cutters.

I go through a classic about every 8 years or so. It's like ten dollars at Target or Walmart, so I don't worry about abusing it too much. You can go to gun shows and sometimes a TSA sales person is there, and you can get classics for as low as two dollars. Yes, there's the tmany confiscated. I can't recall the magazine, but one of the big glossy knife mags has a cover pic of a classic and called it the most confiscated knife in America.

I'm afraid of you torque that thin little blade enough bend it, it's gonna snap.
 
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jackknife said:
I don't think I'd mess with it, just use the ever lovin dog poo out of it. It's a ten dollar knife. It's also a ten dollar knife that is the single most produced pocket knife on earth. More SAK classic's are made every year than the next three or four top brand pocket/folding knives.

I use my little classic as my dirty deeds knife. It's more rugged than you think, and when I have a cutting job to od that I think is going to really mess up my edge, I use the classic. It can resharpened at the next coffee mug or car window top, or smooth stone from the creek, or even the underside of the toilet tank top. The screw drive tip is a mini pryer, and the scissors are used for whatever it can handle. Cardboard, nail trimming, small copper wire cutters.

I go through a classic about every 8 years or so. It's like ten dollars at Target or Walmart, so I don't worry about abusing it too much. You can go to gun shows and sometimes a TSA sales person is there, and you can get classics for as low as two dollars. Yes, there's the tmany confiscated. I can't recall the magazine, but one of the big glossy knife mags has a cover pic of a classic and called it the most confiscated knife in America.

I'm afraid of you tongue that thin little blade enough bend it, it's gonna snap.
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Yes, but the flip side is if it snaps, it’s easy to replace! ;)
 
yablanowitz said:
No, it is not normal. Yes, you are expecting too much. As soft as Victorinox runs their steel, it should be easy to bend the blade a little to center it when closed.
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Wilted Kilt said:
I think I’ll just try to kink it over so that the blade is hugging the liner.

It wouldn’t bother me, but every time I open the file, it goes scrRrRrAaAatch.

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

This and this.
 
jackknife said:
I'm afraid of you torque that thin little blade enough bend it, it's gonna snap.
Click to expand...

I've bought a bunch of used SAKs over the last year or so, and seen many bent blades as a result. I've straightened out many twisted and bent blades, some with multiple bends and a twist thrown in as well. None of them have snapped, and I'm positive they would have had they been hardened to the levels I'm used to in other brands. In fact, I know of no higher end knives that could have sustained the bends I've seen without breaking, much less survive the straightening. If the little bit of bending that blade will need breaks it, I'll send him a replacement.
 
Wilted Kilt said:
I successfully kinked the blade over. I actually overkinked it slightly and bent it back a little. No breaks, and no rub!
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:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Congratulations!!!

Now use the ever lovin dog poo out of it. Consider it an experiment, and use it like you stole it and see what it will take. You may be as surprised as I was when I did the same twenty years ago, when I thought the tiny classic was a joke. The joke was was on me.

After watching my better half torture one and it didn't break, I went and put one on my keyring and for a few months everything I needed a pocket knife, I'd force myself to first use the classic to see if it would do it. It worked well for about 95% of what I needed.
 
jackknife said:
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Congratulations!!!

Now use the ever lovin dog poo out of it. Consider it an experiment, and use it like you stole it and see what it will take. You may be as surprised as I was when I did the same twenty years ago, when I thought the tiny classic was a joke. The joke was was on me.

After watching my better half torture one and it didn't break, I went and put one on my keyring and for a few months everything I needed a pocket knife, I'd force myself to first use the classic to see if it would do it. It worked well for about 95% of what I needed.
Click to expand...
Yep, my grandfather carried one in his pocket as a one and only knife for years. ( He would replace them when he wore them out of course )
I couldn't do just because they're not what I picture when I think pocket knife, but it's just preference and I know they could easily do everything I needed them to.
 
jackknife said:
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Congratulations!!!

Now use the ever lovin dog poo out of it. Consider it an experiment, and use it like you stole it and see what it will take. You may be as surprised as I was when I did the same twenty years ago, when I thought the tiny classic was a joke. The joke was was on me.

After watching my better half torture one and it didn't break, I went and put one on my keyring and for a few months everything I needed a pocket knife, I'd force myself to first use the classic to see if it would do it. It worked well for about 95% of what I needed.
Click to expand...

They are certainly smaller than I remember, but I was smaller too when I had one last.

I eventually want to get an executive. I’ve had a hiker for years, and it’s a great tool, just not something I’d want weighing down my pocket on the daily.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Yep, my grandfather carried one in his pocket as a one and only knife for years. ( He would replace them when he wore them out of course )
I couldn't do just because they're not what I picture when I think pocket knife, but it's just preference and I know they could easily do everything I needed them to.
Click to expand...

Ya know, this comment makes me think. I use the heck out o fly classic because it's my "public" knife. It's low profile and non scary, so it gets used in the public theater. I've lost count of comments from 30 to 40 something year olds that go like; "Huh, my grandpa carried a little Swiss Army knife like that!" I mean very frequent comments.

I wonder if it's worth a survey to ask how many folks had a grandfather that carried a small SAK?

From my own experience it must be a fair number! Even given that it's the mass produced pocketknife on the face of the earth.
 
jackknife said:
Ya know, this comment makes me think. I use the heck out o fly classic because it's my "public" knife. It's low profile and non scary, so it gets used in the public theater. I've lost count of comments from 30 to 40 something year olds that go like; "Huh, my grandpa carried a little Swiss Army knife like that!" I mean very frequent comments.

I wonder if it's worth a survey to ask how many folks had a grandfather that carried a small SAK?

From my own experience it must be a fair number! Even given that it's the mass produced pocketknife on the face of the earth.
Click to expand...
Probably a lot.
 
Victorinox saks come nearly perfect.i had one bad one with bad spring and was lazy to return it so used it in carribeans and gave it away to some local guy that sold fruit for couple of coconuts.I'm sure he still uses it.get a new one or send it back,they're excellent knives and best bang for money.
 
needler420 said:
I have a sak on my keychain and computer desk for like a year. I use it like everyday.
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If I dare to think about it much, the classic on my keyring is used just about every day.

I love my stockman, I loved my peanut. But since my better half got me into the little classics, It just may be my used pocket knife by virtue of being right there on my keyring that is on a carabiner on my left side belt loop. It seems every day I use the SD tip for some small Phillips screw, the nail file for a rough nail. the scissors, and knife blade for small everyday cuts like packages or whatever.

There were so may times in Washington D.C. that it was my only knife of the day by way of being small enough to go into government buildings. Now in Texas, it's just plain convenient. The scissors works well on monofilament fishing line, and the SD tip fits gun sight screws very well.

I think there is a lot of people in the world that EDC's a classic as their pocket knife, and do well.
 
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