SAK Soldier

tardis

tardis

Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
190
I am thinking of buying a pocket knife as a gift for my friend of 20yrs. We've been through thick and thin together so I thought I'd give him a SAK Soldier as a symbol of our long lasting friendship.

Any users of the Soldier out there and what do you reckon ? Other recommendations are welcomed (Max $50 though)

Thanks :D
 
I've had a soldier for years. The same size as the medium SAK's but with the stout blade of the the larger ones. The best awl outside a swiss tool and the other basic SAK stuff.

I've had many different knives over the years and use them daily, but I'd have to say that the soldier is the one of used the most because it's always in my pocket. Still as solid as the day I bought it. No blade play at all yet.
 
I have about 20 saks. The soldier and the cadet would make the best gifts. The soldier is the better knife. I think it's a good choice.
 
The only SAK's that cost more than $50 are the SwissChamp XLT WorkChamp XL and CyberTool 41, (and the SwissTools), so you have a lot of options.
 
I really admire the construction of the Soldier. I don't own one though, because I prefer having a pen blade over the awl and I also really prefer to have tweezers (could live without the toothpick, I suppose, but in the woods I'm forever picking ticks off our pup). Why the heck do all of the Victorinox models with metal handles have to exclude tweezers and toothpick? :mad: But to get back to your question, of those two, I'd recommend the Soldier ... it's a GREAT pocketknife, just not the knife for me. :)
 
The Victorinox Soldier is one of my everyday knives. I've owned mine for approximately 4 years and it's great. For myself, if I need the tweezers and toothpick, I will also carry my little SAK Classic along with it.

The Soldier's alox handles are great, they are tough and scratch-resistant. I have carried mine both in my pocket and in my fanny pack, where it's come in contact with coins and other stuff but it's fine. Also, the spring tension is excellent in the Soldier. Highly recommended as one of the best pocket knife buys out there.
Jim
 
The Soldier is one of the beat buys in knives. It is also one hell of a stout little knife. Get the Soldier.

Paul
 
If you like the Soldier, the Pioneer is exactly the same knife with the addition of "red" Alox handles and a key ring for a lanyard. The Soldier had a hollow rivet up until 1992 or 93 which allowed the use of a lanyard, but was discontinued because it was not required by the Swiss Army, and it cut cost. The Pioneer has the key ring which isn't as strong a lanyard attaching point as the hollow rivet, but it's passable.

Since the Soldier model is the official knife, on contract, to the Swiss Army, there is a requirement to stamp the blade with the date of manufacture. Mine, with a hollow rivet, is stamped "91" indicating its birth in 1991. Check your knives for the date of manufacture.

Bruce
 
bruce

Thanks! Now I finally know what the 00 on the blade of my Soldier stands for - 2000
 
I bought one on a whim this year and it is a great knife. By the time a friend had found his drill chuck key and bigger bit, I had hogged out countersinks for some carraige bolts in an ash pole.

I wondered about the 01 but now I know.
what's the blade coating on these newer ones?

Cheers

GC
 
I've collected and carried SAKs for over 25 years. The soldier is probably the most sturdy of the 91MM knives. I've got two, with the oldest about 20 years old. Absolutely no blade play and the blade still takes a great edge. Two other suggestions for knives that aren't too thick. The Tinker and Supertinker. The Tinker adds a small blade and Phillips screwdriver as well as the typical toothpick and tweezers. The Supertinker is the same but with scissors and a package hook. Both are under $30. You could even buy a Photon II LED flashlight and attach it to the split ring.
 
I have a tinker and i think its great the phillips head screwdriver is really handy and its light enough to not be a pain to carry around
 
Although I prefer the Soldier in terms of robustness, the 3 1/4 inch tinker gets carried a lot more often because it is slightly smaller, and has the Philips head which I used quite often.
 
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