Sak

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nathan310

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I have noticed alot of people carry swiss army knives...

Are they better than a leatherman? Do they have more features? What would be the best small one to take allong with my edc knife?
 
Well, a SAK is basically a pocket knife with extra tools, whereas a Leatherman is a pair of folding pliers with extra tools, including a knife blade. Now, these lines are more blurred than they used to be. It took many years, but we can now get a LM with a premium steel blade and a pocket clip, giving some people the option of carrying only a LM without needing to also carry a "real" pocket knife. Plus, you can also get a SAK multitool, or a LM pocket knife.

As for which is better, there's no real answer that anybody but yourself can give. Either will serve you well, it's just a matter of figuring out which one has the tools you need for every day life (and none you don't). The one suggestion I can give you is that if you want pliers, and plan to use them regularly, it's best to stick with a multi-tool, as the pliers on a SAK aren't that fantastic. They work OK in a pinch for small things, but they're small so you don't get much power.
 
I always have an SAK with me, normally a Victorinox Cyber Tool 34. I find the scissors, small pliers and various screwdrivers very useful. Of course, I work in an office and so don't often need full sized pliers. If I did, I'd carry one of the many multi - tools that I own.

With regard to the SAK that would work best for you, you'll have to think about the specific tools you need. Do you want scissors? A saw? Etc. Think about it, let us know, and then someone can give you some input.
 
"...I have noticed alot of people carry swiss army knives..."
- nathan310
Is this a trick question?
Serious about this?
OK then dude...
Yeah sure, there are lot's more people carrying SAK's than pliertools simply because they are far more readily available and have been sold over the counter for ages.
Besides being readily available they are also Swiss Army type multitool folders made and sold in every place - other than Switzerland.
Normally, these are far cheaper than Swiss made brands (and carry no warranty).
And whilst they may appear to be similar, most fall short on the superb quality exhibited by an original Victorinox or genuine Wenger product.
Pliertools came into the picture for the very reason why it is named such - for the pliers.
So unless you genuinely have a constant need for a pair of pliers, you will save yourself a lot of trouble with weight and bulk issues with a smaller SAK instead.
I must say, that being prepared to the fullest sometimes could mean packing a whole lot of things which will never see the light of day.
But being the boy scouts we are... well!
I love the idea of the pliertool, and it is the ultimate have-it-all carry package, but sometimes for reasons of legality, space or situation - a simple SAK would just have to do.
And guess what?! Most of the tool blades in an SAK will hardly be ever used either.
Choose what you need most and you must feel comfortable carrying it all day long, everywhere and anywhere.
Well, that is - not unless you have bought such a tool for your daily occupational needs.
Your current EDC knife could well face an early retirement already.
 
I have a multitude of SAKs and Leathermans of all shapes and types and flavours. I'm not sure it's possible to pick any particular one that's "best" or "most suitable". It truly is a personal preference and suck it and see type of situation.

The very best plan is to buy a few of each of different types and work out what combination of things works for you. I keep a LM Supertool in the car and, on the weekends, I've taken to carrying around a SAK Alpineer in my pocket to keep my usual weekend EDC of a SNG or Sebbie company. I'll probably change to something else soon.

Get a bunch of them, it's fun buying a new one every now and then.
 
It depends what are your needs, i like SAKs more because of the small weight and it's very compact, but i don't often need pliers though.
 
I used to carry a plier based multi-tool, but I now carry one of four SAK's I rotate. I like the SAK's better because they are easier to carry, weigh less, are generally of better quality, much cheaper, and they have more history in them. You can just carry a SAK and not miss a dedicated knife for most tasks, but it feels odd to do that with a plier tool. I will second what Planterz said about a SAK being a knife with other tools in it and the other being a pair of folding pliers with a knife blade in it.

The blades in a SAK will outcut a multi-tool any day, they are thin, flat ground, and sharp. Many plier blades are thick and saber ground. If you need a strong work tool just short of carrying a tool belt, a multi-tool is the way to go. The Victorinox Swiss Tool is the same quality as the other Vic knives and it has the thin blade like a SAK. I have been thinking of getting one for a while, but my SAK does everything I ask of it. YMMV.
 
This seems to be a thread more appropriate to the Multi-Tools section, but...

Whether or not they are better than a Leatherman, that is up to personal preference. They have all sizes that are about equivalent to any "pliered" multi-tools, ranging from the Squirt to the Charge (the approximate extrimities of the Leatherman line). It just depends upon your preference aesthetics. Larger SAKs, like the Victorinox SwissChamp, etc., tend to have a few more features than Leathermans, but they are specialized. It truly depends upon your preference and use.

I like SAKs. Take a look at the lineup and see what tools you'd like. I'm sure they making something well-suited to your needs.
 
personally i see an sak as a companion to a multi-tool as opposed to a replacement. I carry a slipjoint of one kind or another and a leatherman sideclip and i'm pretty well good to go. as mentioned above it's all in what you want. as far as sak's i only carry the alox scaled ones either a farmer/pioneer/ etc. great knives for the money.
 
GIRLYmann said:
"...I have noticed alot of people carry swiss army knives..."
- nathan310
Is this a trick question?
Serious about this?
OK then dude...
Yeah sure, there are lot's more people carrying SAK's than pliertools simply because they are far more readily available and have been sold over the counter for ages.
Click to expand...

I don't think the SAKs are more available than the Leathermans, both are easy to find.
So unless you genuinely have a constant need for a pair of pliers, you will save yourself a lot of trouble with weight and bulk issues with a smaller SAK instead.
Click to expand...

My original Leatherman is slimmer than most multi-blade SAKs and doesn't weight much more. Plus you can get Leathermans in various sizes. My Squirt lives in my watch pocket for example.

I love the idea of the pliertool, and it is the ultimate have-it-all carry package, but sometimes for reasons of legality, space or situation - a simple SAK would just have to do.
Click to expand...

I have never seen a place where carrying a Leatherman would be illegal while a SAK would be ok, either both would be ok or neither. Also as I stated the size really isn't an issue. Leatherman are often seen as tools and not as knives and often are more PC in some places.

And guess what?! Most of the tool blades in an SAK will hardly be ever used either.
Choose what you need most and you must feel comfortable carrying it all day long, everywhere and anywhere.
Well, that is - not unless you have bought such a tool for your daily occupational needs.
Your current EDC knife could well face an early retirement already.
Click to expand...

Most of the Leatherman tools won't be used either but I do use the plier more often than the blade it seems. And the file keeps my fingernails looking good. It is simply personal preference which you carry.
 
I carry a Vic Farmer and a Leatherman skeletool along with a dedicated knife daily. The skeletool and the Farmer actually complement each other because of the stripped down nature of the skeletool. Either way you can't go wrong with either one.
 
Absintheur said:
I have never seen a place where carrying a Leatherman would be illegal while a SAK would be ok, either both would be ok or neither. Also as I stated the size really isn't an issue. Leatherman are often seen as tools and not as knives and often are more PC in some places.
Click to expand...

When I was going to Jet Propulsion Labs in Pasadena on a regular basis (Explorer Scouts) for a long time the security guards would do random searches. They'd temporarily confiscate anything that looked like a knife. For some reason, the Leatherman tool I was carrying at the time always got through, so did my friends' Gerber tool.

Silly, of course, since the blade on the Gerber and Leatherman were both larger than the pocket knife I was carrying at the time.
 
I'd say Multitools and SAKs are diffrent, sure, both have multiple, non-knife tools, but the SAK can be cofortably carried in a pocket, which I am unable to do with all but the smallest multis. SAKs knife blades are better cutters in my experience.
If I had to pick one- I'd take a good SAK. One with a blade or two, bottle opener, saw, and preferably sciccors. Pliers can be bought at just about any hardware store, and you can get sheaths/holders for them, if necessarry. One execption I can think of is backpacking, where one would want pliers for cooking and also want to save as much weight as possiible. However, I personally would prefer a small pair of tongs for this purpose- anyone know where I can get a mini pair of spring-loaded tongs?
 
I have 30 odd SAKS, and quite a few of the "leatherman" style tools, both the original, and other brands. I find the best compromise, for me, in usability and convenience compromise, is the SAK tinker. It is slim, light, and has a good selection of useful tools. My off work edc knives are: tinker in pocket, bm full size grip right front pocket, spyderco native left front pocket (this one is never used except in cases that the grip is overly dull due to lots of use that day). At work, where the railroad limits me to 3" or less blade length, the full size grip gets replaced with a mini grip or a delica.
 
Planterz said:
Well, a SAK is basically a pocket knife with extra tools, whereas a Leatherman is a pair of folding pliers with extra tools, including a knife blade. Now, these lines are more blurred than they used to be. It took many years, but we can now get a LM with a premium steel blade and a pocket clip, giving some people the option of carrying only a LM without needing to also carry a "real" pocket knife. Plus, you can also get a SAK multitool, or a LM pocket knife.

As for which is better, there's no real answer that anybody but yourself can give. Either will serve you well, it's just a matter of figuring out which one has the tools you need for every day life (and none you don't). The one suggestion I can give you is that if you want pliers, and plan to use them regularly, it's best to stick with a multi-tool, as the pliers on a SAK aren't that fantastic. They work OK in a pinch for small things, but they're small so you don't get much power.
Click to expand...

Great answer.

It is said that Tim Leatherman came up with the concept of his pocket tool after touring Europe in a car that he repeatedly had to work on with only his SAK and that he wanted a tool that had real pliers.

I carried a Tinker as an EDC for a few years. Then I carried one of the early Leatherman tools for a couple of years. I finally decided that I didn't need the pliers on a daily basis, but that I did like the squared off screwdriver tips of the LM, rather than the rounded ones of the SAK. These days I carry a LM Micra for the screwdrivers, and some other kind of knife for cutting. But if I had to limit myself to just one implement, I'd go back to carrying a Tinker.
 
I've carried a Vic Spartan for more than twenty years. My father gave it to me when I was eight or so and it was my first quality pocket knife. It's the older model with the grooved bottle opener. He taught me how to use, sharpen and care for it. My father was a knife man just like his father before him.

Since then I have of course bought many other knives but I still carry that same Spartan with me every day. Sure, the blades are a bit worn and the handle has a scratch or two but it's still, after all these years an excellent knife. I've taken good care of it and even though I've put it to hard use many times it's yet to let me down. That's quality for you.

I always carry a larger, single blade folder aswell but without the Spartan I feel naked all the same. This second blade gets rotated between a variety of knives depending on the situation. Today it happens to be a Kershaw Leek that I've fallen in love with all over again.

At work I carry a SOG powerlock, which is my favorite of all the multitools I've tried over the years. It gets used for harder tasks. I especially like the one hand opening/closing and the powerful pliers. The blade on it doesn't see much use however. When I'm not working I usually put it in my car (or in my backpack if I'm traveling) but I don't EDC it. The Vic or the larger knife takes care of any small, odd jobs I need to perform on a regular basis.

I have nothing but praise for Vic knives and recomend them to anyone who wants a reliable, small tool that's always ready to perform.

Hope that helps.
 
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