SAKs And Their Limits

V

Vivi

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As some of you may know, I'm a big fan of SAKs and advocate them a good bit. I've been using them since I was about 4 or 5. The purpose of this thread is for fellow forum members to suggest various tests I could run on one of mine. Edge retention, durability, batoning...whatever comes to mind. I'll probably be using a Vic Classic when applicable alongside a standard sized model. If you'd like to see other implements such as the wood saws tested we can run some with those too.

I'm curious about what exactly my favorite knives can handle, so I want all of you to help me form test criteria.
 
Cardboard test! How many times can a SAK slice through a 1'x1' piece of cardboard before it gets dull? I think someone did this with a S30V PE Native and got it through 40 passes before more then push cutting was needed.

Just an idea though, as I have no idea what kind of tests are required.
 
Wow..this could be interesting!

I've been using SAK's for about 25 years and have never broken one yet.

(my Swisschamp) is on it's second set of scales though)

The saws are truly amazing and the tools usually work great fortheir intended purpose.

Batonning would be the thing I would fear to do the most, but I can say that the Vic' lockback I carried for years did hack down several saplings in the 3 inch diameter range and that knife is still locking up like the day I bought it.
 
I think how much cardboard you can cut before dulling is a great one. I think alot of people will be amazed at how much a thin SAK blade can cut up compared to the normal thick supersteel blades.
 
Vivi said:
The purpose of this thread is for fellow forum members to suggest various tests I could run on one of mine.
Click to expand...

Utility : compare the cutting ability and edge holding on a push and slice vs a standard box cutter, opinel, and "high end" current stainless. Examine edge retention from both the perspective of loss of sharpness as well as loss of cutting ability. Look at performance on rope, cardboard, carpet, woods, ...

Food : compare the cutting, handling, cleaning, vs a traditional decent kitchen knife and high end modern folder, mainly paring plus light utility work.

Woodcraft : wood carving, both precision shaping as well as rough stock removal, sectioning thick wood with the saw, splitting wood, both rounds as well as slabs for construction (explore leverage issues), cutting saplings and light brush - compare performance to a decent stockman, opinel, mora, decent hatchet and long blade

Durability : drop it, both open and closed, if it locks check the lock under standard tests as well as batoning, again compare to an opinel and modern folder

Sharpening : check grindability, ease of burr removal, responce to a high polish and coarse finish, note abilit to be filed, again compare to opinel, stockman, and modern tactical folder

Corrosion resistance : use on acidic foods, around salt water, in very hot/humid enviroments, do some of the comparisons mentioned on wet media, again compare to a stockman, opinel and modern tactical folder.

I realize you may not have all of the available blades for comparison, those suggested were just representatives of a general class. That also describes a vast amount of work even if you only repeat it just once as a minimum stability check. What would be really work comparing is a SAK vs a stainless Mora in 12C27mod or better yet a Bark River in 12C27 as these are very similar to the SAK steel.

-Cliff
 
Loan the knives to be tested to Cliff and maybe he will send the remaining pieces back in an envelope. I have seen his reviews and concluded that no knife is safe in his hands! But at least you will know afterwards what not to do with your knife.
 
It's a real good idea to use a common knife as a referance knife and do all the tests side by side with the blade your testing. In this case the SAK and any other folder you may have. .
 
Some tests for SAK vs. other knife:

Opening cans of tuna,
opening wine bottles,
opening beer bottles,
turning flat head screws,
turning phillips head screws,
removing splinters,
picking food from teeth

:D
 
stevekt said:
Some tests for SAK vs. other knife:

Opening cans of tuna,
opening wine bottles,
opening beer bottles,
turning flat head screws,
turning phillips head screws,
removing splinters,
picking food from teeth

:D
Click to expand...

Beautiful and Priceless
 
stevekt said:
Some tests for SAK vs. other knife:

Opening cans of tuna,
opening wine bottles,
opening beer bottles,
turning flat head screws,
turning phillips head screws,
removing splinters,
picking food from teeth

:D
Click to expand...
Cute. :)

Funny thing is, I've seen folks try to do all those things with tactical folders and fixed blades. Sometimes they even work! ;) Unfortunately, that's also how good knives get bent and broken tips, chipped blades, etc.!
 
The Last Confederate said:
Wow..this could be interesting!

I've been using SAK's for about 25 years and have never broken one yet.

(my Swisschamp) is on it's second set of scales though)

The saws are truly amazing and the tools usually work great fortheir intended purpose.

Batonning would be the thing I would fear to do the most, but I can say that the Vic' lockback I carried for years did hack down several saplings in the 3 inch diameter range and that knife is still locking up like the day I bought it.
Click to expand...

i'm on my second Swisschamp in about 13 years, and that is only because i had the original stolen a couple of years ago... i even used the thing as a hammer on more than one occaision. other than the springs in the pliers and scissors that thing was in great shape

i'll echo your thoughts on the saw... i had it side by side with my Wave and it wasn't really close on branches a few inches thick, strangely enough
 
I too am an advocate of SAK's. I think that the Victorinox is sturdier than the Wenger, but I like the Wenger can opener design better, along with their scissor design. I have had several SAK's over the past 40 years. My first was a Victorinox Hunter I purchased as a high school graduation gift for myself way back in the dark ages of the mid 1960's. Since then I have usually carried either a Spartan, which at one time was called the Camper, or the Tinker, which is my knife style of choice now. As I have gotten older I need a little more leverage to open a wine bottle than the Spartan provides. I have found the steel used on the blades to be excellent for my needs, which does include carving twigs and branches into roosters, hens, herons, and various other "rustic" carving objects (spoons, letter openers, etc.).
I have never been let down by my Victorinox SAK's.:thumbup:
 
I've been carrying my SAK again as a "loaner" knife and because of its' many uses in a small package. I still have my folder for dedicated cutting tasks, but the SAK is just plain useful. Also, I don't mind banging it up. Last week I used the blade to pry out a small screw that had fallen into a small crevasse on my lawnmower. My fingers couldn't reach it and the blade did get somewhat chipped up, but it did the job and was basically back to normal after a touch-up on the sharpener. I could have done it with my Sebbie, but why bother when I had a knife that was much less expensive on me.
 
I have a few SAKs from many years of collecting. Do you guys feel that the Leatherman-type (many brand names including the Vic Tool) has eclipsed our beloved SAKs? I'm basically a city slicker (no real outdoors where I live) and found my belt or pocket has been invaded by the multitools and don't feel as well "armed" with a SAK. The SAK do have an advantage is that in their most basic forms (spartan, thinkers etc.) they are smaller and handier but the Multis are not that big of a deal to carry.
 
I don't carry a multitool because Id on't need a lot of the stuff on them. I don't use the screwdrivers on either types of knife much, they usually have thicker blades which I dislike, and I rarely need pliers. Only time I do is to adjust my skateboard, and a multi is too big to skate with, especially when I have pliers in my trunk. They're also more cumbersome and clunky to operate in my experience.

I should probably get around to doing some tests. Kind of forgot about this thread.
 
If you need pliers, the Leatherman type tool is the better choice. My personal choice for the last several years has been a SAK Cybertool 34. In comparison with my Leatherman (new) Wave, I find it generally pockets better, even though it's one of the fatter SAKs. However, the Leatherman pliers are better than the mini sized SAK pliers.

However, I feel perfectly at equipped carrying my old SAK Tinker if I don't feel like lugging around the bulk of either above.
 
For durability, how about soaking them in salt water for about 7 months? I tried to duplicate some of the stories submitted to Victorinox about the durability of their knives.

Before opening the jar:

rust_test_final (Small).JPG


The only thing was the scissors screw and spring dissolved, but the rest of the knife is fine:

rust_test_4_15_1 (Small).JPG


Here was the original stories:


Four years in a purification tank
Gilbert V. Levin from the USA tells an almost incredible story in a letter dated 23 September 1991.This time it’s not about the Swiss knife saving a life or being used to rescue some hopeless situation, but about the little red knife itself having survived four years almost undamaged in a purification tank. Mr. Levin wrote to Victorinox in Ibach:"In 1973 I installed my new invention for sewage treatment at Seneca Falls, New York. One morning as I was crossing the bridge over the aeration tank of the treatment plant, I saw that the setting on one of the instruments was incorrect. I took out my dependable Swiss Army Knife to make the necessary adjustment. The knife slipped out of my hand and fell into the aeration tank. The function of the aeration tank in a treatment plant is to oxidize organic waste. This oxidizing environment is very corrosive to metals.

Four years later, in 1977, I received a small parcel by mail with a note from Al Hawk, the supervisor of the Seneca Falls plant. They had emptied the aeration tank and found my Swiss Army Knife at the bottom. The parcel contained the knife. It was in astonishingly good condition. The only thing wrong of any note was that the spring for the scissors was missing: it had dissolved. There was also some oxide on the aluminum parts that keep the blades separate. The plastic casing and cover had only suffered very minor damage near to the toothpick and tweezers. I intended long ago to send the knife back withy complements to the company which manufactures such durable knives. I have looked after the knife and since then have never used it. I enclose it for your attention as evidence to this almost incredible occurrence. I can assure you that very few products could have survived treatment like this; the components would have dissolved or simply disappeared."


Survived salt water
Your Swiss Army Officers’ Knives coped superbly with extensive use. They soon became an indispensable tool for a range of tasks as well as in emergencies. Frank Goodman was very sad when he lost his on Cape Horn Island. I carried my knife in a life-jacket pocket and as a result it frequently came into contact with salt water. Despite this it continued to function perfectly. Many knives advertised as being‹stainless steel rust precisely when they are needed most. But not the Victorinox knives. These are obviously the genuine article. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your generosity. Without your help and those of others this adventure would have been impossible. Our success is your success.
 
Dissolved? :eek:

I think I'll keep this in mind the next time I see one of those "carbon steel or stainless?" threads!! :D
 
I carried a SAK for years, loved it and used it hard. But once pocket tools came out that had locking blades...the rest is history. If you had to push really hard when driving or removing a screw with the SAK and you didn't keep the force lined up just right the driver blade would snap shut surprisingly easy and fast (and sometimes painfully).
 
The more recent SAKs use a locking screwdriver/caplifter blades (Wenger's locks with downward pressure, Vic "locks" like a Laguiole, with thumb pressure keeping the backspring engaged in a notch on the tang). That solved my biggest gripe with them. Noticed the change in Victorinox a year or two ago, around when they bought Wenger.
 
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