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- Dec 22, 2006
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Here are some of my favorite SAK's, multi-tools and saws for PSK's and hiking. Note that I view these as accessories to a larger fixed-blade knife in a palette of survival tools.
One mention on multi-knife/tools: keep it simple. It is all too easy to get gadget happy and buy tool that just has too many options. They get more expensive, heavier, and most importantly, harder and less comfortable to use. IMHO, anything past a four layer SAK is a waste. A Vic Fieldmaster has nine pivoting tools-- if you can't do it with that, you should have a tool box!
Victorinox Classic: I EDC one and have incorporated them into my kits. They are great for basic cutting chores, personal grooming and firesteel strikers. The toothpick and tweezers get regular use. They make a great paring with other knives or multitools that do not have a small blade or scissors. Perfect for necklace-based kits. My favorite has Stayglow scales. Variations on the the theme: alox scale models (minus tweezers and toothpick), whistle scale model (minus toothpick), Signature model with pen, and some with LED lights. Watch out for the ones with a magnetic Phillips driver that might stray your compass reading.
Leatherman Micra: next step up on the kit/EDC list. I EDC one with red scales and the scissors get a workout. Larger and heavier than the SAK Classic. I don't care for the tweezers-- they are are a little stiff for precision work like slinter removal, but they are there. Again, they make a good paring for larger tools or knives and an excellent pair of scissors. A little heavy for a necklace kit, but just fine for a pocket/keychain kit.
Victorinox Farmer: this is a great knife for including in a PSK. Makes a great pairing with a Classic or Micra as it doesn't have scissors, tweezers or small blade. You get a good size blade, saw, awl, screwdriver (read pry bar), can opener and bottle opener. Tough, inexpensive and light. Perfect for improvising-- the saw and awl take it far past the basic folding knife. This is the minimum I would carry for a hiking knife.
Victorinox Fieldmaster: my favorite SAK, with blades, saw, awl, screwdrivers, can and bottle openers, scissors, toothpick and tweezers. It has a package hook, which I've chalked up to a European thing or some hold-over to times when packages were wrapped with twine. I'd just as soon they left it off, but seeing that it is there, it can be used for tightening small line for lashing. The Fieldmaster is really a multi-tool at this stage. It is the same as the Huntsman, with a Phillips screwdriver rather than a corkscrew. I have one with Stayglow scales and it goes in my #1 PSK.
Wenger Evolock 16821: Wenger has made medium frame models with locking main blades for years and you don't see them mentioned much in this forum. This Evolock model is very similar to the Fieldmaster, but has the locking main blade.
Victorinox Trekker OH: I sold mine and I'm sorry I did. IMHO, this is a perfect one-tool choice for hiking and particularly day hiking. Vic now offers a plain edge version, although the serrated version works well for food prep and cutting line, which is most of the use it will get anyway. I'd like to see the saw blade lock and Stayglow scales-- it would be kind of ugly, but you could find it if dropped. Goes from good to prefect when paired up with a Classic.
Leatherman Wave: this is the Big Daddy of multi-tools for me. I use one at work and carry it in my EDC BOB with the bit kit. I think it is too heavy for general hiking. I could see it as a one-tool option, but I'd rather spread the weight out to redundancy and other PSK items if on foot. It comes to the top of the list when you have mechanical gear to deal with: add an outboard, ATV, or mountain bike and this becomes a perfect tool.
Leatherman Skeletool CX: I have EDC'd one now for a few months and I use it every day at work. A little over 4 ounces and very handy with a wicked sharp knife blade. Not too big to carry in your pocket, but I use a nylon belt sheath. As with the Wave, there is a better case for carrying it when you have evil mechanical devices with you. Pair it up with a Micra to get all the little tools it doesn't have. If Leatherman could add a saw and/or scissors to this design, it would make a great woods rig. And adding tools would take away from the design too-- it's all compromise.
Leatherman Juice: I had one and sold it. The saw was just a little too thin for me to trust in a tight spot. Other than that, they are smaller and lighter. Get one with saw and scissors and you have a good pairing with a fixed blade knife and a do-all tool kit. I wish they would leave off the #$%^& corkscrews!
Silky Pocketboy saw: I have one and I'm a little ambivalent on this one. It is compact, but the blade isn't very long and it is heavy for its size. Comes with a nifty clear plastic case/holster than can hold more gear if you don't plan on using it often. The Silky saws do cut well, which is the point. IMHO, a small saw is best for cutting poles for shelter building, small firewood and improvising. You can cut larger diameter wood with a small saw by using multiple cuts and notching as you would with an axe, or cutting and breaking off the remaining wood, but that does mean a lot of work. The Silky saws have handles that will allow you to do a lot of work without making you hands raw-- a major failing with the knife and multi-tool saws.
Gerber Sportsman's Saw: this saw weighs just a bit over 3 ounces, which makes it a good choice for foot travel. It cuts well, but I have misgivings about the construction for survival use. It is just too much thin light plastic for my taste. It has a much longer blade than the Silky saw and is lighter, but has the trade-off on durable construction. I haven't broken one or heard of someone doing so. Cheap and readily available, you can get them at hardware and sporting goods stores for $12-$15.
Kershaw folding saw: same as the Bahco Laplander. This is my favorite for a folding saw, but at the maximum size and weight that I would consider for hiking-- 6.4 ounces and a 7" blade. It cuts very well, with a handle that won't turn your paws into hamburger and you can get two hands on it. The blade locks open and closed with a simple button/liner lock latch. Sits well in a corner of a backpack. I have paired one up with a mora knife and a couple ranger bands and a small pouch-based PSK for a compact grab-and-run survival lit. Another option I worked out was to use a cable style key ring and add a whistle, fire starter, compass, and LED flashlight through the lanyard hole on the saw. Add your favorite fixed blade knife and you have the start of a PSK that will provide shelter, fire and plenty of room for improvising. Not too expensive at around ~$25, but harder to find.
About axes: there have been many spirited debates about using axes for survival. My view of wilderness survival gear is aimed at foot travel, where weight and size rule. Axes can be very useful tools in a survival situation, but IMHO, an effective axe is too big and too heavy to use for foot travel. The smaller axes, which I have always called hatchets, are fine for wood working and splitting kindling, but are sorry tools for use with green wood. They bounce and slip too easily and offer as much danger to the user as they do to the intended target. The chances of doing real damage to yourslf with a folding saw are slim compared to the ugly wounds from mis-amied hatchets. I have a 14" Fiskars that is about as small and light as I would bother with and to me, a "real" axe is about 30" long and a two-handed tool. In a real survival scenario, I wouldn't be unhappy to find myself with a small axe, but I wouldn't look forward to hauling it up and down mountains for years with no real use other than pounding in a tent peg. I try to practice leave no trace, so my cooking is usually on a stove and campfires are limited to established fire rings and downed wood. I also hike in areas where campfires are banned a good part of the season. All of these factors bring me to the conclusion that folding saws are most useful survival tools than small axes. YMMV.
One mention on multi-knife/tools: keep it simple. It is all too easy to get gadget happy and buy tool that just has too many options. They get more expensive, heavier, and most importantly, harder and less comfortable to use. IMHO, anything past a four layer SAK is a waste. A Vic Fieldmaster has nine pivoting tools-- if you can't do it with that, you should have a tool box!
Victorinox Classic: I EDC one and have incorporated them into my kits. They are great for basic cutting chores, personal grooming and firesteel strikers. The toothpick and tweezers get regular use. They make a great paring with other knives or multitools that do not have a small blade or scissors. Perfect for necklace-based kits. My favorite has Stayglow scales. Variations on the the theme: alox scale models (minus tweezers and toothpick), whistle scale model (minus toothpick), Signature model with pen, and some with LED lights. Watch out for the ones with a magnetic Phillips driver that might stray your compass reading.
Leatherman Micra: next step up on the kit/EDC list. I EDC one with red scales and the scissors get a workout. Larger and heavier than the SAK Classic. I don't care for the tweezers-- they are are a little stiff for precision work like slinter removal, but they are there. Again, they make a good paring for larger tools or knives and an excellent pair of scissors. A little heavy for a necklace kit, but just fine for a pocket/keychain kit.
Victorinox Farmer: this is a great knife for including in a PSK. Makes a great pairing with a Classic or Micra as it doesn't have scissors, tweezers or small blade. You get a good size blade, saw, awl, screwdriver (read pry bar), can opener and bottle opener. Tough, inexpensive and light. Perfect for improvising-- the saw and awl take it far past the basic folding knife. This is the minimum I would carry for a hiking knife.
Victorinox Fieldmaster: my favorite SAK, with blades, saw, awl, screwdrivers, can and bottle openers, scissors, toothpick and tweezers. It has a package hook, which I've chalked up to a European thing or some hold-over to times when packages were wrapped with twine. I'd just as soon they left it off, but seeing that it is there, it can be used for tightening small line for lashing. The Fieldmaster is really a multi-tool at this stage. It is the same as the Huntsman, with a Phillips screwdriver rather than a corkscrew. I have one with Stayglow scales and it goes in my #1 PSK.
Wenger Evolock 16821: Wenger has made medium frame models with locking main blades for years and you don't see them mentioned much in this forum. This Evolock model is very similar to the Fieldmaster, but has the locking main blade.
Victorinox Trekker OH: I sold mine and I'm sorry I did. IMHO, this is a perfect one-tool choice for hiking and particularly day hiking. Vic now offers a plain edge version, although the serrated version works well for food prep and cutting line, which is most of the use it will get anyway. I'd like to see the saw blade lock and Stayglow scales-- it would be kind of ugly, but you could find it if dropped. Goes from good to prefect when paired up with a Classic.
Leatherman Wave: this is the Big Daddy of multi-tools for me. I use one at work and carry it in my EDC BOB with the bit kit. I think it is too heavy for general hiking. I could see it as a one-tool option, but I'd rather spread the weight out to redundancy and other PSK items if on foot. It comes to the top of the list when you have mechanical gear to deal with: add an outboard, ATV, or mountain bike and this becomes a perfect tool.
Leatherman Skeletool CX: I have EDC'd one now for a few months and I use it every day at work. A little over 4 ounces and very handy with a wicked sharp knife blade. Not too big to carry in your pocket, but I use a nylon belt sheath. As with the Wave, there is a better case for carrying it when you have evil mechanical devices with you. Pair it up with a Micra to get all the little tools it doesn't have. If Leatherman could add a saw and/or scissors to this design, it would make a great woods rig. And adding tools would take away from the design too-- it's all compromise.
Leatherman Juice: I had one and sold it. The saw was just a little too thin for me to trust in a tight spot. Other than that, they are smaller and lighter. Get one with saw and scissors and you have a good pairing with a fixed blade knife and a do-all tool kit. I wish they would leave off the #$%^& corkscrews!
Silky Pocketboy saw: I have one and I'm a little ambivalent on this one. It is compact, but the blade isn't very long and it is heavy for its size. Comes with a nifty clear plastic case/holster than can hold more gear if you don't plan on using it often. The Silky saws do cut well, which is the point. IMHO, a small saw is best for cutting poles for shelter building, small firewood and improvising. You can cut larger diameter wood with a small saw by using multiple cuts and notching as you would with an axe, or cutting and breaking off the remaining wood, but that does mean a lot of work. The Silky saws have handles that will allow you to do a lot of work without making you hands raw-- a major failing with the knife and multi-tool saws.
Gerber Sportsman's Saw: this saw weighs just a bit over 3 ounces, which makes it a good choice for foot travel. It cuts well, but I have misgivings about the construction for survival use. It is just too much thin light plastic for my taste. It has a much longer blade than the Silky saw and is lighter, but has the trade-off on durable construction. I haven't broken one or heard of someone doing so. Cheap and readily available, you can get them at hardware and sporting goods stores for $12-$15.
Kershaw folding saw: same as the Bahco Laplander. This is my favorite for a folding saw, but at the maximum size and weight that I would consider for hiking-- 6.4 ounces and a 7" blade. It cuts very well, with a handle that won't turn your paws into hamburger and you can get two hands on it. The blade locks open and closed with a simple button/liner lock latch. Sits well in a corner of a backpack. I have paired one up with a mora knife and a couple ranger bands and a small pouch-based PSK for a compact grab-and-run survival lit. Another option I worked out was to use a cable style key ring and add a whistle, fire starter, compass, and LED flashlight through the lanyard hole on the saw. Add your favorite fixed blade knife and you have the start of a PSK that will provide shelter, fire and plenty of room for improvising. Not too expensive at around ~$25, but harder to find.
About axes: there have been many spirited debates about using axes for survival. My view of wilderness survival gear is aimed at foot travel, where weight and size rule. Axes can be very useful tools in a survival situation, but IMHO, an effective axe is too big and too heavy to use for foot travel. The smaller axes, which I have always called hatchets, are fine for wood working and splitting kindling, but are sorry tools for use with green wood. They bounce and slip too easily and offer as much danger to the user as they do to the intended target. The chances of doing real damage to yourslf with a folding saw are slim compared to the ugly wounds from mis-amied hatchets. I have a 14" Fiskars that is about as small and light as I would bother with and to me, a "real" axe is about 30" long and a two-handed tool. In a real survival scenario, I wouldn't be unhappy to find myself with a small axe, but I wouldn't look forward to hauling it up and down mountains for years with no real use other than pounding in a tent peg. I try to practice leave no trace, so my cooking is usually on a stove and campfires are limited to established fire rings and downed wood. I also hike in areas where campfires are banned a good part of the season. All of these factors bring me to the conclusion that folding saws are most useful survival tools than small axes. YMMV.
