Suggestions for my first SAK

JJ_Colt45

JJ_Colt45

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It kind of amazes me out of the hundreds of knives even tradtionals I've had throughout my years I have never owned a SAK.
I do carry a Leatherman Wave alot and use it often ... but I've been interested in buying a SAK for days I don't want to carry the multitool on my belt.
So I'm looking to those of you that have experience with them to give me some suggestions on which model might be most useful to me.
I use the scissors some ... I definately use the file and punch often ... I have no need for a corkscrew ... I guess other then those mentioned the serated knife blade and pliers are what I use most on my Leatherman ... So is there a model you would reccomend that might cover most the uses I reach for my mutliti tool for?
Thanks in advance ... there are so many versions I don't know where to start ... just want a good solid use knife.
 
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A super tinker has most of the tools you are looking for, but it is a large knife. I personally really like the money clip knife, which is a lobster pattern with a blade, file, and scissors in a nice small package.
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
It kind of smazes me out of the hundreds of knives even tradtionals I've had throughout my years I have never owned a SAK.
I do carry a Leatherman Wave alot and use it often ... but I've been interested in buying a SAK for days I don't want to carry the multitool on my belt.
So I'm looking to those of you that have experience with them to give me some suggestions on which model might be most useful to me.
I use the scissors some ... I definately use the file and punch often ... I have no need for a corkscrew ... I guess other then those mentioned the serated knife blade and pliers are what I use most on my Leatherman ... So is there a model you would reccomend that might cover most the uses I reach for my mutliti tool for?
Thanks in advance ... there are so many versions I don't know where to start ... just want a good solid use knife.
Click to expand...

I'll just tell you my three faves :
Mechanic
Executive
Secretary
 
I have been looking at the Mechanic as one possible option ... I will have to look at the other sugesstions ... I don't mind if its a little larger knife if it has the tools I'll use most on it so I'll check out the Super Tinker also ...
Thanks I'd love more suggestions if anyone has any favorites
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
I don't mind if its a little larger knife
Click to expand...
Some of the longer recent additions, such as the Ranger Gip 78, look pretty good to me but I haven't pulled the trigger yet so I have no business recommending one.
 
Daily at work or while in my home shop I carry a belt pouch with a Mechanic, an Explorer and a super shallow ground Bantam. The large blades on the Mech. and Exec. are ground to chisel (single bevel) edges one left one right for precision layout lines for hand tool woodworking.

and if photo bucket ever comes to their senses you can see the photo.

What is missing is a saw.

I own one of the Champs which has a cross cut wood saw but I never carry it. I prefer the less bulky SAKs.
 
Yeah Ifound out looking at them just how many options there actually are ... think it would take a week to sort through them all ...
I may just find one that fills most my needs since most the time I will have my leatherman ... just being summer sometimes its nice to just carry a small light knife and a miny tool like a SAK ... looks like I may have more home work to do to find which fits best.
 
For scissors I carry a Micra. For pliers I carry 4 1/2" channellocks, which are more useful than the needlenose pliers typically found on a multitool and which take up almost no pocket space. A two-row SAK is all I need, either a Recruit or an Electrician, which has a small sheepsfoot i use most.
 
I carry this combo too, big Knipex pliers for the real work and a very diverse and competent SAK for scissors, saw, file, drivers etc.

EKs1NpU.jpg


Other combo you could use is the one in the right, Micra (Scissors, tweezers, file) and Dime/Squirt (pliers, good blade, more precise and smallish scissors, other drivers)
 
In addition to garnering input here, I highly recommend visiting this site:

SAK Wiki

In the lower right column, you can view patterns by size and number of layers. It can prove to be a tease, if suddenly enamored with a combination that is no longer in production, but even if that's the case you now have a pattern name by which to search.

For an Every Day knife, I'd browse the 84mm 2-layer options first, and scale up and down from there to build your Want List. :)

Edited to add: Hmmm, I'm not seeing scissors as an option on the 84mm 2-layer-ers. I'll let you poke around further to find 'em in a configuration that ticks your boxes. :cool:

~ P.
 
Thanks I'll have to take some time on that site ... I searched and looked at some that had so much on then it woukd be easier to carry the Leatherman ...
 
I've carried a Deluxe Tinker for years. I use a belt pouch as it is a bit bulky for the pocket. A regular or small Tinker might be an option.

Rich
 
I like the Huntsman, and the alox Pioneer.
Super Tinker is a good one. Champion if you can find at a flea market cheap is great under the seat of motorcycle, or glovebox.
The pioneer is avaiable with scissors, I think it is the pioneerx.
Happy hunting!
 
Pioneer X is what I would suggest. Other than the really big ones, it's hard to cherry pick your tools although there are many choices. The Tinker was the very first SAK I bought years ago and it's a great 1st.

Is this for pocket carry or in a pouch on your belt?
 
I used to mess around with a site that had a SAK "tool selector" in which you could check the tools you wanted, and it would list all the models that had (at least) those tools. But I looked earlier today, and can't find a working model of that very entertaining and informative app. :( I'll bet it's still out there somewhere, but it will take someone with stronger google-fu than I have to find it. :rolleyes:

FWIW, from a tools perspective, I'm a fan of the Fieldmaster, or the Huntsman if you want a corkscrew rather than a Phillips Screwdriver. Neither has pliers, though.

- GT
 
Due to this thread, I just bought an Alox Harvester on that big auction site. Discontinued unfortunately, but looks great.
 
My first SAK (and second) was a Climber. It is still my favorite, I think.
 
Sak knives are best bang for buck and of very high quality and performance.get one of alox models or some of economy line models they have better scales.
 
5K Qs said:
I used to mess around with a site that had a SAK "tool selector" in which you could check the tools you wanted, and it would list all the models that had (at least) those tools. But I looked earlier today, and can't find a working model of that very entertaining and informative app. :( I'll bet it's still out there somewhere, but it will take someone with stronger google-fu than I have to find it. :rolleyes:

FWIW, from a tools perspective, I'm a fan of the Fieldmaster, or the Huntsman if you want a corkscrew rather than a Phillips Screwdriver. Neither has pliers, though.

- GT
Click to expand...

sakwiki.com
 
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