Swiss Army Knife: Most Useless

Wow, such disregard for one of the most enduring and hard wearing knives around. I'm specifically talking about the Victorinox knives here, not the generic label "swiss army knife" applied to all the knock off crap out there. I have no doubt that my ALOX Soldier will still be tough as nails 30 years from now. Let's see; the blade and tools are reported to be 420HC, same as Buck. While not a super steel they slice better than my modern one-handers and are a breeze to sharpen. I have used all of the tools on my Soldier, even the can opener. I use the awl regularly, most recently yesterday, to open up the tiny holes in my daughter's sippy cup. It is incredibly useful. I regularly use the flat-head screw driver as a GASP, screw driver and even as a pry bar. I have worried I was going to break it off or at least introduce play into the knife I have used the flat-head so hard. No, tight as a drum. I could get by with nothing more than this knife, I choose to carry a modern one handed folder in addition to the Soldier. But the Soldier sees more use, and it looks great and tends not to freak people out when they see it. There is nothing weak or subpar in terms of materials in Victorinox knives, to say otherwise is ignorance.
 
res1cue said:
To be honest, the least used tool on my SAK is usually the blade itself! Since I have other dedicated cutters on me at all times
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LOL. I think I have to agree with this as well. :)

Granted, my SAKs are all on the smaller end of the scale, so there isn't really much on them other than the highly useful saw, can opener, small screwdriver, etc. I'm sure if I had one of those forty blade monstrosities though, I could easily find something less useful than the blade.
 
crom said:
I use the awl regularly, most recently yesterday, to open up the tiny holes in my daughter's sippy cup.
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Well, in fairness, the item is being marketed as a "sip"py cup. Maybe you're on to something, though. Crom, inventor of the Guzzle Cup. And to think it happened right here on BFC. :D

I'm in for a 25% cut by the way. ;)
 
haha, on the extreme-use end of thing for such tools; I used the awl to ream a larger hole in an aluminum window frame as I was 15 feet off of the ground on a ladder last December. I had a drill with a too-small bit to accomodate the diameter screw I needed for the anchor. I was worried the awl would be damaged, just scratches. ANd those cups suck, the "holes" are useless and they get gunked up in the dish washer.
 
crom said:
Wow, such disregard for one of the most enduring and hard wearing knives around. I'm specifically talking about the Victorinox knives here, not the generic label "swiss army knife" applied to all the knock off crap out there. I have no doubt that my ALOX Soldier will still be tough as nails 30 years from now. Let's see; the blade and tools are reported to be 420HC, same as Buck. While not a super steel they slice better than my modern one-handers and are a breeze to sharpen. I have used all of the tools on my Soldier, even the can opener. I use the awl regularly, most recently yesterday, to open up the tiny holes in my daughter's sippy cup. It is incredibly useful. I regularly use the flat-head screw driver as a GASP, screw driver and even as a pry bar. I have worried I was going to break it off or at least introduce play into the knife I have used the flat-head so hard. No, tight as a drum. I could get by with nothing more than this knife, I choose to carry a modern one handed folder in addition to the Soldier. But the Soldier sees more use, and it looks great and tends not to freak people out when they see it. There is nothing weak or subpar in terms of materials in Victorinox knives, to say otherwise is ignorance.
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Well I'm not specifically saying it's a weak tool. Not trying to offend anyone. However, definitely not as strong as multi-tool plier types. You and I must have different ideas of hard use. I guess it doesn't help that the only knives I enjoy that have thumbnail grooves are single blade models. Anyway, trust me, I've had Victorinox and destroyed Victorinox doing the jobs it was intended for. Just doesn't last as long as a Leatherman, Gerber, etc. However maybe it fits more into the EDC role for most people.
 
Remy, I'd love to hear how you broke "more than you can count" while not putting much stress on the tools? Not trying to insinuate anything, but when I hear something like that it catches my interest.
 
Hmm carried SAKs a lot back in the scouts and have used all the attachments. Probably the most useless one to me was the awl (personally) though I saw others use them to trim their nails and so forth. I probably just don't know how to use it.

They function as backup for me now. I carry an alox with my business/formal attire and keep a cheap Vic camper as a backup when outdoors. SAKs seem to alarm people the least, if at all since most everyone has heard of them.

Funny that when I read about people getting limbs and toes trapped under boulders ...I start imagining myself in that situation. How long would I wait and which knife would I use? I always keep thinking SAK because thy're so darn sharp and seem cleaner/more "sterile"-ish with the mirror polish. If SHTF, than I would want something that causes me the least pain if I have to take drastic action.

just my opine
 
RemyKaze said:
Well I'm not specifically saying it's a weak tool. Not trying to offend anyone. However, definitely not as strong as multi-tool plier types. You and I must have different ideas of hard use. I guess it doesn't help that the only knives I enjoy that have thumbnail grooves are single blade models. Anyway, trust me, I've had Victorinox and destroyed Victorinox doing the jobs it was intended for. Just doesn't last as long as a Leatherman, Gerber, etc. However maybe it fits more into the EDC role for most people.
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Have you ever compared the VIC full sized multi tool to the LM or Gerber?

That would be a better comparison.

I don't see a realistic comparison with a SAK and a full sized Multi.
 
crom said:
Wow, such disregard for one of the most enduring and hard wearing knives around. I'm specifically talking about the Victorinox knives here, not the generic label "swiss army knife" applied to all the knock off crap out there. I have no doubt that my ALOX Soldier will still be tough as nails 30 years from now. Let's see; the blade and tools are reported to be 420HC, same as Buck. While not a super steel they slice better than my modern one-handers and are a breeze to sharpen. I have used all of the tools on my Soldier, even the can opener. I use the awl regularly, most recently yesterday, to open up the tiny holes in my daughter's sippy cup. It is incredibly useful. I regularly use the flat-head screw driver as a GASP, screw driver and even as a pry bar. I have worried I was going to break it off or at least introduce play into the knife I have used the flat-head so hard. No, tight as a drum. I could get by with nothing more than this knife, I choose to carry a modern one handed folder in addition to the Soldier. But the Soldier sees more use, and it looks great and tends not to freak people out when they see it. There is nothing weak or subpar in terms of materials in Victorinox knives, to say otherwise is ignorance.
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+1 I used my soldier just last night to split kindling into smaller pieces. Works great. Is that hard enough use for you guys?:rolleyes: I'm still wondering how the blade steel is subpar. I keep hearing this but I haven't noticed it lacking. I use it everyday and only touch it up every couple of weeks. Sucker cuts like a demon. What more do you need in a knife steel? :confused:


To the OP; The least used "tool" for me is the lanyard ring.
 
Here's an example of what I've used one of the tools for. I used to do IT project management in new renovations for a library system. One of the renovations had a raised floor that used poured concrete in sectional steel "pans". I needed to get one of these up to get to a wireless access point underneath, the concrete sections weighed around 30lbs or so, probably more. I used the flathead driver to pry up a section so I could get my fingers underneath. I thought for sure I was going to ruin my knife. Nah, didn't even loosen up.
 
crom said:
Remy, I'd love to hear how you broke "more than you can count" while not putting much stress on the tools? Not trying to insinuate anything, but when I hear something like that it catches my interest.
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Me too.

I can only count to 20 because that's my digit limit.

Imagine breaking 20 Vics' ?

Buy another break it, buy another ...

That's just hater BS.
 
Rucksack. Never leave home with out it.

I just recently found out it had a blade, too. Imagine that. :D

I used it to cut up an apple, and my SAK gets used everyday. So does my ZT0303.

Go figure.

Moose
 
Shotgun said:
+1 I used my soldier just last night to split kindling into smaller pieces. Works great. Is that hard enough use for you guys?:rolleyes: I'm still wondering how the blade steel is subpar. I keep hearing this but I haven't noticed it lacking. I use it everyday and only touch it up every couple of weeks. Sucker cuts like a demon. What more do you need in a knife steel? :confused:


To the OP; The least used "tool" for me is the lanyard ring.
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I agree 100%. The eye for the ring gets 'Dremeled' off as a matter of policy for me.
 
Brian Sargent said:
Have you ever compared the VIC full sized multi tool to the LM or Gerber?

That would be a better comparison.

I don't see a realistic comparison with a SAK and a full sized Multi.
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Yes, I think that would be a much better comparison. I was honestly looking at one as my next multitool. I have no brand preference; I only care about toughness/endurance.

crom said:
Remy, I'd love to hear how you broke "more than you can count" while not putting much stress on the tools? Not trying to insinuate anything, but when I hear something like that it catches my interest.
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Brian Sargent said:
Me too.

I can only count to 20 because that's my digit limit.

Imagine breaking 20 Vics' ?

Buy another break it, buy another ...

That's just hater BS.
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Not a hater, just a realist. "More than I can count" is a turn of phrase, haha. I used it to imply a significant amount. More than 5, less than 10, as a guesstimate. Everyone has their own flavor. I personally enjoy the Gerber flick style multi-tools just as much as I do Leatherman, and I'm sure someone would come down on me for that. As I said above though, it's not Victorinox, but rather the design of that particular multi-tool that I find lacking. To be honest, I can see their multi-pliers doing much better in a long term usage setting, especially out in mother nature. Perhaps better than Leatherman, since they seem prone to rust. I have no favorites; I simply go by what works, and what doesn't. To me that sort of SAK will hold up for a while, but eventually break doing the same tasks. Then there are those that will argue that that counts for any tool. Perhaps I'm too hard on them after all?
 
The whole f"cking tool is useless. Takes a pair of pliers to grab onto that sh*tty excuse for a nail nick to pull any tool out.
 
BMLooker said:
The whole f"cking tool is useless. Takes a pair of pliers to grab onto that sh*tty excuse for a nail nick to pull any tool out.
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I wouldn't say that. It's just that tools like that have evolved in two different directions. I can't necessarily say another blue collar guy like myself would snag a multi-plier over a SAK, but then again, Victorinox did make their own. To me that states that they realize there is a level of need for each type of tool.

The one thing I wish they'd come out with is a single bladed spear point like the one that comes with the SAK. I always loved the old IKC/Imperial Schrade spear point pen knives. Seems like it's so hard to find them in decent condition.
 
To me, the most useless is the Mohel blade. It's too specialized, there's no gettin' around it.
 
RemyKaze said:
The one thing I wish they'd come out with is a single bladed spear point like the one that comes with the SAK. I always loved the old IKC/Imperial Schrade spear point pen knives. Seems like it's so hard to find them in decent condition.
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Victorinox Secretary has spear and pen blades. Bantam has spear and bottle opener / screwdriver. Both small format.

I really like my Bantam.
 
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