Swiss Army Knives suck.

To say that an entire category of knife, spanning numerous models and two main brands, sucks, seems pretty short-sighted to me.
 
I am seeing more people these days wanting everything out of a knife without a humungous price increase. The SAK blades are not tuff for battoning and levering. They are thin enough for office, home and general use and doing food. They make life easier. For heavy duty I carry a second lock blade in my pocket. I also have a multitool and a fixed blade for the car.

Can I work with just a SAK, yes. It just means taking a bit longer on some tasks.
 
allenC said:
For a knife that you don't like, you sure seem to have quite a few of them.


Too thin for what?
Exactly what are you cutting, with a 2.5" non-locking slip-joint folder, that you feel the SAk blade is too thin for?
:confused:


Compared to what, other 420 steel blades?


You never need to tighten a screw?
Or open a non-twist-off bottle-cap?
Or pluck a stray hair with tweezers?
Or pick some food particles from your teeth with the toothpick?
Or scrape or ream something with the awl/reamer? (yes, you could use a regular blade, but why dull your main blade on reaming a metal pipe?).
Or trim a finger-nail or your mustache with the scissors?
Or open a corked wine bottle?



If you don't carry one then you will never realize how handy they are.
And you'll make more trips to the tool-box than if you did carry one.

I love one-hand folders.
And I love traditional locking folders.
And I love traditional non-locking folders.
But I cannot deny that the humble Swiss Army Knife is one of the handiest and most useful knives around.
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+1 :p
 
The main reason I carry a SAK is that it is a very useful tool for me and I do not only use the blade. Although a SAK can be used in many situations, I think it is logical thinking that it can not be used in all situations. For most of my cutting tasks, the blade of a SAK performs fine and if I need to perform heavy cutting tasks for which the blade seems not suitable, I just take a more heavy knife.

I also like other knives, but a SAK is my basic EDC knife and I take other knives with me if I expect their need or just like to carry them with me.
 
i carry a huntsman its great for the blade length restrictions in chicago cough 2.5 inches cough the steel is fine may not be like the other steels i have but its soft i will give it that much
 
I used to steer clear of the SAKs because of their cheap looking red plastic handles. Then one day I got a hold of a Alox Soldier and I saw what all the fuss was about. These things are built tough with strong back springs and there were soo many models available for 20 bucks or less. Now I'll happily drop my Farmer or the old issue GAK in my back pocket for the day.
 
Before getting my first sak I thought that they were nothing more than trinkets. Now no matter what else I am carrying a sak is always with me.
 
telcontar said:
Just a question. What is the difference between a Deluxe Tinker and a Super Tinker? Or are they the same knife with a name change.
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Deluxe Tinker is a SuperTinker with pliers.
Fieldmaster is a SuperTinker with a saw.

My favorite SAK is the SuperTinker. I look at it as a compliment to, not replacement for my EDC folder.
The scissors are better than any I've found so far on full size multi-tools including Vic's Spirit.
My only criticism of Vic's is way too many models have a corkscrew instead of a phillips.
 
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If I had to give up all my knives, one of my SAK's would be the last one. So no, I don't think they suck, and for the end user it is probably the best knife per $. Remeber, we here buy knives because we are enthusiasts! SAK's and other blade centric multi-tools are just that - tools.
 
There is an eyeglass screwdriver that threads into the corkscrew.

With so many models produced throughout the years and the availability of custom SAK's, it seems like having too many useless tools is a personal problem more than a SAK problem.

GIRLYmann said:
We shouldn't hate SAKs.
we should hate Victorinox for not making more technically superior SAKs which should cost as little as they would an ordinary SAK now!
i m thinking super steels, locking mechanism, and light weight materials.
but i guess it's a business, and we have to make do with it now. <lol>
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It seems like Wenger (owned by Victorinox) is starting to try out some more innovative designs. Ergonomic handles, locking blades in smaller knives, etc.

A large part of the appeal of a SAK is the price. Perhaps Joe Everyman wouldn't purchase enough super SAK's to be profitable.
 
I'm not a huge fan of the SAK, but then again I've never carried one. I received my second SAK while in Iraq from my mother-in-law. My first was my grandfather's which I received after his passing and it stays in storage. In my wife's family it's just a tradition that everyone own a SAK (it's a Dutch thing). The absolute best thing I have found about the SAK is that if I buy a new one everytime I go to a gun/knife show to add to my wife's collection, she has a blast at the show. Hell, I bought her two new ones at a show in Biloxi this weekend. She loves them and never leaves the house without one. Personally, I'll stick with my Leatherman Micra but must agree that the SAK is a great design for its intended purpose.

Murph
 
Instead of a SAK, carry a pair of cheap EMT scissors in my back pocket at work, and a Leatherman tiny multitool. The scissors do almost everything a knife can, except cut down a cardboard box. The multitool works on wiper blade replacement. Some are more than difficult for the average mechanic, much less a suburbanite feed me.

My point in inventing the ZAK is to show that their is some room in the SAK market for a heavy use multiblade. I've tried the Rucksack, and the Hunter, Camillus issue camp knives, and I want something a little tougher and trustworthy - for EDC.

I also have a few older ones, like the blue Fisherman, which I picked up cheap - but the scales are cracked sleeping with the worms too much. A dismantled chinese Army Knife is on the other end of the spectrum - it fell apart in use. At least the Swiss don't do that with any regularity.

Maybe Hinderer could come up with a Soldiers Light Utility Tool . . . .
 
bladefoolish said:
Okay, I have one. Well, mebbe four or five. But I don't like them as an edc. On most modles I find the blades too thin, and I find they don't hold that good of an edge for very long. And I usually don't need all the crap that comes on them.

I have one in my psk, and one in the glove box of my car. To me they are okay, as a back up, but I don't care for them as an edc.
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How do you feel about turtles?
 
i would carry a SAK way more often if it had two simple things. I want the Explorer but with a pocket clip and a thumbstud. That would be my ultimate SAK. See the thing is I can get my BM 710 out and open with one hand in an instant. Takes forever to dig around in my pocket and find my SAK then pry the blade open with a finger nail. Its just a pain in the ass. Not to mention SAK's always fall out of my pocket in the car do to the lack of clip. Then im digging under the seat. Don't get me wrong, I love SAK's but I never end up carrying one because of these issues. I know they make one hand openers but they have very little as far as tools. I think the explorer is the best combo of tools to weight ratio. And it has only tools that are used often. Now just make one with a thumb stud and a pocket clip please victorinox!
 
I've got a few, but would carry one more often if I had one with a great steel and carbon fiber scales. CF toothpick of course.
Hey I can dream:p
 
Having been around since 1890, they can't be all that bad. When a business stays strong for over a century, their customers must be happy with the product.
 
Ryou said:
For example what?
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I live on a boat, several years ago in a hurricane a screw came out of my glasses, found it and was able to fix it (PITA) w/ the tiny screwdriver in my old Champ...try that w/ a Strider or Sebenza!
 
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