The 21st Century Pen Knife.

My brother in law, who was an assistant director at a summer camp, had a Classic on his key chain. It was the only tool in camp, and everyone knew he had it. When anyone knocked on his door in the middle of the night to borrow the “camp tool”, he gave them the whole key chain. If he needed to go anywhere in the morning, he would have to track down his keys to start the car.
I just gave my 8 year old granddaughter a Classic. My latest favorite SAK is the Spyderco/Victorinox Ti hybrid mini-champ. It is assembled with screws so that blades can be exchanged, replaced, or deleted.View attachment 904822
 
Sak is best and most useful knife ever made.Excellent quality,and legal everywhere.Its basically all you need .I will be buying more.The tools on it do the job well,and blade cuts ,is easy to sharpen and doesnt rust.Victorinox is excellent company.I find SAK much more useful than any Spydercos ,Benchmades and others (I have many of those and still buy them).SAk with good fixed blade is way to go for any task.
 
jackknife said:
...I knew young lady that managed a knife shop and in conversation this subject came up. She talked about how some customers came in wanting to replace a little 'pen knife' that had got lost or broken, and two knives in particular flew off the shelves. One was the little Buck mini Buck, the tiny spangle blade lock blade that weighs less than an ounce and costs under 20 dollars. The other was the classic. Both the smallest of the line up, but still get the job done.

I grew up watching my old man carrying a little Case peanut with devotion that would make a monk look like a slacker. I asked him why he always carried a little knife like that ands reply was classic in itself.

"All I want it to do is cut something when I need to, and not be bothered by it when it's not needed."
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Think I am going to take a look at the little Buck. I'm just not a Buck person in general and I seldom look at their knives. Own a couple 110's 'cause you have to ;), and a Vanguard 192 'cause I think it's a cool functional fixed blade. I think your father had his priorities straight. With age, experience and wisdom follows.
 
mnblade said:
Our youngest turned 10 today and I bought her her first knife, a Classic with cartoon animals on the scales. She LOVES it! The only down-side is that was the last "first knife" I get to give, until grandkids come someday.
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They'll come soon enough! :D
 
Victorinox MiniChamp is my own 21st century penknife. I bought it during my business trip in 2013. Since then it is always on my key ring. The knife is tiny toolbox!
 
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Jackknife, I always love your posts. I've been recently thinking about how a lot of the Victorinox line is based on old, pen knife patterns. The Classic, Rambler, Executive, Ambassador, etc. are all based on the Lobster pen knife; the discontinued Secretary is the same pattern as the turn of the century Office pen knife; the Bantam is an exact replica of an early 20th century German pen knife that I've seen on a number these forums; and the Cadet is the Camp knife that you describe in your first post as the ancestor of the Boy Scout knife. In some discussions, the Swiss Army Knife is described as being without "soul" because of it's plastic handles yet it has kept alive a number of the great, historic, pocketknife patterns. In a funny kind of way, the working motto of the Victorinox knife line seems to be "don't fix what ain't broke."
 
Rudd Simmons said:
Jackknife, I always love your posts. I've been recently thinking about how a lot of the Victorinox line is based on old, pen knife patterns. The Classic, Rambler, Executive, Ambassador, etc. are all based on the Lobster pen knife; the discontinued Secretary is the same pattern as the turn of the century Office pen knife; the Bantam is an exact replica of an early 20th century German pen knife that I've seen on a number these forums; and the Cadet is the Camp knife that you describe in your first post as the ancestor of the Boy Scout knife. In some discussions, the Swiss Army Knife is described as being without "soul" because of it's plastic handles yet it has kept alive a number of the great, historic, pocketknife patterns. In a funny kind of way, the working motto of the Victorinox knife line seems to be "don't fix what ain't broke."
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You're completely right, Rudd. The old lobster pattern pen knives of the 1800's like the fancy ones from Sheffield at it's hight of glory, is a very old pattern. And the scout knife goes back to the turn of the century and early 1900's.

Maybe that old saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I've looked at photos pf those old pearl handle Sheffield knives, some with many blades to include pipe stem reamers, scissors, button hooks, nail files and even a knife blade or two tucked in there someplace. :D

I do like the thought that some Victorian gentleman would look at a classic, executive or mini champ and see a familiar pocket knife. :thumbsup:
 
It's kind of ironic that a pocketknife like the Classic, from such an old pattern, is still the most popular pocketknife in the world today, by a wide margin. More units are probably out there in pockets, purses and on keychains than probably all the 'modern' folder designs in use put together.

Jim
 
James Y said:
It's kind of ironic that a pocketknife like the Classic, from such an old pattern, is still the most popular pocketknife in the world today, by a wide margin. More units are probably out there in pockets, purses and on keychains than probably all the 'modern' folder designs in use put together.

Jim
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That's a fact!

What is kind of stunning to realize is, that Victorinox probably makes more of just the classic's than any of the top three other popular brands of wonder knives favored my the obsessed knife nuts. I read some years ago that Victorinox makes 35 million SAK's a year, of which 9 million of them are classic's. Those are old figures. Then I remember reading where about 2010 or so, Buck announced that it had made the 7 millionth 110 folding hunter since it campout in 1963. Now I don't know if there is a more iconic knife than the Buck 110, but Victorinox makes more classic's per year than Buck makes 110's in a decade.

That's pretty stunning.

I can only wonder what would happen if Victorinox chose to produce the executive in the numbers of the classic and priced a bit more between the classic and the regular size SAK's? If the exec was distributed as well as the classic and a bit lower in price, it would be a market take over.
 
jackknife said:
...I can only wonder what would happen if Victorinox chose to produce the executive in the numbers of the classic and priced a bit more between the classic and the regular size SAK's? If the exec was distributed as well as the classic and a bit lower in price, it would be a market take over.
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Nope. Too big and complex. For an average buyer, the Classic seems to occupy the sweet spot; not too big, not too small, just the right number of implements, and at the right price. The rest of the line is for those of us with specialized needs, a smaller demographic, although still a whole bunch of people.
 
I carry a Classic SD everyday. I have one on each of my key chains and my wife does, too. They are very useful. However, if the Rambler Alox were to be released again, I would buy several.
 
I rode with a Rambler or a while, both regular and alox but came back to the classic. In fact I carried an alox classic for some time as well but recently sold it along with the Rambler. I've gone back to the standard Classic SD which was my very first pocket knife. I find a use for mine every single day. I pocket carry them now with a small lanyard instead of on my keyring. I find I use it more since it's always in my back pocket and not attached to a bunch of other stuff. I'm down to two of them right now. This stay glow is my daily carry (bought used on Ebay) and I have one with sushi on the scales ( a gift from mother-in-law) that is currently living in the center console of my car. Love them both.
Untitled by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr
 
Victorinox (Karl Elsener) exists since approximately 1884, 360 models will be born among which many were copied (not of against manners) but never equalled. And I think that the most sold knife is Spartan because it is not dear(expensive), he(it) is light, little cumbersome and possesses all the essential tools. The most practical in key door are obviously Classic SD. Personnellement I like very much the Midnite Minichamp
 
While there is always a larger Victorinox SAK in my pocket, I keep a Classic on both my key rings. If there is another gadget on this planet that provides more utility in a smaller package, I don’t know what it could be.
 
You know I've been thinking about this post a bunch lately especially since I just picked up a few used Alox Classics up off of Ebay. A Classic was my very first knife and as much as I admire more "traditional" pocket knives, I've realized that traditional to ME is the Classic. I've tried Buck 309s, Peanuts, etc and I just keep coming back to the Classic. The Alox versions satisfy my desire for patina and that Wabi Sabi look. So I've decided to stop fighting it. A Classic is my pen knife. I like the regular versions as well (currently have one with Sushi on the scales) but the Alox models are PERFECT for back pocket carry. I always tie a small paracord lanyard on mine. Decided that this black one I recently picked up will take over as my daily knife.
Untitled by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr
 
Gurdygurds said:
You know I've been thinking about this post a bunch lately especially since I just picked up a few used Alox Classics up off of Ebay. A Classic was my very first knife and as much as I admire more "traditional" pocket knives, I've realized that traditional to ME is the Classic. I've tried Buck 309s, Peanuts, etc and I just keep coming back to the Classic. The Alox versions satisfy my desire for patina and that Wabi Sabi look. So I've decided to stop fighting it. A Classic is my pen knife. I like the regular versions as well (currently have one with Sushi on the scales) but the Alox models are PERFECT for back pocket carry. I always tie a small paracord lanyard on mine. Decided that this black one I recently picked up will take over as my daily knife.
Untitled by Six Pound Cat, on Flickr
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That's a very good looking classic, Gurdygurds! Very good patina that gives the alox that old burnished look of time. Definitely Wabi Sabi!:thumbsup:

Back pocket, coin pocket, shirt pocket, that's the beauty of the classic, no matter if a alox or cellidor. It's so small and light weight, they fit anywhere. A little pocket knife you can really actually forget you're carrying it until you need a knife. Or a small screw driver. Or a scissors. Or a file. Or a tweezers.

Classic. The little knife than can.
 
This thread made me go dig out the classic I carried years ago. Had to hunt up a small split ring to use a lanyard and discovered the ring mounts on the blade pivot end. I put a small lanyard on and it seems a bit awkward. Wonder why it's on this end, seems unlikely the tiny blade would deploy while pulling out of a pocket if the ring was on the other end. My classic has 1 black and 1 white scale, was this common?
 
azjeff said:
This thread made me go dig out the classic I carried years ago. Had to hunt up a small split ring to use a lanyard and discovered the ring mounts on the blade pivot end. I put a small lanyard on and it seems a bit awkward. Wonder why it's on this end ...
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One of the reasons I prefer the Rambler to the Classic.
 
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