The family of SAK.

I've been told that my Leatherman looked like a weapon. :( And this was just after I had used the screwdriver to remove some computer cables that were on a bit too tight.
 
numbersman said:
I've been told that my Leatherman looked like a weapon. :( And this was just after I had used the screwdriver to remove some computer cables that were on a bit too tight.
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By who? I hate people like this. It's not my job to make other people feel comfortable especially when it comes to knife/MT's. Should of told them their breath smells like a biological weapon. :D
 
pinnah said:
I don't think Victorinox's position is unassailable, actually and hasn't been for years. ... Several observations...
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pinnah makes some good points in his post. I would only add that the points are accurate for the U.S. -- less so for Europe, in my experience. Victorinox still dominates here by a wide margin.
 
mnblade said:
pinnah makes some good points in his post. I would only add that the points are accurate for the U.S. -- less so for Europe, in my experience. Victorinox still dominates here by a wide margin.
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Some of that could be price related, leathermans get quite expensive over here. And the warranty is done with distributors.
 
jacktrades_nbk said:
Some of that could be price related, leathermans get quite expensive over here. And the warranty is done with distributors.
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Very true. I have several Leatherman products and all were purchased in the States at a fraction of what I'd pay for them here. Come to think of it, even in the States your typical quality MT (meaning Leatherman, Vic, SOG, etc.) is going to cost quite a bit more than a basic SAK.
 
over the last few years I have been a Swiss Army Knife nut for lack of a better term, now since I was 8 years old I have always love knives in general, but the last few years I have been crazy for Swiss Army Knives.

An I knew I had to figure why I was so wild about them, so I went through my grandpa's knife collection after his passing and I found out why I'm so wild for Swiss Army knives.

I inherited the Swiss Army Knife gene from him.

Because he had a Truck Load of Swiss Army Knives in his knife collection.
 
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numbersman said:
I've been told that my Leatherman looked like a weapon. :( And this was just after I had used the screwdriver to remove some computer cables that were on a bit too tight.
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I've had people think my Vic Spirit was a weapon. Also, one time in the '90s, a woman saw me cutting some paper with the scissors on my Classic and said, "I hope you realize that you're carrying a deadly weapon!?" Some people...

I have noticed the SAK selection in big box stores has dwindled. In the Target I frequent, the only ones I see are Classics and sometimes the Climber(?) or Hiker. In such stores, and sporting goods stores that carry knives, the most common are the Gerbers. Which is a shame. In the late '90s, I remember the same Target at one point had big selections of both Victorinox and Wenger SAKs. Even up to a few years ago, they still had Alox Cadets, Classics and original Soldiers.

I own a lot of knives, some high-end, but none that I carry more consistently than a Vic Executive and my Spirit MT. The SAK is always there, regardless of what else I may carry. If I'm not wearing my Spirit, I'll carry either my Pioneer or Spartan.

Jim
 
James Y said:
I've had people think my Vic Spirit was a weapon. Also, one time in the '90s, a woman saw me cutting some paper with the scissors on my Classic and said, "I hope you realize that you're carrying a deadly weapon!?" Some people...
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In many decades of carrying SAKs and Leathermen, sometimes using them in public spaces, I have not met that woman or anyone like her. In fact, the only comments I ever got were from a woman to whom I loaned my Leatherman PST to cut some food at a cookout who remarked on how sharp it was, and a guy who said that watching my Swisschamp in action inspired him to get one. Of course, I'll never know if other people had been disturbed but were too intimidated to say anything. OTOH, whenever I carry a folder and use it around other people, I am very careful to avoid conversations on the subject by being very discrete, turning my body much as possible to block the view, pulling out the blade two-handed and getting the knife out of sight as soon as possible. Like it or not, we live in a broad community of people who have attitudes about knives that are not always rational, but have to be accommodated. That is, unless you are the one with attitude ;) .

I have noticed the SAK selection in big box stores has dwindled. In the Target I frequent, the only ones I see are Classics and sometimes the Climber(?) or Hiker. In such stores, and sporting goods stores that carry knives, the most common are the Gerbers. Which is a shame. In the late '90s, I remember the same Target at one point had big selections of both Victorinox and Wenger SAKs. Even up to a few years ago, they still had Alox Cadets, Classics and original Soldiers.
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Oh, how I feel your pain! I used to look forward to clearance sales at the end of each holiday season so I could grab those bargains. Now, it's all sadness, as I have nothing to look forward to anymore at that time of the year :( (well, except maybe for all the rest of it :) .)

I own a lot of knives, some high-end, but none that I carry more consistently than a Vic Executive and my Spirit MT. The SAK is always there, regardless of what else I may carry. If I'm not wearing my Spirit, I'll carry either my Pioneer or Spartan.

Jim
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:thumbup: I can't imagine life without SAK.
 
H
znapschatz said:
:thumbup: I can't imagine life without SAK.
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Absolutely! :) For me, having at least one SAK is as important as wearing pants! I learned the true worth of a SAK when I spent nearly a decade living overseas, and my only knife was a Vic Spartan. That old Spartan I had gotten NIB at a 1981 Christmas sale for only $5 at a hardware store...it was my first Victorinox SAK.

As for those who thought my Spirit was a weapon, it was initially because of the way the handles looked in the closed position as I was taking it out to use a tool on it. Maybe the shininess, too. They didn't make a big deal about it, though. The incident with the woman and my Classic happened a long time ago when I was studying in a court reporting school (I switched to a completely different profession 10 years ago). She had an attitude anyway; I'd seen her get into little tiffs in class with other women. I wish I'd given her a clever comeback, but I didn't say anything, only shook my head and continued what I was doing. I am also discreet when using my knives around others.

Jim
 
All I know is that I just LOVE my Farmer and my Pioneer. They're just fantastic and as practical as a pocket knife can be. Paired with one of my favorite old fashioned traditionals "just because" and I'm ready for the day :thumbup:
 
James Y said:
I learned the true worth of a SAK when I spent nearly a decade living overseas, and my only knife was a Vic Spartan.
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Same here. I moved overseas in 1993 with only a backpack and a sense of adventure -- and thirst for good European beer. :p For five years I got by with only this Adventurer ...

SAK-1.jpg


... and a Classic.
 
That's an excellent combo, mnblade.

If I ever do any more foreign travel in the future, I'll only carry SAKs...now probably a Classic, and probably a Spartan again with it. Back when I lived overseas, you could still carry a SAK with you on the plane. Nobody in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, or U.S. Airports even gave my SAK a second look.

I probably would not take my Pioneer, as I'd want my SAK to look as stereotypically, recognizably SAK as possible when traveling... i.e., red Cellidor.

Jim
 
Great story JK, always carried an SAK of some sort since I was a kid, recently I've been into the Alox handles knives, specifically the Farmer.
 
pinnah said:
I don't think Victorinox's position is unassailable, actually and hasn't been for years.
The second type of buyer are the users and it is among users that I think their position is less strong. Several observations...

LIMITED CONSUMER MARKET APPEAL?

LOST THE HARD USE MARKET

LOST THE OUTDOOR MARKET

"D-4." "MISS." "D-5." "AH. YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP."
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I think you're mostly wrong here. Your first point makes some sense - probably classics make up 50% of sales. But "swiss army knife" in the imagination means a knife that has EVERYTHING, so there really is room for any model up to the champion plus. Sure, some sell much more than others, but 1% of Victorinox sales is more than most knife companies sell altogether.

Hard use - I'm not sure they ever had this market. Carpenters or farmers wouldn't usually have a SAK back in the day either. A SAK has always been a compromise - something that values versatility over efficiency. If you just need a knife/ screwdriver/ saw/ etc, then bring that tool. If there's a chance you might need any or all of those, a SAK is a great option.

In terms of outdoor use, I think hunters and fishermen don't favor SAKs because of the hard-use reason. Hunters and fishermen are likely to need a knife, and a knife with specific characteristics at that, one of which - ease of cleaning - SAKs specifically don't have. However, look at your hikers, campers, climbers, and boy scouts and SAKs dominate.

In terms of competition, Leatherman is the only company that has a tool/format that has become synonymous with the brand. And yet, in today's market, they don't necessarily stand out - Gerber, Sog, and yes, Victorinox, as well as others make popular multitools that are real competitors to Leatherman.

Victorinox, on the other hand, makes tools that have no real competitors - because no one is able to approach their quality, utility, and warranty at the cost they provide it. Victorinox is far and away the largest cutlery manufacturer in the world, and I don't think anyone is likely to approach them in the foreseeable future.
 
For a longish car-trip just recently to visit relatives for a few days, I took the alox Classic and the Wenger SI. Both were used: the Classic for the usual tidy-cut stuff and the SI to make a couple fuzz-sticks so the fireplace got going promptly.

The SI also got used on the trip back when I went to add a quart of oil on the way and lacked a funnel to pour into the filler-tube (without a mess, that is). I took an empty bottle of water, cut off the bottom with the SI, dried the inside, and — done.
 
pinnah said:
Alnamvet68,

When did you get out? My direct interaction with military personnel has been mid 90s through current. I can't name a single one I know of who carries an SAK but tons who carry a multi-tool.

Is this a generational thing?

Regarding bloviating... keep at it. You've almost matched my post count. P/K/B
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Yes, it is a generational thing. During my time in the service, the multi-tool did not exist. I was in and out of the army long before the modern (Leatherman) multi-tool came on market. I never liked the issue "demo" knife, so it stayed in my foot locker. What I carried was an Imperial Schrade Kamp King, basically a SAK knockoff (not a bad one IMhO) that I had EDC'ed since Boy Scouts, and of course, a P38. I have no idea what anyone else pocketed at the time because I wasn't interested in knives back then, but nobody ever complained about being underknifed.

Except where prohibited by law or custom, the KK was with me every day for 15 years. Then I got my first SAK. Never looked back. Well, maybe a little.
Several years ago a friend found a Kamp King at a yard sale that he turned over to me for one dollar (prevents the curse.) I'll probably never use it again, but every once in a while I take it out for a fondle and remembrance. Now, that's really a generational thing. :(:o:D
 
Had one since I was 12 and if I'm not dead or incarcerated, I'll have one in my pocket (and a couple hundred nearby)! :D

I've gifted everyone in my family with SAKs and they carry and use them daily.
 
SAK Guy said:
Had one since I was 12 and if I'm not dead or incarcerated, I'll have one in my pocket (and a couple hundred nearby)! :D

I've gifted everyone in my family with SAKs and they carry and use them daily.
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Just have your family bury you with a few in your pockets. It should give the archeologists 2,000 years from now something to think about!:D
 
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