Most people on this and like forums are among the obsessed. The compulsive collector gang, that is always in pursuit of the newest and shiny object of their obsession. People like sonofwilfred are the exception to the rule and they will use their stuff like it was designed to be used. Sometimes used hard, but not abused. There is a difference. But once upon a time, I was among the ranks of the obsessed knife nut, going through my stockman stage, my peanut stage, and always in search of the newer and "better" object of my obsession.
BUT...through it all, the faithful SAK, the always standing by of a faithful tool, was always somewhere about. In a pack, in the side pocket of a suitcase, the glove box of the car. A SAK was always there for those cans that needed to be opened, screws that had to be dealt with, whatever. It took a few decades for me to realize that the dedicated knife was the expendable one. The knife, that was the one trick pony, was the excess baggage. My late 20's to about 40 was my knife nut stage, and that was when they mist finally cleared. I had started life with a scout knife, carried the army issue scout knife, the "demo' knife for a few years, then got a SAK while stationed in Germany. Maybe that had set a seed in my mind, that took a while to sprout, but it was the knife with some tools on it that I eventually came back to. Ended up selling off and giving away lots of knives, that later I didn't miss at all. I went back to the SAK. Even to the point of abandoning the humble little legume, the peanut. As much as I loved the peanut, it didn't have scissors, a screw driver that handles small Phillips screws that seem to hold the whole world together these days, nor tweezers to pluck burr's and stickers out of my dogs paws.
Since August 2022, my main carry has been a forrest green classic with the logo of an investment company called Boyle, with a slogan of "Since 1933" and what looks like a crosshairs. It's really done 98% of what I need to do with a pocket knife, except for food duty for which it's a little small. For backup when I think I need it, my old Wenger SI is there. For the past year, it's been on and off carried in a belt sheath just behind my right hip. I've had that old SI for a number of decades now, but it's in very good shape because it hasn't been a steady carry. it'll get carried for a while, then sits in the sock drawer for a while. then carried again for a while, then back in the drawer. Only in the past year has it been a steady carry for "just in case". And it's been handy a time or two to have a more robust screw driver on hand, or the awl that makes great starter holes for wood screws. But for the most part, the SI is a "stand-by" tool.
The Wenger SI and classic has outlasted all my other SAK's. The huntsman, the tinker, the recruit, the bantam. All had their heyday, but as I aged and winnowed down my belongings, they all went. My dissatisfaction with the cellidor scales, the near duplication of tool sets, all cut down on my SAK ownership. But the little classic and Wenger SI for whatever reason, made it for the long haul. When all the others were gone, they were the ones that remained in use. I can't count the number of backpacking trips, canoe trips, road trips, the Wenger SI has been on and opened uncounted cans of chili, beans, and a few tops popped for a cold one now and then. It's cut up bell peppers, onion and meat for kabobs over a camp fire. I guess I can say that the Wenger SI has been a true travel companion for close to 30 years, and the classic has been a true daily life companion since about 1995ish.
When I think back on it all, I'm amazed and even astounded at all the knives that came and went, mostly went, in my life. When I walked away from the whole knife nut thing, only the couple SAK's remained. Here I am with an other road trip to visit the daughter in California in a few days, and my classic is on my keyring and the Wenger on my belt. They'll do fine.
BUT...through it all, the faithful SAK, the always standing by of a faithful tool, was always somewhere about. In a pack, in the side pocket of a suitcase, the glove box of the car. A SAK was always there for those cans that needed to be opened, screws that had to be dealt with, whatever. It took a few decades for me to realize that the dedicated knife was the expendable one. The knife, that was the one trick pony, was the excess baggage. My late 20's to about 40 was my knife nut stage, and that was when they mist finally cleared. I had started life with a scout knife, carried the army issue scout knife, the "demo' knife for a few years, then got a SAK while stationed in Germany. Maybe that had set a seed in my mind, that took a while to sprout, but it was the knife with some tools on it that I eventually came back to. Ended up selling off and giving away lots of knives, that later I didn't miss at all. I went back to the SAK. Even to the point of abandoning the humble little legume, the peanut. As much as I loved the peanut, it didn't have scissors, a screw driver that handles small Phillips screws that seem to hold the whole world together these days, nor tweezers to pluck burr's and stickers out of my dogs paws.
Since August 2022, my main carry has been a forrest green classic with the logo of an investment company called Boyle, with a slogan of "Since 1933" and what looks like a crosshairs. It's really done 98% of what I need to do with a pocket knife, except for food duty for which it's a little small. For backup when I think I need it, my old Wenger SI is there. For the past year, it's been on and off carried in a belt sheath just behind my right hip. I've had that old SI for a number of decades now, but it's in very good shape because it hasn't been a steady carry. it'll get carried for a while, then sits in the sock drawer for a while. then carried again for a while, then back in the drawer. Only in the past year has it been a steady carry for "just in case". And it's been handy a time or two to have a more robust screw driver on hand, or the awl that makes great starter holes for wood screws. But for the most part, the SI is a "stand-by" tool.
The Wenger SI and classic has outlasted all my other SAK's. The huntsman, the tinker, the recruit, the bantam. All had their heyday, but as I aged and winnowed down my belongings, they all went. My dissatisfaction with the cellidor scales, the near duplication of tool sets, all cut down on my SAK ownership. But the little classic and Wenger SI for whatever reason, made it for the long haul. When all the others were gone, they were the ones that remained in use. I can't count the number of backpacking trips, canoe trips, road trips, the Wenger SI has been on and opened uncounted cans of chili, beans, and a few tops popped for a cold one now and then. It's cut up bell peppers, onion and meat for kabobs over a camp fire. I guess I can say that the Wenger SI has been a true travel companion for close to 30 years, and the classic has been a true daily life companion since about 1995ish.
When I think back on it all, I'm amazed and even astounded at all the knives that came and went, mostly went, in my life. When I walked away from the whole knife nut thing, only the couple SAK's remained. Here I am with an other road trip to visit the daughter in California in a few days, and my classic is on my keyring and the Wenger on my belt. They'll do fine.
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) boss gave me a Ruby/Translucent red Huntsman/Signature set for Christmas, the last week of November.
