This coming week I'll be carrying my new SAK and using it as my primary EDC.

Cereal_killer

Cereal_killer

Joined
Apr 4, 2013
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Today starts my week of nothing but a SAK for EDC/EDU. I'll still be carrying a Delica as backup/ incase I absolutely need a locking knife (plus I like the delica for food prep, its a good slicer and easy to clean) but I'm going to try to only use the SAK for everything else. I've just recently gotten my first SAK since Boy Scouts as a kid (an Alox Pioneer) and I was more than impressed with its overall quality so I decided to give this a shot. This will also be my first time ever carrying a knife loose in my pocket so the biggest challenge may be just not loosing it.

I'm going to update this thread along the way with my general thoughts, good/bad impressions, things it excelled at and/or its shortcomings. If anyone wants to do it with me (or already carries a SAK) feel free to share your thoughts or anything else (positive or negative) in this thread.
 
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I carry a SAK everyday. I find it the most useful knife I own and always go to it first to use. I also like the Delica and sometimes carry it in addition to the SAK, but frankly, it sees little actual use cutting anything. The Pioneer is a good choice. Used to carry a alox soldier. I like the larger 111mm folders better for using. Personally, I think you will discover that the SAK will fill most needs and once you get used to it, you'll use it a lot.
 
I carry a SAK (Super Tinker) daily that could serve all my EDC knife needs. It is a fantastic slicer, and it's very easy to touch-up / re-sharpen. It also has a number of other useful implements (scissors, flat-head screwdriver that's useful for prying :eek:, bottle opener, and a sub-optimal, but still workable, Phillips-head screwdriver).

The only shortcoming I can think of is ergonomics if you're going to be doing a lot of cutting. For that, having a more robust handle does help stave off hand fatigue.

If you want an alternative to just carrying it loose, you might look into a suspension clip. It lets you find your knife a bit easier (rather than getting mixed and buried under keys, wallet, light, etc.), and it's still pretty discrete.

My Super Tinker with a TEC P-7 suspension clip:
SAK_SuperTinker_TEC_P7_800x457.jpg


In pocket hanging from clip:
SAK_TEK_P7_Pocket_800x572.jpg
 
A little story about my SAK and one of the reasons I decided to try this was last weekend while at a horse show (with the pioneer tagging along clipped to my FAK) the people at the trailer next to us were running around looking for a bottle opener and I grabbed the SAK and opened their bottles so easily, no using the side of the closed blade or a lighter or table top, just opened the bottle opener and popped the tap

Speaking of horses I know alot of people who would love to see a hoof pick on a SAK, especially a thin little 1-layer option, just the main blade and a pick. And not the tiny useless little thing like on the Case model.
 
I carry a Huntsman quite a bit. Not even an Opinel cuts as well. However at work and sometimes in the woods, I carry a Leatherman Wave. The SAK is so lightweight I could prob carry both.
 
I'd be interested to see what you think, i had a custom SAK made by Syph007 here on the forums but haven't carried it yet.

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I used to only carry a folding knife for EDC work, but thanks to RemyKaze's generosity, I now carry a Victorinox classic too. Even though its the smallest SAK out there, it's proven it can handle tasks just as well as a bigger sized knife. I also own a gorgeous black-handled Victorinox Champion Plus, but as it is a rare older model with original paperwork and a custom sheath, I've never mustered the courage to use it.
 
SAK for EDC, yeah buddy! I carry my Victorinox SAK every day. It's a SwissChamp from probably the '90s, although it was marketed under a different model name then. Vic has adopted, dropped and swapped around its model names over the years which can be confusing since a model name from one era can be a very different set of tools than the same model name a few years earlier or later. The SwissChamp I have in black has all the usuals plus saw, scissors, mag glass, pliers and file. The only tool I've never used is the fish scaler/ruler. It's the widest of the models but still fits easily in a pocket and any weight difference is negligible. Rarely a day goes by that I don't use it several times, most frequently the scissors, mag glass and main blade. The pliers are limited to smaller objects and light pressure, not nearly as handy as a multitool pliers where you can get real leverage, but still good to have and I do use them occasionally.


If I were going to suggest a knife as someone's first/last/and lifetime EDC it would be the SwissChamp, with the Explorer a close second (all the Champ tools except the saw, pliers and fish scaler. The Explorer keeps the mag glass and scissors. If you're in an urban environment where you absolutely don't need a saw the Explorer is a good choice. All the SAKS can be found inexpensively on eBay if you're patient.

I like my multitools and have several but they normally live in my car console and various home drawers, not in my pants pocket. And the main thing they offer that my SAK does not is much more effective pliers.

If you lose your tweezers, break your scissors springs, lose the eyeglass screwdriver off the corkscrew, etc you can usually get them replaced cheap at a SAK dealer or off eBay.


Cereal_killer, it's really handy to add a small lanyard to your SAK. I use one I salvaged off a point-and-shoot camera, just the right size, takes up no space in the pocket.

Flarp, I really like your pocket clip. Where can I get one?
 
flarp said:
The only shortcoming I can think of is ergonomics if you're going to be doing a lot of cutting. For that, having a more robust handle does help stave off hand fatigue.
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I was just thinking this today. Comparing my Explorer can-opener to a Juice. Without question, SAK's' is superior in every way. (I've yet to test it against my larger Leatherman.) I noted that if it were just a typical 2-stack Vic, like a Soldier, my hand might get irritated quickly. I suppose the same would apply to the leverage in cutting. The Explorer is robust enough to get a great grip on it.
 
The SwissChamp is about half again the width of the Explorer. It's a good size to fill the palm.

Champion Plus is one of those model names that morphed over the years. I think that's what my black EDC SAK I described above was called when I bought it, 15 or 20 years ago.

I just ordered a Vic Fireman with the 111-mm length, I'm curious to see how it feels in the hand (for camping, where it may see more sustained use).
 
Well here I am at the end of my first day doing this (I started when I got dressed thismorning even tho I didn't post til afternoon) and I can say 2 things for sure.- I need a pocket clip, a real clip not one of those suspension clips, and the awl blade is quite well suited to a variety of cutting tasks. On a side note I used the Vic's can opener a few days ago, first time since scouts.

Having my knife clipped to my pocket is so much more convient than loose in the bottom of the pocket, untill I can get a pocket clip attached theres no way I could use a SAK as my primary EDC (but I am gonna stick with it for the week). I'm planning on ordering several Ti deep-carry clips from USAknifemaker for other knives here soon so I'll just add one more and a set of 2-56 screws to the order and get one added to this Pioneer soon. I can defiantly see using it more, especially as a gentlemans knife when needed, if I can carry it in my prefered [clipped to my pocket] method.


Whetstone yours really looks nice, while looking on google images for pocket clip ideas earlier I ran across lots of his work. Is there a production model with those tools? The blades are the 2 that come on an electrician but I don't think an electrician comes with a Phillips does it? Electrician plus? I think I would like a 2 layer knife- 2 blades (large drop point & small sheepsfoot w/ wire scraper) a flat screw driver and a Philips driver (if there was room for it). I'm finding work for the awl but not near as much as if it was a regular blade with the wire scraper.

Tallahassee, I just gave away a fireman that belonged to my father in one of the pay it forward threads, what one did you get, the original or the one-hand opening (thumb hole) model?
 
Hey C_K i don't think there is a production version that comes with these tools specifically. I have always wanted this exact set-up, but have never come across it. I am not a SAK expert by any means though
 
I just started carrying a SAK for the first time in my life last Sunday and it honestly never left my pocket except for today I had to give one of my GEC knives some love. I never thought I would like these knives but I found some Wenger Highlanders on clearance for under $10 so I bought one and immediately liked it after playing around with it for a little while I decided it was a keeper for sure. Even when I'm wearing my jeans it fits very nicely in my watch pocket which surprised me. I would like to try out a Victorinox as well especially the Rambler for my key chain & maybe an Alox model. In my line of work the screw drivers in particular come in handy so this Highlander will be seeing lots of pocket time Monday-Friday. :)
 
Cereal_killer said:
Speaking of horses I know alot of people who would love to see a hoof pick on a SAK, especially a thin little 1-layer option, just the main blade and a pick. And not the tiny useless little thing like on the Case model.
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I have to take some issue with that. My girlfriend is a vet tech at a horse hospital and I gave her the Case Equestrian, which has that "tiny uselfess little" hoofpick on it. It is actually very useful and not at all tiny. It's a four inch knife, opens easily, has a strong backspring, and it's stainless steel, so the horsecrap, mud, and whatever doesn't eat it up. Everytime I see it, she's got dirt on it, so I know she's using it. In fact, she loves it.

That Equestrian also has a 3 1/4" clip blade on it, which is shaving sharp (I know, I sharpened it), but she doesn't use that much because it's a pain to open and she has a waved Delica for those cutting tasks.
 
I have been carrying a Tinker in my right pocket and a Recruit from Remy in my left pocket for a couple of weeks. They have effectively reduced the amount of use my 0560 sees. I am however at a crossroads now. I just got my first Opinel and have to decide which SAK it will replace!

Those clips are pretty neat. I might have to try one out.
 
C_K, glad it's going well. I'm going to have to check out a clip too.

The Fireman I just ordered is NIB older stock, a side slide lock with the straight edge main blade. Not the one-handed type. Looking forward to seeing how I like the ergonomics in the hand. My SwissChamp EDC does everything and more the Fireman can do other than the locking blade, but I wanted a SAK just for camping to live in my pack and I think the Fireman will be fun. You can never have too many knives. :-)
 
Tallahassee said:
Flarp, I really like your pocket clip. Where can I get one?
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I don't know if any of the paid dealers carry it, but if you search around for a TEC P-7 Suspension Clip, you should be able to find them. There's also the Munroe Dangler (made of titanium, and available in different sizes and designs), but I think those have been out of production for a while and are pretty pricey on the secondary market if they pop up.
 
NeilB said:
I have to take some issue with that. My girlfriend is a vet tech at a horse hospital and I gave her the Case Equestrian, which has that "tiny uselfess little" hoofpick on it. It is actually very useful and not at all tiny. It's a four inch knife, opens easily, has a strong backspring, and it's stainless steel, so the horsecrap, mud, and whatever doesn't eat it up. Everytime I see it, she's got dirt on it, so I know she's using it. In fact, she loves it.

That Equestrian also has a 3 1/4" clip blade on it, which is shaving sharp (I know, I sharpened it), but she doesn't use that much because it's a pain to open and she has a waved Delica for those cutting tasks.
Click to expand...

I've handled them before, I think anyone that's been around horses has, I know they're not small knives but the pick is so thin. It might work for a vet tec or someone who has one maybe two horses but when you clean a barn, horse after horse and stall after stall that "tiny little pick" is not at all efficient. The picks people I know, who work in a horse barn 8 hours a day 7 days a week (my little sister for example, I also do quite a bit of work at the barn tho admitting usually not cleaning horse crap) use are the rigid hoof picks that look somewhat like an old style (pokes the triangle holes in the top) can opener. What makes them better than a "tiny useless thing" is the width and shape, yes you can clean the manure out with a thin pick but 3 or 4 scoops with a nice wide pick and your done.
 
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