Vic Executive

P

pa knifeguy

Joined
Jun 8, 2004
Messages
577
Just realized I've been packing a Vic Executive for over 20 Years.
Ialways have at least one other knife on me but there is always an Executive in my pocket. I've used for everything over the years. Cleaning fish to performoing surgery on a freinds hand, all with that executive.
How bout you guys? Any love for the Executive. Lets hear your stories.
 
Many of us like to carry monster folders, tacticool blades and the like, but for most of us, the Executive would handle just about every EDC cutting requirement we might have. Nothing not to like about it, really.

Edit: but I prefer the Classic. :)
 
Last edited:
Having many knives prior to my legally being able to buy one, my first purchase was a black Vic Executive in 1993 that I still have. Don't carry it much now though as the scissors on the Squirt can cut a zip tie better.
 
You're in very good company, knifeguy. Among the more famous executive users are outdoorsmen like retired General Charles (chuck) Yeager, who talks of using his Vic executive as his only knife in one to two week backpacking trips into the Sierra Nevada mountinas. He was obsessed with the Califoria golden trout, and his backpacking trips were for the sole purpase of fishing for and eating them. His executive was his camping/fishing knife. His Book "Press On' should be required reading for all backpackers and fishermen.

Charles Lindberg, pilot, explorer, and avid camper and outdoorsman, was fond of both the classic and executive models of the sak's. Either will handle 99% of what we need out of a pocket knife. Great knife!
 
I don't know jackknife, I really need something small with a nail file. :) I actually have been carrying a Rambler lately. The phillips driver comes in handy.
 
I don't have an Executive, but I do have an Ambassador, which I carry with me on my keyring or in the pocket if I just want to carry a small SAK. It is a great SAK, small, but still large enough to be functional. I also have a few Classics and although I like them, they are often a bit too small for me.
 
I keep meaning to pick up an Executive as (like Harayasu) I have an Ambassador that I much prefer to a Classic. That extra bit of blade size makes all the difference IMO.
 
jackknife said:
Among the more famous executive users are outdoorsmen like retired General Charles (chuck) Yeager, who talks of using his Vic executive as his only knife in one to two week backpacking trips into the Sierra Nevada mountinas. ... His executive was his camping/fishing knife. His Book "Press On' should be required reading for all backpackers and fishermen.
Click to expand...

I often read that Gen. Yeager wrote about his Executive .......... question: Where? :confused: I have "Press On" and he never mentions any knife by name.
 
I have a black Exec that I edc'ed for a while a few years back. Now I drag along the uber tacticool folder every day and it bumped the Exec - it sits at home on my desk.

Sad because for most needs it would more than suffice.

But you never know when you may have to slay a dragon on your way home from work...
 
mnblade said:
I often read that Gen. Yeager wrote about his Executive .......... question: Where? :confused: I have "Press On" and he never mentions any knife by name.
Click to expand...

In Press on, he states he just uses his pocket knife as his only knife, to save the weight by not carying a dedicated fishing knife. In one of the knife magazines, he stated the Vic executive is his favorite knife, and he uses the nailfile and sissors to keep his nails trimed on camping and fishing trips. There was a photo of Yeager holding up a red executive in his hand.
 
jackknife said:
In Press on, he states he just uses his pocket knife as his only knife, to save the weight by not carying a dedicated fishing knife. In one of the knife magazines, he stated the Vic executive is his favorite knife, and he uses the nailfile and sissors to keep his nails trimed on camping and fishing trips. There was a photo of Yeager holding up a red executive in his hand.
Click to expand...

So that explains it. Yeah he does mention pocketknives a few times in the book. I never saw that magazine article. Would be cool if someone could scan and post it. He's a damn interesting guy - and one with good taste in knives. :-)
 
Harayasu said:
I don't have an Executive, but I do have an Ambassador, which I carry with me on my keyring or in the pocket if I just want to carry a small SAK. It is a great SAK, small, but still large enough to be functional.
Click to expand...

Funny you should mention the Ambassador. Awhile back, I spotted a used one on a popular online auction site. I bid way low and won it. Well, it got here yesterday. Good news and bad: The good news is that I learned I really like the 74mm size. You're so right when you write that it's a great SAK, small, but still large enough to be functional.

The bad news is that a few hours after I got it, I reached in my pocket to fetch it and the open knife blade poked the hell out of my finger. "Open blade!?" you ask. Yep .... one of the backsprings broke and all three tools (blade, file and scissors) were now just sort of limply hanging out of the handles of the knife. I've never seen anything like it - the backspring just flat out cracked in two. I suspect it was broken when the guy sold it to me, but at the price I paid, I'm not going to bother making a stink about it.

I will, however, be looking now for a 74mm SAK. Most likely an Executive as I want to have the keyring and I like having that screwdriver tip on the "orange peeler."*




* By the way, guys: I grew up in Florida, orange-growing country. Don't know how they do it at Victorinox HQ, but oranges should be peeled with a pocketknife blade. :grumpy:
 
Just a quick question about the Executive; is the scissors larger than the one on the Classic, or are they the same? I tried an internet search about this but was unsuccessful.
 
Here is a comparison of the scissors on a Classic and an Ambassador, which is of the same size as the Executive.

CmpScissorsMedium.jpg


Two more comparison pictures.

CmpSaks.jpg


CmpBlades.jpg


The nail viles on the Classic is bigger.

CmpNailMedium.jpg
 
Last edited:
I carry my executive on my keyring. It is really all the knife I really need especially working in an office environment. I find it id big enough to be usefull while not scaring the sheeple. Don't get me wrong being the red blood knife lover that I am I always have a few knives/multitools on my person at any given time. My executive was a present from my wife which makes it extra special. The small implements on this vic have been so handy on numerous occasions. It is an excellent slicer and great for fine detail cutting tasks.
 
Can't go too wrong with the Executive - I've even skinned deer with it! I think that was my first SAK back about 50 years or so ago - I still have it, it's retired and there are two other Exec's around but it is a tough knife to beat!
Peace
Revvie
 
I had a love-hate relationship with mine. I carried it for several years until it just got "lost".

It was one of my EDC for quite a bit, but as I stated in the recent scissor thread, its scissors kept failing me--The screw came loose constantly after only a couple of movements.

Great little blade though, as well as a wonderful nail file. Loved the toothpick as well as the tweezers.

Xela
 
XelaXela said:
I had a love-hate relationship with mine. I carried it for several years until it just got "lost".

It was one of my EDC for quite a bit, but as I stated in the recent scissor thread, its scissors kept failing me--The screw came loose constantly after only a couple of movements.

Great little blade though, as well as a wonderful nail file. Loved the toothpick as well as the tweezers.

Xela
Click to expand...

You might be pleased to know that the newer scissors are riveted rather than screwed so that shouldn't be an issue any more.

I finally got round to getting myself one of these and am very pleased with it.:)
 
Gareth UK said:
You might be pleased to know that the newer scissors are riveted rather than screwed so that shouldn't be an issue any more.

I finally got round to getting myself one of these and am very pleased with it.:)
Click to expand...
:thumbup:

That is good to know Gareth.

Thanks for the follow-up.

Kind regards,

Xela
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top