Victorinox Spartan vs Pioneer

I was asking myself the same question before but then I realized how often I use a corkscrew... which is never. You can't go wrong with a pioneer.
 
Wharn said:
I was asking myself the same question before but then I realized how often I use a corkscrew... which is never. You can't go wrong with a pioneer.
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That is very true.. what about the secondary blade though? Has anyone used it for whittling before?
 
Pioneer.... I like Alox better than Celluloid, it wears better, and the knives are a little more robust.... and the package is thinner at the same time. If you are considering the Spartan, you might consider the Farmer over the Pioneer.... same knife, but with a third layer for a saw and I'm thinking it to be thinner than the Spartan or pretty close.
 
I prefer having a corkscrew nearby. Partly because I love good wine and partly because I've lost count of the number of times I've been camping, at a park, or even at a friends house when somebody has a bottle of wine and no way to open it. It happens way too often. I always keep a spartan in by backpack for just such an occasion.
 
Wharn said:
I was asking myself the same question before but then I realized how often I use a corkscrew... which is never. You can't go wrong with a pioneer.
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^^^^^^^^
What he said:thumbup:

Once you remove the corkscrew from the equation, it levels out the playing field immensely. I don't do wine, so I don't care if theres a corkscrew. As long as whisky keeps having twist off caps, I'm okay. But I'll tell ya what, that inline awl on the Pioneer/farmer?SI has no equal when it comes to back mounted awl. The awl that comes on the alox SAK's can drill some holes!

And then there's the Sherman tank bombproof construction of the alox SAK's. :thumbup:

Carl.
 
Yes, the secondary blade is quite good for whittling, especially if you remove the key ring.
I prefer the spartan, something about the alox knives leave me feeling cold and sterile, they don't carry as much personality as the cellidor models do.
I also you use the toothpick a bunch, and prefer the lighter spring tension on the spartan over the stiffer pioneer.

The pioneer does have a much better awl though.
 
Another vote for the Spartan. Reason: I like having a corkscrew handy and the little screwdriver it holds is a super bonus. I rarely have a need for an awl (the in-line awl in the Pioneer IS better), but I use the secondary pen blade quite often. I also like having tweezers and a toothpick, which you lose with the alox handles.

It's important to note that, by choosing either one, you've already won the game. Either choice will make a great ECD pocketknife. All you'd ever need, really.

-- Mark
 
Between those two choices, the Pioneer hands down. It has a great set of tools and because of the alox, it is slim. Alox is awesome! :D
 
mnblade said:
Another vote for the Spartan. Reason: I like having a corkscrew handy and the little screwdriver it holds is a super bonus.
-- Mark
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I forgot about that little screw driver! As a bespectacled man, I find that it is immensely handy.
 
I like the Pioneer, has all the basic needs covered well. Besides, if it was a design that the Boy Scout have used for 100 years, what more needs to be said.

TC

 
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I would choose the Spartan. The corkscrew can hold the mini screwdriver if you want it and more importantly to me it works great for working out knots. I like having the secondary blade and the back mounted awl works good enough for me. Plus you get the tweezers and toothpick. The cellidor models offer more tools.
 
For myself, I would just flip a coin between these two. I agree with everyone's points that are good about both knives. You can;t go wrong with either one of them.

That being said, I would prefer to get the Alox Soldier without the keyring hole. I don't like how the keyring hole on the spartan and pioneer stick out into the hand when in use. You could always file it off if it bothers you, but in that case, I would rather just pick up an Alox Soldier that comes without the keyring in the first place.
 
I would buy both as they can be found relatively cheap, and then choose which one you are more likely to need on a given day - going somewhere where there is wine likely to be involved - take the spartan, something for heavier duty things, then the pioneer.

If you are going for cellidor, I would go for a compact instead - it has only two layers like the spartan, but includes scissors, and a pen and magnetized pin, mini screwdriver, a caplifter and can opener in one tool, but you lose the awl.
 
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