What's YOUR "perfect" SAK for edc?

coyote711

coyote711

Joined
Sep 19, 2009
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Just wonderin' which configuration of blades/tools you find most useful, and why? What use do you have for each specific blade/tool?

I'll start the ball rolling with a new one I just got, and what I think ;) will be the perfect edc for me.

ph.jpg Pioneer Harvester (click to enlarge)

Here's what I like about it and how I think I'll use it:

First off, the main blade - self explanatory.
Hawkbill blade - great for those blister packs, cutting cardboard, etc.
Screwdriver/bottle opener - straight screwdriver obviously, and works well on a phillips if you have room to angle it in there. Also a great little pry bar for opening paint cans, etc.
Wood saw - very handy to cut out those little woody plants that pop up in my yard/landscape/flower beds. Also for light pruning of trees, bushes, etc.
Awl/punch - I find it works great for cleaning the dirt from under my fingernails after working in the yard/garden. Making pilot holes for drilling or nailing.

I think it has about everything I'll need, and can't think of anything it doesn't have that I'll miss. The most obvious question mark may be the can opener/small screwdriver. Frankly I don't ever need a can opener, and I haven't come across a small enough screw that the regular sized screwdriver wouldn't handle. Yes, I know it works great on a phillips head straight on, but I can angle the regular screwdriver and work a phillips screw pretty good. To me, trading off the can opener for the hawkbill will be just fine.

Anyway, the question of the "perfect" SAK is highly subjective, depending on how you live your life - office worker vs outdoor worker; living in an apartment in the city vs country life; what your hobbies are, etc.

What's the best SAK for how you live your life?
 
Soldier for me. Legal to carry here in the UK and does all I'm likely to need done.

I do need a can-opener, I use it at work.

I might swap it out for the Huntsman if I was on holiday or camping someplace
to gain the scissors and the saw.
 
For the past few weeks I've been carrying the Cadet. It has all the versatility I generally need, and it's remarkably compact and pocket friendly.
 
I mostly use the Alox soldier,farmer,and Pioneer Harvester.Yes the hook blade does kind of grow on you.My go to fishing SAK is the yellow handled Climber,love the scissors.
 
I really like my Soldier. I could use a saw in the yard/garden, so the farmer might be a better fit. The farmer doesn't have the soul of the military model though. For me, it's the soldier.
 
randomlooker said:
In the woods: Electrician Plus edges out the Pioneer Harvester by a hair.
Click to expand...

I really debated between the E.P. and the P.H. when ordering mine. I already had an Electrician and wanted to add a wood saw. Totally love the electricians blade on it, but purely for the sake of trying something different, I decided to go with the P.H. with the hawkbill. Definitely won't be able to sharpen it on a flat stone, so it looks like I'll have to get some croc sticks or something like that - unless someone can suggest another way to sharpen a hawkbill blade. :confused:
 
I like the Alox soldier for most stuff, although I often have an OHT in my pocket when I'm working in the yard.
 
coyote711 said:
I really debated between the E.P. and the P.H. when ordering mine. I already had an Electrician and wanted to add a wood saw. Totally love the electricians blade on it, but purely for the sake of trying something different, I decided to go with the P.H. with the hawkbill. Definitely won't be able to sharpen it on a flat stone, so it looks like I'll have to get some croc sticks or something like that - unless someone can suggest another way to sharpen a hawkbill blade. :confused:
Click to expand...

Use the edges of a flat stone, or get a set of Spyderco profiles, or a Sharpmaker.

When it comes to hawkbills, I've found that Spyderco style ones with serrations and much more of a curve to them work better for me. The one on the Harvester's great for opening clamshell packaging, but not for cutting vegetation.
 
SAK is part of survival gear. If I would know what I will need, I would bring real tools, but since I do not, than SwissChamp is the closest thing to the perfection. Survival inclouds urban situations.
 
OHT=One hand Trekker

I got one awhile back when a local store was closing them out. I don't like serrated blades but this one is well thought-out and I've learned how to sharpen it.
 
Alox Soldier for me :thumbup:
It's got the "soul" of Victorinox and it has the tools I actually use all on a regular basis ;)
 
There is always a SAK on my keyring, a small SAK, usually a Classic or Ambassador. I prefer the Ambassador, because it is a little bit larger and therefore a bit more useful, in my opinion. I carry such a SAK mainly for its scissors.

For pocket carry I usually select a two or three layer SAK. Mostly the alox Soldier, often a variant of it, like Cadet, Pioneer, Pioneer Rancher, Wenger SI, DAK. Those knives are slim and comfortable to carry in the pocket, they are strong and provide the tools that I need.

- The blade is used for many daily cutting tasks, like opening packages and envelopes and cutting fruit.
- The screw drivers are of course very useful as screw drivers, but the large screw driver can also be used as a pry bar. And the small screw driver can also be used for example to open the spring bars of my watches, for replacing a watch band. Watches are another hobby of mine.
- The awl is also a very versatile tool. You can use it to make holes in a piece of wood or open tough plastic packages.
- The can opener is the tool for opening cans, both at home and when camping.
- The bottle opener is only used for getting access to beer. Most other bottles have screw caps these days.

If the alox Soldier had scissors, it would be the perfect EDC knife for me, but it is almost perfect for me.
 
This is a battle I fight evewryday , Soldier , Pioneer , Electrician Plus , Farmer ??? If God has an EDC , I strongly suspect it's either an Alox Soldier or a Farmer ( probably with a poicket clip by Shibeer ) .

Chris
 
The Compact is the mark of a Savy SAK user for sure . My only beef with it is that it's not Alox . After schlepping Alox , and the increased ruggedness thereto apertaining , you just don't want stinkin Cellidor !

Chris
 
I particullarly like the 84mm SAKs... my EDC is victorinox sportsman... its small, light, freindly looking and got all the tools i use most... used to exchange with tourist but now just a sportsman.

besides that i always have a rambler on USB flashdisk...

other than that i love alox soldier and farmer (got lots af spares for them.... heck... i got so many SAKs that i hide so my wife wont know how many of them hehehe..)
 
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