Which Swiss Army for non-knife guy?

fulloflead

fulloflead

Joined
May 3, 2002
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When my uncle came to visit he was really enthralled with my SAK. I have a CyberTool.

I'm thinking about getting him a Victorinox SAK (I perver Vic.) for X-mas.
I wonder which one I should get.
He really enjoyed looking at ALL my knives. He thought the Tacticals were "handy" because they opened one-handed.
I wonder if I should get him that new one with the one-hand opening blade.
Or maybe a CyberTool like mine.

I know. I know. What will it be used for?
I have no idea. He's a retired cop that spends all his time either vacationing in Florida or searching yard sales for musical instruments to sell on Ebay.

I doubt he'd ever use a wood saw or a compass. But he would DEFINATELY use the bottle opener and cork screw!

Which model would you recommend to make a good daily-carry SAK gift and why?
 
well...if he'd use the bottle opener and corkscrew for sure, get him the Spartan. It's basically the Tinker, but with a corkscrew rather than the philips screwdriver. It's got the basic SAK loadout, it's not too small and not too big, and best of all it's only about $10. I would think the one-handed Trailmaster might be a bit big for a non-knife person.

If he liked your cybertool, that might be another possibility. I think starting simple with the Spartan would be the best bet though; that way he'll have to get more! :D
 
Originally posted by numberthree
well...if he'd use the bottle opener and corkscrew for sure, get him the Spartan. It's basically the Tinker, but with a corkscrew rather than the philips screwdriver. It's got the basic SAK loadout, it's not too small and not too big, and best of all it's only about $10. I would think the one-handed Trailmaster might be a bit big for a non-knife person.

If he liked your cybertool, that might be another possibility. I think starting simple with the Spartan would be the best bet though; that way he'll have to get more! :D
Click to expand...

Mmmmmm. Nah.
I'm looking for something fancier than a $10 model.
Sure, the Cybertool is definately a consideration, but I was hoping someone might come up with a better suggestion.
Money is really no object. I would, however, like it to be something he'd feel comfortable carrying in his pocket every day. Supertinker size (give or take).
 
I think numberthree makes a good point about the spartan. On the other hand if your uncle is going to be fixing up those instruments maybe the cybertool is a good choice. I have one myself and although I never work on computers I've found a million and one uses for that screwdriver kit. I've even used it to work on my carbureator once or twice. I know instruments have lots of little screws and widgets which they would probably be helpful for adjusting.
Just my two cents.
Lagarto
 
If your looking for something a little special you don't see everyday, with a little hunting you can find swisschamps with some different scales.

Heres one with staghorn.

1.6794.66.jpg


I have also seen mother-of-pearl, rosewood, and some others.
 
I'm just cautious about getting too fancy about giving knives to non-knife people. Inevitably, they leave that expensive, painstakingly researched knife laying on the nightstand gathering dust, destroyed with careless use, or just plain lost. It's always the small, simple ones that end up being carried daily, building a foundation of knife appreciation. That way, if they have carried it and actually enjoy it, you can get them something better the next time around.
 
I agree, but he said money was no object, and seemed to prefer Victorinox. So I thought I would show him a FANCY one. You are correct, in that a smaller knife would be much better for EDC and more likely to be carried. If it were me I would look at something more like a Wenger. Here is a wood handled one thats classy and not too big, for about $35 US.

1.78.03.jpg


edit: They make this same knife minus the scissors too, if you want it even smaller.
 
If you would like a thinner knife but nicer than a Spartan, look at the Compact. Large blade, scissors, Combi can openner, Corkscrew, Ballpoint pen, straight pin, toothpick and tweezers. If you want the Supertinker with a corkscrew, try the climber. I like the Cybertool though. One of my favorite knives. You could always get the small Cybertool, 24 I think, if the 34 is too big and you don't need the scissors. That's about it within your size limitations and lack of need for a saw or file. Otherwise, I would suggest the Cybertool 41. It has most everything I need.

I know you didn't mention it but have you considered a Leatherman Juice?
 
Now I'm getting some good ideas!
I think I have the Cybertool 24. It has the screwdriver set, but no sissors.
The Compact sounds like a good idea too.

The LAST thing I want is something that's going to be TOO big that he'll leave on his nightstand.

He DOES work on a lot of musical instruments, so maybe the CyberTool would be good.

I'd get him a multi-tool but there's NO WAY he'd carry something that big.

What about that one-handed model? Are the other tools pretty useful?
 
Originally posted by fulloflead
I'd get him a multi-tool but there's NO WAY he'd carry something that big.
What about that one-handed model? Are the other tools pretty useful?
Click to expand...

About the Juice. It's the same size as the Supertinker but it has pliers. There's also one with a corkscrew.

The one-handed model is pretty neat. The bottle opener/screwdriver locks open as well. The blade is mostly serrated with the serrations at the tip. It also has a saw and phillips screwdriver. But, if you're concerned about size forget the Trailmaster. The blade is about 3.3" and the knife itself is about 4/25" closed. Much bigger than the standard SAK. It is a good knife though.
 
Vacationing in Florida, eh? Is he a golfer by any chance?

If so, there are a couple of choices on the 1SKS Swiss Army page that you may want to eyeball. Scroll down to where you find the Swiss Army Golfer. It has a divot repair tool, a knife, cleat cleaner and corkscrew, among other things.

If you scroll down a bit further, you will see the Swiss Army GolfTool. It has a removeable ball marker and a slide out divot repair tool. I bought a couple of these from 1SKS for the inlaws one year, them being avid golfers and all. They loved 'em. The GolfTool is a bit larger, so you might choose the Golfer if you want a smaller carry.
 
Second on the Compact. This is a truly useful model in a small package.

Paul
 
Originally posted by Velitrius
Vacationing in Florida, eh? Is he a golfer by any chance?
Click to expand...
Useless SAK trivia: the original Golfer was the same as a Compact with no hook and no keyring.
 
I have to second the opinion on the one-handed Trailmaster. It´a nice knife, but if he would not carry a multi-tool because of its size, forget about this one. In contrast to other one-handed knifes it is also quite hard to open and is therefore a rather bad compromise. The best thing about it is the rather large saw, which as you say will not be used.
The Compact has a lot of tools in a - as the name implies- compact size. If you want to have something nicer get a timekeeper. It´s basically the same knife as the Compact with a small swiss watch. This may seem like a dumb gimmick, but it looks very nice, comes in handy, is small and is imo the most pc knife and will therefore hardly be regarded as a weapon.
 
Super Tinker, it's not too big to carry in your pocket, and still small enough to be a big keychain knife. It also has a useful selection of tools.

vn53341.jpg
 
I say go with the Compact. However, you may want to look at the Soldier, if the corkscrew is not absolutely essential. I have five SAKs of various size and shape but when it gets down to it you can't beat the Soldier for it's simplicity and profile (read: it fits well in the pocket).
 
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