People in the US and Europe get spoiled with their nearly disposable Vic SAKs in terms of cost and how that cost impacts our daily lives (essentially ZERO). It is not like that in other countries. I recall
J
jackknife
mentioning in Costa Rica that the jungle guides carried a SAK and a short machete. I would be willing to bet that those SAKs were provided to them either by clients or the business.
No, not really. For some reason, people in Costa Rica, especially in the city like San Jose, love SAK's. They are very very easy to find and every ferreteria, (kind of hardware store and agricultural supply store) sells them. They had SAK stand up displays next to the shelves of machetes and machete sheaths.
In the urban city of San Jose, about every second or third person in the street had a black pouch with the Swiss cross on it, on their belts. SAK's of all sizes were around. Not many machetes on view on the streets of San Jose, but outside of town, every male walking around had a 10 to 12 inch machete on his belt, and many had the pouch with a SAK and Bic lighter.
One thing that is cultural that I saw was, theres fresh fruit everywhere. Not just bananas, but mangos, papayas, citrus. It was very common to see someone in a sidewalk cafe order a cup of coffee, and takeout an orange or other fruit, and take out a SAK and peel and eat the fruit with the coffee. Always a SAK of some model. Bottles of chilled mineral water or spring water are sold everywhere and you need a cap lifter to drink. No twist off caps. But a bottle of water from a street vender and sit on a bench and takeout a piece of fruit from a bag and instant light lunch on the spot. Rinse off SAK with the last of the water and back in the belt pouch or pocket. Costa Ricans love their SAK as much as their coffee, and they have some really great coffee there!!!!
Machetes and SAk's seem to be the cutlery that makes Costa Rica function. They also love Bic lighters and pens. I you have to sign anything in San Jose, it will be with a Bic pen. Many cigars are lit with Bic lighters.