Multi-purpose SAK-style folder?

[chrisb507]

ArfinGreebly's post in this thread got me thinking...What are some of the best multi-purpose SAK-style folders? The Case Cutlery Jr Scout Pocket Knife was one suggested.

I love SAKS, and have more than a half-dozen. But what other high-quality, good fit-and-finish, higher-end models have I overlooked?

For me, the knife is for light-duty, with at least a blade and a nail-file, ideally a pair of scissors. The large Leathermans don't fit the bill. Ideally, the weight is less than 4 oz.

Does a the SAK equivalent of a Sebenza exist?

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Wenger/EKA Executive Major

Not long back, EKA was still producing their Executive Major, which is actually a Wenger mechanism (Swiss) that has had Bubinga scales substituted for the usual red plastic and then sold under the EKA brand (Swedish).

So there exists a genuine Swedish Swiss Army Knife.






I don't know if this knife is still available. It wasn't particularly cheap, but it wasn't really expensive, either.

And no, it's not the SAK equivalent of a Sebenza. It's just a nice, somewhat upmarket implementation.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Queen Cutlery

Queen Cutlery makes (made?) the Colonel Coon.

It's a scout style knife, but no scissors.

Shown with box -

Showing other side -

This one was priced at over a hundred bucks.


Here's one from KnifeSupply.com costing nearly $80:




Pretty knife.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Victorinox

Also at KnifeSupply, there's this Victorinox in the $30 range:

Pretty knife -


Over at AG Russell, there this truly fine Böker Scout knife selling for only $160:

Although Boker has a long and storied history in the U.S., beginning in the early 1900's, these knives were made to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the opening of Boker U.S.A. in Denver, Colorado in 1986, after it came back under the ownership of Boker Germany. For this anniversary series of knives, Boker has chosen four of their most popular models: the lockback, gentleman's lockback, scout/camp knife and the two-blade trapper. While all four knives have nickel silver bolsters, liners, shields and bail, the blade steels are different. Each knife features extremely nice Ivory Micarta™ handle scales, so nice in fact that for a moment some of us thought it was real Elephant Ivory. Each knife's main blade is etched "25th Boker USA Anniversary 1986-2011". Made in Germany.

And in the slightly less exotic department, we have this one (same place), also by Böker, for a mere $150:

 

[hso]

Does a the SAK equivalent of a Sebenza exist?

You'll have to explain what you mean by that. Do you mean tough and unbreakable or do you mean quality construction?

You could get a custom SwissBianco SAK.

The owner/designer has a relationship with Victorinox that somehow permits him to have them build special runs of modified models.

There's also the Leatherman Keychain models like the Style and Squirt at well under 4-oz and the pocketable Juice at 4.4-oz.

Here's a fun "multi-tool museum" site http://www.multi-tool.org/blog

 

[chrisb507]

Thanks for the suggestions (and pictures, sweet!) guys.

You'll have to explain what you mean by that. Do you mean tough and unbreakable or do you mean quality construction?

Quality construction. High-end materials. Great fit and finish. Special grip material, maybe?

Hso, I have all of the Leathermans you suggest--they are great little pocket tools and I carry them often. (Actually, the PS was taken in the Tokyo airport because it “looked like” a prohibited item.)

I guess I’m just looking for something I can’t find in the local sporting goods store…something unique in a SAK-type package. Again, not sure if it exists.

I'll give Swissbianco a look...

 

[hso]

local sporting goods store

They won't carry anything special. Look for shops that are dedicated knife dealers. They're more likely to have something cool. The multi-tool and tool-knife categories don't typically use high end steel in their blades because most customers aren't looking for that performance. I'm frankly not aware of any.

Of course you could get the Victorinox 125th Anniversary knife.

 

[TimboKhan]

I have seen some fancy custom builds for SAK's, but you know, the cheap and available at most every walmart Super Tinker has always been exactly what I want in a knife. I keep one at work and one at home, and I have honestly every tool on them to be useful at some point, to include the hook. They are everything I want in a SAK and nothing more.

 

[hso]

Timbo,

The saw turns out to be very handy at times so if I can convince SwissBianco to put a saw in a SuperTinker and build it in Alox I'd probably have the perfect SAK.

 

[chrisb507]

And it looks like Wenger is moving "up market" with some of their EvoWood models. I think one of these will be in my pocket before too long: http://www.wengerna.com/evowood-swiss-army-knives

I love the Model 16...it's around $61 at Amazon.

And there's more, including some models with titanium panels: http://www.wengerna.com/titaniumline

 

[hso]

Vic owns Wegner and may be using them to test market acceptance of some "non-traditional" models.

 

[TimboKhan]

Victorinix own Wenger? I did not know that!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Acquisition

Victorinox acquired Wenger in 2005.

Wikipedia article here.

A web search of "victorinox buys wenger" will turn up several articles.

I was kind of bummed when it happened.

However, I'd rather have Wenger owned by a rival company in their own country than by some outfit elsewhere in the world.

At least "Swiss" army knives continue to be Swiss. I guess I'm just old fashioned that way.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

I initially carried an aluminum scaled SAK like HSO's silver one above and ultimately, we would buy these on closeouts to take overseas as give aways from my team. Another that went everywhere with me was an Army Camilus "demo" knife that I got it in the Special Forces Demo course but even that was supplanted by one of the earlier Leatherman tools which was still small enough to go in my pocket.

The others are my favorite U.S.-SAKs, the Ulster "Mountain Knife" that a bunch of us carried as much outa nostalgia as utilitarian appreciation. Ultimately they became too valuable and turned into a sorta Special Forces "bar-b-que" knife.

 

[TimboKhan]

Victorinox acquired Wenger in 2005.

Huh. One of those things I guess I should have known but just never stumbled across, I guess!

Like you, I am glad that they are Swiss all the way around. I have never specifically preferred one over the other, though I almost uniformly have chosen Victorinox products over the years.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Can Opener

For me the difference has always been the can opener.

I grew up with the hook style opener on my Imperial (basically a clone of the USMC "demo" knife).

The Wenger can opener is not quite the same hook, but it's a hook. The opener on the Victorinox . . . I've never learned how to use that one, though I'm sure I could figure it out.

Consequently I've always preferred the Wenger.

 

[22-rimfire]

SAKs are hard to beat which is probably why you don't see much serious competition.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Arfin brings up a good point which I had forgotten about. As much as I liked my SAKs, the transition to a Camillus "SAK" basically coincided with C rations disappearing from the Army inventory.

While I really liked the knife as a general tool - I loved the can opener over competing openers and certainly over the P-38.

Thanks for the memory nudge, ArfinGreebly.