What's on the perfect SAK

[hso]

What is on the perfect Swiss Army Knife?

To me the Tinker gets close, but it lacks the scissors, saw, and file.



Add those and that begins to look like a Master Craftsman.


But if you're going for that why not use the Plus scales that hold the pin and ballpoint as well as the tweezers and toothpick.

That will require ordering the scales and the ballpoint, but that would address about everything I'd use a SAK for. The only problem is it is now a fat 5 layer SAK instead of my beloved svelte 3 layer Farmer.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

The Victronix that I bought in 1984 is like that Tinker but, instead of the phillips screwdriver, it has a corkscrew. when I bought it in Bermuda I was engineer on a research ship and having a corkscrew was handy for getting invited to the scientist's on board partys.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

The next one I buy!

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I thought it was a Tinker but upon looking that is not the model I was thinking of. It is roughly that size but the phillips opens to the and rather than out the back as I found the back opening to be hard to use. Also has a magnifying glass which is nice at times. Not sure the model now though, have they changed the Tinker over the years?

Little looking and it seems it is the Explorer and not the Tinker that is the one I am thinking about and like the best.

 

[tubeshooter]

So many models... hard to say...

I got bit by the SAK bug a few years ago and bought a few. Apparently I like to stick to the medium 3-layer models.


I think a lot of the 12, 13 and 15-feature knives are a good compromise, with the 15-feature models being right at the edge of how big/thick I want to deal with. The 12 and 13 feature includes some popular models like the Tinker, Camper and Spartan.

 

[Fiv3r]

For day to day robust carry, I find the Farmer hard to beat. I dont often need the saw, but I find my old Solider a tad thin in my mitts.

For travel and general use, I really like the Explorer Plus. I prefer the corkscrew to the Phillips driver, as I have been left hanging at a social function without a corkscrew more than once and have learned my lesson. I always bring at least a Waiter with me. Actually, I find the Boker Tech tools to be really good modern renditions of the SAK as well in that role.

 

[Armored farmer]

Im going to have to get an Alox Pioneer X.
I like the scissors.

 

[bannockburn]

As a high school graduation present I bought my kids either an Explorer or a Deluxe Tinker SAK and they have made good use of them for many years. For myself I have never used the toothpick but have found the tweezers to be first rate.

I like all the different models I have but still often find myself carrying a very basic Cadet model.

 

[mdauben]

For me, the saw blade isn't that important on an urban EDC knife, but I do find a lot of use for the scissors! The Pioneer X comes close:

 

[labnoti]

I enjoy the Rally as a trinket (better than a Classic), or a Recruit, but I've come to greatly prefer separate tools. I like a larger folder than any SAK (because absurd laws that disallow concealed carry of fixed blades), and a small Case slipjoint for pen-knife needs. The next most useful tool is a pry-bar, so I don't end up using my knife to pry. For a saw, I'd carry a Bahco Laplander, but I'm more likely to use a Sven saw or a cheap Corona pruning folder out of my vehicle. Because of that, I'd pick the Hunter Pro or Sentinel.

 

[redneck]

I have never actually had an SAK due to the fact I have been carrying a leatherman since I was ten or eleven. I do think the ranger grip looks like an excellent knife to take hunting or camping as a back up or in addition to a fixed blade.

 

[Drail]

The Farmer is a great SAK. I carried the larger Tinkers for 40 years until I found the Centurion which was basically a Trekker without the saw (now out of production). The Hiker is another handy SAK. I have never had any use whatsoever for scissors on an SAK. Besides the knife and screwdriver blades the most often used tool for me has been the tweezers. When you need to get a splinter out of your hand a sharp blade and some tweezers will do the job. The can opener is handy too - one day while working on a job in an office everybody was totally bummmed one morning when they had to open a new can of coffee and nobody could find the can opener. I whipped out the SAK and had their coffee open in seconds. They were completely amazed. Man, I was popular after that. They started calling me "Mr. Coffee".

 

[Odd Job]

For me a SAK must have these:

Scissors
Flat screwdriver
Philips screwdriver
File
Bottle opener
Tweezers

The SAK that gives me those is the Wenger Evogrip 18



It also has a saw, awl and can opener. I would trade the can opener for a small magnifying glass and the saw for a USB stick. The awl I would swap for a small LED whose battery occupies the adjoining scale.

That would be my perfect SAK.

 

[Armored farmer]

If I were to design my own custom SAK?
OAL 4.25"
Black scales
Toothpick and tweezers
Large lockblade
Bottle opener/flat screwdriver
Leather punch
Scissors
Corkscrew
Can opener

 

[sean m]

For me it's a Cadet while in the office, a Tinker when not, and a OH Trekker in the woods.

 

[Browning]

Knife
Scissors
Saw
Can opener
Tweezers
Toothpick

Pretty much what I look for in a Swiss Army Knife.

 

[ugaarguy]

That will require ordering the scales and the ballpoint, but that would address about everything I'd use a SAK for. The only problem is it is now a fat 5 layer SAK instead of my beloved svelte 3 layer Farmer.

I'll take that Farmer in Alox with tweezers, mainspring levered scissors like on the Evo grips, no saw, no awl, no can opener. Add in a spey blade, grafting blade, or other short utility blade. Keep the bottle opener. Which model am I looking for?

 

[Odd Job]

Which model am I looking for?

Probably the S14 is the closest, if you don't mind putting an edge on the nail file.

https://www.victorinox.com/uk/en/Pr...edium-Pocket-Knives/Evolution-S14/p/2.3903.SE

 

[hso]

OJ,

I'm not sure I'd want to have a cutting edge on something you'd file your nails with even if it was the same heat treated steel as the blades.

 

[Odd Job]

If I were to design my own custom SAK?
OAL 4.25"
Black scales
Toothpick and tweezers
Large lockblade
Bottle opener/flat screwdriver
Leather punch
Scissors
Corkscrew
Can opener

This might suit you:



https://www.victorinox.com/uk/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Large-Pocket-Knives/Outrider/p/0.8513.3

 

[Odd Job]

OJ,

I'm not sure I'd want to have a cutting edge on something you'd file your nails with even if it was the same heat treated steel as the blades.

Yep, he would not then be using that to file nails.

 

[Armored farmer]

This might suit you:

View attachment 814882

https://www.victorinox.com/uk/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Large-Pocket-Knives/Outrider/p/0.8513.3

Indeed it does, thank you.
The black Nomad is my edc work knife. I wish it had scissors.
The Climber (top) suits me as a gentleman's knife. You never know when you may need to open a bottle of wine or a cold beer, or snip a thread.
The Outrider(center) is a very capable tool. It has a hunting/camping role, but it is a pocketful.

 

[amd6547]

I got an incredible deal on a Swisschamp about 20 yrs ago...$12.50.
I never would have bought one, otherwise.
Over the years, I've used every single tool on it, from the toothpick on up.
It is with me every day in my work bag.

 

[Drail]

I never leave the house without a SAK. Or two.

 

[Slamfire]

I carried this for a decade, then lost it in my sister's couch. Years later she found it and decades later, I sent it back to Victorinox for a refurb. Looks great, new knife blades, story on that later.....



What I learned, was that I wanted the phillips in line the the handle, not perpendicular. My first SAK rescued me from a bathroom: the door knob spun on the shaft and with the phillips head driver, I was able to tighten the screw and escape! Imagine dying of hunger, but not thirst, in a bathroom! Horrors! However, enough attempts to reach phillips head screws with this version, and being frustrated because of the handle location, I decided to get this version:



I used the heck out of it



I absolutely had to have scissors, screwdrivers, and now that I am a very old geezer, I use the magnifying glass more often than any other blade! My near vision is gone!

The SAK can opener is the only can opener in my kitchen drawer. It works so well, I am very proficient in chewing through can lids.

This is something for those who will send their SAK back to Victorinox back for refurbishment. Break the knife blades. They won't replace well worn, skeletal, knife blades unless they are broken. Put your knife blade in a vise, just a little of the pointy end out of the vise, and hit it with a hammer, shearing the end. Do that to all blades you want replaced, because they will ship the thing back just like you sent it to them, but with new handles. Customer service does not read your instructions, I really doubt they even get them.

I learned that before I sent them my 1970's Tinker, and the 1980's Super Tinker, Broke the large and small knife blades and got back, new ones! I can sharpen either knife for another 20 years!