A knife snob's take on a SAK

[Colonel26]

Fine, there I said it, I'm a knife snob. Oh not so much on price or brand per se, but on what constitutes a REAL using knife. I can't help it, I've been conditioned this way from my earliest childhood, and even though I've evolved some over the last few years I'm still a knife snob at heart.

I mean growing up there were Case knives, Solingen knives and then all the off brands. There were stockman knives for real work, and then Sunday go to Meetin' knives, you know to clean your fingernails with while the men chewed tobacco, smoked, and talked dogs, hogs, and crops between Sunday School and Church.

But I have grown. I've discovered the wonder of Schrade Waldens, Camillus, Western, GEC, Canal Street, etc... I've even softened, a little, on my disgust for stainless. But still I harbor this belief that a real knife is a stockman, congress, maybe even a whittler on occasion. Swiss Army Knives after all are mere toys for boys, women, city folk, and the like while us men pack a "real" knife.

Then my friend Josh aka Junebug comes on the scene extolling the virtues of these "toys". How good could they be? I mean as a kid I had the chicom knockoffs, they're toys, won't cut, and the scales break. Just toys! But Josh won't stop. So I decide to seek his help in picking out a SAK to try. I'll give it a whorl just to prove that I am right after all, I know what a REAL knife is you know.

Josh being Josh does what he does best, he sends me not one but SIX SAK's just so I can see what suits me best. What was I to do? So I've given them a fair shake for the past week or so. Here's what I found:

He sent me a little Wegner with a light in it (I don't remember the model), Wegner's version of the camper modified by Josh by cutting off the phillips screw driver and replacing it with a ferro rod, a Vic executive, a Vic trail boss, a budget version of the Tinker, and a Vic climber. My baby boy fell in love with the camo Wegner with a light, so it's his now. My middle boy snatched up the Tinker, so I have hardly seen it. And my oldest (7) is as bad as knife snob as I am and won't touch one at all, LOL.

The Executive is on my key ring and will never leave. I love that thing! it has the best nail file/nail cleaner ever! Add to that the awesome scissors, two blades and that nifty orange peeler thingy it's an amazing little thing and first rate quality too. Everyone ought to have a dozen or so.

The Wegner Camper. I'm not crazy about the little clip blade on it, it's hard to get a good edge on. But other than that it's a great tool. I would buy it just for the saw! I literally pruned my big old apple tree with it. I can't begin to describe how fantastic the saw is. Everything about it except for that one blade is awesome, and that fire starter is just plum snazzy.

I haven't used to Trail Boss much. But it is a fine knife. Instead of a saw it has a metal saw with a metal file, and a fine one it is. Very high quality knife.

The climber has been my constant companion. If it just had a saw it'd be perfect. Super quality!

They take a very good edge (with the exception of the one blade on the Wegner) and they hold it decently well. They are very good in the quality department with great snap open and close and wonderful fit and finish. I wish some of my "REAL" knives had the springs, fit and finish these SAK's have.

In conclusion, I have evolved some more. I like SAK's. These are good knives. I wish I had discovered them sooner. I even have a farmer on my birthday wish list. The variety of tools is such that on any given day I can pack one of these to meet the needs of what I'm going to be doing, and I'll always have the right tool for the job, plus a good knife to boot.

I'm still a knife snob, old traditional knives still make my heart go pitter patter in a way these SAK's don't. That said, for day to day carry and using, I'm hard pressed to pick a handier or better quality knife than one of these SAK's. I like 'em. Thanks Josh for opening my eyes, and for the awesome gift!!!!!!!

[junebug]

AWESOME WADE!!!!!!

i agree....more of a tool IMO.....the ol traditional just have the LOOK....
BUT DO TRY A ALOX SAK........FARMER IMO....they have amazeing F&F and a lil of that ol school PAZAZZ........the ALOX scales stay warm in hand like an old school unit

enjoy MY FRIEND

[tank]

Welcome to the SOSAK, Wade.

[jerryd6818]

Wade -- Nice write up on the SAKs Josh sent to you. Josh is a great and generous guy. We're lucky to have him here on the forum.

Funny you should mention a Farmer. I just got an Alox in today's mail. I'm still playing with it and fondling it. The SNAP is astounding on this knife. You almost need ear protection to close any of the blades/tools. The first thing I had to do was show it to my Classic toting buddy. He's a dyed in the wool guitar man and I'm sorry to say he's a lost cause. He just looked at it with this dumb look on his face like, "That's nice. Next." Next I had to try the saw and I have to say, after all the build up, the expectations were too high and the saw blade didn't impress me. I guess this one will go into the pile and the next one on the try list will be a Trekker. That blade fascinates me.

Stock picture. I haven't taken the time to take pictures yet but for those who don't know what a Farmer is, it will do the trick.

[reddirtknives]

Wow! A six pack of SAK's ... Junie gave you the BIG hook up... That would be a knife bomb Josh is good people ...
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

[woseyjales]

Congrats on your new found enlightenment Colonel.
And kudos for Josh/JB for his kind assist on your transformation.
That being said, still hard to believe he didn't send you a cadet alox.
IIRC, tank posted one around here that even had a saw added
if that is on your must have list.
Now if someone will send you an Opie to test drive you'll be rurnt fer shure

[knifetime]

Good to hear from you Wade,and your very right.I ,like you grew up with Case and Camillus and a lot of good German knives but just recently have been turned on to fact that their is a lot of great knives out there.I bought my first Italian switch a few days ago just to have one.I find I git most of my new idea's for new purchases from talking to ppl on sites like this and reading about knives the same way.I believe that websites like AAPK are doing more for knife collecting than most of us realize.Just being able to talk knives with others who have the same interests as you keeps ppl informed and up to date.

[Colonel26]

Well I think my conversion is about complete. It seems I feel plum naked without my climber. Josh has ruined me I tell ya. Today I just bid in a Vic huntsman, and I have a couple of Rangers in my sights. Oh, and the farmer is on the birthday list too. I'd already have gotten it, but I have a self imposed price limit that I don't cross without consulting with she who must be obeyed, and I haven't found one under my threshold yet, lol. But it's on the list!

[TripleF]

Very knice Josh!! Very knice indeed!

I couldn't imagine a day without my Classic.......a couple of times I almost had to but I found 'er!

[Colonel26]

Scott if ya like the classic, try the executive! Mine lives on my keychain and I don't know how I ever lived without it! Every man ought to have 5 or 6 of em.

[tank]

But wait! If you like the Executive try the MiniChamp!

[Colonel26]

Tank, is that roughly the same size as the executive?

[jerryd6818]

Tank, is that roughly the same size as the executive?

2-1/4" closed. The Executive is 3" closed. (According to Amazon.com)

[tank]

It's 58mm, the Executive is 74mm. It's a bit thicker however but still very keychain compatible.

[cb51]

Although I love my Opinel's, a SAK is always on my keyring, si I really can't leave the house without it. If I only could carry one single knife, I would choose my SAK. It's just so much more than a knife. I can't count the number of times I've actually fixed something in the middle of nowhere with a SAK. The little classic is very capable of much more than you would suspect.

[junebug]

I DIG THIS KNIFE
goes in the levi watch pocket time to time

the ink pen has been handy SEVERAL times

[tank]

If you have something against the Swiss there's always a good ol' USA alternative

[Colonel26]

I put my Climber to another test last night. You see, last May the wife and I bought a house and right at two acres (a HUD repo double wide out in the country) and have been fixing it up little by little as a debt free project (that's why I've been gone a lot lately btw). Earlier last year I just about ruined a new Buck 301 cutting carpet out from under an interior wall. Well last night I was getting a piece of carpet out of a closet so I could lay laminate flooring and I had to cut some of it and the padding out from under a wall again.

I thought to myself, "Self, let's test out this climber and see what she'll do." So I got it out and began to cut it against the floor. It sliced right through the carpet and the padding, and unlike the Buck it didn't loosen up, no blade wobble, nothing. This is a tough knife, I'm impressed.

One other thing I've noticed. The Vic won't hold it's razor edge as long as some of my other knives. BUT, it gets to a level of dullness and just keeps on cutting. Even seemingly dull to the touch it just keeps on cutting. Last night, after the first pass or two cutting the carpet it felt dull. But sure enough the next time I had to cut carpet, it sliced right through it and the padding.

These Vic's aren't just handy. They're tough working knives. I wish I'd known this years ago. I've got to get me one of those farmers with the heftier blades and see what it'll do compared to the Climber! I tell ya, I'm impressed. I never thought I would be, but I am.

[Diamondtim]

I too, was a knife snob . I am a Buck man, carrying a Buck 301 (from the mid-Seventies) for daily use. My exposure to multi-blade knives were not genuine SAK, but the cheap copies from China, Taiwan, etc. This led me to believe they were all the same junk. I was impressed when I first used a Victorinox Pocket Pal. Then came a Wenger, etc.

The same thing happened with multi-tools, then I used a Leatherman.

[reddirtknives]

The Leatherman is my favorite multi-tool I have many of them. One in every guitar case one in every glove box and a couple others here and there desk, garage etc. I went into a big chain sporting goods store the other day and was looking at knives, no victorinox but they had Wenger (schwing) & 2 USA Bucks the other Buck's were china and 1 USA was made from imported parts the rest of their knives were from china except for 1 Kershaw Leek. Anyway, right at the end of the line were the leatherman's. The packages were all locked onto the rack and I almost broke my neck trying to see where the leatherman was made because they had good prices. All I could read was Oregon proud or something like that. They had some in a display case and I almost broke my neck again trying to see where they were made. I know that all of mine say made in the USA on them in the center of the plier. So I am left to assume that they are now being made in China. What a shame Oregon proud... And the prices weren't that good, one of the models was $79.99. Since Wenger is going to stop producing the Sak's (or are they? China Sak anyone?) I wonder if this outfit (Dicks) will start carrying the Victorinox Sak's or will Victorinox have to open an operation in China to get on their shelves?

[jerryd6818]

Okie -- Got this from Leatherman's web site. Thought you'd like to read it.

"Our Story
Leatherman Tool Group is proud to support U.S. workers who are dedicated to the quality craftsmanship that goes into each of our original American multi-tools. Every multi-tool and knife we ship is engineered, designed and crafted at our manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon. Leatherman. Leave nothing undone."
http://www.leatherman.com/about

Re: Wenger.
Wenger was purchased and absorbed by Victorinox, so China is in no way involved in the manufacture of their knives. Period.