Swiss Army Knives

I've had a few over the years. My favorite is the single lock blade 111mm model. Put a convex edge on it many years ago, the steel will take an edge finish most of my folders on a loaded leather strop.

Noticed you can get them on E-Bay for really cheap some look to be hardly used at all. Of my three Swiss Army knives never had a malfunction they are made durable, lost tweezers & tooth pics, they can be replaced.

Use the flat head screwdriver bottle opener on my smallest blade to pry open pistachio nuts:biggrin:

I have one the army issued me and I'm actually not a huge fan. Great for civilian usage in an urban environment but after about 2 days in the field there's grains of sand throughout all the folding mechanisms and it's impossible to get it out.
Admittedly, the fact that they issued a version with serrated blades doesn't help either... but the blades don't hold a candle to my simple Opinel or a Mora, and I hate how you can't fix them in an open position.
Personally I'd rather have a 'proper' multitool like a leatherman and a seperate proper (fixed) blade like a Mora.

Jovidah said:

Personally I'd rather have a 'proper' multitool like a leatherman and a seperate proper (fixed) blade like a Mora.

Click to expand...

I agree. SAK is the embodiment of "Jack of all trades; Master of none".

Agree that's why I like the lock version blade is around 85mm long. The Opinel carbons maybe the best bang for the buck folders. My favorite that I own is the Spyderco Super Blue.

I grew up on a farm and carried a Swiss Army Knife all the time for 15 or so years. I can't remember what model bit it was a mid sized one in terms of features. I loved it and still do. In the end it was replaced by a leatherman and a spyderco. It was a more versatile combination but not as compact or acceptable in the city. One the plus side for the army knife was I lost it in a field for a year and a half in a place where it rains 125 inches a year and it was fine when I found it. For having thin blades I found them surprisingly durable and easy to sharpen. For what they are I think there super and you can pick the model that best suits your needs. For casual use I would have one over a manly tool because it fits your pocket much better. But for any serious use like being back on th farm a multi tool is much better. Horses for courses.

Damn.. Got timed out editing.


I love love love my Opinels... For a cheap single blade utility knife they are just super. As much as I like the carbon ones I have shifted to the stainless. The 12c27 takes a super edge and with the thin flat grind has great geomitry. I take #12 on Sea Kayaking trips for a camp/ kitchen knife and have maybe 5 #8's stached in cars, I'm by girlfriends hand bags and I have one to the kid down the street. I take them and sit them on the wood stove for a week or so until they are super dry them 'boil' them in board butter. It makes them easer to clean and not keep smells if gutting fish.

Well, to be fair, I haven't used a model produced after the 1980's; mostly for fishing. Held up well in salt water.
Maybe they're better now, but if I had a quarter for every time the (insert option here) closed on my finger...

I remember having a relatively basic SAK as a kid and see they now have some absurd offerings, such as the SwissChamp XAVT:


EDIT- includes:
#6 Torx Bit
2mm Hex Bit
1.2mm Hex Bit
1.5mm Hex Bit
2.5mm Hex Bit
large blade
LED white light
multi-purpose hook with
-nailfile
reamer
Combination tool with
-cap lifter
-can opener
-screwdriver
-Wire Stripper
electrician's blade with
-wire scraper
pruning blade
Watch Opener
fine screwdriver
digital clock with
-alarm
-countdown
-timer
-altimeter m/feet
-barometer
-thermometer °C/°F
altimeter m/feet
barometer
reamer, punch
serrated blade
toothpick
2mm Hex Bit
scissors
key ring
corkscrew
multi-purpose hook (parcel carrier)
pharmaceutical spatula
wood saw
nailfile with
-metal file
-nail cleaner
-metal saw
sewing eye
Fish Scaler with with
-hook disgorger
chisel/scraper
Phillips screwdriver
magnifying lens

I have many fond memories of the adventures with my SAK, but this is a bit over the top

Yeah, that's a convenient EDC.

SAK was my first knife ever. I bought it when I was 18 before my first big trip. For my use it was/is fine and I did not have any issues.
Except some stupidities: at that time I had no clue about sharpening and I took it to some local sharpener. The guy "expertly" thinned the blade and brought it to aprox. 2/3 of the hight?!

After some years I wanted to clean all the dirt from the mechanism. I was reading that I need to dip it in boiling water. Of course I damaged the plastics, functional it was still OK but it looked terrible (totally pale).

I contacted Victorinox and asked if the can service it for me. They replaced the big blade and the plastics and now it is fine. The only difference is that now I have the plastics with tweezers & tooth pics that I did not have before.
I must compliment Victorinox on the service, very good and fast email communication, free repair and they also shipped it back to me for free.