Swiss army knife versus traditional stockman

[Doc]

Interesting article at SOSAK:

http://www.sosakonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=35

Compares the SAK with traditional stockman pattern from Case.

 

[TheViking]

Without having tried a stockman i can't comment, but I will never let go of that saw and awl/drill.

 

[BorderReiver]

SAK for me as well,though I do like the traditional look of the stockman.

It's the bits other than the the blade which make the SAK a winner.

 

[Doc]

As others have said, the SAK is very well made. However, I have had a disappointing experience with my Victorinox Campflame- the knife works great but the integral lighter has failed again, shortly after being repaired by Burton McCall. Seems that Victorinox have discontinued all the knives with built in lighter, so I wonder if my experience was unique.

All in all, a bit disappointing given Victorinox's reputation. I've sent it back to Burton McCall and written to Victorinox in Switzerland to express my disappointment.

 

[BorderReiver]

I think that lighters and computer memory are a step too far for knife tools.

To me it seems more of a sales gimmick than a practical innovation.

 

[Doc]

In retrospect, I think you are right.

Same applies to SAKs with altimeters and laser pointers.

Some SAKs have built in LED torches which might be ok if they are very robust.

 

[gregorach]

You see, this is why I've always been a bit sceptical of SAKs, and multitools in general. Rather than do one job well, they tend to do lots of jobs poorly. If I want a screwdriver or a can opener, I tend to use a screwdriver or a can opener. And neither of these requirements ever seems to come up when I'm camping, which is why I've never carried either.

Sure, if you're going to compare features, then the SAK is always going to come out ahead. But if all you actually need is a small folding knife, is a SAK really what you want? If it was just about feature count, then the biggest SAK would be the best - and we all know that's not true. It's a question of finding the right balance, and that is going to be different for everone.

I'd be interested to see how that article would have read if it had been written by one of the stockman fans rather than a SAK fan. Something along the lines of "twice as big and stuffed full of gadgets you don't need", I suspect.

 

[BorderReiver]

I'd be interested to see how that article would have read if it had been written by one of the stockman fans rather than a SAK fan. Something along the lines of "twice as big and stuffed full of gadgets you don't need", I suspect.

You're not suggesting that the review was a touch biased are you?

 

[MartiniDave]

SAK's and drug and rock & roll!

As a SOSAK member I shouldn't comment, but I always have a least one sak with me, even when I've got my woodlore!

Dave

 

[RovingArcher]

At this very minute, I have a SAK on my belt and a slipjoint in my pocket. I cut up a lot of boxes and even though the SAK has the better cutting blades, I don't want them to get all goopy with glue from cutting the tape.

 

[Hoodoo]

The generally wider handle makes the SAK a better whittler than the average stockman. In fact, Chris Lubkemann and long been a fan of the SAK for whittling.

It's not by accident that an SAK is on the cover of his this book.

This is his latest book and he has an SAK on the front cover of that one as well.

I've always found that SAK tools perform exceptionally well and it's usually the small phillips on my sak that I look for rather than hunt for one in my shop, when I'm pulling my photon apart to replace batteries. And I always know right where it is. It's in my pocket.

And when I want to drill a hole in something, be it leather or wood or whatever, there's not a stockman made that can match the awl on a SAK pioneer. And I've opened a ton of tin cans while camping using my SAK. I'll take it over a GI canopener any day and I sure wouldn't throw a regular canopener in my pack just to open a can of sardines.

SAKs take and hold a great edge for whittling, are easy to sharpen, ahd have great geometry. I like stockmans and have a pile of them but I'll take a SAK any day over a stockman.

 

[BorderReiver]

SAK's and drug and rock & roll!

As a SOSAK member I shouldn't comment, but I always have a least one sak with me, even when I've got my woodlore!

Dave

Right on brother :You_Rock_