Why a Swiss Army Knife.

[GreyDog]

Nearly always have a SAK on me. Day to day I have either the Explorer or the mountaineer with plus scales and a pen, plus, mini screwdriver and a pin. Outdoors the Huntsman, Farmer X or SA7. I have a few Leathermans which are great tools to have if I'm doing jobs and I that I would carry more if legal. Also have a couple of 111mm and Ranger Grip models, which see little use for the same reason.

Why the SAK then, legality aside. 1. Usefulness/versatility - Got into the habit of carrying one all the time and they just come in handy so often. 2. Size - in a small space you hardly notice (I mostly use a pocket clip with a 'puller'). 3. Quality - never had a duff one (sample of 20 ish). Somehow I also have a Draper version of a Hunstman - the quality difference is a chasm when you put them side by side.

 

[Megatramp]

Too many reasons to list, some practical, some personal.

Best way to find out would be to stick one in you're pocket.

 

[Pattree]

Best way to find out would be to stick one in you're pocket.

I sincerely doubt that it would get used much. A knife is not my first resort to most issues. I don’t carry one.

In the three days since reporting that I had, thus far in a day, only used two spoons, I can add my spork, a few other culinary tools and a screwdriver while working on a curtain pelmet.

Other than gardening tools and machinery; I did use a pair of scissors to cut a tree tie that had become too tight - the Swiss Army knife could have done that but then so could any of the knives that I own. I’ve used big scissors on fabric and I used my Morrisons fixed blade to cut up some cardboard packaging.

The Swiss Army Knife clearly suits the lifestyle of those gathered in BcUK. I still don’t understand why this particular brand. On the other hand, I do understand.a solidarity and pleasure in ownership as I experienced with my Jack knife.

I cannot argue with its utility nor its popularity. I never intended to do so.

It is simply the solution to a problem that I do not have.

Thanks for your comments. Enjoy your SAK’s

(There! I used the acronym.)

 

[grainweevil]

So you used three separate tools - screwdriver, scissors, and knife - in the last three days, all of which could have been done by one SAK, handily in your pocket. So it is a problem you have, you just don't like the convenience of a one tool solution. Fair enough. Madness, but fair enough.

 

[Pattree]

Madness, but fair enough.

Yeah! Total madness

 

[Chris]

View attachment 96894

Yeah! Total madness

Probably wouldn’t want to walk around with any of those in my pocket though!

 

[Aristotle]

I sincerely doubt that it would get used much. A knife is not my first resort to most issues. I don’t carry one.

In the three days since reporting that I had, thus far in a day, only used two spoons, I can add my spork, a few other culinary tools and a screwdriver while working on a curtain pelmet.

Other than gardening tools and machinery; I did use a pair of scissors to cut a tree tie that had become too tight - the Swiss Army knife could have done that but then so could any of the knives that I own. I’ve used big scissors on fabric and I used my Morrisons fixed blade to cut up some cardboard packaging.

The Swiss Army Knife clearly suits the lifestyle of those gathered in BcUK. I still don’t understand why this particular brand. On the other hand, I do understand.a solidarity and pleasure in ownership as I experienced with my Jack knife.

I cannot argue with its utility nor its popularity. I never intended to do so.

It is simply the solution to a problem that I do not have.

Thanks for your comments. Enjoy your SAK’s

(There! I used the acronym.)

Im a bit confused.

The Swiss Army Knife is compact, legal to carry and could have done all of those things.

Are you being deliberately obtuse????

 

[Broch]

Look, nobody likes to accept they have been wrong for 50+ years, let him be

(only pulling your leg @Pattree )

 

[Pattree]

@Aristotle

Sorry but I was just amused.
The tools I’ve shown are the tools that I used for the three tasks that I performed in the last three days.

I levered the pelmet rail from its mountings with the screwdriver.
As previously stated, I cut out fabric with the dressmaking shears.
I cut up cardboard packaging with the Morrisons knife which was to hand.

What on Earth is obtuse about that.

I do own a Swiss Army knife. I simply have no use for it for which I can’t use a more appropriate tool that is ready to hand anyway.

Don’t be distressed that it isn’t a tool for me. I am vastly outvoted on this site. If my lifestyle should change, it is perfectly possible that I could adopt a multitool. I can’t yet see a good reason why it should be a Swiss Army knife but who knows.

I am pleased that you find them so useful and hope that you continue to do so.

 

[Pattree]

@Broch
All of us make assumptions.
This has been one of them.

Leg suitably adjusted

Edited to add:

I’ve been wrong about so many things for very much longer than 50 years

 

[Silverclaws2]

So you used three separate tools - screwdriver, scissors, and knife - in the last three days, all of which could have been done by one SAK, handily in your pocket. So it is a problem you have, you just don't like the convenience of a one tool solution. Fair enough. Madness, but fair enough.

Sometimes a jack of all trades is master at none, sometimes and yes I own five victorinox models to invariably be carrying three of them daily basis sometimes you just want to use a the right tool for the job.

In some ways the SAK as a tool of laziness, in that when one needs to do something and there is a SAK handy those interested in 'conserving energy' are going to reach for the SAK instead of getting up out of their chair to root around looking for the right tool for the job and if any other are like me, likely getting distracted in the process to end up forgetting why one was rooting around , for what, one can't remember.

 

[TeeDee]

Regarding tools and applied functionality - the SAK IS a compromise. Yes , it can claim to be a scissor , a screwdriver , and a Knife but leverage , ergonomics and usages will vary.

It could be classed as a hammer - but not terribly useful as one.

I need to check myself as it seems I'm rushing to the defence of Patree but as Broch is so found of saying as a credo - there is a 3rd way. The SAK is more pocketable than full tools and can in a pinch do or attempt to do a lot of the jobs that they do. Same as Leatherman which I do rate.

 

[grainweevil]

The argument that the SAK is a compromise and sometimes you want the right tool for the job and so forth is an entirely valid one. However...

I levered the pelmet rail from its mountings with the screwdriver.

 

[Pattree]

Just like most of us I have accumulated a tool kit.
My house and garden are not big enough to dissuade me from going and getting the tool that I need.

Away from home, as in camp, I don’t even use a knife blade much other than for food.

I do use secateurs a lot but I wouldn’t cut firewood with a multi-tool if I carried one.

I repeat - I am not criticising the Swiss Army knife. I just questioned the need and the brand when so many multi-tools are available and would have appeared to supersede the traditional model.

It’s popularity here is testimonial enough for most people, I’m sure.

Edited to add:
@grainweevil, what would you suggest I use?

@TeeDee of course there is a 3rd way and more. Small tool rolls, other multi- tools, a collection of clipped tools. There are probably many others.

 

[Kadushu]

Well if you're stretching the remit to comparing other brands then I should mention Ruike make some lovely multitools in a similar style to Victorinox. I'm not a fan of corkscrews but have a simple model with just a blade and tweezers which is one of my all time favourites.

 

[grainweevil]

@grainweevil, what would you suggest I use?

Hard to say without seeing the job, but a prybar of some sort? Of course 95% of us would use a screwdriver, but anyone who longs for a reason to have a titanium prybar in their EDC has probably already noted this down to present to their other half in due course!

 

[HorseGuy]

Here is my two pence worth on why I use a SAK...

For many years I have kept a Deluxe Tinker on a small table in my house where I keep my car and house keys. I always know exactly where it is, sitting there in a convenient place ready to grab at a moments notice.

Elsewhere in the same room is my main tool box which contains larger, much better versions of every single tool that can be found on the Deluxe Tinker. Yet the SAK version of each tool is usually more than sufficient enough to do 90% of the jobs that I need to do. Due to the speed and convenience of having a SAK right there on hand all the time means that it gets uses for about 90% of all the jobs around the house. That is no exaggeration. My SAK Deluxe Tinker gets used about 90% more often than all of my other tools put together.

So to sum up. A SAK is never going to be the best tool available for a job but it is almost always the fastest and most convenient. It is certainly much quicker and easier than having to drag out a heavy tool box, open it up and search for the right tool.

 

[Chris]

For me it hits the four essentials of quality, usefulness, legality and price. Victorinox meet all of these with well hardened, good quality steel, a combination of tools to suit almost any scenario, all at a reasonable price and most of them are legal carry in the UK.

You can get cheaper tools, but mostly the steel on them is dreadful and it's a false economy.

You can get Leatherman tools with decent quality steel, with what could be arguably more useful configurations, but none of the good ones are UK legal carry. Actually I'd be more likely to carry a Leatherman regularly if the better models were UK legal EDC, though I still don't think Leatherman are as accessible to people in terms of value, so they fail the UK Legal and Cost tests.

 

[HorseGuy]

Just a thought. Why doesn't someone lend a spare small or mid-sized SAK to Pattree to borrow for couple of months to see have he gets on with it?

 

[Chris]

Just a thought. Why doesn't someone lend a spare small or mid-sized SAK to Pattree to borrow for couple of months to see have he gets on with it?

I'd be happy to as I have a spare Farmer X, but I think it's reasonable to take from his comments that he probably doesn't have a problem that requires solving with a SAK. Which is fine, we all have our different preferences when it comes to these sort of things. And thank heavens we do, as it means we've got such an exciting array of shiny things to pick from!