Swiss Army Knife Capability

I'm always puzzled by the expression "survival situation", it could mean such a variety of situations that, in the end, it's impossible to know what it's all about.
Personally, I bought a SAK (a One hand trekker) for outdoor activities (camping, trekking, and so on). It's a bit bigger than yours (mine is 111mm), but in the end it's the same thing. I used to go outdoors with a small fixed blade and a folder. Honestly, I've been hiking a few times with my SAK (and a dedicated "clean" folder for food things) and I didn't feel the ned of anything more. IN particular, the saw showed up to be pretty good.
Just try it once. Going outdoors with just your SAK (if you don't feel safe enough, hide a Mora (or any fixed blade) in your pack and forget it's there until the SAK fails. My guess is that it won't.
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Bear in mind the many outdoor situations also involve mechanical devices ( 4 Wheelers , Snowmachines , Outbnoards etc . ) , SAK's are very handy for such devices .

Chris
 
91mm SAKs are awesome for outdoor survival situations.

  • The main blade is flat and thin, making it cut halfway well, even after the edge has dulled a bit.
  • Wickedly efficient when it is sharp.
  • The steel is soft enough that it is easy to sharpen.
  • More importantly for outdoor situations, a SAK blade is easy to steel, bringing the edge back into alignment.
  • Easy to strop
  • VERY rust resistant.
  • Most 91 mm SAKs have a second smaller blade, great for emergency medical purposes.
  • Then there are all of the other tools, each having their merits

If I had to have one knife in the woods, it would be a SAK. I prefer the Farmer over the 91mm models though.

I will say that the better you are in the woods, the more the SAK is likely to work in your favor. In other words, the higher the skill level, the more a SAK makes sense. If you're a greenhorn, you might be better off sticking with a simple carbon steel fixed blade.
 
1966c10 said:
I'm sorry but I don't follow that logic. How is a "greenhorn" with a lower skill level better off with just a knife? The saw and awl on a Farmer are huge conveniences. Together with its small knife blade, it comes together as a very well rounded and effective tool. Using it as an inclusive survival tool takes development of a specialized skill set, but so does being able to do it with just a "simple carbon steel fixed blade". I really don't see the comparison. They both have limitations when directly compared.

You have eight bullet points in your post. Seven could just as easily describe a Case or even a Buck 301. Six could describe a stainless Mora.
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Sorry. In a real outdoor survival situation, I just don't believe that an unskilled person would have the patience or presence of mind to use a SAK properly without breaking it, or at least seriously fouling the main blade. People tend to get very heavy handed when placed under great pressure. Finesse goes right out the window, and time speeds up on you. A good fixed blade can survive a wealth of mistreatment. A SAK, especially a cellidor model, would be ruined quite quickly by a panicked individual.

Don't get me wrong. I love SAK's. But I do also recognizable their physical limits. I won't even go into the scenario of an unskilled individual using a folding knife without a lock, in a high pressure situation. Lots of room for painful error there. Especially if the SAK is a small but thick model, with a ton of tools. They get a bit hard to wield once you add too many layers.

As for the bullets equating to a Case or Buck or Mora, that is very well possible. I'm also a fan of Case and Bucks and Mora's. The OP asked about SAK's, and I gave him my answer. I didn't see his question as a contest with other brands and models. He just asked about the suitability of SAKs, since he had one on hand.

Try to remember that there is no right answer to the age old "which knife in a survival situation" question. The correct answer is based on skill set, temperament, environment, and specific circumstances. I personally believe that the tools make the SAK the great equalizer for many. Not all, but many.
 
Buzzbait said:
If you're a greenhorn, you might be better off sticking with a simple carbon steel fixed blade.
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I guess the Sami are a bunch of greenhorns running around with puukkos. Human beings have been using fixed blades since the invention of the knife, while folding knives developed late in the history of civilization. I don't see the point of discounting fixed blades and their associated skills with so much collective human refinement behind them.

A folder will always be weaker than a fixed blade. It will do most tasks a fixed blade can do, and it will not be strong enough for others. If you can survive within the limits of a folder, that is great. A fixed blade has the potential for finesse and strength, and a greater skill set.

To keep things in perspective, most survival stories involve people who kept their wits and had the will to survive. I rarely read about people who say, "my knife saved my life." There were a couple of guys who amputated body parts to free themselves, that's it.
 
dogstar said:
I guess the Sami are a bunch of greenhorns running around with puukkos. Human beings have been using fixed blades since the invention of the knife, while folding knives developed late in the history of civilization. I don't see the point of discounting fixed blades and their associated skills with so much collective human refinement behind them.
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I think you missed my point. I recommend a fixed blade for a beginner, but that does not discount the usefulness of a fixed blade in the hands of someone more adept. I just don't think that a SAK will offer as much bang for the buck to a beginner. A fixed blade offers very obvious avenues to accomplishing tasks, that anybody can understand. A SAK often requires a rather obscure skill set, and a ton of patience and ingenuity, in order to assure success at those same common tasks. These obscure skills are learned a practised, and if you can live within their limitations, you have a viable survival tool that you can always have in your pocket.

dogstar said:
A folder will always be weaker than a fixed blade. It will do most tasks a fixed blade can do, and it will not be strong enough for others. If you can survive within the limits of a folder, that is great. A fixed blade has the potential for finesse and strength, and a greater skill set.
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I couldn't agree more. Therefore, I wouldn't advise a SAK as a potential survival knife for anyone without the experience to live within its limitations. Most can live within the limits of a good fixed blade. Some can live within the limits of a SAK, in a true outdoor survival situation.

dogstar said:
To keep things in perspective, most survival stories involve people who kept their wits and had the will to survive. I rarely read about people who say, "my knife saved my life." There were a couple of guys who amputated body parts to free themselves, that's it.
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That's what I've been saying!!!

Is anybody actually reading what I'm writing here? It seems as though everybody is trying to read something into my words that just isn't there, on both sides of the issue!!! I guess that after 40 years in the outdoors, I just can't see a simple black and white answer.
 
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Okay, Buzz! I'll try to read more, er, less into what you write. I agree, the older I get, the less I see things in black and white. Let's enjoy our knives!
 
I can't vouch for the effectiveness of a stand alone Vic Huntsman in a survival situation, but I do know that Les Stroud used one (Huntsman) in an early Survivorman episode - I believe it was the one entitled "Georgian Swamp". I think it was his only knife.
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If I remember well, he used it in the Canadian Boreal Forest episode too.

Just made me think that our special forces are issued with SAKs.
Last time I watched an old documentary about the basic training of the commando's.
They did great with a Pioneer.
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Dutch troops have been equipped with SAKs for many years and still are. Several other armies also equip their soldiers with SAKs. Of course it is part of a larger equipment, but don't underestimate the usefulness of the humble SAK.

I've never been in a survival situation, but I've used my SAKs for years on multiday/week hiking and camping trips. They can handle a lot of tasks, but of course they have their limits. A SAK and a Mora is still my favourite setup on my camping trips.
 
You'll never really know if it'll do for you until you do your own experimentation and gain your own experience. That way you can truly assess if it's what YOU'd want in a 'survival situation'.
 
I understand what Buzzbait is saying. Once I gave a Tinker to a work friend and I explained to him all the different tools and their uses. Within a few days, he comes in with a bad cut on his hand. He was using the blade to poke a hole in a leather belt and it folded on him. Duh.
 
cdf said:
Bear in mind the many outdoor situations also involve mechanical devices ( 4 Wheelers , Snowmachines , Outbnoards etc . ) , SAK's are very handy for such devices .
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Absolutely. Not to mention dis-assembling scrap stuff (removing old fallen signs from posts, for instance) to aid in shelter-building, or even to break into a locked shelter such as a game warden or forest-ranger's emergency cottage (common in forests of Europe), or an old trailer. It's not kosher to break into someone's property, of course, but in a true survival situation, all bets are off. In my mind, the primary goal in a survival situation is to get back to civilization (or get found) as soon as possible. Building a shelter and living off the land for an extended period of time? For 99.9 percent of us, that situation is as likely as flying to Mars. I'd take a sturdy SAK with a saw any time.
 
I really like SAK´s. I carry one every day (my Sivertech Huntsman or my Swisschamp). If you already own a Swisschamp, i would suggest to buy a 111mm model. A Soldier 08 or a one-handed Trekker would be fine. The saw is somewhat bigger an you have a locking blade.
There are also some great models from Wenger like the New Ranger Grip.
 
Back to original question, yes, a Vic Huntsman will do in a survival situation if you have the skill, experience, and time/patience. That being said, a SAK (huntman or farmer or forester) PLUS a good 4" to 5" fixed blade will do better. And if you're really fortunate/prepared, a SAK, a good fixed blade, AND an decent axe will do best (think of Nessmuk and Kephart).
 
fotobaerchi said:
I really like SAK´s. I carry one every day (my Sivertech Huntsman or my Swisschamp). If you already own a Swisschamp, i would suggest to buy a 111mm model. A Soldier 08 or a one-handed Trekker would be fine. The saw is somewhat bigger an you have a locking blade.
There are also some great models from Wenger like the New Ranger Grip.
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I do have the SwissChamp already, but I was thinking of still getting a Huntsman so it can be my "abuse" knife and not the more expensive SwissChamp. Regarding the step-up from a 91mm Cellidor like the Huntsman to an 111mm model like the Trekker or a Hunter, how big is the performance difference? Does the larger saw do much impressive sawing? Does the bigger blade do much better that the 2 smaller blades the 91mm offers (other than the locking ability)? Thank you.
 
Check out the Vic Forester. Or even better, take a look at the discontinued Vic Safari or Vic Safari Trooper available on (fleabay and a few other sites) with its thicker saw, longer awl, and longer plain blade with a textured nylon handle and intergral thong hole - by the way the corkscrew in great for loosening knots - just the right complement of tools for the trail in a larger, stronger, but lightweight package. Based on the Mauser GAK, I believe. I always have one tucked in a pocket when I head into the woods.
 
Regarding the step-up from a 91mm Cellidor like the Huntsman to an 111mm model like the Trekker or a Hunter, how big is the performance difference? Does the larger saw do much impressive sawing? Does the bigger blade do much better that the 2 smaller blades the 91mm offers (other than the locking ability)?
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The saws on the Victorinox SAKs work great. An advantage of the larger saw on the 111mm SAKs is that it enables you to cut wood with less effort. Also having a larger handle makes the SAK more comfortable to use if you need to saw or cut for a longer time. I took a Soldier 09 with me on camping trips in the woods and it just works great in such an environment. Just to be prepared I have a Huntsman in the rucksack as a backup. The saw on the Huntsman works fine too, it's just a little smaller, so it takes a bit more effort to cut wood.

In my experience the bigger blade on the 111mm SAKs is especially handy when preparing food. I usually carry an Opinel #8 that I use for food preparation only, but sometimes I use the SAK too and a bigger blade is just more comfortable to use when cutting food.

On recent models, the bottle opener / large screw driver on the 111mm SAKs is larger than the one found on the 91mm models and it locks. This makes it a handy tool for prying.

For hiking or camping in the woods, I go with a 111mm Victorinox SAK. The Wenger Ranger series would also be an option, they're larger than the 111mm series from Victorinox, but I don't have much experience with the Rangers.
 
Carloxicus said:
I do have the SwissChamp already, but I was thinking of still getting a Huntsman so it can be my "abuse" knife and not the more expensive SwissChamp. Regarding the step-up from a 91mm Cellidor like the Huntsman to an 111mm model like the Trekker or a Hunter, how big is the performance difference? Does the larger saw do much impressive sawing? Does the bigger blade do much better that the 2 smaller blades the 91mm offers (other than the locking ability)? Thank you.
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I don´t think so. The point ist the 111mm models all have a locking blade for safety.
 
I´ve taken some photos from the saws (and the blades), so you can see the differences yourself. At the top is the Swisschamp, in the middle is the Soldier 08 (it´s the version of the Bundeswehr - German armed forces), and at the bottom is the Wenger Rangergrip 178 (it´s almost the same as the Soldier from Victorinox). The design of the blade of the wenger is difference from the Vic.



....and the blades of the Soldier an the Rangergrip



They are all fantastic knives.
 
SImilar to the other larger saks. I;ve carried a vic forrester on me everyday for the past few years.. it has been on numerous back country survival type excursions with me.. it is my primary knife for light things (cleaning game, whittling traps and camp stuff) I however pair it with a larger work capable blade for the heavy stuff
I would feel ok with just the vic.. But it;s nice toi have something to process kindling with..
I find the victorinox steel hold an edge fine.. but through a hone and a strop in your bag and you;ll be G2G


More important however than the knife is your skill level and ability to adapt while using it.
 
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