"There and back again", a traveling SAK.

J

jackknife

Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
17,386
Soooo, we left Georgetown Texas on Thursday to go and visit the daughter and her family out here in Mission Viejo, California. Travel was via a Toyota Highlander packed with our luggage and a Australian Sheppard named Abby. Some space was left in back so the co-driver could go get a bit of sleep while the other drive, and we made the trip in 28 hours. That included a two hour space at a rest stop in New Mexico where we both had a nap. On the road the Wenger was used to slice up some snacks, open snack packages.

Pocket stiff for the trip was my ever present classic on keyring, and my old Wenger SI in a belt pouch sheath. The Leatherman squirt was in the suitcase, along with the old Buck 102 fixed blade. On Saturday, we went to Huntington Beach for the dog beach, so Abby didn't have to left out. Daughter Jessica had packed a soft sided cooler with food, and the Wenger was used to make ham and cheese sandwiches from the French baguette. A block of Swiss cheese was sliced up as was a chunk of ham, and the SAK was used to open those pesky plastic packs of mustard. So far, the fixed blade has not been needed.

Its going to very interesting to go this whole trip with just a few SAK's, and I wonder if that could make me get rid of the lest few non SAK pocket knives I own? I purposely left all my dedicated knives like my Opinel's and such, that are a residue of my die hard knife nut days. In truth, I very rarely need anything but my classic, except for food processing while away from home. Then I have the old Wenger that has been my mainstay survivor of all my knives.

We'll see.
 
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Recently went to Iceland. Didn’t take anything with me. Time passed so fast and didn’t even miss my SAKs. 🤷‍♂️

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Safe travels! If you take any pics, please be sure to include Abby, I love those Aussies!
 
Update.

Soooo, we've been here a little over a week now, its Saturday, and we arrived a week ago last Thursday. Its been busy. Aside from the beach trips, and some hiking up a canyon, theres been a lot of work to catchup on at the house. I love my son-in-law, he makes my daughter laugh, provides well for my granddaughter, and he supplies me with good cigars to go with the cold vodka tonics he makes so well.

BUT...he ain't never gonna compete with Bob Villa. Handy Harry homeowner he ain't, so every time we drive out, theres work to be done. Today my wife and I recovered all the dining room chairs. The Wenger SI SD tip on the can opener did heroic duty on all the little Phillips screws, both taking off and putting seat bottoms back on. Sometimes the L brackets had to be moved because the screw holed got mess-up up over the years, so the Wenger awl did a lot of starter holes for new wood screw locations.

Some yard work meant some nice pine bark mulch spread around a location by the back patio, so the classic slit a couple bags of mulch open. After, it did some maintenance on my nails.

So far, so good, not needed any more in the way of cutlery or tools.
 
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I just got back from a week long vacation and the only knife I carried was a Victorinox Evo Wood14. It handled everything from making a sandwich to retightening the screws on a shower door. It never left me wanting something with a bigger blade or better steel.
 
We are having a week long vacation (domestically this time) in about month and of course I have been thinking for months what to bring. 😁
I think I'll bring my SwissTool because there's always some fixing to do at the old god grand parents house. Totally fine with the idea of non-super-steel-steel.
 
Back home again!

As much as I love me family, it was nice to be back in my own bed at night, shower in my own bathroom, cook in my own kitchen where I know where everything is. Had a leisurely trip back, stopping in Las Cruses New Mexico for the night.

From the 24th of August to a few days ago, my only tools were the old faithful war horse, the Wenger SI, and my classic. They did it all, expect for serious cooking duties that my daughters Victorinox equipped kitchen cutlery handled.

The most used tool on my SAK next the blade used on picnics, was the SD tip of the can opener. Small Phillips screws were dealt with putting up a curtain rod, hanging a shelf, fixing some loose frame members on a sofa, taking apart and putting back tougher a leaf blower, erecting a new net frame for granddaughters batting practice. The awl was used for making starter holes for wood screws.

The SD tip of the classic nail file was also used as a Phillips driver, using it like Felix Immler recommended with the tool open at 90 degrees for torque safety. Smart man that Felix. Of course the classic was also used for nail maintenance after two weeks away from home. Small scissors was used for light beard trimming. Some stray hairs here and there. Classic blade was used for opening a lot of packages of hardware and stuff from Home Depot. In addition to the world being held together with Phillips screws, somewhere the decision was made to encase everything with plastic that is tooth and nail resistant.

We've been home now since last Sunday evening, and its now Wednesday, and I haven't changed what I'm carrying. The old Wenger is still in its belt pouch behind my right hip, and the classic is still in its ever present keyring leather sheath. I don't know when I will change it. If I do.
 
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