Who's got experience with the Victorinox 111 mm "Hunter" model?

EngrSorenson

EngrSorenson

Noticed by Senpai
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Preamble:
This all started a couple weeks ago, when my family was visiting our favorite 1830's centric working museum and I found some recently pruned branches laying about from their heritage apple trees. (the apple type dates back 200 years)
They were small, maybe 3/4" in diameter and still green. Looks like they were cut the day before.
Anyway, thought I could use a 6" length of it for whittling something for the missus, so I started cutting a V notch in the surprisingly dense wood to take a piece.
It felt like it probably 5-10 minutes to finish getting it cleanly separated, and I thought that was the rare occasion when I wish my SAK had a saw.

I've been looking around, and I think the 111 mm models looks like good choices. I particularly liked the look of the hunter model, particularly the redesign with the liner lock.
Who's got experience with one? I can find videos on the old version, but even those are surprisingly limited.
It seems like the gut hook could be a generally good package opener / cordage cutter / seat belt cutter / First aid apparel removal tool.
 
Only 111 I have experience with is the Hercules. (A great choice, BTW if you need pliers or dedicated phillips screwdrivers (it has 2) in addition to the saw and scissors. 😇)
Sorry. ☹️
 
I don't have that model but have had the skipper and hercules, both being bigger SAK's. The hercules is a beast, having a lot of layers. The skipper was more manageable weight-wise, but I wanted a saw and pliers so that pretty much left the hercules.

I don't like the liner lock, personally, but I do like the longer blade and longer saw. I liked the side lock the skipper had, but it was an older model. The little extra length on the saw, vs something like a camper/hiker, is really nice for crafting, IMO.

If there was a 111mm with just a saw, pliers, and knife, I would be quite happy.
 
EngrSorenson said:
is that liner locks in general? or this one in particular? It looks like it's a left handed liner lock.
Click to expand...
Just this particular one. It is left handed, and that's a minor nuisance but not the main problem. It's odd that it has half-stop on a blade with a liner lock, the blade rocks a fair bit, and the lockup is quite late as from Vic. The lock protrudes oddly in front of the blade where normally your finger would go and the lockbar strength is pretty high so not so easy to close one-handed (which is easy to do with most knives, especially slipjoints). It's like it's made with a slipjoint back spring and then a half-butt liner lock.

I like liner locks a lock. I think vic did the worst execution of one from many I've tried. Maybe it's a limitation because of the MT nature, but leatherman's lock is much better. I just wish it was a regular splitjoint.

I do like the liner lock on the screwdriver/pry tool though. That's much more useful.

20240405_123850.jpg20240405_123859.jpg
 
bikerector said:
I like liner locks a lock. I think vic did the worst execution of one from many I've tried. Maybe it's a limitation because of the MT nature, but leatherman's lock is much better. I just wish it was a regular splitjoint.
Click to expand...
This might give me pause, so I appreciate the feedback. I'd be buying it in spite of the lock, as I don't particularly care if it locks or not.
But if the lock isn't great, or gets in the way... maybe I'm not interested after all.
I'll have to think about that more.
 
I've been carrying an old, used 111mm Hunter in the pocket lately. I found the guthook handy to cut small green things around the house (brambles, etc...). And of course the Vic woodsaw is very effective for small tree limbs.

bfAsm59.jpg
 
EngrSorenson said:
This might give me pause, so I appreciate the feedback. I'd be buying it in spite of the lock, as I don't particularly care if it locks or not.
But if the lock isn't great, or gets in the way... maybe I'm not interested after all.
I'll have to think about that more.
Click to expand...
You might still find the older "slide lock" version. I think they replaced it with the newer liner-lock for economical reasons (and it was a Wenger design). Either versions are fine, but yeah, the slide lock is more practical.
 
The Huntsman has a saw. Rather annoying in the pocket if it lays down horizontally however so I'd buy a pouch for it. I wonder if the buck 112 pouch would fit
 
It's a really nice model. The small blade is really handy. The combo tool is nice and beefy compared to the 91mm ones. I ground the top of it down just enough to fit Philips screws. Now it's excellent.

About the liner lock. I believe it's designed to use two hands for safety. Also, the 111's are slipjoints WITH a liner lock, not just a swinging, loose liner lock, as we think we know them.
 
jazzz said:
The combo tool is nice and beefy compared to the 91mm ones. I ground the top of it down just enough to fit Philips screws.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the review, I’m one bad morning at work away from picking one up.

I’m surprised you had to grind to combo tool- they designed it so the from corner fits down in Phillips heads. Just used the combo tool yesterday to tighten a loose hinge on a cabinet door at church. Is there something different about the one on this Hunter model?
 
I've carried one on my travels for years. I find it the most useful chore knife I have. It has saved me countless times in a myriad of ways from fixing ventilation ducts to basic car repairs.

I carry mine when I travel as well. Although only in my luggage, never on my person in urban environments as so many countries forbid locking blade carry.



 
EngrSorenson said:
Thanks for the review, I’m one bad morning at work away from picking one up.

I’m surprised you had to grind to combo tool- they designed it so the from corner fits down in Phillips heads. Just used the combo tool yesterday to tighten a loose hinge on a cabinet door at church. Is there something different about the one on this Hunter model?
Click to expand...

I ground the top down a bit so it fits Philips straight on, not awkwardly at an angle. Works way better, and still does flat head screws just fine. Here's a link to some pics of others I've done... here.
 
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jazzz said:
I ground the top down a bit so it fits Philips straight on, not awkwardly at an angle. Works way better, and still does flat head screws just fine. Here's a link to some pics of others I've done... here.
Click to expand...

FT8JlEF.jpeg


That's very similar to the original combo tool shape.

Here it is on the old 84mm golfer model (discontinued), next to a waiter with the current combo tool:

spoon-b.jpg
 
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