A year and four months.

[Juergen23]

The humble SAK represents one the few honest good worth per dollar on the market today.

That's a fact. I read somewhere that the founder of Victorinox was a highly devout Lutheran whose mission it was to really serve his clientele with good quality Swiss made knives affordable for the Average Swiss Joe. It wasn't about profit.

When they took over Wenger, at was with zero job losses for the Wenger staff.

And some years ago I send a 1970's Recruit to their factory for repair. It belonged to my father. A few weeks later I got it back, repaired like new with original parts of the era it was made in (tang stamp). Cost me nothing except for the 10 euro shipping back from Switzerland to my place in Holland. And all the while they kept me up to date through their distributor. It's just outstanding.

And you're very much right about your Casio watch. I once fell for the high end watches nonsense as well. Cost me a lot of money. Lots of watches sold at a huge loss. And all the while my nephew's kids watch kept better time than some high end mechanical watch I oncr owned.

Same with cars like you say. I drive a very nice Kia that costs far less than anything from Europe, yet when I drive that car, I'm just as comfortable as anyone driving an overpriced German or French car.

 

[Juergen23]

So this morning I decided to use the Classic to cut open two oven baked bread rolls. The little blade on my Classic sliced through the crust like the best bread knife. It was a very clean cut. I think this shows that even the smallest of SAK can be useful for food duty.

 

[jackknife]

So this morning I decided to use the Classic to cut open two oven baked bread rolls. The little blade on my Classic sliced through the crust like the best bread knife. It was a very clean cut. I think this shows that even the smallest of SAK can be useful for food duty.

Oh it cn be done, but sometimes you have to think about it and plan a bit differently. I recall watching my dad with his little Case, slice open a Kaiser roll for a sandwich. Dad didn't like premade sandwiches, said they sometimes tasted stale. he liked to carry the ingredients and make the sandwich out there in the woods.

He took the roll, that was way bigger than his blade, and he sliced around the circumference all the way. This was almost all the way through. Then he twisted the upper and lower half of the roll in different directions and that did it. He had the roll in hand, with. a little tuft in the middle that he just laid the ham and cheese over.

The small SAK's and Case peanut class of pocket knives area mostly knife. They will do mostly 98% of what you need it a city setting. For the other two percent, just improvise or use another tool.. But for 98%, why burden yourself with a bigger and heavier tool, when there's other stuff to be carrying.

 

[Daedric Panther]

I did a small experiment the last few days. I took my SAK classic off my keys and stashed it in my pocket. I made a point to use it for all my cutting tasks instead of my large folder. Don’t get me wrong I had my Zt clipped to my back pocket like always but I tried not to use it. Figured no way a little classic could handle the abuse of life in a mechanic shop.

Well it did. Everything from cutting open boxes of parts, to an old hose, to tire patches. It even sailed through several of those large zip ties, I dare say better than my ZT does. Not sure how it will hold up to exposure to brake clean and automatic transmission fluid but that could be remedied with an alox model.

 

[jackknife]

I did a small experiment the last few days. I took my SAK classic off my keys and stashed it in my pocket. I made a point to use it for all my cutting tasks instead of my large folder. Don’t get me wrong I had my Zt clipped to my back pocket like always but I tried not to use it. Figured no way a little classic could handle the abuse of life in a mechanic shop.

Well it did. Everything from cutting open boxes of parts, to an old hose, to tire patches. It even sailed through several of those large zip ties, I dare say better than my ZT does. Not sure how it will hold up to exposure to brake clean and automatic transmission fluid but that could be remedied with an alox model.

"You've taken a step into a larger universe, Luke."

All kidding aside, good for you! I used to work in a machine shop with all kinds of boxes of parts to open for modification, and some grungy work. I kept a Stanley utility knife on my work bench for the really grunge jobs, but out in the world the 58mm will do.

PS- next time you need to undo some zip ties, try inserting the knife point or tweezers leg into the hole on the side where the zip tie pulls through. With a little practice you can release the zip tie so it can be used again. It's actually very easy to do, there's lots of YouTube videos on zip tie undoing.

BUT...be veerry careful there Panther. It's very easy to get acclimated to the small ones, to where you can't go back to the bigger ones anymore. They will feel like a brick in the pocket. BUT...it's sooooo liberating to withdraw from the knife nut insanity. Like a ball and chain being removed from your leg.

 

[Juergen23]

I did a small experiment the last few days. I took my SAK classic off my keys and stashed it in my pocket. I made a point to use it for all my cutting tasks instead of my large folder. Don’t get me wrong I had my Zt clipped to my back pocket like always but I tried not to use it. Figured no way a little classic could handle the abuse of life in a mechanic shop.

Well it did. Everything from cutting open boxes of parts, to an old hose, to tire patches. It even sailed through several of those large zip ties, I dare say better than my ZT does. Not sure how it will hold up to exposure to brake clean and automatic transmission fluid but that could be remedied with an alox model.

I think a pocket or at least some place where it easy to grab it is best. A Classic fixed to a keychain that can't be released when you're going to use the knife, is stupid. It has to be carried in way that it can be used as a standalone item, not fixed to keys etc.

I carry mine loose in the right front pocket. A Classic is keychain sized but I'm pretty sure it was never meant to be used fixed to a keychain. The little o-ring is there to fix it to something temporarily. Almost any SAK has an o-ring but you wouldn't use a Pioneer that is fixed to your keychain either. Remember too that the Classic was once sold without any attachment point at all.

After a few days, you may have noticed that the Classic is a very capable little tool. I tried just about the whole SAK catalogue for everyday carry and find the Classic to be the best. It's so small and light that it's not a brick in the pocket. It can cut anything you will encounter in a modern urban environment; twine for gardening and home projects, zip ties, label tags, bread rolls and sandwiches, small boxes. It opens letters and packages, shrinked plastic. It can even cut aluminum soda cans. Furthermore it sharpens pencils. And it's very easy to sharpen and can be made scalpel sharp.

Unless you use your pocket knife mainly for food, there is no good reason that I can think of to carry something larger. And bonus points for the fact that I can use a Classic on a busy subway train without people freaking out.

 

[ShaiHulud]

I had a swiss army knife classic some year or years ago that primarily saw use opening up all my boxes containing knives I bought, I was then disturbed by how useful that little one inch blade was, saw more use than the knives that preceded it! (Who-da-thunk?)
Sure, your tasks are pretty much limited to that little jack, nonetheless it saw a plethora or uses, self grooming included. I lost my classic somewhere, and find myself constantly using my wife's on her Keychain, now i may not go through life with only that little cuticle scraper, but I'm telling ya, comes real handy especially if paired with a Tinker

 

[Juergen23]

Today the Classic already parted two bread rolls, cut open a bag of coffee beans at work, opened a pack of nut bars and a sachet of instant soup. And yesterday evening I used the Classic to cut out a slot in the top of what was a plastic container of dried onion flakes. It will be reused in the bathroom to collect spent double edged razor blades as my wife hates it when I put them in the regular trash bin for obvious reasons.

 

[ShaiHulud]

Today the Classic already parted two bread rolls, cut open a bag of coffee beans at work, opened a pack of nut bars and a sachet of instant soup. And yesterday evening I used the Classic to cut out a slot in the top of what was a plastic container of dried onion flakes. It will be reused in the bathroom to collect spent double edged razor blades as my wife hates it when I put them in the regular trash bin for obvious reasons.

Lots of uses, when I had my classic I would often use the little jack over the locking folder next to it, some might say "the locking knife can do all a classic can do and more cause it locks, and while that may be true in some way I find the simplicity of a slipjoint to satisfy what I needed to do at the time and the locking folding knife just appeared to be "too much blade" for the task, not that it couldn't handle it, but it wasn't what was grabbed. I find myself continue to grow a deep interest with rural America 1900 to 1940 where people had slipjoint knives, usually smaller than what is seen used today, and they lasted a long time, decades, stropped more than sharpened, not used as a pry bar or hammer. I can keep going but I'll conclude by stating with the exception of an emergency where a locking blade is safer to be used, the Swiss army knife can do it

 

[jackknife]

Lots of uses, when I had my classic I would often use the little jack over the locking folder next to it, some might say "the locking knife can do all a classic can do and more cause it locks, and while that may be true in some way I find the simplicity of a slipjoint to satisfy what I needed to do at the time and the locking folding knife just appeared to be "too much blade" for the task, not that it couldn't handle it, but it wasn't what was grabbed. I find myself continue to grow a deep interest with rural America 1900 to 1940 where people had slipjoint knives, usually smaller than what is seen used today, and they lasted a long time, decades, stropped more than sharpened, not used as a pry bar or hammer. I can keep going but I'll conclude by stating with the exception of an emergency where a locking blade is safer to be used, the Swiss army knife can do it

Take a look at the pics of the knives recovered from the excavation of the steamboat "Arabia" that sunk in 1856. It was full of goods heading west to settlements up the Missouri River. Lots of simple single blade slips joints, some with sheepfoot blades. It wasn't until Buck came out with the 110 that the American knife buying public was convinced that using a non locking knife was crazy.

If you need a blade that won't fold over on you, then use a fixed blade.

 

[ShaiHulud]

Take a look at the pics of the knives recovered from the excavation of the steamboat "Arabia" that sunk in 1856. It was full of goods heading west to settlements up the Missouri River. Lots of simple single blade slips joints, some with sheepfoot blades. It wasn't until Buck came out with the 110 that the American knife buying public was convinced that using a non locking knife was crazy.

If you need a blade that won't fold over on you, then use a fixed blade.

Thanks for sharing, I ran into your downsizing stories on another forum and see youre active here too, I appreciate you sharing your experiences and wisdom

 

[Scuttlery]

Nice post/musings... If things go my way, I may be carrying a 58mm again myself. I carried my first all the time and now can't believe I don't know where it is...

Fantastic! Somewhere, my first knife: 58mm Victorinox Companion (without keyring) exists... (I hope.)

Can't find it. Should be somewhere at the family home - or else, I may have given it to a former girlfriend - thinking it was the honorable thing to do since I'd moved up to a Huntsman...

I'm hoping it's at the family home - and that I find it...

 

[Daedric Panther]

So far this experiment has shown me I don’t necessarily need a large blade or a locking blade, contrary to what myself and others had thought. I do however find myself missing the longer handle of larger knives. I might be tempted to pick up another tinker or Spartan and try that as a sole edc knife as I did when I first got into knives. I tried a SAK huntsman a while back and found it to be a bit of a pocket brick.

The more I think about it, I find myself asking a simple question. What can my ZT folders do that a two or three layer SAK cannot? Probably not much. What can a two layer SAK do that my folders can’t? A lot.

 

[J Buck]

So far this experiment has shown me I don’t necessarily need a large blade or a locking blade, contrary to what myself and others had thought. I do however find myself missing the longer handle of larger knives. I might be tempted to pick up another tinker or Spartan and try that as a sole edc knife as I did when I first got into knives. I tried a SAK huntsman a while back and found it to be a bit of a pocket brick.

The more I think about it, I find myself asking a simple question. What can my ZT folders do that a two or three layer SAK cannot? Probably not much. What can a two layer SAK do that my folders can’t? A lot.

That statement right there just about covers the SAK enthusiast idea. It took me a long time to grasp that idea. Must be my thick, hard-headed skull.

 

[jackknife]

The more I think about it, I find myself asking a simple question. What can my ZT folders do that a two or three layer SAK cannot? Probably not much. What can a two layer SAK do that my folders can’t? A lot.

You already know the answer to that. Even a simple little tinker is way ahead of the cult worshiped ZT. The ZT, like all those "other" knives are a simple one trick pony. They cut, and that's it. Need a screw driver? Outa luck. Need a bottle opener? Outa luck. Need an awl to make a starter hole for a wood screw? Outa luck. Got a splinter in a finger or burr up between the dogs paw pads and need tweezers? Outa luck. A tinker or spartan, or even a humble recruit can handle most of that. The ZT, you're outa luck. All the knife can do is cut. The SAK is a solution to lots of small problems that pop up in life.

 

[Juergen23]

The tiny Classic has more 'solutions-to-a-problem' packed in its 58mm frame than any dedicated folder knife I can think of.

 

[jackknife]

The tiny Classic has more 'solutions-to-a-problem' packed in its 58mm frame than any dedicated folder knife I can think of.

I think the SD tip of the classic has got me out of more bad situations by just letting me deal with the Phillips screws holding something together, than the blade ever did. I've had so many experiences of just getting a cover off something and poking around, prodding, cleaning out some gunk, cleaning a contact, or just tightening up something and fixing the problem. But getting into it I needed to take out the Phillips screws holding it together.

The classic has definitely fixed some stuff for me along the road of life.

 

[Juergen23]

I think the SD tip of the classic has got me out of more bad situations by just letting me deal with the Phillips screws holding something together, than the blade ever did. I've had so many experiences of just getting a cover off something and poking around, prodding, cleaning out some gunk, cleaning a contact, or just tightening up something and fixing the problem. But getting into it I needed to take out the Phillips screws holding it together.

The classic has definitely fixed some stuff for me along the road of life.

For me, the Classic is first and foremost a 'pocket knife'. In (western) Europe when people talk about a pocket knife, they basically mean a SAK. It's what a traditional Case or perhaps a Buck slip joint is to people living in the good ol' USofA.

However I think the added value offered by the tool selection on different SAK Models, is what made it a worldwide hit. This must also be the reason why it's such a well loved pocket knife in the US.

There's just something about that red handle and cross. A pocket knife that can actually do more than cut.

My love for the SAK is deeply rooted. It started when I was very young watching my dad fix things with his old Recruit. I got my first SAK when I was 10 or so, a basic Wenger model with blade and cap lifter.

Now, at middle age, I still feel like I 10 year old when I fix and cut things with my little Classic. It may be just a souvenir or toy to those who are not 'into' knives. To me it represents a lot more than that. Knowing that in my front pocket is a little knife with added tool capabilities to deal with whatever inconvenience life throws at me, is just amazing.

 

[Tafkaag]

...Nothing really changed since then apart from the fact that a Classic and a Rally are on duty depending on the situation. I do like myself a dedicated bottle opener and not always need scissors...

...So today I decided to put away my Rally and replace it with a new Classic. This because I started missing the little scissors. So from today it's once more the Classic for me...

Given your fondness for the Rally's Phillips/bottle opener, I'm surprised you didn't opt for a Rambler; it would have simplified your EDC by putting scissors and the Phillips all in one unit and leading to one less decision tree for the day.

As to pocket vs. keychain carry, either the Classic or the Rally should fit in a Clip and Carry SwissLinQ (I plan on trying to run this with an Alox Minichamp), or in an aftermarket keychain slip sheath as seen on Etsy or even from Victorinox in silicone or leather.

ETA: can confirm the SwissLinQ does not work with the Alox Minichamp. Doubt it would work with a Rambler, either, so its use is limited to celidor Classics/Classic SDs, Rallys, and Jetsetters.

 

[Daedric Panther]

I continue this experiment of trying to use the classic instead of my “main knife” and the results continue to impress me. Today at work it cut half a dozen tire repair patches, was used to remove old o rings on filter housings, opened the panel for a few air filters, opening a box of parts from the parts guy, and trimmed a nail I snagged on something. I’ve found that the classic also fulfills the role of the small flathead screwdriver that every mechanic seems to carry clipped to their shirt pocket as a general use poking scraping light prying tool. How long will the classic last before the springs get all gummed up is another question but so far so good.