Carrying a Swiss army knife for EDC

I grew up with SAKs, but honestly I’d take a Leatherman any day. Most models have locking tools, thicker blades, they just all around feel heavier duty imo.

Got the Skeletool CX in my edc rotation and a Wave with the screwdriver bits that lives full time in my pickup
I understand. I grew up with non-locking slip joints. Locks have never been important to me in general as I don't depend on them. I don't do any serious "fixing" with a SAK. I would use regular tools or perhaps my Vic Spirit or SOG Power Lock. The thin blade on SAKs is an asset, not a detriment. (corrected the spelling)

Added: I find SAKs occasionally with broken blades. I have never broken a SAK blade in the 30 years I have been using them. I guess folks did some serious prying with their SAK to do this. The thick blades found on many modern knives are simply un-necessary and reduce the cutting efficiency beyond a quick slice.
 
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I understand. I grew up with non-locking slip joints. Locks have never been important to me in general as I don't depend on them. I don't do any serious "fixing" with a SAK. I would use regular tools or perhaps my Vic Spirit or SOG Power Lock. The thin blade on SAKs is an asset, not a detriment. (corrected the spelling)

Added: I find SAKs occasionally with broken blades. I have never broken a SAK blade in the 30 years I have been using them. I guess folks did some serious prying with their SAK to do this. The thick blades found on many modern knives are simply un-necessary and reduce the cutting efficiency beyond a quick slice.
A broken blade on sak is a obvious testament to someone ignorant,use the screw driver blade.A not her example of laziness of today's society.It's amazing today that so many people do not possess the basic skills to make the most mundane repairs as tightening a loose screw, I don't get the throw away evrything, that's prevalent today.Many want to save the planet but can't a toilet seat,buy a sak and try
 
A broken blade on sak is a obvious testament to someone ignorant,use the screw driver blade.A not her example of laziness of today's society.It's amazing today that so many people do not possess the basic skills to make the most mundane repairs as tightening a loose screw, I don't get the throw away evrything, that's prevalent today.Many want to save the planet but can't a toilet seat,buy a sak and try

Totally agree. Although I will add that the screwdriver blade on a SAK might not always be the best option either, especially on the 58mm models. I’ve snapped the nail file/screwdriver of a classic once. That’s when I decided to get one of those pry bars for my keys. $5 at Home Depot, works well enough as a screwdriver and best of all you can open beers with it.
 
Totally agree. Although I will add that the screwdriver blade on a SAK might not always be the best option either, especially on the 58mm models. I’ve snapped the nail file/screwdriver of a classic once. That’s when I decided to get one of those pry bars for my keys. $5 at Home Depot, works well enough as a screwdriver and best of all you can open beers with it.
I have opened more than a few soft drink cans with the sak flat head screw driver blade. I have one of those little pry bars from the home centers also. At the time, I was thinking edc, but later decided it was not something I use very often, so it went into my tool bag that I keep in the house and moved to my vehicle on trips. I have a pretty full set of tools that I might use in my work vehicle and the need to pry something with a sak while working where a higher level of force might be applied simply doesn't happen. Pry bars in work vehicle range from small to large.
 
I have opened more than a few soft drink cans with the sak flat head screw driver blade.

With one of the 58mm keychain models? Mind if I ask how? I’ve tried various techniques but couldn’t find a way to open a bottle with my SAK classic. I mostly just use the bottom of a BIC
 
With one of the 58mm keychain models? Mind if I ask how? I’ve tried various techniques but couldn’t find a way to open a bottle with my SAK classic. I mostly just use the bottom of a BIC

I've done this so many times I can't count.

Take the beer bottle in left hand and 58mm in right hand with SD tipped nail file out. Insert screw driver tip under the edge of the cap and twist gently. Do NOT PRY. Just a gentle twist. Do this and move a little around the circumference of the cap. By the time you get a third of the way around, the cap is now loose enough to pop off with a little thumb pressure. I've been doing this for years now with no ill effects on my classic. Takes about 10 seconds.

Now that I carry an executive and the classic is retired, I use the same technique with the SD tip on the orange peeler. Works just fine.

Edit to add; The metal used in crown type bottle caps is so soft, its not needed to carry a dedicated bottle opener. A teaspoon, Bic lighter, butter knife, small screw driver, table edge, other beer bottle, all work so well.
 
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I've done this so many times I can't count.

Take the beer bottle in left hand and 58mm in right hand with SD tipped nail file out. Insert screw driver tip under the edge of the cap and twist gently. Do NOT PRY. Just a gentle twist. Do this and move a little around the circumference of the cap. By the time you get a third of the way around, the cap is now loose enough to pop off with a little thumb pressure. I've been doing this for years now with no ill effects on my classic. Takes about 10 seconds.

Now that I carry an executive and the classic is retired, I use the same technique with the SD tip on the orange peeler. Works just fine.

Thanks!!! I’ll have to try that later today
 
I have never tried to open a soft drink or adult beverage can with a Classic or one in the 58mm size. I bought an alox classic mostly to really take a hard look at it's practicality in my life. However, my wife saw the knife and placed it on her key ring. Last I saw of it. ;) The smallest SAK I use is a Small Tinker. Of the smaller ones, the only thing smaller I might consider is the Executive model. But I'm quite content with the Small Tinker.
 
Haha I don’t blame you, the Tinker is one of my favorite SAK patterns.

I still have the tinker my father bought me when I joined Boy Scouts. Ah the places that knife has been :rolleyes:
 
I have never tried to open a soft drink or adult beverage can with a Classic or one in the 58mm size. I bought an alox classic mostly to really take a hard look at it's practicality in my life. However, my wife saw the knife and placed it on her key ring. Last I saw of it. ;) The smallest SAK I use is a Small Tinker. Of the smaller ones, the only thing smaller I might consider is the Executive model. But I'm quite content with the Small Tinker.

I thought I would miss the 84mm SAK's when I got the executive and tried the switch to downsize. It took me a while to finally go without the larger SAK walking our the the door in the mooring, but with he Victoriox quattro and P-38 in my wallet, that really eliminated one whole layer of the larger SAK. I haven't missed my cadet or recruit much at all. Most times I reach for my pocket knife, it's to cut something, and the executive gives me two knife blades, a third weird little serrated edge on the orange peeler, and scissors. If I need much screw driver or can opener, the P-38 or quattro is on hand.

In the nine months I've been carrying the executive, I've got very used to it and now a 84mm feels big in my pocket. I didn't like the quattro at first, but on giving it a second chance, I feel different now about it. It's handles all screw driving just fine.
 
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I have lately been carrying the SAK Mountaineer and added the plus scales. This tool combines all the tools I use and need in a carry-able size. Do supplement with a Pioneer at times but really liking the Mountaineer.
 
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Not everywhere. But they can be carried in many more places than concealed firearms. I also have TSA approved pocket tools, but don’t feel that they are safe from confiscation.
 
For about 20 years a Vic classic was on my keyring, and it got used for a heck of a lottos cutting, snipping, screwing, and even bottle opening now and then.

In the 50 years since I got my first SAK, there has been one on or close to me, no matter what other knife was with me. I carried a Buck stockman for time, then a Case peanut for a while, but the SAK was my constant. Like the pole star, it was constant companion, EDC tool, emergency resource. Many times it was my sole EDC. When I was to fly someplace on vacation, I would mail a recruit to myself where I would be staying.

Only in my 'later' life have I almost I gone sole EDC SAK. There are a few 'other' pocket knives in my sock drawer, but they very rarely get carried anymore. I guess I have always been very aware that a knife, a real dedicated knife, is just a one trick pony. All it does is cut. Too many times I've had to fix something out in the middle of nowhere, and a SAK was in my pocket. A small bundle of tools lets you fix things like faulty motorcycles, a trolling motor on a canoe at the far end of a large lake, a fishing reel out on the flats in the Florida Keys.

I finally got tired of lugging around a bunch of knives so I just went sole SAK. It makes life easier. I haven't run into anything that a SAK wouldn't cut that a Buck stockman, Boker Barlow, or any other knife would do better. And the SAK has tools. And that's what makes the difference.

Bravo sir. Well spoken. :thumbsup:
 
I've had a SAK in my pocket for the last 25+ years. Started with a Huntsman, dabbled with some other models (Tinker, Super Tinker, Compact, Wenger Traveler, Cadet, etc) but for the last several years I've carried the Explorer almost exclusively. Having the in-line phillips screwdriver and scissors in the same SAK is just way too useful to for any 2- or 3-layer SAK to compete with. The only tool I want that the Explorer is missing is the nail file. If I could swap the small blade for a nail file like the Cadet's. I would totally do it.
 
I carry a Pioneer X daily, when I have on my jeans, which is usually. If they would make the Cadet X I requested of them, I would carry that instead.
 
I carry a Pioneer X daily, when I have on my jeans, which is usually. If they would make the Cadet X I requested of them, I would carry that instead.

I'd still be on board with that if Victorinox would bring it out.:thumbsup:

I'd be just as happy if they took the executive and did away with the silly orange peeler and put on a combo tool in it's place.

"Hope springs eternal in the human breast." Alexander Pope.
 
I don't carry one daily but I keep a black Tinker on my gun rack and I carry it on trips or vacations in addition to whatever knife I'm carrying at the time. I've entertained the idea of putting a classic on my keyring but I try to keep my keys down to what I just have to have. Holidays and birthdays I make it a point to carry the Tinker. It makes blister packs open easily and toys zip tied to their box don't stand a chance. It's the one knife that I don't obsess over it's edge. Maybe it's a bad habit of mine with that knife? See, I got it used and cheap and the big blade had apparently been used to turn a really big screw because there's a bent spot in the blade about a 1/4" up into the blade from the edge so i sharpen it on a (get ready to cringe, people) carbide knife sharpener. I don't waste time with it on whet rocks because the edge won't touch the stone like it should. Couple swipes of the bent blade through this doo-hickey and it'll send more zip ties and blister packs to their deaths. I think that's one reason I like the thing, the bent blade and guilt free "sharpening" of how I use it. I'll cut whatever with it, even those plastic dipped metal twist tie things around some toys at kid's birthdays. Dull? 5 seconds on that carbide contraption and it'll almost shave hair again. I do have a nice Huntsman (?) my wife and daughter got me for Christmas before the other kids were born. I haven't carried it in 10 years because it was a gift and I don't want to lose it but I plan to one day.
 
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