Coming back to Victorinox SAK...
- Thread starter lonestar1979
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I liked Wenger's too,checked out a nice victorinox evo grip Wenger with yellow scales and am getting it soon.quality is excellent on those.
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My Vic rambler is my only true edc. I carry something else everyday but the rambler is always on my keychain.
The only times in the past 5 or so years that I haven't carried it is when I flew somewhere for a vacation and on those occasions I carried a hiker or tinker.
It might not always be my go to knife for a cutting task but the tools have proved invaluable more times than I can count, and it's great to have if I'm around sensitive people and my other knife is a fixed blade or modern knife.
The only times in the past 5 or so years that I haven't carried it is when I flew somewhere for a vacation and on those occasions I carried a hiker or tinker.
It might not always be my go to knife for a cutting task but the tools have proved invaluable more times than I can count, and it's great to have if I'm around sensitive people and my other knife is a fixed blade or modern knife.
Stropping Young Lad
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Like a lot of people, my first pocket knife was a little key chain SAK. It has long since been lost, but I have always had at least one SAK somewhere.
I've recently been toying with the idea of picking up a minichamp... talk me into it!!
I've recently been toying with the idea of picking up a minichamp... talk me into it!!
Hickory n steel
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Luckily my first knife ( only technically ) was a Vic Classic that I found when I was 3, because my mom took it " until you're old enough " and I was able to get it back last month about 19 years after I found it.
I wish I had been able to carry it as a kid and certainly for more than the hour or two before my mom saw me with it, but then I wouldn't have it today.
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One of my favourite SAK's is the Excelsior with only the large blade(0,6910), no keyring and no small blade. Superb traditional pocket floater, super lightweight.
One of my favourite SAK's is the Excelsior with only the large blade(0,6910), no keyring and no small blade. Superb traditional pocket floater, super lightweight.
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I always liked this one too, but never bought it,i do not think its in production anymore, wenger used to have alox version that was similar and very nice too.Ill lookthis one up now and order it if I can find it.these are lightweight minimalist knives that simply work.
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There is one with 2 blades on amazon, there used to be alox version too.Wenger version was even better ,and I regret not buying it when I had chance(red alox).Beautiful knife,extremely lightweight.Now I see Pioneer x multi tool alox sak on sale, and am thinking LOL.Scissors would be handy on alox model.I am still waiting for my money clip alox model, should be here today or on Monday.
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They are still in the catalogue. As I said it's the 0.6910
Try searching for "victorinox 0.6910". Lots on Ebay. Happy shopping!
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Always have a Rambler on my key chain (used to carry a classic) and some other version of SAK ( I.e. Pioneer, Champ, Huntsman, Champion, Farmer, etc) based on what I will be doing during the day. Of course I also carry some other "slippee" such as a stockman, trapper, Barlow, sodbuster, etc. just because I can't help myself and I have too many knives. I find myself using the SAK at least several times a day for all kinds of tasks. I could just get by with a SAK easily. I often wonder why I don't just sell-off my collection ( including all my custom slip joints) and use the SAK. It would certainly simplify my life and from a useage standpoint I'd have all the bases covered. One of these days...................
AlwaysTomboy
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I like the smaller 85mm Wenger models better than the slightly longer Victorinox ones. Tradesman with the small clip point blade switched out for a nail file is always in my purse.
I carried a Wenger Handyman model with the wood saw instead of the pliers for decades. I have zero use for a wood saw, but scissors and nail file are must haves and Handyman both of those. Pliers are much more useful than a wood saw, but lacking a nail file was a deal breaker until I figured out how to do a light bit of modding and switch out tools. Modded Tradesman is the perfect SAK for me.
I carried a Wenger Handyman model with the wood saw instead of the pliers for decades. I have zero use for a wood saw, but scissors and nail file are must haves and Handyman both of those. Pliers are much more useful than a wood saw, but lacking a nail file was a deal breaker until I figured out how to do a light bit of modding and switch out tools. Modded Tradesman is the perfect SAK for me.
screened porch
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I wouldn't mind hearing more about how you did this.I like the smaller 85mm Wenger models better than the slightly longer Victorinox ones. Tradesman with the small clip point blade switched out for a nail file is always in my purse.
I carried a Wenger Handyman model with the wood saw instead of the pliers for decades. I have zero use for a wood saw, but scissors and nail file are must haves and Handyman both of those. Pliers are much more useful than a wood saw, but lacking a nail file was a deal breaker until I figured out how to do a light bit of modding and switch out tools. Modded Tradesman is the perfect SAK for me.
I have a sak that went through a beverage-can return machine. That would be a good one to dissect and fiddle with.
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AlwaysTomboy
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Oh, ouch. *wince* Poor Vic! Ok, how I modded my SAK.
First, I tested my technique on a junk SAK since I knew I didn't know what I was doing, and I very quickly found out that if you're going to do a full disassembly and remove all of the pins, you need to use a jig or vice to keep everything in place, otherwise all the parts go kablooey and you end up with a mess of parts and springs and spacers that looks something like this except not as tidy. Ahem.
Second, I wisely decided that since I was only changing one tool, I really only needed to remove that one pin. I used a thin flat head screwdriver to pop the scales off, and then filed off the head off of the brass rod holding the little clip point blade in place. I used a punch to tap the pin down enough to slide the clip blade out and the nail file in, and then hammered in a new replacement length of brass rod which pushed the original rod the rest of the way out so it was never entirely without a pin.
Trimmed the brass rod to length and peened the ends, being careful not smoosh the little domes that stick up and provide an anchor for the scales. More trial and error and learning from mistakes here. Domes got smashed, pried back up, and dinged some more. Ditto the top liner. End result, the nail file doesn't have much snap but that's more to my lack of peening skill than the process itself and I'm not overly concerned about an unsnappy nail file.
The Vic models have a different pin set up so you either have to drill the pins out or file off the bushings and replace them, but then you don't have to worry about smashing parts that shouldn't be smashed when peening the ends of the brass rods.
Top is a Wenger model, bottom is a Victorinox just to show the difference.
Brass rod sizes are as follows (source: multitool.org forum)
Victorinox 58mm
-all 1/16"
Wenger 65mm
-all 1.5mm or 1/16"
Victorinox 84mm
-all pins 2.2mm
Wenger 85mm
-all pins 2.5mm
Victorinox 91mm
- 2 pins 2.2mm
- 2 pins 2.5mm
Victorinox Alox 93mm
- middle pin 2.5mm
- 2 pins 3.0mm
I'm not sure what size is needed for replacement bushings. ID same as OD of the pins, I'd think, but not sure of bushing OD aaaaand.... the battery in my calipers is dead so I can't measure one of mine. Sorry.
& That's prob more detail than necessary but I hope some of it helped.
(Edited to correct brass rod sizes for Vic 84mm and add Wenger 85mm.)
First, I tested my technique on a junk SAK since I knew I didn't know what I was doing, and I very quickly found out that if you're going to do a full disassembly and remove all of the pins, you need to use a jig or vice to keep everything in place, otherwise all the parts go kablooey and you end up with a mess of parts and springs and spacers that looks something like this except not as tidy. Ahem.
Second, I wisely decided that since I was only changing one tool, I really only needed to remove that one pin. I used a thin flat head screwdriver to pop the scales off, and then filed off the head off of the brass rod holding the little clip point blade in place. I used a punch to tap the pin down enough to slide the clip blade out and the nail file in, and then hammered in a new replacement length of brass rod which pushed the original rod the rest of the way out so it was never entirely without a pin.
Trimmed the brass rod to length and peened the ends, being careful not smoosh the little domes that stick up and provide an anchor for the scales. More trial and error and learning from mistakes here. Domes got smashed, pried back up, and dinged some more. Ditto the top liner. End result, the nail file doesn't have much snap but that's more to my lack of peening skill than the process itself and I'm not overly concerned about an unsnappy nail file.
The Vic models have a different pin set up so you either have to drill the pins out or file off the bushings and replace them, but then you don't have to worry about smashing parts that shouldn't be smashed when peening the ends of the brass rods.
Top is a Wenger model, bottom is a Victorinox just to show the difference.
Brass rod sizes are as follows (source: multitool.org forum)
Victorinox 58mm
-all 1/16"
Wenger 65mm
-all 1.5mm or 1/16"
Victorinox 84mm
-all pins 2.2mm
Wenger 85mm
-all pins 2.5mm
Victorinox 91mm
- 2 pins 2.2mm
- 2 pins 2.5mm
Victorinox Alox 93mm
- middle pin 2.5mm
- 2 pins 3.0mm
I'm not sure what size is needed for replacement bushings. ID same as OD of the pins, I'd think, but not sure of bushing OD aaaaand.... the battery in my calipers is dead so I can't measure one of mine. Sorry.
& That's prob more detail than necessary but I hope some of it helped.
(Edited to correct brass rod sizes for Vic 84mm and add Wenger 85mm.)
Last edited:
Hickory n steel
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The cellador two blader without the keyring is the pocket pal which is awesome, sadly they've been discontinued for a little while now.
I got mine About a year ago, I decided that 5 years of hanging on the rack at the local hardware store was long enough so I dusted off the package and brought it home.
screened porch
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Thank you. That's very helpful.Oh, ouch. *wince* Poor Vic! Ok, how I modded my SAK.
First, I tested my technique on a junk SAK since I knew I didn't know what I was doing, and I very quickly found out that if you're going to do a full disassembly and remove all of the pins, you need to use a jig or vice to keep everything in place, otherwise all the parts go kablooey and you end up with a mess of parts and springs and spacers that looks something like this except not as tidy. Ahem.
Second, I wisely decided that since I was only changing one tool, I really only needed to remove that one pin. I used a thin flat head screwdriver to pop the scales off, and then filed off the head off of the brass rod holding the little clip point blade in place. I used a punch to tap the pin down enough to slide the clip blade out and the nail file in, and then hammered in a new replacement length of brass rod which pushed the original rod the rest of the way out so it was never entirely without a pin.
Trimmed the brass rod to length and peened the ends, being careful not smoosh the little domes that stick up and provide an anchor for the scales. More trial and error and learning from mistakes here. Domes got smashed, pried back up, and dinged some more. Ditto the top liner. End result, the nail file doesn't have much snap but that's more to my lack of peening skill than the process itself and I'm not overly concerned about an unsnappy nail file.
The Vic models have a different pin set up so you either have to drill the pins out or file off the bushings and replace them, but then you don't have to worry about smashing parts that shouldn't be smashed when peening the ends of the brass rods.
Top is a Wenger model, bottom is a Victorinox just to show the difference.
Brass rod sizes are as follows (source: multitool.org forum)
Victorinox 58mm
-all 1/16"
Wenger 65mm
-all 1.5mm or 1/16"
Victorinox 84mm
-all pins 2.2mm
Wenger 85mm
-all pins 2.5mm
Victorinox 91mm
- 2 pins 2.2mm
- 2 pins 2.5mm
Victorinox Alox 93mm
- middle pin 2.5mm
- 2 pins 3.0mm
I'm not sure what size is needed for replacement bushings. ID same as OD of the pins, I'd think, but not sure of bushing OD aaaaand.... the battery in my calipers is dead so I can't measure one of mine. Sorry.
& That's prob more detail than necessary but I hope some of it helped.
(Edited to correct brass rod sizes for Vic 84mm and add Wenger 85mm.)
The plastic popped off of mine about as easily as you'd expect, and I'm contemplating the bushings. I'm going to have to take this one all apart to hammer the liners flat, so the parts will probably fly all over tarnation and I won't have to fit new covers.