Does anyone like large locking sak's?

jameshowardbsa said:
Normally I would agree, actually did agree fully, until a few days ago. I was carrying my SAK Explorer, and my wife needed to open a Christmas box we taped up last year. I gave her the knife and she easily opened 3 sides, but for some reason, she rotated the knife around for the last side, pushing the spine of the knife against the tape. I cringed in horror as I saw the blade closing toward her fingers.
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Let me get this straight... you changed your mind about carrying a locking folder because of something someone else did wrong this one time when you handed them your knife for them to use.

I get that you love your wife and you don't want to see her injuring herself, but maybe your reasoning is flawed and maybe it doesn't have anything to do with the post that you were responding to when you wrote this.

Also there are plenty of smaller and better suited tools for opening boxes. Generally you want to avoid using your knife for that as tape and cardboard can actually be pretty rough on it, as I'm sure you must know.
 
It seems a bit silly to me as well that one would want to cater the knife they carry to the safety of others they might loan their knife to, but maybe that's just me.

If you cut yourself , you suck it up , slap a bandage on it, and remember to be more careful next time.
You don't switch to a knife that enables the bad habit that caused you to cut yourself.
 
I can´t say I like or dislike them since I don´t own one, but I agree with G Guy McVer on this. To me a SAK is more of a gentlemans tool than a knife. It does have a blade, but it´s not a weapon in the way a bigger locking knife is. A SAK is accepted in the same way a smaller traditional pocket knife is in most situations.
A bigger knife with locking, is not something I would bring out to open a package, cut a string or slice an apple in public. And if it´s modern and with one hand opening, it´s even less suited to be carried in public places.
I actually get the same feeling about my Otter Mercator, it´s way too big and evil looking to be carried in public places.
That does not mean I don´t like them though, but they are no longer in SAK territory in my book :)
 
Wow, necro thread.

Its been five years since I answered this question, and I feel like the locking SAK's are a answer to a problem that didn't exist. To expand on my earlier statement, I don't like locking blade knives in general, on the stance that I don't want to rely on a mechanical lock to safe guard my fingers. Pocket lint, a bit of grit, wear on metal parts, all can make a lock fail. In my life I've seen the bloody aftermath of two different knife locks fishing with dire consequences. In one, a Buck 110 failed that was being abused by its young owner, and when warned to "knock that s--t off" replied "Its a Buck knife. It'll take it." Well it didn't, and the right index finger was very neatly amputated at the second joint. The second time a young man with a modern hot lick tactical had the liner lock fail when he was practicing his tactical stabbing of a tree, and he had to have surgery at a hand clinic to restore use of his right thumb and connecting tendons and nerves.

Somehow, people have been using SAK's without locks since 1890. They've been using slip joint pocket knives a lot longer than that. The stockman and Barlow patterns have their roots in the 1800's, as does the Opinel before they added the lock in 1955. The shepherds and fishermen of Sardinia have been using the Resolza as long, yet they seem to have all their digits. My long term feeling is, if you are worried that the activity you are doing may cause your knife to fold on you, they use an unfolding knife. The fixed blade. But if you're cutting with the edge of the blade, there should be no problem.

To paraphrase the bandit in Treasure Of The Sierra Madre; "Lock's? We don't need no steenkin locks!"
 
I love the locking 111s. For me, they are a very useful option. Sometimes I want to carry a single knife with a larger locking blade but I also want the other tools, like a saw or screwdriver. The 111s fit this role perfectly. The 2008 Soldier can do so much.
 
Prefer a largeish 4-5.5" blade with a 91mm, though am growing to appreciate smaller sizes - I would absolutely try one if I found a good used price but I only selectively like the liner lock (Spyderco Millie and Ontario RAT series) and am open to it, but I see myself trending down and not up in SAK size.
 
I have the Vic Soldierand Ranger Grip 78
They seldome get pocket time unless I go camping
 
jackknife said:
Somehow, people have been using SAK's without locks since 1890. They've been using slip joint pocket knives a lot longer than that. The stockman and Barlow patterns have their roots in the 1800's, as does the Opinel before they added the lock in 1955. The shepherds and fishermen of Sardinia have been using the Resolza as long, yet they seem to have all their digits.
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I get what you're saying Jack, but we'll never know how many fingers have been lost due to lockless folders nor how many fingers have been saved by locking folders.
I think that, overall, locking folders are good. Humans are imperfect creatures and sometimes make mistakes, and locking folders are a bit more forgiving than non-locking folders.
Having said that, I'm currently carrying my Vic Mountaineer on my side, and I don't fear for my digits.
 
dogstar said:
I don't think I would use/carry a 111 mm because the 91/93 mm is adequate for my needs. However, I think as a Victorinox fan, I should have one...

... trying to ignore that voice.
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Ahh, the voice in the head, the knife nut curse. The eternal battle between the id and the ego, of what is needed vs wanted. Unfortunately, I had to get old b before that battle was settled.

Maybe thats what it takes, time and age to come to the realization of what is really needed?
 
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I like them enough to make an OHO slide lock Workchamp.
 
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