Most useful (yet practical) Swiss Army Knife?

David From NC said:
Swiss Champ, Huntsman Plus are my votes. HP carried EDC, Swiss Champ anytime I'm off the pavement
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Is the regular Swisschamp much different from the large? I was really excited to see a huge SAK with pliers, and I am a fan of larger carries, so I was actually going to start asking around for how this carry felt, whether it was found to be worthwhile?
 
The Swiss Champ is too big for me to carry in a pocket, it is always in a belt pouch, or top compartment of my pack. My first had a dummy cord and sweet SOS kit (circa 1988?) but it was destroyed in a car fire in 2006... Second one was gifted to a nephew, and I'm on my third since about 1988... I never thought I could carry the Huntsman in a pocket but I'm used to it now. This year I started running a chest rig and all pocket contents go in it while on trail... I can handle the Huntsman in tactical pants, but don't care for it in the thin pockets of Columbia or Magellan fishing pants (which I use to hike in).
 
I have an SAK Classic on my car key ring and on my work key ring. I also usually carry a Tinker either in the 5th pocket if I'm wearing jeans or in my right front pocket. I use the scissors on the Classic often. I use the tools on the Tinker frequently, but seldom use either blade. I have other blades that are much better and stronger. I have other SAKs, but seldom carry them. I find that the handles are about 1/2" too short for my hands. Great thread by the way.
 
I don't understand the "too big" thing, but then again, I have a different definition of "too big" than most. To me, something needs to weigh over a lb before it is too big, unless it is a fifth-pocket carry or something like that. I've never seen so giant of a SAK that it couldn't be my main pocket knife, if that is what I wanted. Love the thread, too, this one is out of the park.

I am debating buying a $70, art Vic Explorer. It is a real beauty. I am also thinking about getting some Titanium MetonBoss scales on a SAK, because I got a pair for my PM2 which I love.
 
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Boattale said:
The corkscrew is the nuts for getting O rings out of their little grooves. You can also open a bottle of wine with it. And carry a tiny eyeglass screwdriver in it. Scissors are super handy too. Also tweezers and toothpick. The least useful tool on a SAK is a package carrier hook, followed closely by small blade.
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I use the smaller blade on mine far more than than larger one..I find it quite useful......
 
I have a whole lot of Swiss Army knives, ranging in size from the Swisschamp to the tiny Classic. But the one I have on me most days is a very old Spartan. For me, it's just right; not too large and bulky or too small. Has all the tools I usually need, easily pocketable with a good handle size.
 
The 'Evo' seems to work well for me:

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jbmonkey said:
I use the smaller blade on mine far more than than larger one..I find it quite useful......
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It is very nice to slide out and do some light cutting in public, that is what I reach for lately doing public cutting. Had to switch to the large last time I was in a Panera Bread because my apple was too big, but small SAK knife, first resort!
 
One of the tinker line (tinker, supertinker, tinker deluxe) since i was about 10 years old. I tried and kinda liked the cybertool (model "S" i think) for a bit but wound up having all the bits fall out and the driver made it hard to get the main blade open if i needed it.
I have about 15 or so and lately ive been thinking of carrying my handyman, but it wont fit in the pocket organizer i always use.
I also almost exclusively use the small blade on my SAKs unless the job absolutely requures the blade length
 
Good question.

Pioneer X is my normal carry. I feel like I can handle most tasks with that.

I carry the Cybertool 34 when I’m traveling or feel like I may need a bit more to get the job done.

When I want to travel light it’s the Compact. The Compact is almost perfect for me, it just doesn’t have a way to deal with Phillips head screws. I do like the extra scale tools though.

-Mike
 
Another 58mm I'm quite fond of is the Vagabond/Mate. All the tools of the minichamp except it ditches the ruler and coke spoon, and it's also in cellidor. Discontinued but you can still find them NOS here and there.

(Tea Green translucent scales swapped from a classic)
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For key chain carry It would definitely be the Rambler.

small knife
wildly capable magnetic phillips
small yet insanely good scissors
small cap lifter
wire notch
nail file
small flat driver
tweezer
toothpick

For pocket carry, it's the 3 layer 91mm Camper.

main knife
backup knife
saw
flat driver
cap lifter
wire notch
can opener
small flat driver / #2 phillips driver
corkscrew
awl
tweezers
toothpick

Put them both together and you have a pretty decent tool set.

For those who didn't know yet, the end of the can opener works as a #2 phillips driver. That's why it's in the list.

Now, a lot of people would say that the 2 layer 91mm Compact is more functional for its size. I don't really disagree, but to me a swiss army knife is more of a swiss army knife when it has a saw. The Compact doesn't have one, so it automatically loses to the Camper. That's just the way I see it.
 
First of, it's all depend on what people needed.
Second of, the Plus variant are better than the base variant because they have extra stuff like mini standalone screw driver, needle and pen, so it is quite obvious.
Third of, the pliers and screw driver with bits are kind of delicate while bulky for these variant, a pliers base mt is a better option for imo, so they are a nope for me.

For the key chain size SAK, the mini champ is indisputable.

For the 75mm, the Executive, as there are not many options.

For the 85mm, the Evo array, formerly Wenger's, is basically 91mm lite. There are counterpart of most of the 91mm in the Evo series.

For 2 layers 91mm, I would say the Compact. The 2 layers is slim, yet the Compact is very packed, one of each tool, quite unique. It has plus scales benefits (there is no Compact without plus scales), 1 blade, scissors, bottle/can combo opener, corkscrew, hook/nail file combo. Other 2 layers have 2 blades, or a can opener and a bottle opener separately.

For 3 layers 91mm, the Spartan Lite. Having both corkscrew and Philips screw driver and a few other things. If you need scissors, the Climber (for corkscrew) or Super Tinker (for screw driver).

For 4 layers 91mm, this section is so packed with great variations due to the number of layers, so I have real opinion here. However, I do have an unrelated opinion. I EDC a Huntsman 2, the ugly nylon scales version, for a few years. I bought a Fieldmaster later because the screwdriver is a better option. However, I ended up never use the Fieldmaster because the smooth cellidor scales are too 'beautiful' to use. The nylon scales is just more durable and gritty, I dare say that it is better than alox scales since I still have toothpick and tweezers.

The thicker and bigger sizes are too big and wild for me.
 
Hashishiin said:
I don't understand the "too big" thing, but then again, I have a different definition of "too big" than most. To me, something needs to weigh over a lb before it is too big, unless it is a fifth-pocket carry or something like that. I've never seen so giant of a SAK that it couldn't be my main pocket knife, if that is what I wanted. Love the thread, too, this one is out of the park.

I am debating buying a $70, art Vic Explorer. It is a real beauty. I am also thinking about getting some Titanium MetonBoss scales on a SAK, because I got a pair for my PM2 which I love.
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Ditto. But then I also just ordered a rangergrip.
 
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