Once you go SAK, do you ever go back?

yablanowitz said:
Do you seriously believe that a 0.00000003% failure rate of an easily replaced, non-critical, $0.50 part calls for a redesign and replacement of tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of molds and possibly other equipment as well? Amazing.
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Yes!

If it has happened to me and my son in law, its most likely happened to others. If it was a random break, no, but the same break in the exact same spot on three different SAK's that were all less than a few years old, is odd.

The very fact that the breaks were all the "new" thinner hollowed out scales is odd, to say the least. And the break was right along the 'hollow' edge on the back side scale.

The fact that you have to be careful with cellidor around certain solvents/cleaners used in the auto mechanic and machinist trade is odd.

The fact that certain bug repellents will start to dissolve cellidor is odd.

The fact that it was a blatant move on the part of Victorinox to save a penny or two by using less cellidor per SAK is more than odd.

YES, Victorinox needs to step up ands a better material than the cheap stuff they are now using. This isn't the 1940's and there are way better materials for just as cheap.
 
"Let's spend $10,000,000 to fix a $10 per year problem". Better send them your application for CEO. I'm sure they'll hire you in a heartbeat.

Yes, there are "better" materials available. Yes, you have personally seen three failures. Yes, there are quite likely more. The fact remains that all of the SAKs you have ever laid eyes on in your entire life do not add up to a statistically meaningful portion of Victorinox's total production. For every cellidor scale that has broken there are probably 10,000 that haven't.
 
I assume Victorinox will send replacement scales as needed? If so, I don't see this as a big issue but it should be an embarrassment to Victorinox. I know there are instructions on YouTube on replacing the scales, mostly heating in hot water, popping off the old and pressing on the new.
 
Answered my own question:
"All warranties are non-transferable and do not cover cosmetic damage,wear and tear, damage resulting from abuse, misuse, unauthorized repair or improper handling, common carrier damage, loss of use, loss of time or damage to the contents of your bag, with the exception of the Global LifetimePlus Limited Warranty, Carry With Confidence™ Guarantee as noted above."
If there is indeed a product wide design fault I believe Victorinox should acknowledge it and make some replacement arrangement available. I certainly would not have an $18 knife repaired at my expense nor would I be likely to replace it with a product from that manufacturer.
 
Rich S said:
Lot of dealers have replacement SAK scales. Very easy to switch scales.
Rich
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That's true but I paid $18 for my recruit, replacement scales appear to be around $14 which would make a $10 knife that I paid $18 for now cost $32 and with no real improvement of the weak scales. The better solution in my mind would be to spend more on a replacement knife and get a large improvement in reliability if not quality. Just some talking points since it's not clear to me with the information here that this is a product failure or just highly coincidental bad luck, seems that if this was wide spread it would be all over YouTube and the knife Forums.
 
Squid61 said:
I've been carrying a Recruit for about 3 weeks as an EDC but today I decided to put it alongside a Buck Canoe. The Recruit looks and feels like a toy by comparison, embarrassing really for a 76 year old to even admit to buying it, so it goes into my travel bag for that once in lifetime chance I might need a can opener on the road. Shame really, I wanted a Kamp King style EDC that was not from China and not overpriced but sadly this isn't it. I do still have a Mauser/Victorinox that I belt carry when I think it could come in handy, nothing cheap about it.
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S Squid61 , maybe an Alox Pioneer or Farmer would make you change your mind. They are a bit more robust than the Recruit and is the same tool set as the old Kamp King. Except the Farmer, which has the saw. Some say it’s a gimmick, but I’ve used the saw for several tasks and always want one on a knife I’m headed into the woods with.
 
Squid61 said:
I've been carrying a Recruit for about 3 weeks as an EDC but today I decided to put it alongside a Buck Canoe. The Recruit looks and feels like a toy by comparison, embarrassing really for a 76 year old to even admit to buying it, so it goes into my travel bag for that once in lifetime chance I might need a can opener on the road. Shame really, I wanted a Kamp King style EDC that was not from China and not overpriced but sadly this isn't it. I do still have a Mauser/Victorinox that I belt carry when I think it could come in handy, nothing cheap about it.
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If you think you may need a can opener on the road, just do what has worked for me for 50 years; put a P-38 in your wallet and that takes care of cans just fine. Stash a P-51 in your glove box for backup. The P-38 also handles light flat and Phillips screw driving capability, suit eliminates one whole tool layer of the basic SAK like a recruit. The Buck will handle your cutting jobs.
 
If I feel I might need some SAK tools anywhere I take my Mauser/Victorinox in its belt sheath, the Recruit in the travel bag is just a bit of comfort insurance. I don't think I have a need to buy any more SAKs just to see if they might be better than the Recruit and I really doubt they'd be better than the Mauser. I think the Multi in the glove box will handle most anything on the road and I did go back to my Buck Canoe as my EDC.
 
I grew up with SAKs in Europe, found my first when I was 6. Must have had and heavily used at least a dozen. My first company (a Swiss startup) would make SAKs with company logo as hand-outs for good Japanese and American customers.

Once I tried other knives as adult (Laguioles first, then a Spyderco, and that was that ....), I never really went back. I still have a SAK, but if I need a knife like it (e.g., for traveling in Germany), I usually prefer my Boker Tech Tool or Hunting Trio, technically much better knives, IMO, and I'm now a snob that way ... so the SAK stays in the box happily, no issue with the easily scratched outside, loosening brass parts, a bent tip, etc.

It's a little bit like trains: I meet a lot of Americans who love train rides, at least in Europe. I must have ridden trains for more than 100k miles in my life, so I don't care; I much prefer driving, and a motorcycle if at all possible.

If you like the functionality and shape of the SAK, try the Boker Tech Tool, and you'll be in for a treat.

So there :)

Roland.
 
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Hickory n steel said:
To me they're just a traditional pocket knife like any other.
Be it a scout, stockman, pen, half whittler, or a Victorinox.
They're all just traditional slipjoint pocket knives for me and are interchangeable.
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I fall into this thinking. Except the SAK generally has other tools that many find useful. They are both traditional, but I favor the SAK.

As far as carrying two knives, it varies with me. I like fairly simple knives and the Benchmade Mini Presidio II works really well for me when I want to carry a modern knife. I very much like the Spydie Native and Delica, but if I had to choose between the two, I would probably opt for the Native long term.

There is no reason you can't carry two knives. It is all personal preference. Some twin a large and small knife (size is relative to perceived need). Others go with two smaller knives. Some people simply want to carry something they genuinely enjoy holding and using. I fit all of these camps at one time or another.
 
Rich S said:
Lot of dealers have replacement SAK scales. Very easy to switch scales.
Rich
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My question is HOW? SAK scales press on. How do you remove the old ones and press on another scale? Or do you use glue? The cost issue applies to my thinking as well. I see little point in replacing scales on a $20 knife in the first place rather than just buying another knife.

315 said:
S Squid61 , maybe an Alox Pioneer or Farmer would make you change your mind. They are a bit more robust than the Recruit and is the same tool set as the old Kamp King. Except the Farmer, which has the saw. Some say it’s a gimmick, but I’ve used the saw for several tasks and always want one on a knife I’m headed into the woods with.
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I also like to have a saw blade with me in the woods and especially if I am hiking any distance beyond casual woods wandering. My choice is the One-Handed Trekker. I like the Pioneer and really like the alox Electrician. Prefer a longer saw blade if I am going to carry a knife with one.

jackknife said:
If you think you may need a can opener on the road, just do what has worked for me for 50 years; put a P-38 in your wallet and that takes care of cans just fine. Stash a P-51 in your glove box for backup. The P-38 also handles light flat and Phillips screw driving capability, suit eliminates one whole tool layer of the basic SAK like a recruit. The Buck will handle your cutting jobs.
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To each his own.... I have never opened a can with a P-38 or a knife in my life and doubt that will change unless I'm in some kind of survival situation. Carrying a P-38 is just another piece of junk to misplace. Two layer SAKs are quite comfortable to carry overall.
 
[QUOTE="22-rimfire, post: 20065714, member: 149154"

To each his own.... I have never opened a can with a P-38 or a knife in my life and doubt that will change unless I'm in some kind of survival situation. Carrying a P-38 is just another piece of junk to misplace. Two layer SAKs are quite comfortable to carry overall.[/QUOTE]

Do you misplace your wallet that often?

Yes, a two layer SAK is a nice thing, if you can have it on you. Since 2001 when flying became a huge PITA, my P-38 and Sear's 4-way screw driver has flown to LAX, London, Rome, Denver, Key West, and Austin. Flying back from Denver, a harried flight attendant literally dropped Karen's wine bottle in her lap and left on the run. With no knife to peel off the sheet metal grade foil on the twist off cap, my P-38 cut through the stuff just fine. It also gives me flat and Phillips screw driving capacity on hand, along with a point for scoring, piercing, and scraping.

A P-38 is far from a piece of junk, and it eliminated the whole opener layer of a two layer SAK, making it easier to carry a better dedicated pocket knife in place of the SAK. You should see how many uses a P-38 has in the hands of a G.I. or Marine.
 
jackknife said:
[QUOTE="22-rimfire, post: 20065714, member: 149154"

To each his own.... I have never opened a can with a P-38 or a knife in my life and doubt that will change unless I'm in some kind of survival situation. Carrying a P-38 is just another piece of junk to misplace. Two layer SAKs are quite comfortable to carry overall.

[QUOTE="jackknife, post: 20065963,Do you misplace your wallet that often?

Yes, a two layer SAK is a nice thing, if you can have it on you. Since 2001 when flying became a huge PITA, my P-38 and Sear's 4-way screw driver has flown to LAX, London, Rome, Denver, Key West, and Austin. Flying back from Denver, a harried flight attendant literally dropped Karen's wine bottle in her lap and left on the run. With no knife to peel off the sheet metal grade foil on the twist off cap, my P-38 cut through the stuff just fine. It also gives me flat and Phillips screw driving capacity on hand, along with a point for scoring, piercing, and scraping.

A P-38 is far from a piece of junk, and it eliminated the whole opener layer of a two layer SAK, making it easier to carry a better dedicated pocket knife in place of the SAK. You should see how many uses a P-38 has in the hands of a G.I. or Marine.
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I have misplaced my wallet more times than I care to admit. ;) I feel sure that WWII GI's found many uses for the P-38. Bet they could have found more uses for a Leatherman Style PS or a SAK. The Style PS is what I would carry if traveling by air. It has no knife blade but has a tiny scissors. I assume that's okay these days. I have no desire to travel by air anymore which is just a personal choice. I do think that Vic should develop a SAK tool specifically for post 9-11 air travelers. Maybe they have and I'm just not aware of it.

Never cared for the 4-way screw drivers although I have carried one a time or two back when Colt would provide those with guns.

I don't like to overload my wallet with stuff. All the seldom used cards are enough. When you need them, you need them. Suppose you could say the same thing about the P-38. Back when I hunted and might carry canned stuff (like chili or beans) before the tab type openers were in general use, I carried a cheap can openers that for me was easier to use than a P-38 or the can opener on a SAK or scout type knife.
 
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I’m like you, if I carry a slipjoint it’s a sak. I have a nice gec but I never carry it. The sak out cuts it, carries better and while the gec is “prettier,” the fit and finish is better on the sak. I rarely carry two knives around but if I carried something in addition to the sak it would be a modern folder with better steel(for actual work) or a fixed blade(camping/hiking).

I’m not nostalgic and I don’t find them any prettier than modern folders with equivalent materials so “traditionals” have very little draw for me. Functionally they’re a step backwards and I wonder if the “traditional” market won’t just collapse in a generation once grandapappies are remembered for carrying delicas instead of stockmans.
 
Shotgun said:
I’m like you, if I carry a slipjoint it’s a sak. I have a nice gec but I never carry it. The sak out cuts it, carries better and while the gec is “prettier,” the fit and finish is better on the sak. I rarely carry two knives around but if I carried something in addition to the sak it would be a modern folder with better steel(for actual work) or a fixed blade(camping/hiking).

I’m not nostalgic and I don’t find them any prettier than modern folders with equivalent materials so “traditionals” have very little draw for me. Functionally they’re a step backwards and I wonder if the “traditional” market won’t just collapse in a generation once grandapappies are remembered for carrying delicas instead of stockmans.
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I totally agree. I do like some traditional patterns but every time I think about buying one I just think it will sit on the shelf and not get used which overrides any nostalgia I may have. I feel like SAKs are the most modern/traditional combo knife there is. That being said I have been eyeing some Spydercos lately and may pull the trigger soon.
 
I think the concept of a SAK is spot on, the execution based on the "toy" Recruit I recently bought is out in left field. When I handle one of my traditional knives (I'm one of those "grandapappies") I feel the solid heft and quality of a well designed and manufactured knife. The Recruit on the other hand feels like a toy, it has no heft, the scales are so cheap they flex with a little finger pressure, the fit and finish are lacking due to the thin liners and I don't get the key chain doodad hanging off the end. I've put the Recruit in my travel bag since the most likely place I'll need it is in a Hotel room. I have a couple of modern folders and they're OK, they feel like real knives but are a bit too bulky or just too odd shaped to feel comfortable in my pocket and I'm not fond of the idea of a clip, doesn't feel right in my hand.
 
I just ordered another 111mm locking one,was on sale for 22$us,i have enough saks,but the large ones cut very well...reg ones are too short for food cutting in my opinion.
 
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