Victorinox

[DR.BOOM]

Everyone has one in their junk drawer. What models do you have? Which one do you like the most, do you carry yours from time to time? They say they will last several life times, so who has had one from youth and is it still usable? I never cared for the things until recently.

 

[Tsujigiri]

I have a Spartan someone gave me when I was really little that still works like new. I carry my Swisschamp around in my backpack, and if I carry one in my pocket I'll carry my Outrider or Alox Soldier.

 

[Dorito Monk]

I have an Alox Pioneer and Alox Farmer. I haven't used the farmer yet but the pioneer has seen its fair share of chores.

 

[jimnolimit]

i have a swiss army gardener.

 

[JohnnyR]

I have a 30 + y.o. Pioneer that was given to me by my parents. It was different than most SAK's I had seen with red alox scales and just 4 blades. It's still useable, but because it carries sentimental value, it stays in a drawer. I recently purchased a newer, but well used Pioneer that looks like my old one. I have a few alox SAK's now including Soldiers, Pioneers, a Farmer, and a Cadet II. These have become my primary EDC pocketknives as they have quality tools, a crisp walk and talk, tough scales and they don't feel too large in the pocket. I never sweat carrying coins or keys in the same pocket because I like the well used look as the paint scratches and wears off.

I've responded to a few similar threads and have posted the photos numerous times, but I think these alox SAK's are fantastic and I enjoy getting the word out to anyone not yet familiar with them. I also have other SAK's including a 30+ y.o. Camper, 2 Cybertools, Explorer, Rambler, and a Swiss Spirit multitool. Also, you might want to check out the multitool discussion area, you'll find a number of Victorinox owners there.

Old Pioneer...

Two old Pioneers...

An assortment of Alox...

 

[DR.BOOM]

I do like those ones. Especially that pioneer. I want one like that but with the saw and scissors in it as well as bottle opener and blade. Is there one with those four exclusively, or do I need to buy different models? I just found one in my drawer with a wood handle but I don't know the name of it.

 

[duncanmclawd]

I purchased my first Victorinox knife on a local market about 8 years ago. It was an economy spartan (nylon scales). I carried that spartan for several years and it is still in good condition!
(Altough I sharpened away a portion of the blade over the years and I recently also managed to bend the can opener by prying open a chain on a door lock...)
I still have that economy spartan in the kitchen drawer and it gets used frequently for chores around the house.

I have also gathered many other Victorinox knives over the years: 2 Huntsman, a Swiss Champ, 2 Outriders, a classic, a camper, a climber, an executive, another spartan and 3 alox soldiers. My current EDC is a new sportsman.

It is my opinion that SAK's are a high quality tool for a low price. In fact, every time I buy a SAK I wonder how they manage to keep the price so low! Let's face it, life is expensive these days and you rarely see a high quality item for a decent price around here! (not only in cutlery...)

 

[XanRa]

I have one... Never really used, not sure what model it is ethier, I'll find it tomarrow and take a look

 

[JohnnyR]

I do like those ones. Especially that pioneer. I want one like that but with the saw and scissors in it as well as bottle opener and blade. Is there one with those four exclusively, or do I need to buy different models? I just found one in my drawer with a wood handle but I don't know the name of it.

The Farmer has a saw, but no scissors. There are no alox productiion models with scissors to my knowledge. I have a Scibeer custom modified climber. It started life as a standard climber and alox scales were added. There is no saw, corkscrew, etc.

 

[1066vik]

I carried a Camper for about 5 years until it was stolen, and replaced it with a huntsman that's been carried in my pocket pretty much daily for the past 20+ years.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Carry One Hand Sentinel in pocket for about two years & Spartan lite in backpack. Spartan is older, perhaps 4-5 years (bought with OH GAK/Bundeswehr). The GAK stays in drawer due to rarity, but all got used & sharpened.

 

[Harayasu]

Everyone has one in their junk drawer. What models do you have? Which one do you like the most, do you carry yours from time to time? They say they will last several life times, so who has had one from youth and is it still usable? I never cared for the things until recently.

I have many SAKs and always carry one in the pocket. Some of them are also called DAKs, since they were produced for and issued by the Dutch army. I have a preference for the alox models and the Pioneer in particular. The colored Pioneers are very hard to find here in the Netherlands, but I managed to get a few of them and a red one is my EDC for almost two months now.

I don't have the one that my parents gave me anymore; probably a Huntsman that I got when I was 10. The oldest SAK that I own is a Dutch army issue knife from 1985 and it's still in excellent shape, I don't use it, for me it's a collection item.

 

[Toyz]

I have many Vic SAK models of all sizes - they are relatively inexpensive and you get a lot of bang for your buck.

I edc a Climber next to my wallet in my rr pocket - every day, all day, and have for years. This is the one I pull out when in a crowd.

I also really like the alox Farmer model.

 

[22-rimfire]

I also have quite a few. My favorite is the Adventurer for it's simplicity, convenience, and size. I like the side lock. I was just crusing Vic's web site and I need to look at the Helmsman and Skipper models sometime. I see they finally have listed the non-serrated version of the One-Handed Trekker which has been available for about a year.

I was going to assemble a list, but I think "quite a few" pretty much covers it. Some names escape me and some of the knives escape from time to time and I later locate them. I often keep a couple in my work field bag which includes a multi-tool and other knives. I like SAKs a lot. I EDC my Advernturer.

 

[GIRLYmann]

dunno if it's "sign of the times" or whatever.
but it sure is great seeing more and more folks rediscover the sak, which by the way isn't "cheap".
but rather, an honest and realistically priced working folder fit for the masses.
personally favour the liner-lock hole-in-the-blade models.
though the alox would suffice in most cases...

 

[VictGerbSogCamill]

My first Vic, I have had this over 23 years! The dog has chewed it, I hammered with it, pry-ed (thats why the tip of the sm. blade is broke), used the scissors so much that the threads stripped out. This poor knife took a lot of abuse from me in my youth, 17-24. One of the scales broke so I fashioned part of it out of jb weld. (I was 26, didn't know you could get replacement scales ) What a great knife, a lot of character.

My Vic collection:

Just got this Soldier

And my favorite, at the moment, my Farmer.

 

[jacktrades_nbk]

i had three soldiers, an old black trekker, one red camper, and recently got a farmer
i carried a soldier for years, and still do, and i try to carry the farmer now, but still miss the soldier feeling
sometimes i just carry one of those, be it the trusty soldier or the farmer, and truth be told, its plenty enough for my everyday needs.

 

[Gadgetaholic]

I've been carrying my Cybertool 34 every day for 10.5 years and:
- No rust anywhere
- No blade play on any tools
- Nothing has been lost
- Nothing has been broken
- Everything still works great!
- The pen still writes!
- The blades are shaving sharp

This Victorinox Cybertool 34 lives in a pouch on my belt (right hip) and is VERY handy with its great bit driver. As a computer tech I often need a screwdriver and having my SAK for EDC saves me from having to carry a bag full of tools.

The Victorinox blades sharpen up real easy and are VERY stain resistant - :thumbup:

 

[Gadgetaholic]

And my favorite, at the moment, my Farmer.

I needed to drill a small hole in some plastic and decided to try out the awl on my Farmer, more because I wanted to play with the Farmer than anything. I'll have to use that tool more - the Awl makes a really nice neat hole, since I don't EDC a drill it's good to have a good hole maker on me.

Unfortunately my EDC is a Cybertool, which does have a Awl but it is on the middle/back of the SAK which isn't nearly as nice to use as the Awl on the front/end like on the Farmer.

 

[Clang!]

There's the Tinker that's been riding next to my keys for the last 18 years. Both the blades and scales are all scratched up, but there's enough steel left on the blade for another decade or so.

My "floating" knife is a Deluxe Tinker that alternates between my briefcase, backpack, or luggage depending on what I need it for.

I want to add either a Forester, Farmer, or a Trekker to my fieldbag for dayhikes.

EDIT:

The Victorinox blades sharpen up real easy and are VERY stain resistant - :thumbup:

You're not kidding about stain resistance. The Tinker took an extended seawater bath (miscalculated the tides on a beach hike), and came out without even surface rust.