SAK's and senior citizens.

[cbl51]

Getting old is a bummer. Or as my friend Phil says, 'old age ain't for the faint of heart'.

Many things happen when we age, but my biggest thing that I hate is loosing hand function. I used to be able to untwist tight jar lids, bottle caps, and pull off lids from cans like putty or caulking tins. Age and arthritis has put the kibosh on that, so I and my better half have become more of a tool user in our retirement. And a SAK has tools!

Last night, for example, we ere making some hamburgers on the grill. A brand new jar of dill pickle spears needed to opened, but neither my wife nor I could budge the lid, so I took the screw driver/bottle opener tool ofmy Wenger SI, and ever so gently started to lift o=up on the lid like it was a bottle cap. The metal flexed enough that I heard a pop, and the lid was free to twist off. The suction had been broken.

I went to take the trailer hitch off my truck this morning, and I couldn't pull off the big cotter pin that keeps the cross bar in place. I hooked the can opener blade on it and it pulled right off.

Senior citizens need a help with things like that, and as I get older I find my love of SAK's growing, maybe over taking my love of the old style traditional pocket knives that are so dear to my heart. As much as I love the old stockman and small jacks' they don't give me the tool options that I find myself needing as my old fingers get less usable. In the course of the day, I actually find more use for the screw driver as a light pry tool than the blade. The little classic on my keyring even gives me the SD tipped nail file blade that will open a can of plastic wood.

I don't now how often the pull tab on a can has pulled right off the can. The SAK can opener is easy and quick to use. If I'm having a bad day with the arthritis in my hands, it's actually less painful to open a can using the SAK can opener, than the put on and twist can opener. The rocking motion is easier than the twisting motion needed to crank the regular can opener.

SAK's, sometimes an old farts best friend!

[eddie1115]

Great post!  So really what you're saying is collecting SAKs is just planning for the future, right?   

[cbl51]

Great post!  So really what you're saying is collecting SAKs is just planning for the future, right?   

And very good planning at that!!

[Steinar]

Age forces adaptation.

As for jar lids, I usually put the screwdriver in between the lid and the neck of the jar and twist gently to puncture the vacuum without damaging the lid. Same idea, slightly different take. I'll try your way the next time I need it. (Middle-aged and usually able to defeat jars, but since I'm a pencil pusher I sometimes need to use brains instead of brawn.)

[dks]

Your not old, until you start to regularly write articles/stories about the old days......             

[comis]

Great post, and love to read about the creative ways to use the tools to adapt.   

[Etherealicer]

 

You need a SAK with a hook really, get one now and 111mm Soldier with locking cap-lifter

[mrynnr]

Getting old is a bummer. Or as my friend Phil says, 'old age ain't for the faint of heart'.

Many things happen when we age, but my biggest thing that I hate is loosing hand function. I used to be able to untwist tight jar lids, bottle caps, and pull off lids from cans like putty or caulking tins. Age and arthritis has put the kibosh on that, so I and my better half have become more of a tool user in our retirement. And a SAK has tools!

Last night, for example, we ere making some hamburgers on the grill. A brand new jar of dill pickle spears needed to opened, but neither my wife nor I could budge the lid, so I took the screw driver/bottle opener tool ofmy Wenger SI, and ever so gently started to lift o=up on the lid like it was a bottle cap. The metal flexed enough that I heard a pop, and the lid was free to twist off. The suction had been broken.

I went to take the trailer hitch off my truck this morning, and I couldn't pull off the big cotter pin that keeps the cross bar in place. I hooked the can opener blade on it and it pulled right off.

Senior citizens need a help with things like that, and as I get older I find my love of SAK's growing, maybe over taking my love of the old style traditional pocket knives that are so dear to my heart. As much as I love the old stockman and small jacks' they don't give me the tool options that I find myself needing as my old fingers get less usable. In the course of the day, I actually find more use for the screw driver as a light pry tool than the blade. The little classic on my keyring even gives me the SD tipped nail file blade that will open a can of plastic wood.

I don't now how often the pull tab on a can has pulled right off the can. The SAK can opener is easy and quick to use. If I'm having a bad day with the arthritis in my hands, it's actually less painful to open a can using the SAK can opener, than the put on and twist can opener. The rocking motion is easier than the twisting motion needed to crank the regular can opener.

SAK's, sometimes an old farts best friend!

little trick I learned on jars... If you hit the bottom with your palm it will make that pop noise and make it easier to open. I know it's not as fun as using a SAK though.

[Caranthanus]

As for jar lids, I usually put the screwdriver in between the lid and the neck of the jar and twist gently to puncture the vacuum without damaging the lid.

+1

The Victorinox's screwdriver/bottle opener is simply the best jar lid opener

Ranger in action - old photo, of course

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Its good to see the humble saks still earning its keep for you, and that its as adaptable as you are mate

Sent from the astropathic choir.

[magentus]

Great post - makes growing older a lot more fun! 

[Rich S]

cbl51 -

Good post. As a 70 year old I know what you mean. Adapt or die. But you're wrong on old age not being for the faint of heart - it just sucks!

Rich

[collim1]

Glad to hear it. Some if my fondest and earliest memories involve multitools. I was never a tactical knife kind of kid. Back when one hand open locking folders with pocket clips were becoming all the rage I was toting a Leatherman PST backed up by a Victorinox Tinker on all my Boy Scouts outings.

Got a Farmer and a Rally in my pocket as I type this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Aloha]

Great post.  I am beginning to have some pains in my hands.  I work with my hands daily and they have felt better.  I have some tendon damage on my right hand ring finger tho thankfully I'm a lefty.  I'm glad the SAK has been able to keep you outta trouble and been the help it has been. 

Thanks for sharing this with us.   

[ironraven]

My Dad's father carried a Buck knife, a SAK and a pair of pliers on his person almost every day until his illness had reached the point he couldn't walk. And he used them every day, usually for things like this.

And you don't have to be that old use a SAK to open a pickle jar. I learned that trick in high school.

[BIG-TARGET]

Age is slowly catching up to me(my wild hedonistic life, and diabetes, hasn't helped matters either).  Though I love my LMs, I've caught myself carrying my smaller LMs(Juice, Freestyle, etc.) or the lockblade SAKs (OHT, OH sentinal, etc.)

[Huntsman]

Nice post cbl51

Never be without your SAK 

So when it says 'Senior Member' next to you name and avatar - I thought that was something to do with number of posts - Looks like I was wrong.

This post has got me thinking - I would love to know the age statistics for our site (youngest, oldest, average etc etc)

I get the feeling that we have quite a lot of older members (30+ or even older) and not so many young.

Is that coz younger folk are too busy doing stuff - and don't have time to sit around all day talking sh1te about Multitools  

[shark_za]

I'm not there yet but I can see the magnifying glass being used in the not too distant future to read some "fine print"

[Zed]

Getting olderis rough but could get worse as we get older as many rest homes don't allow knives and if any of us get dementia we are stuffed 

[Luna Knife]

I'm not there yet but I can see the magnifying glass being used in the not too distant future to read some "fine print"

I already do that

[AimlessWanderer]

Great post cbl51 

[enki_ck]

Great post cbl51 

Yup, one of a series of great stories too. It's giving me ideas but I'll have to do some inquiries before I can say more.

[zoidberg]

Great post cbl51 

+1          

[deputy tom]

Getting olderis rough but could get worse as we get older as many rest homes don't allow knives and if any of us get dementia we are stuffed 

Aye, well said. tom.

[gustophersmob]

Do you guys find the slipjoints to hard to open as you get older?  I always wonder if my SAK love has an expiration date...

[deputy tom]

Do you guys find the slipjoints to hard to open as you get older?  I always wonder if my SAK love has an expiration date...

I find that I need to oil them more often. YMMV. tom. 

[SAK Guy]

Yeah, and having RA doesn't help any!

[cbl51]

Do you guys find the slipjoints to hard to open as you get older?  I always wonder if my SAK love has an expiration date...

I find that I need to oil them more often. YMMV. tom. 

I think by the time we can't open a SAK, it's not gonna make a difference!

All kidding aside, I think with the smooth light pulls of the Victorinox SAK"s that even on a bad day, I can still open them with no problems. Especially the lobster patterns like the 58mm's and the executive. The spring setup on those make it super easy.

[AdmSlc]

Necessity fosters adaptation and inventions. Great post! I'm glad you were able to find some relief with your SAK. 


-AdmSlc

[nate j]

Getting olderis rough but could get worse as we get older as many rest homes don't allow knives and if any of us get dementia we are stuffed 

The knives don't go, I don't go.