SAK's - Corkscrew or Phillips?

[McStitchy]

When I figured out that the can opener is a good #2 Phillips driver I've switched sides to the corkscrew team 

In that regard the Outrider with its #0/1 inline Phillips and corkscrew suddenly makes a lot of sense to me 



Also I have to deal more with glasses lately (mini screwdriver) and as shown a couple of posts up, I do use the corkscrew in autumn/winter often to untie wet laces after riding my bike in rain.

[El Corkscrew]

When I figured out that the can opener is a good #2 Phillips driver I've switched sides to the corkscrew team 

In that regard the Outrider with its #0/1 inline Phillips and corkscrew suddenly makes a lot of sense to me 

(Image removed from quote.)

Also I have to deal more with glasses lately (mini screwdriver) and as shown a couple of posts up, I do use the corkscrew in autumn/winter often to untie wet laces after riding my bike in rain.

That Outrider looks great!

[McStitchy]

Cheers El C.
It's the slide lock version still.
I prefer the more sturdy saw and the sewing eye on the awl 

[Don Pablo]

When I figured out that the can opener is a good #2 Phillips driver I've switched sides to the corkscrew team 

In that regard the Outrider with its #0/1 inline Phillips and corkscrew suddenly makes a lot of sense to me 

(Image removed from quote.)

Also I have to deal more with glasses lately (mini screwdriver) and as shown a couple of posts up, I do use the corkscrew in autumn/winter often to untie wet laces after riding my bike in rain.

That Outrider looks great!

+1 

[McStitchy]

 

[Sawl Goodman]

Overall, the corkscrew gets my vote for its multiple uses and heritage. A back tooled 84/85/91mm SAK looks kind of wrong to me without one. But it does make the knife less comfortable in hand and in pocket. Some of the old fluted ones, which otherwise I like for their appearance, can be downright painful! (an installed mini SD helps a little). I gave my nephew a small Tinker and was surprised at how much more comfortable it was to use than my Sportsman.

I've been using a Camper a lot lately and am so tired of the CS gouging my palm and thumb that I'm waiting for a Hiker to hitch a lift to my pocket. 

[ElevenBlade]

Resurrecting an old thread...

The ongoing Fieldmaster challenge has sparked my interest in this age old question....

I've preferred the corkscrew, in theory, for many years... Since in reality I have EDCed an alox soldier for the better part of 12 years and carried neither one.

My theoretical preference for the corkscrew has made me partial to the Huntsman over the Fieldmaster.  But alas, last month I have my Huntsman to a friend and now there's a gap in my collection.  The Fieldmaster just might fill that space.  But I'm not sure... I definitely use the micro SD in the corkscrew, that's for certain. I don't suppose I keep a mental note of every time I use the can opener as a Phillips, or the corkscrew. 

Fellow Knights!
I call upon thee to use the upcoming SAK Stack challenge to help answer this question!
Carve a notch in your walking staff for each time you make a kill with the corkscrew or the Phillips!

At the end, we may have a better idea of what tool is better as an EDC.  Understanding that neither tool is ideal or perfect... That normal people 😂 would reach for an actual screwdriver or wine opener if given the chance, and conversely, that most of us use the corkscrew as a marlinspike...  Percieved need aside, which tool is actually more useful in the pocket for whatever reason arises. Which tool is the duct tape in your kit?

[39hotrod]

I have more use for a Philips sc than a CS.. Kinda avoid SAKs with the CS but do have a few.. As an eyeglass wearer (55yrs) I have never needed a eyeglass screwdriver that I can remember.. So don't need a CS to hold the tiny screwdriver..

[Rapidray]

Phillips by a long shot - and with that being said...I rarely use either when I do carry them. The blades, sissors, and saw get the most use.

[Steelej1976]

For the type of work I do (electronics) the Phillips is my choice.  The can opener works good for most Phillips screws but I find I frequently run into recessed screws.  The T handle isn't great but the backside Phillips can access deeper recessed screws better then say a Leatherman Wave.  It's not perfect but in a pinch it works good and I do find I use it over the can opener whenever I can. 

I will say though I currently EDC a Super Tinker (which I love), I have been looking at getting a Sportsman or Climber just because the Corkscrew is cool!

[Aloha]

Welcome to

[nate j]

For the type of work I do (electronics) the Phillips is my choice.  The can opener works good for most Phillips screws but I find I frequently run into recessed screws.  The T handle isn't great but the backside Phillips can access deeper recessed screws better then say a Leatherman Wave.  It's not perfect but in a pinch it works good and I do find I use it over the can opener whenever I can. 

I will say though I currently EDC a Super Tinker (which I love), I have been looking at getting a Sportsman or Climber just because the Corkscrew is cool!

Welcome aboard!   

You might consider an Explorer, which would get you the corkscrew (which is cool  ) & end-mounted Phillips.

[Steelej1976]

Welcome aboard!   

You might consider an Explorer, which would get you the corkscrew (which is cool  ) & end-mounted Phillips.

Thanks! I was considering the Explorer just not sure about that extra layer.  The Spartan Lite looked interesting too but don't know how great that light would actually be.

[nate j]

Thanks! I was considering the Explorer just not sure about that extra layer.  The Spartan Lite looked interesting too but don't know how great that light would actually be.

My experience (as long as the SAKs all have 4 layers or fewer) is that adding or subtracting a layer feels weird for a while, and then you get used to it, but YMMV.  Some people have a “hard limit” of 3 or even 2 layers.  Five or more layers never felt right in the hand to me, but some folks happily EDC a Swisschamp.

The lights/lites are not great, especially by modern LED flashlight standards.  IMO, if you need a small light, you’re much better off with a dedicated 1xAAA keychain light.  C’mon down to the Flashlight sub forum if you want specific suggestions.

[Steelej1976]

My experience (as long as the SAKs all have 4 layers or fewer) is that adding or subtracting a layer feels weird for a while, and then you get used to it, but YMMV.  Some people have a “hard limit” of 3 or even 2 layers.  Five or more layers never felt right in the hand to me, but some folks happily EDC a Swisschamp.

The lights/lites are not great, especially by modern LED flashlight standards.  IMO, if you need a small light, you’re much better off with a dedicated 1xAAA keychain light.  C’mon down to the Flashlight sub forum if you want specific suggestions.

Thanks again.  You really got me thinking about that Explorer now, not that I needed to much convincing, lol. 

[theonew]

Having a phillips capable of working with recessed screws has always been a requirement for me, but I also don't have much use for the nose hair trimming capabilities of 91mm scissors and thus bought an old Explorer Plus for a few bucks and removed the wasteful scissors layer. It is really easy to do.

[nate j]

Thanks again.  You really got me thinking about that Explorer now, not that I needed to much convincing, lol.

One of us!  One of us!  One of us!

 

[ElevenBlade]

Having a phillips capable of working with recessed screws has always been a requirement for me, but I also don't have much use for the nose hair trimming capabilities of 91mm scissors and thus bought an old Explorer Plus for a few bucks and removed the wasteful scissors layer. It is really easy to do.

I often have two SAK scissors with me... I use the smaller 58mm scissors for the recessed nose hairs.   

[ulzhan]

I prefer both.

[The Scrounger]

Thought I would let everyone know where stand on this debate!

As a kid I was always in the phillips driver camp because I believed the corkscrew was only useful for one thing and didn't know at the time that the can opener tip worked on phillips heads. This ideology did persuade me to ask for a Craftsman for Christmas when I was 14 though! After reading and learning about the can opener tip, I have been leaning towards the corkscrew camp ever since. Both tools do have their advantages, and makes deciding which knife to carry difficult at times.

Here's where I stand on each tool:

Phillips Driver:
Seems to only work in low-torque situations or else you can feel the liners starting to bend. Great for some recessed screws. T-handle is awkward and cumbersome at times, as many have already stated. Works well to loosen double-knots on my Five-Ten mountain bike shoes versus the CS. The laces are wide like on a skateboard shoe and the CS just pokes a hole in the middle. Also it works way better than the CS as a bike/car Schrader valve air-down tool. For those two reasons alone is why I carry an 84mm Tinker on my rides.

I have actually done a lot of research into fastener types and a major problem with the Phillips is the fastener design itself. Not sure how it ever became so popular, but it seems like either the driver or fastener, whichever has the softer steel, gets damaged if the fastener is too tight. Phillips drivers are disposed of more frequently than other types, in my experience and I've encountered so many soft Phillips screws where the driver just eats away at it and you cannot get it loose! There are much better fastener types out there.

Corkscrew:
I have not yet had the chance to use it for its intended purpose, as there is usually a dedicated one in the kitchen. I recently cleaned my bike's bottom bracket and needed a tool to get the leftover dirty grease out of the threads. The only tool I had lying around that could do the job without damaging the aluminum threads was the 5-turn CS on an early 1970's Spartan. Afterwards, I tried the CS on my modern Spartan and discovered that the tip was not as sharp as the old one and did not fit between the threads. Not to mention the fact that the old one sits slightly more flush. So even among Victorinox corkscrews, the old design is much better IMO. In addition to cleaning threads, I have used the CS to remove old o-rings and even as a split ring tool for heavy-duty rings and even a stubborn spring.

Nowadays in my EDC I prefer to to carry a SAK with a CS due to possibly needing to save the day at a party as well as the ingenuity purposes. The Phillips driver SAK's make good gifts for kids, because they may think as I once did about the corkscrew!

[nate j]

Thought I would let everyone know where stand on this debate!

As a kid I was always in the phillips driver camp because I believed the corkscrew was only useful for one thing and didn't know at the time that the can opener tip worked on phillips heads. This ideology did persuade me to ask for a Craftsman for Christmas when I was 14 though! After reading and learning about the can opener tip, I have been leaning towards the corkscrew camp ever since. Both tools do have their advantages, and makes deciding which knife to carry difficult at times.

Here's where I stand on each tool:

Phillips Driver:
Seems to only work in low-torque situations or else you can feel the liners starting to bend. Great for some recessed screws. T-handle is awkward and cumbersome at times, as many have already stated. Works well to loosen double-knots on my Five-Ten mountain bike shoes versus the CS. The laces are wide like on a skateboard shoe and the CS just pokes a hole in the middle. Also it works way better than the CS as a bike/car Schrader valve air-down tool. For those two reasons alone is why I carry an 84mm Tinker on my rides.

I have actually done a lot of research into fastener types and a major problem with the Phillips is the fastener design itself. Not sure how it ever became so popular, but it seems like either the driver or fastener, whichever has the softer steel, gets damaged if the fastener is too tight. Phillips drivers are disposed of more frequently than other types, in my experience and I've encountered so many soft Phillips screws where the driver just eats away at it and you cannot get it loose! There are much better fastener types out there.

Corkscrew:
I have not yet had the chance to use it for its intended purpose, as there is usually a dedicated one in the kitchen. I recently cleaned my bike's bottom bracket and needed a tool to get the leftover dirty grease out of the threads. The only tool I had lying around that could do the job without damaging the aluminum threads was the 5-turn CS on an early 1970's Spartan. Afterwards, I tried the CS on my modern Spartan and discovered that the tip was not as sharp as the old one and did not fit between the threads. Not to mention the fact that the old one sits slightly more flush. So even among Victorinox corkscrews, the old design is much better IMO. In addition to cleaning threads, I have used the CS to remove old o-rings and even as a split ring tool for heavy-duty rings and even a stubborn spring.

Nowadays in my EDC I prefer to to carry a SAK with a CS due to possibly needing to save the day at a party as well as the ingenuity purposes. The Phillips driver SAK's make good gifts for kids, because they may think as I once did about the corkscrew!

Welcome!   

I'm firmly in the CS camp myself, finding it (as you have) good for a myriad of tasks, while the backside Philips is rather limited in its application.  Should you have to use it for its namesake purpose, I can assure you from personal experience it performs quite adequately.

[cody6268]

I'm solely in the "if drivers are so important, just buy a CyberTool thread", but as I mature as an SAK enthusiast, I'm now chaning my answer to "neither"; as the only factory Alox with any backside tool is the Dutch Air Force Master Craftsman, and it has Phillips.  Otherwise, with Cellidor, corkscrew on modern, Phillips on vintage (due to the file, and forged design).

[Thunderpants]

It's about time Victorinox killed this topic by inventing the Phillips-Corkscrew combo tool. A corkscrew with a Phillips at the end of it.
You know you want it!

[EMZ]

It's about time Victorinox killed this topic by inventing the Phillips-Corkscrew combo tool. A corkscrew with a Phillips at the end of it.
You know you want it!

 

Since the Phillips is useless anyway, it could be installed also at the beginning of the corkscrew. 

[ElevenBlade]

Since the Phillips is useless anyway, it could be installed also at the beginning of the corkscrew.