Users, Bruisers and Snoozers

[AimlessWanderer]

It's time for a sort through I think. Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to try and split my SAKs into these categories.

Users: Firstly, ones that get carried on their own or part of a combo. Secondly, where do I want a SAK permanantly, and which one (Glove box, kitchen drawer, first aid kit etc)

Bruisers: Ones which were bought specifically for breaking for mods, or which I bought "just to have a look at" and which I'd like to tweak a bit.

Snoozers: All the rest! The ones that sit there doing nothing.

I've reached the "too many, but not enough" stage  and there's a pile from which I keep carrying the same ones over and over ... but don't want to get rid of the rest ... and the pile keeps growing  I have a sneaky suspicion it's not going to be easy to label ones as "surplus" though

I hope I end up with a pile to sell/trade/gift, but if I end up with a shopping list instead .... 

[AimlessWanderer]

Well ... that's the Bruisers sorted. I'm amazed how many discontinued SAK's I've bought for ... well, destroying really 

So that just leaves ...  ... this is going to be tough 

[82brutus]

I'm interested to see how this goes.   

 I think I'm at the same stage you are.   

I have quite a few SAKs that for whatever reason, I'm not willing to let go of yet, but I don't use that often and still things keep arriving in the mail   

and I keep getting the dirty looks from my wife...   

[AimlessWanderer]

Yeah that's pretty much where I'm at - except no wife. I just keep giving myself dirty looks 

I figured there are some I will keep for occasional use only, such as the 85mm Deluxe Cigar Cutter. They need to be the Snoozers really. I suppose what I should be trying to sort is Users, Bruisers, Snoozers and Losers

[ironraven]

Well, to me, the Loosers would be the ones to beat up to even be worth breaking, the Snoozers the ones that looked ok and just are hanging around, and the Cruizers are the ones going through life on being pretty, rare or pretty rare.

[AimlessWanderer]

Oh, no! Not Cruisers too .... 
Only got one of those, so that's easy 

[AimlessWanderer]

Tried a different tack tonight.

Identify just 3 pocket carry users .... big fail 
Identify just 6 pocket carry users .... fail 
Consume a bottle of plum wine ... success 

Pocket carry short (yeah right  ) list:

Yeoman - with 4" needle nose Vise Grips
Original Outdoorsman - with modified knifeless Kick
Brushed Stainless Traveller - with Ti Mini Quark 123 and Screwzall
84mm Golfer - with IDL T7 or on it's own
Wenger Pocket Tool Chest - With Preon Revo and Green Gerber Dime
Voyager Lite - in Maxped EDC Micro Pouch with SOG Toolclip & IDL T5 + extras
Pioneer Harvester - in Micro Tool Tin (lots of other goodies)
Black Pioneer - with Style PS
Deluxe Tinker - on it's own
Director - With Juice KF4

Formal Carry:
Deluxe Cigar Cutter
Stainless "Coffin" Traveller

I think that's about as streamlined at it's gonna get 

[82brutus]

Tried a different tack tonight.

Identify just 3 pocket carry users .... big fail 
Identify just 6 pocket carry users .... fail 
Consume a bottle of plum wine ... success 

At least you had some success. 

Were there any  pocketable combinations that you culled from the list? 

Sent from my MB860

[AimlessWanderer]

Well .... no  no combos culled

... but I cut the pocket carry down TO those combos only  which bumps the Explorer, Champion, Climber Small etc etc off the list for pocket carry. I'm going to cut the Deluxe Tinker too from that list now

Compact and D of E have gone in first aid kits, Tourist (my first ever SAK) has gone in the kitchen drawer, Director reassigned to the office at home (leaving Golfer with KF4, so that's another line scratched off  ) .... we're getting somewhere ... slowly 

[AimlessWanderer]

Awww crap! Wenger J574 arrived this morning.   
Don't even remember ordering that, but I've checked it out and it's legit.

Oh well, that'll go for safe keeping until either my neice or my mate's wee one is old enough. Not a bad little knife for a young kid actually

Alcohol + Paypal = 

[austin83]

I will EDC either just a Spartan or a Climber, and I keep a Classic on my keychain and a Swiss Tool on my belt.  I've got probably 10 other SAK that will never get carried on a routine basis.  I now buy only SAK that will be EDC knives.  I found an old Tourist the other day at an antique store that had the grooved corkscrew without the toothpick and tweezers, and I can't bring myself to buy it because I'd never carry it because it doesn't have tweezers or a toothpick.  When I finally add a Yeoman and a Scientist my EDC search will be complete (I'm even doubting I will every carry the Scientist due to lack of scissors).

[AimlessWanderer]

I will EDC either just a Spartan or a Climber, and I keep a Classic on my keychain and a Swiss Tool on my belt.  I've got probably 10 other SAK that will never get carried on a routine basis.  I now buy only SAK that will be EDC knives.  I found an old Tourist the other day at an antique store that had the grooved corkscrew without the toothpick and tweezers, and I can't bring myself to buy it because I'd never carry it because it doesn't have tweezers or a toothpick.  When I finally add a Yeoman and a Scientist my EDC search will be complete (I'm even doubting I will every carry the Scientist due to lack of scissors).

The Yeoman is excellent, one of the best, if not THE best IMO. I share your sentiments on the Scientist too, but then again pairing is important for me so I could get away with pairing it up with another tool that has got scissors, like I'm doing with the Black Pioneer and Harvester ... I still prefer scissors on a SAK though.

I have classics dotted here and there, plus an Alox Rambler and a Manager, but I've not counted the 58mm's in my project. I'm more than happy to have them dotted about without keeping track of them as such. To me Classics don't need keeping track of any more than a cheapo ball point pen. Above 58mm, different story for me

So your 10 that don't get carried, did you intend to buy to collect or are they one you got that just haven't worked out for you? I never intended to buy to collect personally which is why I'm doing this. I got to the point where I figured I'd got too many, but while I've got WAYYYYY more than I NEED, it's looking like I might have got less "dead wood" than I thought I had

[austin83]

The 10 SAK that don't get any pocket time are one I thought I might carry, but just never warmed up to me. The super tinker and tinker that I have won't get used because of that useless backspring Phillips (the can opener works on almost any phillips I've encountered.  The explorer I have is too big, the ranger is way too big at 5 layers, but its a good hiking knife, and I have a few Wengers from 15 to 20 years ago that were severly abused when I was a kid.  I also keep an extra Climber (retired due to cosmetic damage) that stays in my tool kit for work.  Yes, I believe the Yeoman is the perfect EDC and it is very hard to find.

[AimlessWanderer]

The backsprung phillips is why the Deluxe Tinker is dropping from the line up.  I wouldn't say it's useless, there's plenty of fans of the tinker and such here, but I'd rather pair with a tool that has a better one or have an inline one. The corkscrew is much better for me anyway as I do drink wine, and I also wear glasses so I can get a mini driver in there.

I carried the DT for a fair while before, but since starting down the path of sorting through them I'm beginning to think it's days with me are numbered

[austin83]

Okay, I shouldn't say the backspring phillips is useless, but the corkscrew and mini driver has more uses than a phillips.  I don't drink wine, or wear glasses, but I'm equipped.

[AimlessWanderer]

Well so far I've got it down to 8 pocket carry options (plus 2 for smart carry), and one each for kitchen drawer, car, home office, boat and EDC bag. 15 Users - a far cry from the 6 I tried for  but I'm happy with my choices.

Two others are being held for young 'uns when they get old enough, and there's just one nice/novel one I'm hanging onto that won't get used. 3 Snoozers ain't bad, I'm happy with that especially as two aren't "mine"  This still leaves a fair few thats for breaking, selling or gifting to sort through though.

I'm much happier now that it's not just a sea of stuff that doesn't get used - that just felt like a waste of money, space and the tools themselves. I know now that I've got some stuff that is proven and works for me, something to play around tinkering with when I ever get some free time  and someone else will be able to get some use and enjoyment from the rest once I've finished

I plan on taking some piccies of the "chosen ones" for Def's EDC Companions thread anyway, so when I do I'll stick 'em up here too 

..... and I think my other tools might get a similar treatment in the near future

[82brutus]

I need to do this with my 'collection'.  But even as I say that, I read stuff like:

... but I cut the pocket carry down TO those combos only  which bumps the Explorer, Champion, Climber Small etc etc off the list for pocket carry. I'm going to cut the Deluxe Tinker too from that list now

and my mind immediately goes to... Hmmm, explorer, I don't have one of those.   

I had bought two and took them both apart and used the parts for other stuff.   Sigh, this after a week of receiving three old school traditional slipjoint knives.   

Why oh why can't I stop....

[AimlessWanderer]

That's how I ended up in this mess in the first place 

One correction though .... there is one more Snoozer I am actually been trying to ADD to the pocket carry options for a while, but so far I've not come up with the right accompanying items. If I do, then I've got a bit of sewing to do but I'll have a little set up I've wanted for a while.

If not .... then I need another plan because I don't want to get rid of that one