MY son's toy SAK--possibly the perfect camping/hobo knife

[ducktapehero]

The famous Victorinox Toy Swiss Army Knife

http://cgi.ebay.com/Victorinox-Toy-Swiss-Army-Knife-VN54000_W0QQitemZ330196723962QQihZ014QQcategoryZ42577QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem


Being a SAK knut I had to get my son one of these to play with. He loves it. Of course I recently got a new Farmer so I've been playing with that a lot so he's been playing with his SAK. I reckon he wants to be like Daddy. I got to looking at his little toy knife and it struck me.

In real life this would make a great camping and/or hobo knife. It's got a blade, a bottle opener(of course the real one would need a combo tool instead) a saw, a magnifying glass, a fork and a spoon. All the things you need for roughing it. You can open your beer, your can of beans, cut some firewood and use the magnifying glass to start the fire. Of course after that you use the fork to eat your rabbit you caught and your spoon to eat the beans. I'd LOVE to have a Vic with a layout similar to this.

[665ae]

Has anyone ever been able to start a fire with a SAK magnifying glass? 

[ducktapehero]

I haven't tried. That's a good question though.

[665ae]

Hmm... I'm going to have to buy a SAK with a magnifying glass and try it out.

I think we did have this discussion a while ago... and if I remember right, no one had been able to start a fire with the magnifying glass on a SAK.  I could be wrong though...

[ducktapehero]

I've got a Swisschamp. When it dries up around here I may try too. Unless of course I forget, which is probably what will happen.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I've burnt a mates neck , but never started a fire with one

[NutSAK]

One or two SOSAK members have claimed to be able to start fires with the mag glass and natural materials. 

If charcloth is available, it is fairly easy.

[Thargor]

Has anyone ever been able to start a fire with a SAK magnifying glass? 

Id say its possible, definitely possible to get the ember to blow on anyway, someone on Survivor uses their glasses to do it every season aswell.

[BIG-TARGET]

ATTENTION VICTORINOX/WENGER!!

If you are reading this.  Time has come to design/make a HOBO!!

[hawkchucker]

hobo design never really took to me. Especially since I can get a decent titanium sprk or the light my fire spork and have room on my tools for something else.

[ducktapehero]

I thought I'd resurrect this thread. I have a Vic Swisschamp and was experimenting on whether the magnifying glass could start a fire. I was unable to. I had extremely dry leaves and I held the focal point on there at least 10 minutes and I didn't get anything.

Of course someone else may be able to do it but I certainly can't.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I thought I'd resurrect this thread. I have a Vic Swisschamp and was experimenting on whether the magnifying glass could start a fire. I was unable to. I had extremely dry leaves and I held the focal point on there at least 10 minutes and I didn't get anything.

Of course someone else may be able to do it but I certainly can't.

I think it also depends on the ambient tempreture too, I can see it might be possible in summer, but in the depths of winter...

[NutSAK]

I thought I'd resurrect this thread. I have a Vic Swisschamp and was experimenting on whether the magnifying glass could start a fire. I was unable to. I had extremely dry leaves and I held the focal point on there at least 10 minutes and I didn't get anything.

Of course someone else may be able to do it but I certainly can't.

I think it also depends on the ambient tempreture too, I can see it might be possible in summer, but in the depths of winter...

There is a seasonal difference, but I would suspect that it's due more to the angle of the sun than the ambient temp.  The lower the sun is in the sky, the more atmosphere the rays have to punch through to reach the target.  If you consider how hot the burn spot has to be to create fire, I can't imagine that a 70 degree (F) change in ambient temperature would have that large an affect.

[ducktapehero]

If it IS possible in Summer but not Winter then it still shouldn't be counted on as a "survival tool". But I always have a lighter on me but it's still nice to have multiple methods of starting fire. I may get one of of those fire starting sticks.

[NutSAK]

If it IS possible in Summer but not Winter then it still shouldn't be counted on as a "survival tool".

I certainly agree with that.  I wouldn't rely on it due to the mixed experience I've had with it in the middle of summer.  It seems to always work with charcloth, but then you're adding another level of complexity to consider it reliable.