Your Favorite "Stand-alone" SAK

[KiwiMark]

Wait....what does "stand-alone" mean?
It means a knife that will fit your daily needs but without the help of any other tool or gadget(for example, without a flashlight or a tactical folder or a LM, etc. including keychain/pocket sized stuff).

This makes no sense to me - how can a SAK be "stand alone"?
They have yet to make a SAK that incorporates a cell phone yet so for me I'll never carry just a SAK and nothing else.
I also don't believe that even the lite models can match any halfway decent flashlight. In fact, if I don't have my flashlight then I don't have my keys - that could be a problem.

Of course there are plenty of SAKs that are capable for handling everything else and I don't actually carry a tactical folder or other pocket tools.

My Cybertool 34 has pliers, 2 sharp knives, scissors, screwdrivers, can opener, bottle opener, etc.
There isn't much it can't handle - I still have my cell phone & flashlight as well but all other tasks can be done with this great urban 'do it all' SAK.

For a camping tool that does it all - I love my Victorinox Ranger!
The Ranger has a saw, file, 2 sharp blades, scissors, can opener, bottle opener, awl, chisel, corkscrew, etc.
What more do you need really?

I have my doubts about the need to carry a knife, for most people the blade on the SAK will do a good enough job of opening packages, cutting string, cutting an apple, etc.
In my country it is illegal to carry a weapon, it could be hard to justify a tactical folder but it is easy to explain why I'm carrying a SAK.  No one (no one sane) thinks that a SAK is a weapon and I've never gotten any grief for EDCing one.

As for other pocket tools - I do admit I've been carrying a SwissTool quite often, but it really doesn't get the amount of use that my Cybertool does.  For day to day use I don't need the file or saw and the pliers are not needed all that often.  I'm thinking of moving the SwissTool to a bag/pack and just keeping the SAK in my pocket because the SAK is enough to handle 98% of the common tasks I'm faced with.

[firiki]

I think everything depends on what one expects to be doing with the SAK on question. Let's not forget a SAK is a knife after all, a (good) blade that is. It's why I pocket-carry either a Vic Pioneer or a Climber. These I find to be great pocket knifes, capable all-rounders and the scissors are great to have. I'd like to echo others about preferring the dedicated openers layer to the combo tool for these are highly versatile unilke the merely effective opener that is the combo tool. Also, I'm thinking the Compact is missing an awl too.
 
The addition of these three last implements makes these models equipped well enough to do what one would expect a knife that size to do (mainly cut, pry, puncture, scrape) while preserving the main blade for its intended use(s) with the rest of the implements actually perfoming better at some of these tasks. 

I think having more implements on a SAK makes the knife gravitate towards the MT side of things. That's not bad in itself it just takes its toll on bulk, weight and ease of use/maintenance and this should be taken into consideration when choosing a pocket knife, since it should be easy to handle and carry on your person. In my bag I keep a Vic Handyman/Spirit S combo for the extra tools and dual pliers option and I use them occasionaly. However they certainly are not my choice for a pocket knife, the one tool I keep on me almost 24/7.

I think the Swisschamp and the CT41 are work beasts but for me they are just too bulky to carry around comfortably in my pocket and that doesn't do it. As for electric/electronic components on SAKs, for me that's plain wrong. They are fragile and vulnerable to water making the tool too delicate to use. A Vic Ranger or a Handyman (adds really strong tweezers that one for where full sized ones fail) offer a nice array of tools not so easily found someplace around one when needed (such as a metal file/saw, chisel) unlike dedicated drivers and thus are a viable choice for me.

Having said all that I should repeat that it all depends on what one will be doing with that SAK and that a SAK is a knife after all, at least for me. Hope that helps. 

[Pignut71]

1. Explorer
2. Super Tinker
3. Huntsman

I could be swayed either way on 2 or 3 but the Explorer is my all time fave...

Regards, Jon.

[Monrogue]

1. Explorer
2. Super Tinker
3. Huntsman

I could be swayed either way on 2 or 3 but the Explorer is my all time fave...

Regards, Jon.

The Explorer was one of my faves as well

[jerseydevil]

I'd have to say my Evo16 would be my favorite.  It's the SAK I carry more than any other. 

[nervium]

i will talk about saks i have:

swisschamp:of course a perfect stand alone tool, has almost every tool victorinox designed.but the size and the weight of it is an important issue for most of us.

solo:not a stand-alone you know, but i like it.

compact:solves %90 of my problems on city life, but if there is an awl or a philips instead of hook, it would be nearly perfect.i use hook but i need awl and philips more.

spartan:i bought a mint second hand from a bargain, i powered it up with a mini screwdriver and stainless pin.it gives more screwdriver options than the compact, small knife is a good option for discreet use in public, and i think i can do almost everything i do with scissors, with a sharp knife easily.pen, not an issue for me, i always carry a quality fountain pen.

i have a rescue tool on the way but she is a specified tool as yo know, so she is out of this poll.

as a result; spartan is enough for me, maybe if i have a cybertool i would prefer it.

[stot]

That's a tough decision. Probably why there are four or five choices laying on my dresser, but it would come down to two. Explorer or Yeoman? Since I've nearly always left the house with a Yeoman in my pocket for the last 17 years, I'll go with Yeoman.

[EtherealityX1]

Cybertool Lite, hands down has everything I need.

As soon as I have the money (read wife's permission) I will replace it with an Explorer Plus with a keyring mini led light attached. That would give me all i need plus a better flashlight while shaving a layer and weight ( from the CT, what I use rarely are the smaller screwdriver bits).

[BradGad]

It would have to be the Huntsman for me.

I was perfectly happy with the Climber for years... decades really. Then I discovered how great the saw is, about the same time my lifestyle changed such that I need the saw rather often.

I thought that four layers was too many for comfortable EDC, so I stayed away from the Huntsman even though it's the perfect tool set for me, instead switching off between the Climber, the Camper, or a Farmer/Rambler combo.

Then I found a way to carry the Huntsman very comfortably.

Now I occasionally put something else in my pocket, just because I like knives and want to use them, but more often than not, when I do I wish I had the Huntsman at some point during the day. It really is the "do it all, no compromises" model for me.

[nate j]

Then I found a way to carry the Huntsman very comfortably.

OK, I'm curious.  How do you carry your Huntsman?

[BradGad]

Then I found a way to carry the Huntsman very comfortably.

OK, I'm curious.  How do you carry your Huntsman?

Years ago, I decided four layers was just one too many for me, so even though the Huntsman has pretty much the perfect tool set for me, I stayed away.

A few months ago, I decided to try a red Huntsman Plus with a Tec P-7 clip... With the knife vertical, I found it wasn't too big at all. Just right in fact. But, I like to keep a lanyard on my knife, and the lanyard plus the P-7 was too cluttered and fussy.

Then... SAK harmony and balance was finally achieved by adding a ferro rod firesteel to the lanyard, along with the Photon Freedom Microlight I already had on it (a terrific little flashlight, btw). The firesteel gives the lanyard just enough weight that it keeps the knife upright on its own, without needing a clip.

Sorry, I'm having trouble figuring out how to insert pics here. But here are a couple via links...





Once I made this change, everything fell into place:

• No need for a clip; the knife is perfectly comfortable in any pair of pants I've worn in the past two months.
• The flashlight is always right there, literally at my fingertips. This has proven to be almost as handy as having a good SAK!
• The knife always easy to pull out, even when sitting down or driving (considerably more so than with the clip).
• All my "must have" tools (knife, saw, awl, bottle opener/screwdriver, corkscrew, toothpick) plus my "nice to have" tools (scissors, pen) are in one package.
• A four-foot length of mil-spec paracord, firesteel, and flashlight on top of the Huntsman's blade, saw, and awl make, I think, an excellent bushcraft & survival tool set.
• Scissors, openers, screwdrivers, and pen make it perfectly suited for urban EDC as well.

I carried a Climber every day for about 30 years, and was perfectly happy with it. Then, I discovered how good the saw is, about the same time my lifestyle changed such that I actually need the saw often. So, my go-to became the Camper + Rambler combo (if I weren't hooked on the corkscrew -- for knots, wine, and the mini SD -- it would be the Farmer + Rambler). Occasionally if I knew I'd be strictly around town or in the office, I substituted a Climber Plus or Compact.

Now, my lanyard-equipped Huntsman Plus does it all.

[Gareth]

sorted your pic links you just need to have [ img ]link to pictures goes here[ /img ] but without the spaces.

That lanyard looks like a great idea.

[BradGad]

sorted your pic links you just need to have [ img ]link to pictures goes here[ /img ] but without the spaces.

That lanyard looks like a great idea.

Thanks man!   (I thought I did that, but I guess I muffed something.)

[charlie fox]

I carried a Recruit without any other "EDC" stuff for a lot of years before I knew I needed all that other gear. So either that or a Super Tinker...may need scissors:)

[Jothra]

If I have a Huntsman on me, I don't need any other pocket tools. Also acceptable: Outrider, Fieldmaster, or Evo (s)18.

[NG VI]

Probably a Rambler maybe.

[RVER]

I have an original climber (no hook) with a mini carabiner that attaches a photon light to it. But my go to TOOL is my Workchamp with a Pocket Wrench II.

[Dtrain]

Hiker or Trekker

Dtrain

[RVER]

I have an original climber (no hook) with a mini carabiner that attaches a photon light to it. But my go to TOOL is my Workchamp with a Pocket Wrench II.

  I had to make a change. I gave my Workchamp to my son and began carrying my Vic Outrider. Also I got a LM Wave with bit kit which I mostly keep in my EDC bag.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

[FolderBeholder]

For me it has always been the Camper, (with the teepee logo).  I carried it for years, until I lost it in a movie theater.  I've since replaced it, yet I still miss that original sentimental one.

[ducttapetech]

Even if it lacks a saw and file, the CT 34 has been a good all around Sak.

sent from my mobile

[Monrogue]

I would consider my Ranger Plus to be one of the best stand alone SAKs, along with my Yeochamp as another option (which I think I already mentioned).

[magentus]

My fave at the moment is my improved Explorer. I added a bit adapter and now it's range is massively increased! Take that Cybertool! Now all it needs is a saw.................................

[ducttapetech]

Challenge excepted! 

[gustophersmob]

Definitely the Pioneer/Alox Soldier.  The Cadet is a close second. The Farmer a close 3rd   

[detron]

I have 2, each has something the other does not

Cybertool 41

  or
 
My old (mid 80s) Champion 

the if the cybertool 41 had a magnifier, I could drop the Champion from this list.

[Bensasupertool]

The Explorer Plus Has been a stand alone SAK alot since it arrived.

[magentus]

Challenge excepted! 

Fair enough  - well fought.

I doff my cap to you and admit that the CT41 would be my ideal stand alone SAK. 

[ducttapetech]

They are a tad thick, but it is a great sak. The CT34 is a nice one too.

sent from my mobile

[gardenvalley]

My favourite standalone SAK (notwithstanding the Swisstool) is the often overlooked Handyman,
 like a Swisschamp but w/o the fish scaler (which I would never need) and the magnifier(got one
 on my Swisscard)