Solo Alox-- Why bother?

[Thunderpants]

Solo= cheap, 1 layer, 1 blade.
Pioneer pruner = cheap, 1 layer 2 blades.

Any good reasons to pick the Solo instead of the Pruner?

[GigaHz]

Tight pants?

[sticktodrum]

Hipster?

Or maybe you want a knife Han-style... Solo!

[enki_ck]

Well plenty of people carry single bladed folders every day.

I actually quite like the ALOX Solo for it's slim profile and good strong pioneer blade.

Also worth noting is that the blade on the Solo is straight, centered, while on the Pruner and Apprentice it tapers to one side to accommodate the second small blade. And it looks to me the blade is ever so slightly thinner on the multibladed ones. I prefer the Pioneer Apprentice to the Pruner actually but the Solo gets most of the carry of the single layered SAKs.

[Fattsgalore]

Why not??? Maybe all someone needs is a single blade. Nearly ALL modern folders are just single bladed tools. Things like mulit bladed Case knives (and similar style) aren't very popular these days.

Want the Watch Case Opener personally...

[Thunderpants]

Don't get me wrong, I love single layered alox! I have a Bantam & I prefer it to the Cadet.

I just thought that since the Solo and the pruner (big blade plus small blade) had the same dimensions (I think), it would be an odd decision to pick the Solo.

But if the Solo's blade is more centered, that would be at least one physical difference in its favour. (Though in reality, who has ever noticed if a blade lies to the left or right by a tiny bit?)

Anyway, I love all these alox Vics. I've just ordered a Pioneer Rancher, which has two layers. For one more euro I could have got the Harvester, but I didn't want that extra layer. I would love it if these were available in green and black like the Danish Cadets and Bantams... sigh.

[sticktodrum]

(Though in reality, who has ever noticed if a blade lies to the left or right by a tiny bit?)

You haven't spent much time on the Bladeforums, have ya. :/ Blade centering is a pretty big thing these days.

Frankly...it's not a quality I pine over.

I bought a Solo recently...but that sucker is still lost in the USPS vortex.

[microbe]

(Though in reality, who has ever noticed if a blade lies to the left or right by a tiny bit?)

You haven't spent much time on the Bladeforums, have ya. :/ Blade centering is a pretty big thing these days.

Frankly...it's not a quality I pine over.

I bought a Solo recently...but that sucker is still lost in the USPS vortex.

Same here. Don't have a solo yet. I bought a few 9 weeks ago, but the parcel is still travelling. (Snail mail)

[enki_ck]

(Though in reality, who has ever noticed if a blade lies to the left or right by a tiny bit?)

You haven't spent much time on the Bladeforums, have ya. :/ Blade centering is a pretty big thing these days.

Frankly...it's not a quality I pine over.

I bought a Solo recently...but that sucker is still lost in the USPS vortex.

Same here. Don't have I solo yet. I bought a few 9 weeks ago, but the parcel is still travelling. (Snail mail)

SA colored ones from Ducky you were talking about some months ago?

[Thunderpants]

I bought a Solo recently...but that sucker is still lost in the USPS vortex.

Arg!
Not the vortex!

I had no idea Solos were so beloved. Maybe I should try and find a real shop one of these days so I can judge these things up close, instead of peering at fuzzy little JPGs.

Meanwhile on ebay, someone is selling a yellow "Pioneer wilderness"....
I hope "Flossenfan" doesn't mind me using his photo.
What a beauty. (The SAK, I mean, not Flossenfan... though, who knows?)
Anyway. I don't think it will be cheap!

[Thunderpants]

Same here. Don't have I solo yet. I bought a few 9 weeks ago, but the parcel is still travelling. (Snail mail)

 


9 Weeks?!
Why do I have Queen's "Another one bites the dust" running through my head all of a sudden?

[PTRSAK]

I've had several Solo's.

All have been pulled apart for one project or another. Mostly for the backspring to use in +scissors mods.

I do have a Soloesque knife that finds its way into my pocket now and then.. I call it a Chicken because it's a big Bantam.

The bottom of these two

[sticktodrum]

Meanwhile on ebay, someone is selling a yellow "Pioneer wilderness"....

What!? Where?

[microbe]

Same here. Don't have I solo yet. I bought a few 9 weeks ago, but the parcel is still travelling. (Snail mail)

 


9 Weeks?!
Why do I have Queen's "Another one bites the dust" running through my head all of a sudden?

SA postal states: parcels sent with surfacemail (aka snail mail) can take 9 to 12 weeks.
Probably on a banana boat as we speak...

[Thunderpants]

Meanwhile on ebay, someone is selling a yellow "Pioneer wilderness"....

What!? Where?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Rare-Victorinox-Alox-Pioneer-Wilderness-gold-only-50-pieces-made-yellow-gelb-/231108877121?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item35cf299b41

Not shipping to the US by the looks of things 

edit: seems he ships worldwide.

[microbe]

(Though in reality, who has ever noticed if a blade lies to the left or right by a tiny bit?)

You haven't spent much time on the Bladeforums, have ya. :/ Blade centering is a pretty big thing these days.

Frankly...it's not a quality I pine over.

I bought a Solo recently...but that sucker is still lost in the USPS vortex.

Same here. Don't have I solo yet. I bought a few 9 weeks ago, but the parcel is still travelling. (Snail mail)

SA colored ones from Ducky you were talking about some months ago?

yes. months ago.

[Thunderpants]

I do have a Soloesque knife that finds its way into my pocket now and then.. I call it a Chicken because it's a big Bantam.

The chicken is awesome!
And what is the big blade on the other thing? An extra huge electrician?

[enki_ck]

OK, I tried to capture the difference in the positioning of the blade and thickness of it but am not sure how well it succeeded. Not easy to take pictures of shiny objects with a point and shoot camera.   Solo always on the right.







 

[Thunderpants]

Great pics, enki! That makes it very clear indeed.
On a Solo do you always get a centered blade? I read (I think on the Sakwiki) that some solos come with non centered blades. Which would be annoying!

[microbe]

Nice pics, thanks Enki - I did not know that yet.

[enki_ck]

Great pics, enki! That makes it very clear indeed.
On a Solo do you always get a centered blade? I read (I think on the Sakwiki) that some solos come with non centered blades. Which would be annoying!

We had a discussion about those some time ago. I'll try to find it later. This one isn't perfectly centered either, it's a bit to the left in the picture, but perfect centering is hard to do on a pinned construction, especially on the volume Victorinox makes. It's much easier achieved with screws. Then again it doesn't hinder the function of the knife at all. But yes, it would bug me a bit too.

[nate j]

Any good reasons to pick the Solo instead of the Pruner?

If you plan to use it for any really dirty or messy chores, fewest blades = easiest cleanup.

[PTRSAK]

I do have a Soloesque knife that finds its way into my pocket now and then.. I call it a Chicken because it's a big Bantam.

The chicken is awesome!
And what is the big blade on the other thing? An extra huge electrician?

The other "thing" is a hybrid of 93mm Alox scales with the holes welded up and re-drilled to suit a 91mm backspring then fitted with a 91mm caplifter and the blade from a Vic' florist knife.
All "Just to prove it could be done". 

This has become a toolbox knife and takes a fair bit if use and abuse. Poor thing...

[pfrsantos]

The Thing looks great! Another thing you get in a solo is a thicker blade with a more consistent profile. The tip is always in the center of the blade. With the other blades, the tip aligns on one side. Maybe a little weaker for "stabing" stuff... If you press the point on something, the solo blade as the fulcrum point in the middle of the pivot while in the other, the fulcrum is on the outside of the blade. Hope the pic helps understand what I mean.