SAK scales

[nmpops]

My reply was Perhaps. Simply because while I do wish SAKs were a little thinner, unless you go Alox they won't be.  I love my Pioneer and Farmer but find I use a Tinker and Hiker more often.  Why?  I actually use the tweezers and toothpick almost daily and the Alox models also don't have my most used tool - the pen blade.  I use the pen blade much more often than the full size blade. Now if the made a Pioneer or Farmer with a Pen blade, tweezers and toothpick, well that would be the absolute best!

[alexTOOL]

My reply was Perhaps. Simply because while I do wish SAKs were a little thinner, unless you go Alox they won't be.  I love my Pioneer and Farmer but find I use a Tinker and Hiker more often.  Why?  I actually use the tweezers and toothpick almost daily and the Alox models also don't have my most used tool - the pen blade.  I use the pen blade much more often than the full size blade. Now if the made a Pioneer or Farmer with a Pen blade, tweezers and toothpick, well that would be the absolute best!

You can use an old cadet with two blades and a Swiss Card (scissors + pen + tweezers + toothpick)
Perfect combo

[cabbage]

Clearly the overwhelming opinion is that it isn't worth doing, that being said, now at least we know it can be done and most importantly if one were to change one's mind there is nothing easier than to buy replacement scales (if the old ones no longer fit neatly) and snap them on.

I've learnt something and lost nothing

[firiki]

[...]
I tend to use my knife to open packets and to slice food, (two blades, the tin opener and the awl are all worth their weight in gold too) those are the main uses but I still want a knife that can cope with harder tasks in the bush otherwise I'd just bring a razor blade hence I'm concerned about weakening it.
A knife breaking in an emergency situation isn't a good scenario.

I just wanted to say that this paragraph just screams "Get a Pioneer!"... A Pioneer is very slim and lightweight, the durable alox scales are an integral, sine qua non, part of the knife , it has everything you mention -well only one blade but the lovely in-line awl can serve as a secondary blade on many occasions, and very important, for me at least, it can be thorougly cleaned if it is going to be used on food.

Show content

I maintain that the upper part of the aluminium liners will soon bend with normal use under your fingers. The SAK will probably remain functional but for me it's not worth using it like this on purpsose

[cabbage]

[...]
I tend to use my knife to open packets and to slice food, (two blades, the tin opener and the awl are all worth their weight in gold too) those are the main uses but I still want a knife that can cope with harder tasks in the bush otherwise I'd just bring a razor blade hence I'm concerned about weakening it.
A knife breaking in an emergency situation isn't a good scenario.

I just wanted to say that this paragraph just screams "Get a Pioneer!"... A Pioneer is very slim and lightweight, the durable alox scales are an integral, sine qua non, part of the knife , it has everything you mention -well only one blade but the lovely in-line awl can serve as a secondary blade on many occasions, and very important, for me at least, it can be thorougly cleaned if it is going to be used on food.

Show content

I maintain that the upper part of the aluminium liners will soon bend with normal use under your fingers. The SAK will probably remain functional but for me it's not worth using it like this on purpsose

I quite like the pioneer now that I've looked at it, I can safely say that I'd happily use it unmodified.
The most useful blades in my opinion are the knife, one is fine, the awl and the can opener. I could live without the rest.

That being said, as I have a knife that I use, which I find serves all the purposes that I come across my main interest was making it better without any effort or cost haha.

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

[shibafu]

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

That is heresy in these parts

[Mattexian]

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

That is heresy in these parts

That's what I was thinking.  If you stick around here, sooner or later you'll covet another SAK or two (dozen!), if just to add another tool that you realize you *need*, or because it's pretty, or heaven forbid,  you lose track of yours and need an immediate replacement.

(I had that last one happen: broke down crying in Target, when they didn't have in stock any Alox Soldiers to replace the one I'd lost because it was in my day pack that'd been stolen.  I eventually found another... and a couple of spares, and a couple of Farmers, and a Pioneer X, among the other SAKs I've picked up over the years.) 

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

[cabbage]

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

That is heresy in these parts

Am I being cast as a heretic?

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

That is heresy in these parts

That's what I was thinking.  If you stick around here, sooner or later you'll covet another SAK or two (dozen!), if just to add another tool that you realize you *need*, or because it's pretty, or heaven forbid,  you lose track of yours and need an immediate replacement.

(I had that last one happen: broke down crying in Target, when they didn't have in stock any Alox Soldiers to replace the one I'd lost because it was in my day pack that'd been stolen.  I eventually found another... and a couple of spares, and a couple of Farmers, and a Pioneer X, among the other SAKs I've picked up over the years.) 

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

I can see the attraction of having a number of them but I try to be relatively minimalistic with possessions.
That being said, I'm amazed at how well SAK's are engineered when you consider their price.

[Syph007]

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

That is heresy in these parts

Am I being cast as a heretic?

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

That is heresy in these parts

That's what I was thinking.  If you stick around here, sooner or later you'll covet another SAK or two (dozen!), if just to add another tool that you realize you *need*, or because it's pretty, or heaven forbid,  you lose track of yours and need an immediate replacement.

(I had that last one happen: broke down crying in Target, when they didn't have in stock any Alox Soldiers to replace the one I'd lost because it was in my day pack that'd been stolen.  I eventually found another... and a couple of spares, and a couple of Farmers, and a Pioneer X, among the other SAKs I've picked up over the years.) 

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

I can see the attraction of having a number of them but I try to be relatively minimalistic with possessions.
That being said, I'm amazed at how well SAK's are engineered when you consider their price.

I think that all the time.  I can not think of another product that well made for that little money.  I think it's the reason there really is no competitor.

[firiki]

[...]
I tend to use my knife to open packets and to slice food, (two blades, the tin opener and the awl are all worth their weight in gold too) those are the main uses but I still want a knife that can cope with harder tasks in the bush otherwise I'd just bring a razor blade hence I'm concerned about weakening it.
A knife breaking in an emergency situation isn't a good scenario.

I just wanted to say that this paragraph just screams "Get a Pioneer!"... A Pioneer is very slim and lightweight, the durable alox scales are an integral, sine qua non, part of the knife , it has everything you mention -well only one blade but the lovely in-line awl can serve as a secondary blade on many occasions, and very important, for me at least, it can be thorougly cleaned if it is going to be used on food.

Show content

I maintain that the upper part of the aluminium liners will soon bend with normal use under your fingers. The SAK will probably remain functional but for me it's not worth using it like this on purpsose

I quite like the pioneer now that I've looked at it, I can safely say that I'd happily use it unmodified.
The most useful blades in my opinion are the knife, one is fine, the awl and the can opener. I could live without the rest.

That being said, as I have a knife that I use, which I find serves all the purposes that I come across my main interest was making it better without any effort or cost haha.

I think that a tinker and a pioneer are similar enough to not have them both.

Well, yes and no... Apart from the tools the Pioneer doesn't have -scale tools, dedicated Philips SD, pen blade- there are some significant differences, such as the lovely in-line awl, the beefier implements and the fact that you can boil the Pioneer if need be. 

[pfrsantos]

50% of a small amount isn't very much (about 13 grams in weight and 0.01 litres in volume, I reckon).  I do hope you've already cut the labels out of your underwear and sawn your toothbrush in half.

[SAK Guy]

50% of a small amount isn't very much (about 13 grams in weight and 0.01 litres in volume, I reckon).  I do hope you've already cut the labels out of your underwear and sawn your toothbrush in half.

(Image removed from quote.)

 

[Simplon]

An interesting thread and some excellent replies. I've never considered removing the scales from any of my knives however I can see the merits of doing so in certain circumstances. Thanks for starting the thread.

[red_rider_1979]

Might be rather late to weigh in on this topic but here's my 2 cents worth... While I can understand the rationale for wanting to miminise bulk, I am not for the idea if it involves a SAK.

As we all know, the SAK has gone through several improvements over the past century that its current form-factor, I believe, should be very near perfection, and that every single feature is there for a good reason. During my prepper days, I did extensive research online, analysing what others put into their PSK/BOB. And I am happy to report to my fellow SAK enthusiasts here that the SAK is quite a popular item in PSKs, ranging from Swisschamps in Pelican cases, to Farmers in altoids tins, to Classic SDs in small fishing kits. Never have I seen the SAK scales removed for the sake of reducing bulk. Not even for those who try to cram every single useful item into an altoids tin. They may shorten straws/matchsticks to impractical lengths, or imclude the tiniest fish hooks/weights/ferocium rods, but they always leave the SAK intact.

[batosai117]

Might be rather late to weigh in on this topic but here's my 2 cents worth... While I can understand the rationale for wanting to miminise bulk, I am not for the idea if it involves a SAK.

As we all know, the SAK has gone through several improvements over the past century that its current form-factor, I believe, should be very near perfection, and that every single feature is there for a good reason. During my prepper days, I did extensive research online, analysing what others put into their PSK/BOB. And I am happy to report to my fellow SAK enthusiasts here that the SAK is quite a popular item in PSKs, ranging from Swisschamps in Pelican cases, to Farmers in altoids tins, to Classic SDs in small fishing kits. Never have I seen the SAK scales removed for the sake of reducing bulk. Not even for those who try to cram every single useful item into an altoids tin. They may shorten straws/matchsticks to impractical lengths, or imclude the tiniest fish hooks/weights/ferocium rods, but they always leave the SAK intact.

Here here, I'll toast to that


Sent from my electronic multi-tool.

[cabbage]

Might be rather late to weigh in on this topic but here's my 2 cents worth... While I can understand the rationale for wanting to miminise bulk, I am not for the idea if it involves a SAK.

As we all know, the SAK has gone through several improvements over the past century that its current form-factor, I believe, should be very near perfection, and that every single feature is there for a good reason. During my prepper days, I did extensive research online, analysing what others put into their PSK/BOB. And I am happy to report to my fellow SAK enthusiasts here that the SAK is quite a popular item in PSKs, ranging from Swisschamps in Pelican cases, to Farmers in altoids tins, to Classic SDs in small fishing kits. Never have I seen the SAK scales removed for the sake of reducing bulk. Not even for those who try to cram every single useful item into an altoids tin. They may shorten straws/matchsticks to impractical lengths, or imclude the tiniest fish hooks/weights/ferocium rods, but they always leave the SAK intact.

Well, in the opinion of someone who has removed the scales, the knife works just as well as before and while it would be mildly uncomfortable if you were to carve away for an hour at a piece of wood or screw or unscrew, hundreds of screws in a single sitting that'd still just be mild discomfit.

If you're not overly concerned with the toothpick and tweezers and want to minimise some more bulk without going to any effort or expense, it's not such a bad notion.
If, however, the thought of a scaleless SAK puts fear in your soul, I'd advise you to leave them on.

[Steinar]

The scales protect my pocket (and skin in below that pocket) from the sharpish metal edges, and also makes it possible to use a slip sheath to protect the knife from filling with pocket lint. As well as all the other functions already mentioned.

I think popping of the scales is mostly useful if you need to sterilize the knife, not for weight savings.

[SAK Guy]

Might be rather late to weigh in on this topic but here's my 2 cents worth... While I can understand the rationale for wanting to miminise bulk, I am not for the idea if it involves a SAK.

As we all know, the SAK has gone through several improvements over the past century that its current form-factor, I believe, should be very near perfection, and that every single feature is there for a good reason. During my prepper days, I did extensive research online, analysing what others put into their PSK/BOB. And I am happy to report to my fellow SAK enthusiasts here that the SAK is quite a popular item in PSKs, ranging from Swisschamps in Pelican cases, to Farmers in altoids tins, to Classic SDs in small fishing kits. Never have I seen the SAK scales removed for the sake of reducing bulk. Not even for those who try to cram every single useful item into an altoids tin. They may shorten straws/matchsticks to impractical lengths, or imclude the tiniest fish hooks/weights/ferocium rods, but they always leave the SAK intact.

Well, in the opinion of someone who has removed the scales, the knife works just as well as before and while it would be mildly uncomfortable if you were to carve away for an hour at a piece of wood or screw or unscrew, hundreds of screws in a single sitting that'd still just be mild discomfit.

If you're not overly concerned with the toothpick and tweezers and want to minimise some more bulk without going to any effort or expense, it's not such a bad notion.
If, however, the thought of a scaleless SAK puts fear in your soul, I'd advise you to leave them on.

   Cab, ya gotta understand where some of the responses are coming from. No disrespect was intended but it's like you posted in the Porsche Collectors forum that you took off your 911 Turbo's front fenders because you were cutting the weight to improve performance. The loyal, longtime Porsche owners don't understand why you would mess with the pinnacle of perfection for such a minimal gain. It's all perspective. We salute you for your testing and experimentation even though we may reject the premise! Congrats on a successful endeavor that achieved your desired results!!   

[twiliter]

The 911 turbo, hmm...

I would take the goofy whale tail off, but that's just me. 

[cabbage]

I've always thought Porsche made pretty unattractive cars so perhaps not the best example.

[WoodsDuck]

I've always thought Porsche made pretty unattractive cars so perhaps not the best example.

And yet you take his meaning.

[cabbage]

I've always thought Porsche made pretty unattractive cars so perhaps not the best example

And yet you take his meaning.

I wish to take nothing from anybody, neither their scales nor their opinions.

In a slightly more serious vein... I have made that point in this thread before. It comes as no surprise that fans of the SAK, of which I am one, might be alarmed at such a desecration.
That being said, it's not quite the same as burning a flag or holy book (or even an expensive, if hideous, car) is it?

[WoodsDuck]

I've always thought Porsche made pretty unattractive cars so perhaps not the best example

And yet you take his meaning.

I wish to take nothing from anybody, neither their scales nor their opinions.

In a slightly more serious vein... I have made that point in this thread before. It comes as no surprise that fans of the SAK, of which I am one, might be alarmed at such a desecration.
That being said, it's not quite the same as burning a flag or holy book (or even an expensive, if hideous, car) is it?

Burning a flag or religious text would be done to make some kind of statement or another, I'd assume. burning an expensive car would mostly make the statement "I have way more money than sense." Removing the scales from a SAK doesn't do much aside from making it less comfortable to use and possibly endangering the fabric lining your pocket. I'm not personally bothered by someone doing any of these things, but I find it interesting that you seem to be enjoying that some people might be.
Use your tools as you please. But you might want to refine your sense of humor a tad, because it's unnecessarily bulky and obtuse.

[cabbage]

In my experience removing the scales doesn't make the knife uncomfortable, unless you were to use it for a long time. It certainly doesn't cut through fabric, the pins or rivets, or whatever, aren't sharp.

My humour, flawed as it may be, shan't be altered as my knife has been. That's not to say that I don't welcome any suggestions on the topic

[firiki]

You never know when you'll have to use the knife for a protracted little while, though.

Given time, I'm sure the exposed rivets and liners can cause tear to the fabric surrounding them, especially if they're always touching the same spots. I suppose they could even become sharper with time.

[pfrsantos]

I've always thought Porsche made pretty unattractive cars so perhaps not the best example

And yet you take his meaning.

I wish to take nothing from anybody, neither their scales nor their opinions.

In a slightly more serious vein... I have made that point in this thread before. It comes as no surprise that fans of the SAK, of which I am one, might be alarmed at such a desecration.
That being said, it's not quite the same as burning a flag or holy book (or even an expensive, if hideous, car) is it?

Burning a flag or religious text would be done to make some kind of statement or another, I'd assume. burning an expensive car would mostly make the statement "I have way more money than sense." Removing the scales from a SAK doesn't do much aside from making it less comfortable to use and possibly endangering the fabric lining your pocket. I'm not personally bothered by someone doing any of these things, but I find it interesting that you seem to be enjoying that some people might be.
Use your tools as you please. But you might want to refine your sense of humor a tad, because it's unnecessarily bulky and obtuse.

Yeah, that's MY job around here! You don't need no more obtusiness... obtusesess... obtusiessness... that!
 

[pfrsantos]

You never know when you'll have to use the knife for a protracted little while, though.

Given time, I'm sure the exposed rivets and liners can cause tear to the fabric surrounding them, especially if they're always touching the same spots. I suppose they could even become sharper with time.

Adding yet another function to the knife! See, he was right all along!

 

[cabbage]

You never know when you'll have to use the knife for a protracted little while, though.

Given time, I'm sure the exposed rivets and liners can cause tear to the fabric surrounding them, especially if they're always touching the same spots. I suppose they could even become sharper with time.

Adding yet another function to the knife! See, he was right all along!

 

Surely no right minded individual was ever in any doubt of that?

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

Personally I don't care for the ideal. The only situation I see where "bulk" may be an issue is if the knife is going to be packed in a container. If that were the case, I would take it a step further and re-peen the pins without the bushings.

[JP]

I have an old Chinese SAK knockoff for WindRiver. The scales came off years ago. It works fine without it.

@ Cabbage, have you done the hike yet?

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk