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how useful is the explorer??

matty78943 · 37 · 5462
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00 Offline matty78943

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how useful is the explorer??
on: December 22, 2016, 01:10:17 PM
from what i can gather, the main selling point of the explorer is the magnifying glass but i know the plastic magnifying glasses are not particually the best quality.

from a scale of absolutley useless to the most useful tool ever, where would it be rated?
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us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #1 on: December 22, 2016, 01:24:51 PM
I love mine!  Not only is the mag. glass great but the inline Philips screwdriver is very handy too.  The rest of the knife packs the usual Vic toolkit, which is hard to beat.  The only thing missing is a saw and the Woodsman addresses that.
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00 Offline matty78943

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #2 on: December 22, 2016, 01:35:16 PM
an inline screwdriver on one that small does sound cool, i normally have my huntsman but i am thinking of getting a swisschamp for my collection!
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wales Offline magentus

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #3 on: December 22, 2016, 02:01:11 PM
Another vote for the mag glass and in-line philips - both great tools. I carry a Woodsman or a Passenger and gets lots of use from the mag and philips.  :salute:
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us Offline JamesJ

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #4 on: December 22, 2016, 02:35:42 PM
Im pretty sure the oldest and newest versions of mag glass are not plastic but glass...the middle version was 1 piece plastic (surround and lens all one piece). Please correct me because I could have that wrong. I only own the v1 and v3. V3 looks like plastic, but its actually a separate lens snapped into a clear plastic frame.

I like the Explorer for the phillips.

As for usefulness...for years I only had a Wenger Handyman (basically a Fieldmaster tool set with nail file instead of small blade) and an Explorer.

I thought the Explorer was my favorite model.  But as I got more SAKs I pretty much never carry the Explorer now. I do love the inline phillips though.

I'd probably use the LED module more than the mag glass actually. I have a Spartan Lite that I like to use as a screwdriver since the phillips is in the middle and it spins easily.

For me, swapping the small blade to nail file and mag to LED would turn the Explorer into an every day carried SAK.

It's all about what tools you'd use though and how many layers you're comfortable carrying.

Huntsman Lite or Woodsman are both pretty cool if you're ok with the size.

Yeoman is really great too if you can find one. And the Swiss Bianco version has the phillips in the middle layer for that balanced spin.

From a collecting standpoint though....definitely gotta have an explorer! I have a new one with all the modern tools and plus scales and a pre-1991 version as well. :cheers:
« Last Edit: December 22, 2016, 02:36:59 PM by JamesJ »
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us Offline Mizedog

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #5 on: December 22, 2016, 03:56:09 PM
Just received the Plus version in November as a birthday gift (yep,  my lovely wife is cool in that way). The inline Philips works to tighten door knob screws.  The magnifier has been used several times,  usually when I'm at a store and need to read labels.

I've found that using the can opener blade as a scraper on my nails has enabled me to replace the Classic on my keychain with a vintage Utilikey.

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« Last Edit: December 22, 2016, 03:57:13 PM by Mizedog »
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au Offline Brock O Lee

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #6 on: December 22, 2016, 04:10:27 PM
I like the Explorer for the inline philips. The magnifier is a novelty I don't use, and can live without. I actually wish Victorinox made a thinner Explorer without the magnifier, but with the can opener and flat driver stacked on one end, and the inline philips on the opposite side, like Syph does.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2016, 04:11:32 PM by Brock O Lee »
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us Offline Spartan19

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #7 on: December 22, 2016, 05:03:40 PM
I've had mine for about a month now, and I think on a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 9.5. The only reason being that it doesn't have a saw. Whereas the magnifying glass may not be essential, you can't beat that in line phillipshead screwdriver :tu:
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id Offline jaya_man

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how useful is the explorer??
Reply #8 on: December 22, 2016, 05:10:06 PM
Another vote from me for the mag glass and inline phillips... bought and carried the Explorer Plus til I modded my own custom Yeoman... thinner is better for edc...

Reason for getting the Explorer Plus, well, it has the tools i need the most... inline phillips and scissors.

On occassions, I would use the mag glass for close inspection of blade edges on purchased used SAKS... my kid also loves to play detective with it...
« Last Edit: December 22, 2016, 05:12:07 PM by jaya_man »
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es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #9 on: December 22, 2016, 05:25:24 PM
just great Phillips, fun mag lens.
And no need of a saw if you already carry a SE knife plus the great teeth of both Spirit blades  :D


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us Offline Aloha

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #10 on: December 22, 2016, 05:51:52 PM
I have a Plus as well. Great SAK in this configuration.  The mag glass is very useful for us older chaps with aging eyes.  The inline Phillips is pretty much my preferred Philips for SAKs.  Scissors are a necessity so the Explorer Plus for me has it all and then some. 

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gb Offline Oxford_Guy

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #11 on: December 22, 2016, 06:12:38 PM
Quote from: matty78943 on December 22, 2016, 01:10:17 PM
from what i can gather, the main selling point of the explorer is the magnifying glass but i know the plastic magnifying glasses are not particually the best quality.

from a scale of absolutley useless to the most useful tool ever, where would it be rated?

I love the mag glass / inline Phillips layer, both are useful tools, but I probably use the mag glass even more than the inline Phillips. The optical quality of the current v3 Mag glass is very good, and the x6 magnification is enough for examining coins and reading small print. BTW it's only the surround that is plastic (although I have a modded Yeoman which has this in brass), the lens itself is glass.

The inline Phillips is much more usable in more situations than the back layer Phillips, it's also a better fit for actual #2 Phillips and Pozidrive screwheads than the backscale one, which is a little loose (though the latter is probably better able to deal with #1 screws) and therefore more prone to slipping. Also means you get to have *both* a Philips driver and a corkscrew!In Europe, at least, the latter is still needed for most bottles of wine.

On a related note, Go Outdoors in the UK has the Explorer for sale at £23 at the moment, if you're a card holder (I am): http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/victorinox-v-n-explorer-knife-p108639

In fact I think I will buy one, I sacrificed my previous Explorer to make a custom Yeoman (one of two Yeomans I have). If I find this one too thick, I might turn it into a Passenger (i.e. remove the Scissors)! Whilst I do love my Yeomans, I do miss the proper openers layer sometimes, though the inline Philips makes-up for the missing can opener tip driver most of the time.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2016, 06:17:36 PM by Oxford_Guy »
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fi Offline Padre

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #12 on: December 22, 2016, 06:21:09 PM
Mag glass isn't meant for reading small print originally, but to light fire with the sun light. And it works really well. Sure you can read with it too.
The main point is the inline phillips that is better than the backside one.
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gb Offline Oxford_Guy

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #13 on: December 22, 2016, 06:25:25 PM
Quote from: Padre on December 22, 2016, 06:21:09 PM
Mag glass isn't meant for reading small print originally, but to light fire with the sun light. And it works really well. Sure you can read with it too.
The main point is the inline phillips that is better than the backside one.

Don't think lightining a fire with the mag galss would work very well in the UK, but you may have better luck in sunnier countries!

The inline Phillips as well as providing better access is less likely to fold on you in use than the back scale one.

BTW I liked the mag glass/inline Phillips layer so much I comissioned this Ti Yeoman from Syph:

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us Offline FolderBeholder

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #14 on: December 22, 2016, 06:42:36 PM
Quote from: Oxford_Guy on December 22, 2016, 06:25:25 PM

BTW I liked the mag glass/inline Phillips layer so much I comissioned this Ti Yeoman from Syph:

(Image removed from quote.)
I have a green modded Pioneer X I'd trade ya for that lovely Ti Yeoman.  :pok: :rofl:
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us Offline cali-SAK-attack

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #15 on: December 22, 2016, 11:13:06 PM
Quote from: matty78943 on December 22, 2016, 01:10:17 PM
from what i can gather, the main selling point of the explorer is the magnifying glass but i know the plastic magnifying glasses are not particually the best quality.

from a scale of absolutley useless to the most useful tool ever, where would it be rated?

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us Offline powernoodle

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #16 on: December 22, 2016, 11:27:32 PM
The Explorer Plus is probably my favorite in the lineup.  At 4x layers, is a little big in the pocket but your brain quickly accommodates and you forget about it.  The inline phillips is awesome, and you may find that you use the magnifier a lot more than you anticipate.  While I prefer the discontinued Yeoman, the Explorer Plus is the next best thing.
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pt Offline MacGyver

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #17 on: December 30, 2016, 10:09:36 PM
I've played around with an Explorer yesterday as i stoped by my usual store to see the news. Ended up buying a new classic for my keychain for the scisors since i've settled on a Tinker for EDC for a while now and i really don't need the full size scisors all the time.
I like the Explorer and would like to have one, if not for anything else, just for the sake of having a sak with the inline philips and the mag glass. But i really couldn't justify spending more money in something i would hardly use, and also the fact that "Is has a bloody corkscrew!!"  :rant:  :P
Yes, my love for the Tinker line isn't really all for that "lovely" backside philips or the placement of it for that matter, even if it comes in handy for light use only. I love all the Tinker line because "IT DOSEN'T HAVE A CORKSCREW"  >:D
I really have a kind of love/hate relationship with it (more hate than love), a part of me "kind" of likes it only for the more "classic" Sak look, and that's because i have some Sak's with it, but i just hate the feel of it, how it stick's out of the knife on the top and back. If i where to buy a new 4 layer now, i would go with the Fieldmaster. Hell i would put a back layer philips on the Explorer as well, or any other tool as long as it's not a corkscrew...  :facepalm:
All that being said, and as we all know... I'll probably will end up getting an Explorer somewhere down the line anyway,eventualy... Damn Sak addiction.....!!  :twak:
« Last Edit: December 30, 2016, 10:15:44 PM by MacGyver »
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us Offline Mizedog

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #18 on: December 31, 2016, 06:56:32 AM


Quote from: MacGyver on December 30, 2016, 10:09:36 PM
would hardly use, and also the fact that "Is has a bloody corkscrew!!"  :rant: 
Yes, my love for the Tinker line isn't really all for that "lovely" backside philips or the placement of it for that matter, even if it comes in handy for light use only. I love all the Tinker line because "IT DOSEN'T HAVE A CORKSCREW"  >:D


I don't have a corkscrew on my Explorer;  I have a paper clip holder
But,  I have used the paper clip holder to open wine before

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us Offline sir_mike

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #19 on: December 31, 2016, 08:29:32 AM
The Explorer is my main carry!  I like the mag and use it alot but mainly inline philips and scissors and blades.

id Offline classicrock

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #20 on: December 31, 2016, 10:31:10 AM
I love the mag glass. Well not in an Explorer, but in my Yeoman Mechanic. It helps me magnified splinters in my finger, radiator leak and many more.



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us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #21 on: December 31, 2016, 03:54:31 PM
 :tu: :tu:
Barry
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us Offline Danjo

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #22 on: December 31, 2016, 07:03:20 PM
I love my Explorer, but it's a bit too big for EDC. Intake it when I go camping or fishing along with my Camper (for the saw). To me the magnifying glass is for starting fires if needed and the sun is out (saves matches and cigarette lighter fuel). It's the largest I own, or probably will own.
"There always seems to be a way to fix things." - MacGyver

us Offline Mizedog

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #23 on: January 01, 2017, 07:59:15 AM
I keep mine on a diy dangler. Today I used it to read the ingredients label at the grocery store. Last night I used the flat blade to open a pizza spice box,  and the can opener driver to unscrew the mounting bracket for the tv. The package is a little thick for pocket carry but works with the dangler.

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dk Offline T14

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #24 on: January 01, 2017, 11:54:10 AM
While I own an explorer, I find it too bulky for edc.

I'll likely shrink it down to become a scientist once my life opens up to include spare time once again  :pok:
-Tom
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us Offline JamesJ

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #25 on: January 01, 2017, 06:28:07 PM
I was at a store yesterday and saw some SAKs for sale. I'm always buying used only, so I didn't realize the prices of new SAKs these days...Explorer seems kind of expensive if bought new at retail price.
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us Offline Luna Knife

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #26 on: January 01, 2017, 06:40:52 PM
the mag glass is great for close up pics of small items or for reading blade tangs on knives at the flea market

gb Offline Oxford_Guy

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #27 on: January 02, 2017, 01:47:31 PM
Quote from: JamesJ on January 01, 2017, 06:28:07 PM
I was at a store yesterday and saw some SAKs for sale. I'm always buying used only, so I didn't realize the prices of new SAKs these days...Explorer seems kind of expensive if bought new at retail price.


Find it for less than the retail price then, often seems to be on sale e.g. £23 at Go Outdoors at the moment: http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/victorinox-v-n-explorer-knife-p108639
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gb Offline Fast Bill

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #28 on: January 02, 2017, 05:04:53 PM
Quote from: Oxford_Guy on December 22, 2016, 06:25:25 PM
Quote from: Padre on December 22, 2016, 06:21:09 PM
Mag glass isn't meant for reading small print originally, but to light fire with the sun light. And it works really well. Sure you can read with it too.
The main point is the inline phillips that is better than the backside one.

Don't think lightining a fire with the mag galss would work very well in the UK, but you may have better luck in sunnier countries!

The inline Phillips as well as providing better access is less likely to fold on you in use than the back scale one.

BTW I liked the mag glass/inline Phillips layer so much I comissioned this Ti Yeoman from Syph:

(Image removed from quote.)

Great minds think alike. Me too ! Gotta love titanium scales and brass liners too. And a brass mag holder ! :salute:
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gb Offline Oxford_Guy

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Re: how useful is the explorer??
Reply #29 on: January 02, 2017, 06:57:47 PM
Quote from: Fast Bill on January 02, 2017, 05:04:53 PM
Quote from: Oxford_Guy on December 22, 2016, 06:25:25 PM
Quote from: Padre on December 22, 2016, 06:21:09 PM
Mag glass isn't meant for reading small print originally, but to light fire with the sun light. And it works really well. Sure you can read with it too.
The main point is the inline phillips that is better than the backside one.

Don't think lightining a fire with the mag galss would work very well in the UK, but you may have better luck in sunnier countries!

The inline Phillips as well as providing better access is less likely to fold on you in use than the back scale one.

BTW I liked the mag glass/inline Phillips layer so much I comissioned this Ti Yeoman from Syph:

(Image removed from quote.)

Great minds think alike. Me too ! Gotta love titanium scales and brass liners too. And a brass mag holder ! :salute:


Cool, do you have a picture?
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Merit Badges Test,please ignore Start a new thread and post a photo of a flashlight as part of your EDC Start a new thread with photos of your titanium gear with a multitool or sak Start a new thread and post a photo of the minimal sak (2 layers or fewer) for thirty (30) consecutive days.

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