We were born with 2 hands and 10 fingers, our ultimate tools. I belive knifemakers had this in mind when they designed the 6:th finger of our right hand:(Image removed from quote.)No more, no less.
I think the elegance is hard to pin down as it's multifaceted. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there are many attractive elements of the SAK.Simplicity: Immediate access to the vast majority of tools, and a no-nonsense efficiency. They are no more complicated than they need to be, and there is always an elegancy to simplicity.Affordability: They are cheap! Compared to so many other things on the market, SAK's deliver more bang for the buck than anything else. In fact for many years I actually missed out on how great they are because they were so affordable they weren't worth saving up for. I was in my thirties before I finally bought my first SAK, and I was hooked pretty much straight awayAmiability: Non, tactical, non threatening, universally accepted as a pocket tool rather than a knife. To echo Lynn, most people have some kind of nice memory they can be attributed to. Either owning one (or a friend owning one) as a child/scout whatever, a father or grandfather fixing something to your wide eyed delight, or merely seeing a picture/photo of one in a book and thinking "wow - I want one of those"Precision: The walk and talk of a good SAK is the benchmark to aspire to today. Occasionally now I'll pick up a knife that isn't a SAK and open it. Maybe there's a slight grittiness as the tang rides the backspring, or the snick doesn't shout "Hi honey, I'm home" quite the way it should, and I feel a little disappointed. I shouldn't feel that way, as the chances are that knife is perfectly acceptable and going to be a long serving friend - but it's not got that silky precision of a SAKCompact: On the whole you'll struggle to find more function per cubic inch/millimeter than on a SAK. Take for example the Compact - other knives with that size blade are bigger and heavier than the compact, and are JUST a blade. The efficiency of space to pack something so bijou so full of function is absolutely incredibleAesthetics: Here is the first time where things are less universal, yet aesthetics are normally the first thing attributed to "elegance". Some people like alox scales, others not so much, some prefer a different size to others. Yes, the "lines" on a SAK are clean and smooth, and there are so many different variations that there's always going to be something someone likes - but I think aesthetics are very much secondary to the function.Ergonomics: Again this is person specific. Some people love the hand filling swisschamp, whilst others draw their limit at a Farmer. With so many variations it's like walking into a huge shoe shop - there's always be something that'll "fit" youIngenuity: Again simplicity plays a big part here. Whether it's the clever Cybertool driver, the magnifying glass, alligator wrench, or simply hiding a pin in the scales - there is an ingenuity and depth of thought which goes beyond anything else. I mean, A PIN, simple, virtually size and weight free, yet so versatile. Setting digital watches that had the little recessed buttons, clearing your washer jets, digging out that splinter, eating whelks and cockles .... so much added function!In short, a SAKs elegance is cumulative. Just as they are themselves accumulations of different tools and functions, so to over the years have they accrued the refinement, precision, simplicity, amiability, and all the other elements that make them such a joy to own, use and for many people, collect
It works. It is reliable, the price is reasonable. They picked good steel- you can make it razor sharp and it holds its edge pretty well, soft enough to easily sharp, and properly tempered so it can be sharpened a LOT. It has all the basic tools (except pliers), including the option for a lanyard so you can't lose it. It is big enough to use, small enough to carry, and light enough that it isn't a hassle. The design is comfortable in the hand, and I honestly find cellidor to be a "friendly" feeling polymer in the hand. Like Johnyb said, a sixth finger- it wants to be used. Hold it, it's warm to the touch, you want to use it. It comes in a variety of capabilities that fit the needs of the user, but they add and rarely take away from the basic tools. It's Swiss. What does that mean? Quality- like german engineering, but better. Neutral, they do business with everyone. Tough- invading Switzerland is a form of suicide- but also friendly, with really good chocolate. Switzerland has also been a bit of a playground for the rich- it has an air of practical luxury, but again the price is reasonable. The design is visually distinctive. The Coke bottle. The RCA dogs. The Nike swoosh. It identifies itself without hesitation with its very existence. They even made a version of their logo for places that have odd laws. I want to see their globe logo become more common, I really do. I'd replace every scale I own if I could get those, A life time warrantee says "yes, we stand behind our product- today, tomorrow, next year. and so will our sons". And unlike a lot of those who offer such, this one is actually lived up to. It has a reputation all on it's own. Even when you look at the history of the SAK, it is unique. Victorinox could have stomped on Wenger in court on more than one occasion- instead, they said "hey, want to see how we do it? Here are our tech drawings and specs, by the way." When Wenger nearly tanked, Victorinox could have smiled and enjoyed being the only one. Nope. They put money in the "competition", tried to help them save themselves, and when Wenger did finally go, Victorinox adopted the plant, the customers and the people. Most people who have a SAK don't know this; those of us who do should find it aspirational. And it just plain works.
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