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Any love for the Craftsman?

00 Offline Mechanickal

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #90 on: November 21, 2017, 05:36:54 PM
I'd say Jaya topped me...

What an awesome piece!


us Offline VICMAN

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #91 on: November 21, 2017, 07:29:52 PM
Model 136aU which I think was also called the Craftsman...

Nice one jaya!  :like: :tu: :tu:


Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #92 on: April 23, 2019, 10:48:17 PM
I'm new in the forum, in fact this is my first post.

I'm just starting this new hobby of collecting / carrying a pocket knife, although I've had a classic 58mm knife in my keyring for the last 20 years. My father used to carry a SAK...

I think the master craftsman would be my ideal knife but I guess my chances to find a good one in the UK are very slim.

I have a Ranger and a Deluxe Tinker which I like very much but I think I'm going to mod the Ranger and swap  the corkscrew  for a Philip screwdriver.

The plan is to get a new tinker as a donor and take the philip screwdriver, I've looked on ebay for an old donor SAK with a philip screwdriver but no luck.

Do I need 2.2 and 2.5mm rods?

Thanks in advance for any advice :-)


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #93 on: April 23, 2019, 11:37:09 PM
You'll love the Master Craftsman!  I have an older, square screwdriver version from the early 80's and one of the last of the Craftsman that I picked up new a couple of years ago.  Let us know how you make out!  By the way, there's an article over in the Modders section on exactly how to do this mod.
Barry


us Offline VICMAN

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #94 on: April 23, 2019, 11:37:33 PM
I'm new in the forum, in fact this is my first post.


Do I need 2.2 and 2.5mm rods?

Thanks in advance for any advice :-)


Welcome to the forum Ranger! :cheers:



au Offline Huntsman

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #95 on: April 24, 2019, 12:52:06 AM
Welcome Ranger

I guess you are a bit thicker than me!!
One layer to be  precise!

Craftsmen will turn up from time to time
But importing into the UK is often an issue for ebay

Hopefully you will not need to take the whole knife apart and just need 2.5mm rod. Although getting the new pin in can be tricky due to spring pressure. One trick is to use the new pin to push out the old!



Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #96 on: April 24, 2019, 08:34:29 AM
Thanks fellas,
I found some interesting videos on how to mod a SAK but I'll check the mods section too.

Thanks for the tip to use one pin to push the other out :-) neat


00 Offline Thunderpants

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #97 on: April 24, 2019, 12:29:25 PM
Once upon a time I had 3 Astronauts (Which I think are identical to the Master Crafstsman)
Being a silly-billy I sold them, thinking I could easily get another one. Now they're like dogs that speak Danish - exceedingly rare !
It is a nice bunch of tools but I found the width to height ratio a little odd. It wasn't a thin knife like a Spartan, and it wasn't fat enough to be a whopper. It was just a bit awkward, shape-wise.
Having said that, one of my favourite SAKs is the Mountaineer Lite which is probably similarly shaped. I never got the chance to compare them side by side.


Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #98 on: April 24, 2019, 09:44:17 PM
Once upon a time I had 3 Astronauts (Which I think are identical to the Master Crafstsman)
Being a silly-billy I sold them, thinking I could easily get another one. Now they're like dogs that speak Danish - exceedingly rare !
It is a nice bunch of tools but I found the width to height ratio a little odd. It wasn't a thin knife like a Spartan, and it wasn't fat enough to be a whopper. It was just a bit awkward, shape-wise.
Having said that, one of my favourite SAKs is the Mountaineer Lite which is probably similarly shaped. I never got the chance to compare them side by side.

I'm new at this SAK interest but I keep wondering what was the thinking bebind the decision to discontinue this model.... I know the Handyman is nearly the same but the corkscrew is nearly obsolete now, I'd personally pick the Craftsman over the Handyman everytime. The other knife I'd pick is the Troubleshooter but that was also discontinued.



00 Offline Thunderpants

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #99 on: April 24, 2019, 10:52:43 PM
I'm new at this SAK interest but I keep wondering what was the thinking bebind the decision to discontinue this model.... I know the Handyman is nearly the same but the corkscrew is nearly obsolete now, I'd personally pick the Craftsman over the Handyman everytime. The other knife I'd pick is the Troubleshooter but that was also discontinued.
Well the old corkscrew vs screwdriver argument is one which never goes away. I used to favour the Phillips (so I bought a Craftsman, not knowing it would one day be discontinued) - in the end I realised a screwdriver on the back of a SAK isn't very useful. If you know anyone who drinks wine, even if it's once a year at Christmas, having a corkscrew is kind of essential. A corkscrew, if used properly, never wears out - while a Phillips only has to be used a few times, clumsily, and the end is ruined.

Both the Handyman and Craftsman are terrific knives. They have a little pliers which the Master Craftsman doesn't have. Makes it a bit chunky.


Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #100 on: April 25, 2019, 12:18:22 AM
Well the old corkscrew vs screwdriver argument is one which never goes away. I used to favour the Phillips (so I bought a Craftsman, not knowing it would one day be discontinued) - in the end I realised a screwdriver on the back of a SAK isn't very useful. If you know anyone who drinks wine, even if it's once a year at Christmas, having a corkscrew is kind of essential. A corkscrew, if used properly, never wears out - while a Phillips only has to be used a few times, clumsily, and the end is ruined.

Both the Handyman and Craftsman are terrific knives. They have a little pliers which the Master Craftsman doesn't have. Makes it a bit chunky.

....but how often do you see a bottle of wine with a cork nowadays? I have a few old ones that I'm keeping, I wouldn't really like to open them.

I will have to build a Crafsman myself which should make it sweeter for me.... my original plan was to swap the corkscrew for a philip screwdriver on my Ranger but I'm thinking that I should probably take it further and let my Deluxe Tinker be the donor of its plier and Philip screwdriver and turn my Ranger into a Crafsman  :D ..... alternatively... get a Swisschamp and swap the corkscrew for a philip screwdriver and remove the fish thingy, magnifying glass and in-line philip screwdriver..... although I wouldn't mind keeping the last 2 tools.

The old philip screwdriver is much more interesting than the new version..... again, what was the thinking behind the change?

My wife is observing how this new hobby of mine develops :-) she was asking why I needed a Crafsman when the Deluxe Tinker and Ranger have everything I'd have with a Crafsman :D ..... I think she knows where this is going, she's seen it all before  :D  over the last 25 years I've collected cowboy boots, bicicles, double edge razors, straigh razors, fountain pens...... well, I still regularly ride bicycles, shave with DE and straight razors, write with fountain pens and occasionally wear cowboy boots so nothing has been waisted   :D


au Offline Huntsman

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #101 on: April 25, 2019, 03:16:23 AM
^^^   Long suffering and knowing wife!  :D   ^^^


Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #102 on: April 25, 2019, 10:43:20 AM
^^^   Long suffering and knowing wife!  :D   ^^^

Absolutely  :D

She's not complaining though  :D I built her a bike and now she joins me in day long rides and she loves me clean shaved everyday  :D after years of growing a beard.... only because I got bad irritation with the electronic razor.... as long as I don't start collecting Rolex watches I'll be OK I think :D

Is there a place that sells SAK individual tools?





au Offline Huntsman

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #103 on: April 25, 2019, 11:48:18 AM
Is there a place that sells SAK individual tools?

The best place I know is called Multitool.org!!  ...... Seriously modders do have spares from time to time, but availability depends on whether it is a common or rare part - Syph at one time had dozens of Spartan toolsets and hundreds of corkscrews
Otherwise - as you suggested - get a cheap donor from ebay

Victorinox have stated that they will never sell individual tools - as they are not into the modding / self-build market
- So parts are not commercially available!


us Offline FiL Wisneski

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #104 on: April 25, 2019, 04:54:59 PM
....but how often do you see a bottle of wine with a cork nowadays? I have a few old ones that I'm keeping, I wouldn't really like to open them.

I'm always confused when I see people say this.  Most of the wine that I buy still comes with a cork, and I'm no connoisseur--I rarely spend more than $9 on a bottle.

  - FiL


Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #105 on: April 25, 2019, 09:20:22 PM
@Huntsman Thank you .


I'm always confused when I see people say this.  Most of the wine that I buy still comes with a cork, and I'm no connoisseur--I rarely spend more than $9 on a bottle.

  - FiL

At least in the UK I think it's harder to find a bottle with a cork.


no Offline Steinar

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #106 on: April 25, 2019, 09:59:36 PM
Norway here, corked bottles are very common. Also, I think what I'm seeing more and more is a mix of synthetic corks and natural corks, while screw caps seem to not have starting dominating the way I expected years back. Synthetic corks solve the problems of price and reliability, while natural cork is the conservative choice for long term conservation and the “proper image”. The screw caps seemed to have been squeezed (pun not intended) by bag in box wines. Also, synthetic cork probably lets you use the same tapping line as the old line for natural cork?

Disclaimer: I have done zero research and I'm very much more of a beer drinker than a wine drinker anyway. I'm just reporting my very non-scientific impression looking in the stores.

Frankly, I think I see a corked bottle more often than I see a Philips which is both accessible by the back mounted driver and where the back mounted driver is a good choice of tool. Torx and Pozidriv seem to have displaced Philips from a lot of places where it used to be the norm, and the remaining larger Philips seem to “always” be placed either recessed or in a corner, or simply be intended for large strength.

I think the screwdriver is the vinyl record of SAK tools. Many people say it's outdated, but it'll probably outlive both the cap lifter and the can opener. Actually, at least one super market chain here is actively working to phase out cans here the end of 2022, at least from their in-house brand. The cans are costly for the chains, since they are heavy and round cans pack worse than rectangular Tetrapak and similar packaging solutions.

But, as I said, it's just my impression, and the world is a large place. For instance, here beer is either in a box or you need an opener, any kind of screw cap on a beer bottle is exceedingly rare. And as an another example, I know a lot of members who would scream of murder if Vic discontinued the can opener. As I've already drifted majorly off topic, I'd really like a Spartan style of knife with a hawkbill blade where the can opener currently is. I'm very happy with my alox knives with hawkbill, but I'd love a 91 mm with the blade tools: large blade + pen blade + hawkbill + keep the large screwdriver for beer bottles and general prying duty. (I know, I'm pretty lonely in that regard. :) )

Oh, and I love my Craftsman. Very happy I snatched one before they became harder to get.


Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #107 on: April 26, 2019, 12:29:19 AM
Norway here, corked bottles are very common. Also, I think what I'm seeing more and more is a mix of synthetic corks and natural corks, while screw caps seem to not have starting dominating the way I expected years back. Synthetic corks solve the problems of price and reliability, while natural cork is the conservative choice for long term conservation and the “proper image”. The screw caps seemed to have been squeezed (pun not intended) by bag in box wines. Also, synthetic cork probably lets you use the same tapping line as the old line for natural cork?

Disclaimer: I have done zero research and I'm very much more of a beer drinker than a wine drinker anyway. I'm just reporting my very non-scientific impression looking in the stores.

Frankly, I think I see a corked bottle more often than I see a Philips which is both accessible by the back mounted driver and where the back mounted driver is a good choice of tool. Torx and Pozidriv seem to have displaced Philips from a lot of places where it used to be the norm, and the remaining larger Philips seem to “always” be placed either recessed or in a corner, or simply be intended for large strength.

I think the screwdriver is the vinyl record of SAK tools. Many people say it's outdated, but it'll probably outlive both the cap lifter and the can opener. Actually, at least one super market chain here is actively working to phase out cans here the end of 2022, at least from their in-house brand. The cans are costly for the chains, since they are heavy and round cans pack worse than rectangular Tetrapak and similar packaging solutions.

But, as I said, it's just my impression, and the world is a large place. For instance, here beer is either in a box or you need an opener, any kind of screw cap on a beer bottle is exceedingly rare. And as an another example, I know a lot of members who would scream of murder if Vic discontinued the can opener. As I've already drifted majorly off topic, I'd really like a Spartan style of knife with a hawkbill blade where the can opener currently is. I'm very happy with my alox knives with hawkbill, but I'd love a 91 mm with the blade tools: large blade + pen blade + hawkbill + keep the large screwdriver for beer bottles and general prying duty. (I know, I'm pretty lonely in that regard. :) )

Oh, and I love my Craftsman. Very happy I snatched one before they became harder to get.

if my recollection serves me well, I remember somebody pointing out, while walking in Oslo, the single place where people can buy wine and spirits..... the government has that monopoly and a bottle of wine is very expensive to buy, at least that's what my friend says so when he comes to visit us we make sure he goes back with plenty of bottles of wine :D

Plastic corks were in fashion quite a few years ago, before screw caps, you can still find them through.

On my cycling trips I carry a multitool that has mainly Alan keys, a T25 and 2 screwdrivers, one of each.... 4,5, and 6 hex keys are the most common tools you need on a bike and I'd love to have a SAK with those tools, having said that, my Deluxe Tinker complements the multitool very well I think.

When was the Craftsman discontinued ?



au Offline Huntsman

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #108 on: April 26, 2019, 02:55:11 AM
When was the Craftsman discontinued ?

https://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Craftsman

History section - If anyone knows better let me know and we'll update


us Offline cody6268

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #109 on: April 26, 2019, 03:39:58 AM
A lost opportunity was Sears having a Craftsman Craftsman made up. They did a Tinker, so why not the Craftsman?


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #110 on: April 26, 2019, 06:02:38 AM
It's great to see this thread getting some attention again!  I'm going to break out my Master Craftsman and Craftsman again and have some fun :D
Barry


no Offline Steinar

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #111 on: April 26, 2019, 12:05:41 PM
if my recollection serves me well, I remember somebody pointing out, while walking in Oslo, the single place where people can buy wine and spirits..... the government has that monopoly and a bottle of wine is very expensive to buy, at least that's what my friend says so when he comes to visit us we make sure he goes back with plenty of bottles of wine :D

Yeah, that's pretty much the short and simple version of it. (But that monopoly has many shops in Oslo (and elsewhere in the country, obviously), it's not one shop for the entire city. :) )


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #112 on: April 26, 2019, 02:49:45 PM
Here's a pic of my Master Craftsman.  I'll post a pic of my Craftsman later.  It's a great all around carry!
IMG_20190426_084910.jpg
* IMG_20190426_084910.jpg (Filesize: 173.93 KB)
Barry


us Offline cody6268

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #113 on: April 26, 2019, 03:35:28 PM
Here's a pic of my Master Craftsman.  I'll post a pic of my Craftsman later.  It's a great all around carry!

 :like:  Even better is that seems to be just right for the same era of Master Craftsman NASA bought for the Space Shuttle missions.


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #114 on: April 26, 2019, 03:48:53 PM
I know it Cody! I can always dream it fell out of a load kit! 
Barry


Offline Ranger

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #115 on: April 26, 2019, 08:22:52 PM
I have an older, square screwdriver version from the early 80's

That must be a beauty!!!


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #116 on: April 26, 2019, 08:46:26 PM
It sure is Ranger!  I posted a pic of it a couple posts back.
Barry


us Offline kamakiri

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #117 on: April 29, 2019, 08:13:09 AM
https://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Craftsman

History section - If anyone knows better let me know and we'll update

I don't know the 'official' discontinuation date, but that page needs LOTS of fixin'.

Big fan of the entire Craftsman/Master Craftsman line.  Just got an early-mid 60's 136mU.

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us Offline kamakiri

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #118 on: April 29, 2019, 05:48:36 PM
Although I never understood how the Master could be the smaller one !!!

It never was. At any point in production history, it was bigger than the Craftsman (mistakenly called an Artisan). Literally bigger when you consider it was 84mm and the Master Craftsman was 91mm. All the US catalogs support this thinking, back to the early 50's. And I suspect earlier.

While they had the same basic tool configuration, I don't think any of the Space Shuttle or Astronaut models were really ever officially Master Craftsman models as I suspect the name was retired before then. I think they should have a separate page. Possibly c.'72 retirement for the Master version, but the fish scaler version may have briefly been a Master Craftsman as listed in the '76 dealer sheet. But of course, that one example could be an error.

Personally, I think the Craftsman 'family' should include all 136X and 136kX variants when referred to in the Wiki...even if just as 'related knives'. I know that would complicate things the way the Wiki is currently outlined/structured.
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Offline MiniChamp

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Re: Any love for the Craftsman?
Reply #119 on: April 30, 2019, 02:36:33 AM
Craftsman (mistakenly called an Artisan).
Why "mistakenly"? The name Artisan (which is Craftsman in French) for the model 136k seems to have been adopted from a Canadian catalog in order to avoid confusion between this model and what most of us now call Craftsman. A good idea, IMO.


 

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