Model 136aU which I think was also called the Craftsman...
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 :-)
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.
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.
^^^ Long suffering and knowing wife! ^^^
Is there a place that sells SAK individual tools?
....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
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.
When was the Craftsman discontinued ?
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
Here's a pic of my Master Craftsman. I'll post a pic of my Craftsman later. It's a great all around carry!
I have an older, square screwdriver version from the early 80's
https://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=CraftsmanHistory section - If anyone knows better let me know and we'll update
Although I never understood how the Master could be the smaller one !!!
Craftsman (mistakenly called an Artisan).