Pioneer X, 30 day challenge

[Nix]

A response post to Pablo's Wine Challenge

I went to open a lively, semi-dry, bottle of Riesling yesterday, but didn't have a cork screw on my challenge knife, the awesome Pioneer X. Awesome except it can't open a bottle of wine.

Or can it?



My initial strategy was to use the awl to make a small hole in the cork, then jam the can opener in at an angle. Doing this, I could twist the cork, but when I tried to twist and lift....disaster, the cork broke. However, I reasoned to myself that a true Swiss Army Knight, faithful to his or her challenge SAK, would not be kept from a pleasantly fruity Rosso notable for light spice flavors, Italian wine, by a broken cork. No, I would have to channel my inner MacGyver.

I rummaged through the garage until I found a long screw with decent threads. A Philips head, of course. But the small driver on the can opener was not phased, and soon the rescue screw was installed. Again turning to the can opener, I was able to grasp the screw head and pry it upward ever so slightly. Eventually I had to tighten the screw further to get better leverage. And then remove a bit more cork and tighten the screw again for leverage. Eventually I could just pull the cork free.



So yesterday's failure of effort was today's triumph of persistence. I give you the indomitable Pioneer X:



 

[GoatDragon]

A response post to Pablo's Wine Challenge

Show content

I went to open a lively, semi-dry, bottle of Riesling yesterday, but didn't have a cork screw on my challenge knife, the awesome Pioneer X. Awesome except it can't open a bottle of wine.

Or can it?



My initial strategy was to use the awl to make a small hole in the cork, then jam the can opener in at an angle. Doing this, I could twist the cork, but when I tried to twist and lift....disaster, the cork broke. However, I reasoned to myself that a true Swiss Army Knight, faithful to his or her challenge SAK, would not be kept from a pleasantly fruity Rosso notable for light spice flavors, Italian wine, by a broken cork. No, I would have to channel my inner MacGyver.

I rummaged through the garage until I found a long screw with decent threads. A Philips head, of course. But the small driver on the can opener was not phased, and soon the rescue screw was installed. Again turning to the can opener, I was able to grasp the screw head and pry it upward ever so slightly. Eventually I had to tighten the screw further to get better leverage. And then remove a bit more cork and tighten the screw again for leverage. Eventually I could just pull the cork free.



So yesterday's failure of effort was today's triumph of persistence. I give you the indomitable Pioneer X:


 

While this test may have been a failure, I still believe it can be done. I submit an open challenge to anyone on this forum to open a corked bottle of wine using only a SAK with out a corkscrew.

[Nix]

While this test may have been a failure, I still believe it can be done. I submit an open challenge to anyone on this forum to open a corked bottle of wine using only a SAK with out a corkscrew.

I think I'm going to try again using a bottle with a synthetic cork. 

[GoatDragon]

While this test may have been a failure, I still believe it can be done. I submit an open challenge to anyone on this forum to open a corked bottle of wine using only a SAK with out a corkscrew.

I think I'm going to try again using a bottle with a synthetic cork. 

Here at MT.o we have moved beyond enabling SAK addictions. Now we are helping to enable alcoholism as well! 

[Don Pablo]

  
You have gone above and beyond your duty as a Swiss Army Knight. 

Now I want to open a bottle of wine with a screw. 
Or attempt the can opener challenge...   

Decisions decisions decisions! 

[Nix]

Here at MT.o we have moved beyond enabling SAK addictions. Now we are helping to enable alcoholism as well! 

It's a personal sacrifice...but one I'm willing to make. 

Now I want to open a bottle of wine with a screw. 
Or attempt the can opener challenge...   

Not much of a downside........

[Poncho65]

Excellent challenge and pics also kudos for thinking outside the box I have been meaning to watch this challenge better but I am caught up on it once again

[Ron Who]

 

[kottskrapa]

Back in the punk days of my life if I ever got a bottle of wine I used to push the cork all the way down in the bottle.. Not the most best way maybe but it does work

It's not failure if you learn something from it

[Nix]

[Nix]

Busy day at work yesterday and then I came down with a GI bug. So yesterday the Pioneer X just rode around in my pocket. I'm still feeling rough this morning, so the PX may just have a couple days off now.

I realize that the time left in this challenge is rapidly dwindling. There is so much I still want to do in this challenge, but I don't know how I'll fit it in. Our air quality is really bad--think 19th Century London--and officials are advising people to stay indoors because of all the smoke. And being ill ain't helping.

[GoatDragon]

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Busy day at work yesterday and then I came down with a GI bug. So yesterday the Pioneer X just rode around in my pocket. I'm still feeling rough this morning, so the PX may just have a couple days off now.

I realize that the time left in this challenge is rapidly dwindling. There is so much I still want to do in this challenge, but I don't know how I'll fit it in. Our air quality is really bad--think 19th Century London--and officials are advising people to stay indoors because of all the smoke. And being ill ain't helping.[\spoiler]

Are you in Oregon? I was just up there for the eclipse and holy hell was the smoke bad. Was clear in eastern Oregon where we watched the eclipse thankfully. But afterwords we decided to travel west and visit Bend. We were planning on spending several days in western Oregon but the thick smoke drove us out after less than a day and we headed home. At one point I noted I could look directly at the sun through the smoke with out my eclipse glasses on and not get any sunspots in my eyes.

(That isn't cloud cover or fog.)

If you are there, or anywhere with smoke half that bad I wish you good health despite that awful muck.

[Nix]

Montana.

And that's about what it looks like. In addition to our own local wildfires, smoke is carrying over from Oregon and Idaho.

[GoatDragon]

I suppose it's a good time to have a Pioneer X on hand. You will be needing those scissors to cut your way through that smoke.

[Nix]

Ha!

Used the PX to slice up some ginger to make a therapeutic tea--still feeling a bit rough.

[Nix]

[Tired_Yeti]

Show content

Busy day at work yesterday and then I came down with a GI bug. So yesterday the Pioneer X just rode around in my pocket. I'm still feeling rough this morning, so the PX may just have a couple days off now.

I realize that the time left in this challenge is rapidly dwindling. There is so much I still want to do in this challenge, but I don't know how I'll fit it in. Our air quality is really bad--think 19th Century London--and officials are advising people to stay indoors because of all the smoke. And being ill ain't helping.[\spoiler]

Are you in Oregon? I was just up there for the eclipse and holy hell was the smoke bad. Was clear in eastern Oregon where we watched the eclipse thankfully. But afterwords we decided to travel west and visit Bend. We were planning on spending several days in western Oregon but the thick smoke drove us out after less than a day and we headed home. At one point I noted I could look directly at the sun through the smoke with out my eclipse glasses on and not get any sunspots in my eyes.
(Image removed from quote.)
(That isn't cloud cover or fog.)

If you are there, or anywhere with smoke half that bad I wish you good health despite that awful muck.

Yuk! I've been in forest fire smoke like that up in Alaska. I feel bad for the residents with respiratory problems like asthma. Especially the kids with asthma! Bless 'em.

Probably good to stay indoors as much as possible and replace the filters in your HVAC system with the filter elements that filter out smoke particles.
Make sure you restock your allergy medications too.

Stay safe, friends.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nix]

Thanks, Yeti, you too.

This smoke really has me bummed out. Between our fires and your flooding, I'm starting to think global warming thing will be less fun than advertised.

[Nix]

I've never cut up a chicken using a SAK before. Not that I can recall, anyway. So, I figured I'd give it a shot during this challenge.

Cutting up a chicken isn't complicated and just requires a sharp edge. But some designs seem to tackle the task with greater alacrity than others, so it seems like a worthwhile way to get to know a knife a little better.



I have to say, the spear point blade did a nice job. That pointy blade was able to find the gap in some joints easily. There is enough belly in the blade to make longer sweeping cuts smoothly, too. Given my druthers, I'd like a 4-5" knife for this job, but the 93mm SAK did me proud.

And so why not a medium sized onion?



This did not go as well. The blade is just too short to slice an onion well or with precise control. Some control is also lost, I think, because of the 'crinked' blade found on multi-layer SAK's. Yes, job done, but I won't be surrendering my 10" chef's knife anytime soon.   

[GoatDragon]

I gotta say Nix, I don't usually enjoy threads like this, but you are doing a great job taking pictures and telling stories that I find myself excited to find updates to read each day.

And I hope you washed that Pioneer off well after cutting up that bird! Lotsa little nooks and crannies in a SAK that botulism can hide in!

[Nix]

Thank you, Sir. 

And, yes, I cleaned the PX most thoroughly with hot soapy water.   

[Poncho65]

Hope you are feeling better and great pics and explanations as well

[Nix]

Definitely feeling better, but the smoke is still dreadful. 

[Nix]

Smoke seemed to clear up a bit this morning, and I felt I had a chance to get out today.

I packed the PX into the sheath I made and went for a ride up into the hills. This sheath is working out nicely. Nothing for the PX to do but hold on.



PX pictured for scale.   

Picture doesn't really demonstrate the density of the smoke very well. It was better, but still heavy.

[Nix]

One of the reasons I like the in-line awls in the Alox knives:



I prefer using the awl when opening packages to keep from dulling my main blade. I do occasionally sharpen my awl.

[Nix]

I imagine that some of you have been thinking, "Sure, the Pioneer X seems like a decent knife, but can you use it as an ice cream scoop?"

Well, of course you can, it's a SAK.



The secret is to cut the container in half...



And then use the blade to free the ice cream from the carton, sliding it into the bowl.



Serve and enjoy!

[GoatDragon]

I imagine that some of you have been thinking, "Sure, the Pioneer X seems like a decent knife, but can you use it as an ice cream scoop?"

Well, of course you can, it's a SAK.

(Image removed from quote.)

The secret is to cut the container in half...

(Image removed from quote.)

And then use the blade to free the ice cream from the carton, sliding it into the bowl.

(Image removed from quote.)

Serve and enjoy!

I never would have thought of that. I hope you like cookies and cream though cause there aint no carton to fit the rest in if you can't finish it.

... Not that I expect you should have any trouble finishing it if it's anywhere near as hot where you are as it is here. I could eat that whole carton in one sitting if it was either coffee w/ chocolate chips, or rocky road. You can keep the cookies and cream for yourself thank you.

[Nix]

Mint chocolate cookie.     

One of my wife's favorites, so leftovers weren't a problem.

[GoatDragon]

Mint chocolate cookie.     

One of my wife's favorites, so leftovers weren't a problem.

Make that mint chocolate chip and we can talk. 

[an0nemus]

Smoke seemed to clear up a bit this morning, and I felt I had a chance to get out today.

I packed the PX into the sheath I made and went for a ride up into the hills. This sheath is working out nicely. Nothing for the PX to do but hold on.

(Image removed from quote.)

PX pictured for scale.   

Picture doesn't really demonstrate the density of the smoke very well. It was better, but still heavy.

Wow. I'm really digging that Triumph! Looks like the Honda CB400 that my dad used to own and which gave me lots of adrenalin rush!