The humble recruit.

[cbl51]

I've always been a minimalist. There I said it and got that out of the way right up front.

For many years, about 20 some in fact, my favorite SAK was the little 58mm classic. For a very long time I switched back and forth from a small tinker and my old war horse Wenger SI, but my better half got me into the 58's. I once considered Tham a joke, a party favor or door prize, but I was wrong. I watched her torture that little knife and it never said die. So I go the and did the experiment. I Carri done for some months handmade it a point to use that first on whatever I needed a pocket knife to see it it would work. It did, and woke so well it became a EDC on my keyring.

Then this place, Nix in fact if I have to point a finger, perverted me and introduced me to the 74mm executive. I had always considered the executive to be a sort of in-between thing that did nothing my little classic could do. I was wrong. After a very short while, a very very short while, I became so infatuated with the executive that it replaced my classic as my minimalist EDC. A little too big for the keyring, it took up residence there and still is.

This brings us to the recruit. I've always loved the recruit, and in fact is was my default vacation SAK. I would mail one to myself at where I would be staying like at Key West, and use it for a week as a fishing knife, cutting boat. slicing limes for nice cold vodka tonics, like food use for making sandwiches to take to the beach. When I leave, I got tit off to the airport shuttle driver, or the grounds keeper at the guest house we stayed at. The receiver is always grateful and expressive in like "Wow, you're giving a Swiss Army knife?? Wow dude, thanks a lot!" The red handle wonder is always recognized.

My own history with he recruit goes back a long way, and it's a model I have bought and gifted a lot of. Like the classic, it's not to costly to buy, just the right size for dropping in a pocket and going mostly un-noticed, and big enough to do serious cutting a repair. Now, for the last few months, I've been using a new-to-me recruit that is different. It has a serrated blade.

Thanks to mags, AKA magentus, I've been using this since it got to me just before I left for the holidays in California. My EDC carry has been the recruit and the executive. Since the executive is in residence in my coin pocket in my jeans, the recruit has taken up residence in my right front pocket. Since mid December I've used the serrated blade on food items, packaging, twine, and it's been like a mini buzz saw. The recruits' serrations match perfectly the serrations of my very favorite kitchen knife; my two Victorinox parring knife with those one step serrations. Bread, bagels, cheese, plastic wrap, meat, avocado's, smoked salmon, whatever, it separates things soooo well. I've had to do a light touchup once, and it was easy with the little Eze-Lap diamond hone that looks like a small pen. A very slim rat  tail hone, it fits in the serrations well and I just use it like a small file on my parring knives and it worked the same on the recruit blade.

I had to replace an end on my garden hose as it was splitting at the end where the nozzle was, and I had to cut of an inch to install a new end. The serrated blade made VERY short work of the rubber hose. The serrations are still fine enough that it actually whittle wood decently. This is one recruit that I will never give away!!!!

I've always loved the recruit, but I love this serrated blade one more. The 84mm size is so nice for dropping in a pocket. For twenty some years my small tinker was a regular carry until it disappeared in the cross country move from Maryland to Texas. I meant to get another 84mm but with the generosity of magentus, that is now a moot point. I find I don't really miss the dedicated Phillips driver as the can opener of the recruit makes a great medium size Phillips, and the tip of the nail file of the executive does well on very small Phillips. Especially since I took a file and made a small flat on the end of the spear shaped tip of the executive nail file. Just a tiny one. Lets it sit down in even the tiny Phillips screw heads.

So, for a few months now, the executive and recruit have done everything I needed to do that involved a pocket knife to small tool. They make a darn good duo, like a revolver and lever action carbine in the same caliber. 

Between Nix and mags, my EDC has been totally redone. I owe them both much thanks for simplifying my life.

[powernoodle]

You know its a good post when it makes me want to start EDC-ing a Recruit.  Though I am a little partial to the small Tinker.

[SirVicaLot]

Good post and a big  for Nix and Mags! Now i want a recruit with a serrated blade too. 
 Were they just made in specific years? Need more information!    Please 

[cbl51]

Good post and a big  for Nix and Mags! Now i want a recruit with a serrated blade too. 
 Were they just made in specific years? Need more information!    Please 

I'd have to ask mags, but the recruit he gifted me has the old tang stamp. That may at least put it back past a certain year.

[AimlessWanderer]

The serrated blades on those Recruits are excellent. Unlike you though, Carl, I'm no minimalist with pocket tools

I killed my 84mm Recruit, and resurrected it as the Mega84, with both plain and serrated blade, both backspring Phillips and corkscrew, plus several other features too. That serrated blade really has earned its corn though, and works great on everything from bread to rope.

I haven't boosted the Executive to the same level yet, but I'm working on it 

[Sawl Goodman]

I'm not normally partial to serrations, but here you've put up a convincing review.

Crazy thing is that in my country, the small Tinker sells for less than the Recruit.

The serrated blades on those Recruits are excellent. Unlike you though, Carl, I'm no minimalist with pocket tools

I killed my 84mm Recruit, and resurrected it as the Mega84, with both plain and serrated blade, both backspring Phillips and corkscrew, plus several other features too. That serrated blade really has earned its corn though, and works great on everything from bread to rope.

I haven't boosted the Executive to the same level yet, but I'm working on it 

That's a damn fine pocket knife!