My SAKs

[BePrepared]

I've recently gained a much greater appreciation for the Victorinox SAKs.  Here are the three I own.  Each has a story...



The 58mm classic was the first I real SAK I owned.  I got it perhaps over 30 years ago, and it has been around the world with me.  If you look closely you can see it has a screw in the scissors pivot.  It's been on my keychain on and off for the last 30 years, or in checked-in luggage on overseas trips in my shaving bag.

A few years ago I was thinking about something larger to EDC and came close to getting a Tinker, but instead ended up with the Leatherman Juice S2.  Being concerned about UK knife laws I chopped down the blade on thr Juice.  Later I ended up with a few more LMs (Wave, Surge, Crunch, KF4, Squirts) and have even modded a few Juices (and my Wave).  But for my birthday this year my wife got me the Alox Pioneer X.  Wow.  It's really nice.  I was initially put off the SAKs because of the can opener and bottle opener tools --- they looked a bit silly to me for city EDC (beer caps screw off in the UK, and I don't need a tin can when I have pot-noodles handy  ).  But when I think of these tools as screw driver blades I'm really impressed.  I've done a few home chores with the SAKs, and the awl is impressive.

Recently I went into a Victorinox store and did the 'build your own Saprtan'.  I had a 91mm scissors that I had bought over the web and during the build (because i wanted a bladeless SAK) they let me try the scissors (which you all know won't fit, but I didn't understand at the time).  In the end I took home the partly built SAK to see if I could get the scissors in, but in the end I finished off the Spartan at home.  They gave me the plus sclaes, so I've added the 3 scale tools and pin.  I like the Spartan, but I'm not sure about the corkscrew opener --- I usually need a bit of leverage to pull corks (and a lot of wine now is screw top.)  The weight difference between the Spartan and Pioneer X is noticeable.  However, I'm still concerned about the blades in these SAKS, and wouldn't be keen to carry on a regular basis travelling through London.

My next SAX is a modded Pioneer --- I'm expecting it to arrive next week.  It's based on a Pioneer X with the blade and awl removed.  I had thought about asking for the pliers and in-line phillips to be added, but I think the weight will be too much.  I'm looking forward to pairing this mod with a LM PS4 Squirt (pliers tool).  Currently I pair the Squirt with a LM Style CS (blade removed, phillips added).

[Myron]

Nice collection, BePrepared.   

I wonder why the scissors didn't work on the DIY Spartan?  After all, a Climber is just a Spartan with scissors added. 

Regarding the corkscrew, I've learned over the years that you can get a little leverage with it if you screw it all the way down into the cork, and then rock the body of the knife against the bottle mouth, being careful to only pivot it in the folding direction, not against it.  Being careful not to chip the glass, one or two gentle rocks is often enough to break the cork's seal and then you can pull it straight out.  I've been doing it this way for decades and it works great.  They're also handy for getting knots out of kids' shoelaces. 

Myron

[Frailer]

Nice collection, BePrepared.   

I wonder why the scissors didn't work on the DIY Spartan?  After all, a Climber is just a Spartan with scissors added. 

I don’t modify knives, but I’ll hazard a guess that the backspring for the blade layer won’t work with the scissors.

[Mechanickal]

[EMZ]

Unfortunately I must give a strong advise, or better, a strong warning: You exactly described the way many of us started a collection of SAK's. So, BePrepared be prepared for the future, or else you gonna end up as a lot of us, that is with a lot of SAK's...
 

[BePrepared]

Yes, it was clear the backsprings for a scissors tool need to be different to the blade backspring, and I didn't have the proper backspring for the scissors.  From what I have been reading on modding there are specific combinations of tools and backsprings, and some work and some won't when you try to mix and match.  There are some nice pics on the web showing SAKS taken apart and how the bakcsprings look for various tools.

I'm tempted to get some second-hand type of 91mm multilayerd SAK like an Explorer or Champ, and remove the blade layer --- hopefully I'll have enough pivot length left to re-peen a bladeless SAK:  scissors / in-line phillps opposite cap lifter and bottle opener (maybe even keep pliers on the champ).  Or a deluxe tinker and put pliers/ scissors / cap lifter and bottle opener / phillips  and package hook as back tools.

Yes, I've heard corkscrew has other uses and it can hold the eyeglass driver.  So it is another option as back tool.  Awl is great on Pioneer, but I don't want pointed or sharp tools on this 'bladeless' EDC I am looking to build.

But the ALOX is so damn sexy  IMHO.  I like the clean look of the back springs.  In fact, I was just looking at the Pioneer X set of 3 back springs and wondering if I could get something engaraved on the springs of my precious....

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Oh, EMZ, it's already too late for me.  I also got my eye on a minichamp in Alox and been wondering about these cybertools....

[Myron]

I don’t modify knives, but I’ll hazard a guess that the backspring for the blade layer won’t work with the scissors.

Aha.  I did not realize that BP was attempting to build a bladeless scissors SAK.  I assumed he was adding scissors to a Spartan.