Can anyone confirm type and age of this SAK I just picked up?

[Grunthos]

I managed to pick this up on the Interweb - more out of curiousity than anything else - I wanted a SAK with a fish on it!.

I suspect the knife is maybe a bit older than I originally thought.

Four layers, weight 100grams, metal inlay fish.

No sewing eye in reamer, keyring split ring missing, grooves in corkscrew, scissors with screw as a pivot (so <1991?), a silver tipped toothpick - first one I've ever seen (so <1978?). Thought the spring on scissors was broken but on closer inspection do believe it's a single leaf type spring (<1975?).

No hook. No metal/file saw.

Not sure if the tip of corkscrew, which seems bent forward, is an old "design feature" or a previous owner mod or wear and tear.

Overall she's in pretty good condition, hopefully just needs a bit of soap and water and an oil massage.

I'm guesstimating (using the marvellous SAKWiki) it's a pre-1975 original version Angler?

Can anyone confirm make and model and maybe narrow down the age a bit further?

Think I've just bought my oldest SAK (beats my trusty Champion "c" I bought 37 years ago).  

[jazzbass]

No sewing eye in reamer,

Correct, so this would put it pre-1986

keyring split ring missing, grooves in corkscrew, scissors with screw as a pivot (so <1991?)

Agreed

a silver tipped toothpick - first one I've ever seen (so <1978?).

I hesitate to use tweezers as dating references since they're so easily swapped, but for knives like this it's a good indicator.

Thought the spring on scissors was broken but on closer inspection do believe it's a single leaf type spring (<1975?).

I think your first instinct was correct here. That is almost certainly a broken double leaf spring. A true single leaf spring will turn up towards the scissor pivot at the end, while yours turns down. Additionally, it looks like this is a model with the larger 1.9mm spring attachment and non-peened scissor screw, making it a 77+ variant.

I'm guesstimating (using the marvellous SAKWiki) it's a pre-1975 original version Angler?

Close - its an Original Angler from I'd say late 70s, c. 1977 or so based on the scissors and the inlays.

The inlays, BTW, are the most interesting part of this knife for me. It's hard to tell in pictures sometimes, but these inlays look like the early stainless steel versions. They appear to be white vs goldish for nickel-silver, but the fish icon is the older, more ornate "5 line tail" version from the nickel-silver era. Compare inlays:



The NS inlays were a lot more intricate with smaller lines and a LOT more detail (more scales, more lines, etc)  that apparently were harder on the press tooling and wore out the dies fairly quick. In fact, you can see what looks to be die wear on your knife where the bottom scales of the fish are gone:



Here's a great thread that talks about the early stainless inlays: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,82626.msg2001446.html#msg2001446

Cheers.

[Grunthos]

its an Original Angler from I'd say late 70s, c. 1977 or so based on the scissors and the inlays.

Wow. A very detailed response. Many, many thanks (and some food for thought).

I'll take 1977, that year has many good memories for me! 

[Rizio Il Ghiro]

Nice find, Grunthos! 

[Aloha]

  Very nice find. 


JB, thank you.  I learn a lot from threads like this.  I appreciate the easy to understand straightforward approach for noobs like me.  I also appreciate the easy to digest detailed yet simple to understand info offered.  While I know dating SAKs can be very detailed the way you approach these threads is an a word, approachable. 

 

Off to look at my Fish scaled SAK  .     

[Rizio Il Ghiro]

  never knew there were so many fishy nuances!

[Aloha]

Sorry if I'm high jacking your thread 

Heres mine.  No half stops on openers.  Grooved corkscrew 4 turn.  NS Fish. 

[Aloha]

 

[Aloha]

 

[Grunthos]

Sorry if I'm high jacking your thread

You've not highjacked, you've added value!
 

[kamakiri]

You've not highjacked, you've added value!
 

Yeah, interesting!

Aloha’s looks ‘80/‘81...as weird as that may be.

Yours (Grunthos), is ‘77/‘78, and I think very early ‘78 despite the Aluminum tipped tweezers.

[Aloha]

  Works for me and thank you kamakiri.  I picked it up cause I saw the fish and thought it was very neat.  I can see how inlays can lure us in  .   

[kamakiri]

Works for me and thank you kamakiri.  I picked it up cause I saw the fish and thought it was very neat.  I can see how inlays can lure us in  .   

  and agreed. I got lured in by the inlays. Thanks to you both for sharing. Interesting to see both of these inlays toward the ends of their use. I see some wear of the tooling in yours too (Aloha).

[Aloha]

Now that you mention it I can too.  The details are much appreciated by you.  Jazz references your thread but its admittedly pro level info although very interesting.  Thanks to you both.   

[Jim the Brave]

Wow. A very detailed response. Many, many thanks (and some food for thought).

I'll take 1977, that year has many good memories for me! 

Yeah 1977 was my beginning...I was born in December of it.

[kamakiri]

Now that you mention it I can too.  The details are much appreciated by you. 

 

And I keep finding more!  It’s crazy.

Jazz references your thread but its admittedly pro level info although very interesting.  Thanks to you both.   

  Thanks for that, but that thread is just scratching the surface of how many changes can be used within just the ‘70s. I’ve lost count.

[pfrsantos]

Works for me and thank you kamakiri.  I picked it up cause I saw the fish and thought it was very neat.  I can see how inlays can lure us in  .   

 

[Aloha]

 

[Helvetica Bold]

Great find Grunthos and some great information I this thread, thanks everyone.

[Grunthos]

Not sure if the tip of corkscrew, which seems bent forward, is an old "design feature" or a previous owner mod or wear and tear.

Attached are some further photos of the corkscrew. These show how distinct the "point" is on the tool.

Have to say I'm pretty pleased with that aspect. A little more utility than the normal corkscrew and (luck or design?) it still fits snuggly when in a parked position.

So curious I wrote to the seller asking if he has any history on how it got that way. He tells me it came with a job lot of fishing gear he bought before lockdown.

So...I guess..."we will never know"...