Is a 58mm enough?

[Tasky]

Bushcrafters...well I doubt a bushcrafter will carry ONLY a 58mm. 
As I said, in a urban everything-is-prepacked-world 58mm is enough.

I guess some bushcrafters just like a challenge? They obviously aren't building huge great woodland palaces with them or anything, but they get a fair bit done. Simple shelter, fire, bit of fishing, etc... I've made it through several 'survival week' courses without any knife at all, which was part of the point to such courses, and though it wasn't easy (or fun) a simple 58mm would have made a lot of difference, and you really learned to appreciate having a good tool with you.

Of course, that's them and not me, as I regard a Huntsman to be pretty much the minimum to meet my personal EDC needs even in an urban environment, because while a 58mm might be just enough to get by, I have the choice to carry something that lets me do far more than merely get by.

[Aloha]

Can't argue that last sentence  .  That may be a possible reason among many the 58s are typically a companion to a larger SAK rather than the only SAK carried? 

[Lemonizer]

As I like to eat with my Champ, I think the large blade is what I will be missing the most (for a day without any tinkering).
So answer is no, I guess it will be hard for me to eat with the minichamp 
But besides that, if I don't need to do any tinkering that requires a file/saw/philips 2 etc, let's say a regular chill day, yes, I could live with it !
That's sadly a lot of if 

[Farmer X]

I just don't trust that little blade on its weak spring in its short handle for anything stronger than packing tape.

I've used 58mm blades to cut paracord. Though they do a good job for the most part, I do prefer to use a larger blade or rhe scissors for that task.

Like the old revolver vs semi argument, often being unfamiliar with the item leads to mistrust and under estimating.

It took me a while to appreciate the 58mm models. Though I buy them mainly as display pieces, they sure can come in handy.

[Barry Rowland]

  but dining with a Mini Champ is definitely a fun adventure!  It might be time for another 58mm Challenge soon 

As I like to eat with my Champ, I think the large blade is what I will be missing the most (for a day without any tinkering).
So answer is no, I guess it will be hard for me to eat with the minichamp 
But besides that, if I don't need to do any tinkering that requires a file/saw/philips 2 etc, let's say a regular chill day, yes, I could live with it !
That's sadly a lot of if 

[Altis]

It's a good thing the Classic has scissors, because I just don't trust that little blade on its weak spring in its short handle for anything stronger than packing tape. The last time I tried to use a Classic outside of its comfort zone (by cutting open a particularly resilient blister package), it bit me. It's just too much of a compromise, in my opinion.

To those who have learned to overcome the 58mm's (literal) shortcomings, 

I've found its limits a few times, and my biggest concern is that I'm prone to have a mishap if I try to make it do something it doesn't want to do.  I've struggled with cutting zip-ties, for instance.

Yet the carry weight of the Classic Alox is negligible, so it's a great bit of utility that I otherwise might not have on me. All depends on what you're looking to get done with it. Smaller is always going to sacrifice capability for size, and vice versa for larger tools. That's why I recommend having a few dozen SAKs to choose from any given day 

[Dr. Boombatz]

I just put a Classic Alox only keychain and can barely tell its' there. It's noticeably thinner than a Classic w/ Cellidor scales.

[Altis]

I just put a Classic Alox only keychain and can barely tell its' there. It's noticeably thinner than a Classic w/ Cellidor scales.

It really has no carry cost. Try carrying it in your wallet or on a necklace 

The Bantam Alox is the same 6mm thick.. another super light carry to put on your list if you haven't yet, doctor 

[SteveP]

I think I'm of the same opinion as many here...

Is 58mm enough? Depends on what you need/want to do with a SAK. Everyone is going to be different here. If a 58mm won't do what you need/want, there's another SAK (or two) that will. Trying out a couple for a while will tell you.

A 58mm is better than no SAK at all.

For me, I carried a Cavalier, then a Mini Champ I, then a Mini Champ II for years. They served me well. I was in an tech role with a lot of travel.

Now I've added a 91mm, usually a Swiss Champ. Do I need to carry it? Probably not. I just like having the bigger blade, scissors, screwdrivers, etc.

Could I get by with less? Probably. Do I want to? No.   
   

[Lemonizer]

but dining with a Mini Champ is definitely a fun adventure!  It might be time for another 58mm Challenge soon 

I admit it, that could be quite fun, I could even try today 

[hsherzfeld]

I think I'm of the same opinion as many here...

Is 58mm enough? Depends on what you need/want to do with a SAK. Everyone is going to be different here. If a 58mm won't do what you need/want, there's another SAK (or two) that will. Trying out a couple for a while will tell you.

A 58mm is better than no SAK at all.

For me, I carried a Cavalier, then a Mini Champ I, then a Mini Champ II for years. They served me well. I was in an tech role with a lot of travel.

Now I've added a 91mm, usually a Swiss Champ. Do I need to carry it? Probably not. I just like having the bigger blade, scissors, screwdrivers, etc.

Could I get by with less? Probably. Do I want to? No.   
 

[Aloha]

More great responses.   

[cbl51]

I've been thinking. Always a very dangerous thing at my age.

The OP's question was, is a 58mm 'enough?'

The consensus seems to be a counter  question; all depends on what you are doing and where you are doing it.

BUT...that little three letter word that can change things, If the 58mm is not enough, then why, according to Blade Magazine, is it both the worlds most popular selling pocket knife, as well as the worlds most confiscated knife at TSA check points?

It would seem that more non knife/multitool aficionados who go out and buy a pocket knife, buy more Vic classics than any other three knife manufactures combined. Non knife fans in America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Scandinavia, buy the little classic  for their day to day carry. EDC as some would put it.

Food for thought?

[Tasky]

BUT...that little three letter word that can change things, If the 58mm is not enough, then why, according to Blade Magazine, is it both the worlds most popular selling pocket knife, as well as the worlds most confiscated knife at TSA check points?
It would seem that more non knife/multitool aficionados who go out and buy a pocket knife, buy more Vic classics than any other three knife manufactures combined.

Why - Because most of them just chuck it on their keyring, as it's absolutely nothing to thus carry and always have with you... which is also why they subsequently forget when going through TSA or other security checkpoints.

My question would be what the second most popular model is - I expect it'll be a Huntsman, or some other similar camping-oriented model, used by all the outdoor pursuits folk.

[Farmer X]

Because most of them just chuck it on their keyring, as it's absolutely nothing to thus carry and always have with you... which is also why they subsequently forget when going through TSA or other security checkpoints.

Exactly right. My primary reasoning behind carrying 58mm models about my neck is not putting any (new) scratches and dings on them...but not having to constantly take them off and put them back on a key ring is another benefit.

[Aloha]

I like the neck carry 58 or any slim SAK.  There are some nice kydex sheaths I've seen for the larger SAKs.  I have my 58 on a quick release so I can detach and reattach as needed.  Having my 58 with me means having a few tools with me all the time.  I attach it along with my wallet to a vic belt clip.   

[Barry Rowland]

Nice rig Aloha! 

[Altis]

I've been thinking. Always a very dangerous thing at my age.

The OP's question was, is a 58mm 'enough?'

The consensus seems to be a counter  question; all depends on what you are doing and where you are doing it.

BUT...that little three letter word that can change things, If the 58mm is not enough, then why, according to Blade Magazine, is it both the worlds most popular selling pocket knife, as well as the worlds most confiscated knife at TSA check points?

It would seem that more non knife/multitool aficionados who go out and buy a pocket knife, buy more Vic classics than any other three knife manufactures combined. Non knife fans in America, Europe, Asia, South America, and Scandinavia, buy the little classic  for their day to day carry. EDC as some would put it.

Food for thought?

That is a very good point, but it still means the answer is "it depends" 

For most people and most EDC uses, a Classic is often just right. Part of what helps it be the most popular, though, is that it is very small and lightweight, comes in tons of colours and patterns, costs very little, can be purchased in so many places, and is very non-threatening and socially acceptable for all ages, and that people have to keep re-purchasing them after TSA donations  You make a good point about non-knife people finding it enough as they're the ones focused primarily on practical and functional reasons.

If you're camping and want to process some wood, prepare food (or game), have it for first-aid, it might not be "enough."

A coupe is enough vehicle for a single person but probably not for a family of 6. 

[Simon_Templar]

The consensus seems to be a counter  question; all depends on what you are doing and where you are doing it.

BUT...that little three letter word that can change things, If the 58mm is not enough, then why, according to Blade Magazine, is it both the worlds most popular selling pocket knife, as well as the worlds most confiscated knife at TSA check points?

Food for thought?

Uh, that's actually not a counter question, but rather a finding

In any event, I would venture the guess that the reason why the Classic is so popular is that it's above all a small and useful multitool - which just so happens to also have a blade - that can be had cheap (or even for free when you get it in the form of an advertisement gift) and is available in about any souvenir shop around the world. I would even say it's unlikely to live in a Western country and not come about a Classic at least once in your life (I got my first on another kid's birthday, still remember it to this day!).

 I am therefore almost certain that the vast majority of Classic users are not interested in SAKs or other pocket knives and would never visit a forum like this or muse about the question whether or not the small helper in their purse or on their keyring (which they got as a gift or as a souvenir in the first place) is "enough" or if rather they need more. They just don't care. Just as I didn't for years when I carried a Rambler on my keyring simply for its utility without even knowing the word EDC.

This may prove that 58mm is enough for people who don't care about pocket knives, in the same way that a Dacia is enough for people who don't care about cars. But is this finding really relevant for people on this forum?

If you, Carl, say that 58 mm is enough for you, this is a well-founded opinion reflecting your personal experience as a man who is interested in pocket knives. That's relevant for me when I reflect about which SAK to carry as EDC. If my neighbor who isn't interested in pocket knives at all says the same, it's simply not.

[Tasky]

"It's a little piece of Switzerland that you can take with you everywhere".
Carl Elsener.

Like a very fattening cake, some just prefer the smallest piece.

[Barry Rowland]

  Exactly

Uh, that's actually not a counter question, but rather a finding

In any event, I would venture the guess that the reason why the Classic is so popular is that it's above all a small and useful multitool - which just so happens to also have a blade - that can be had cheap (or even for free when you get it in the form of an advertisement gift) and is available in about any souvenir shop around the world. I would even say it's unlikely to live in a Western country and not come about a Classic at least once in your life (I got my first on another kid's birthday, still remember it to this day!).

 I am therefore almost certain that the vast majority of Classic users are not interested in SAKs or other pocket knives and would never visit a forum like this or muse about the question whether or not the small helper in their purse or on their keyring (which they got as a gift or as a souvenir in the first place) is "enough" or if rather they need more. They just don't care. Just as I didn't for years when I carried a Rambler on my keyring simply for its utility without even knowing the word EDC.

This may prove that 58mm is enough for people who don't care about pocket knives, in the same way that a Dacia is enough for people who don't care about cars. But is this finding really relevant for people on this forum?

If you, Carl, say that 58 mm is enough for you, this is a well-founded opinion reflecting your personal experience as a man who is interested in pocket knives. That's relevant for me when I reflect about which SAK to carry as EDC. If my neighbor who isn't interested in pocket knives at all says the same, it's simply not.

[Andetto]

It depends on your life style.
If you work in an office and dont do any outdoor activities, a swisschamp wont excel a classic.

Some replies here had suggested that only knife loving people (can we put an abbreviation for that)
care about having a knife on self. I know some people, and thats logic, who dont love knives, but carry a knife, because they are practical/ sane .

Regarding the number of classic sold;
I wonder if the Pareto Principle applies here,
It looks like 1 percent of the worlds population hold possesion of 90 % of the knives ever made  .
I might know some of those.

Cheers

[fuyume]

I never carry only one knife, but the one knife I will always carry is my Victorinox 58 mm Rambler. I have long called it the best survival knife ever, because the best knife is the knife you have when you need a knife, and a 58 mm SAK goes almost anywhere outside a courthouse (unless you actually work with tools inside a courthouse, as I’ve done), or an airliner in service.

The Rambler is to me the best iteration of the 58 mm series. It has everything I need and nothing I don’t. And for 99% of what I need a knife to do, the Rambler covers it easily.

[pfrsantos]

I never carry only one knife, but the one knife I will always carry is my Victorinox 58 mm Rambler. I have long called it the best survival knife ever, because the best knife is the knife you have when you need a knife, and a 58 mm SAK goes almost anywhere outside a courthouse (unless you actually work with tools inside a courthouse, as I’ve done), or an airliner in service.

The Rambler is to me the best iteration of the 58 mm series. It has everything I need and nothing I don’t. And for 99% of what I need a knife to do, the Rambler covers it easily.

+1

I started with a Rambler, gifted by an MTo member. I upgraded it to a Midnite Manager (LED + pen). It's been my usual EDC. It solves (awlmost) any problem I come across.

 

[Farmer X]

The best knife is the knife you have when you need a knife, and a 58 mm SAK goes almost anywhere outside a courthouse (unless you actually work with tools inside a courthouse, as I’ve done), or an airliner in service.

Most of my knife usage is pretty light-duty. Sometimes I'll grab a 58mm just for the heck of it. I just did that with a Rally and some paracord. (It took two passes and didn't cut cleanly, but that's an improvement...when I got it, the blade was so dull it wouldn't cut paracord at all.)

And a 58mm can be taken most any place. Another exception: one of my previous jobs had me doing contract work for the state of California. There was no way the CDCR would allow a Swiss Army knife on prison grounds.

[Tasky]

BUT...that little three letter word that can change things, If the 58mm is not enough, then why, according to Blade Magazine, is it both the worlds most popular selling pocket knife, as well as the worlds most confiscated knife at TSA check points?

I was thinking some more on this - As well as the TSA factor already discussed above, the Classic is also pretty much the cheapest in most camping and tourist-type shops, so a pretty good gift option.

[cbl51]

I was thinking some more on this - As well as the TSA factor already discussed above, the Classic is also pretty much the cheapest in most camping and tourist-type shops, so a pretty good gift option.

But isn't that the appeal for the masses?

Once you disregard the cult worship enthusiasts, no matter if its cars, guns, knives, the great unwashed masses out there doesn't care about the latest wonder steel or blink of an eye one hand opening. The just need a little piece of sharp, or some car that gets them to work in a reliable manner, or just a gun that doesn't take a tactical wonder to operate. The little SAK classic is there in the case or hanging there on the rack for all of 11.95 at Walmart or 16.95 at Academy Sports, and its small enough to hang on a keyring and be no bother at all.

Our friend Roy is a typical SAK classic users. Roy was a techno geek for the government in Washington D.C. and lived in Olney, Maryland. Everyday he commented down to the department of something or other in his little Honda Civic. He's had three Honda civics since his first one in the late 1970's. He runs them for 20 years and 200,000 some miles. Needless to say, Roy is NOT a car enthusiast. To him, its just a tool to get to work or where ever in a reliable manner. He's a die hard Honda fan because his first Honda, a tiny 600 coupe, was just soooo damm good. A car to Jim is like a microwave oven or washing machine. Something to use until it works no more than replace it.

Roy carries a classic. He's not a knife nut, but he knows its nice to have a small sharp tool to open mail, UPS packages, plastic blister packages, and be able to fix a broken fingernail or unscrew small Phillips screws. He's not a hunter, not a camper, but a dyed in the wool city guy who when he's not at work is fixing or messing with computers. Electronics is both his work and play. If Roy is flying someplace and forgets to take his classic off his key ring and TSA takes it, he just shrugs it off and buys another at Walmart.

Roy will never buy a larger SAK, or even try a Leatherman tool. The little classic fits his low cost semi disposable role of a package opener/nail maintenance/scissors/ tweezer tool. As long as it opens his mail, Roy doesn't care if theres bigger or better options. Just like he doesn't care if theres bigger or better cars than his Honda Civic. They are all just tools to him. No matter if theres Case knives, Buck knives, or any other brand knife on display, Roy will buy the small low cost classic because its the lowest common denominator that will do what he wants from the tool.

That is the great masses that just need a small cheap knife for the pocket/keyring/purse/desk top. To them, we are the nutso, obsessed, cult worship people that spend way to much time and money on knives.

[Andetto]

But isn't that the appeal for the masses?

Once you disregard the cult worship enthusiasts, no matter if its cars, guns, knives, the great unwashed masses out there doesn't care about the latest wonder steel or blink of an eye one hand opening. The just need a little piece of sharp, or some car that gets them to work in a reliable manner, or just a gun that doesn't take a tactical wonder to operate. The little SAK classic is there in the case or hanging there on the rack for all of 11.95 at Walmart or 16.95 at Academy Sports, and its small enough to hang on a keyring and be no bother at all.

Our friend Roy is a typical SAK classic users. Roy was a techno geek for the government in Washington D.C. and lived in Olney, Maryland. Everyday he commented down to the department of something or other in his little Honda Civic. He's had three Honda civics since his first one in the late 1970's. He runs them for 20 years and 200,000 some miles. Needless to say, Roy is NOT a car enthusiast. To him, its just a tool to get to work or where ever in a reliable manner. He's a die hard Honda fan because his first Honda, a tiny 600 coupe, was just soooo damm good. A car to Jim is like a microwave oven or washing machine. Something to use until it works no more than replace it.

Roy carries a classic. He's not a knife nut, but he knows its nice to have a small sharp tool to open mail, UPS packages, plastic blister packages, and be able to fix a broken fingernail or unscrew small Phillips screws. He's not a hunter, not a camper, but a dyed in the wool city guy who when he's not at work is fixing or messing with computers. Electronics is both his work and play. If Roy is flying someplace and forgets to take his classic off his key ring and TSA takes it, he just shrugs it off and buys another at Walmart.

Roy will never buy a larger SAK, or even try a Leatherman tool. The little classic fits his low cost semi disposable role of a package opener/nail maintenance/scissors/ tweezer tool. As long as it opens his mail, Roy doesn't care if theres bigger or better options. Just like he doesn't care if theres bigger or better cars than his Honda Civic. They are all just tools to him. No matter if theres Case knives, Buck knives, or any other brand knife on display, Roy will buy the small low cost classic because its the lowest common denominator that will do what he wants from the tool.

That is the great masses that just need a small cheap knife for the pocket/keyring/purse/desk top. To them, we are the nutso, obsessed, cult worship people that spend way to much time and money on knives.

Well said.

[Barry Rowland]

  exactly!

[Tasky]

That is the great masses that just need a small cheap knife for the pocket/keyring/purse/desk top. To them, we are the nutso, obsessed, cult worship people that spend way to much time and money on knives.

We are... until they realise a 58mm is not[/n] enough for a surprising number of situations, which is why they come to us asking for our help.