SAK-alike Challenge!

[Echotech]

Day 30

Have really enjoyed this challenge, both the LM T4 and the Armbar have been good carries and like them both a lot

The T4 just feels solid, has a good tool selection and is slimmer in the pocket than I was expecting.
Usually prefer a P7 clip to hang tools from my left hand pocket but the built in pocket clip worked well.

Although the blade is a little shorter than a 91mm SAK, it’s wider and thicker and works well for most jobs but perhaps not so great with food tasks where that missing length is missed

Particularly like the package opener which also doubles as a pry bar. The scissors are good, not quite SAK but good nonetheless. In-line philips is always a bonus and even has tweezers

The Armbar was a bit of a surprise package, the only other Gerber MT I have is the Dime, which i should say I’ve always liked for all its shortcomings.
Like the Dime the bottle opener is very good, not as good as the Dime which I maintain has the best opener on any MT, but gets the job done better than most. The T4 bottle opener was also good, both are wider than a SAK so slip less

But the Armbar has them all beat with the drivers, truly excellent, much closer to using a dedicated tool than other MT’s or SAK’s IMO. The combination of a slim handle, decent reach and proper bits makes it a winner

Now that Sheepsfoot blade, longer than a SAK and very handy for a lot of tasks, again it’s won me over, would I swap it permanently for a drop point? Probably not but I’m hard pressed to think when it’d have made much difference to me in recent times when I wouldn’t have just pulled out a dedicated knife instead anyway

The scissors were fine, the awl is sharp if a bit small and the hammer (bottle opener) might be useful in a pinch. 
I’ve never been convinced of this type of design, whether seen in something like the LM Signal or here, quick way to damaging your hand IMO but better to have than not

All up both excellent tools I’d be happy to EDC

Thanks RP for a top challenge been very enjoyable indeed

Looking forward to seeing many of you in October’s Delemont challenge starting tomorrow …it’s not too late to sign up if you haven’t already, 31 challengers so far and you’re promised to see some mighty fine SAK’s with quite a few rarities

[ReamerPunch]

Day 30

[Sos24]

Day 29
Mini helped open a beer

[an0nemus]

Day 30. Last day! I can finally put this back to a bag for long term storage where it belongs. If this didn't have a sentimental value, I would've gotten rid of this.

[comis]

That first picture makes me want to lick the blade clean.  haha

  I use to do that to all my pairing knife at home, until I start to have new sharp ones and it taught me quick not to do it.

Day 29:

I have not been crazy about the Free T2 at all. It's one of the few models I bought, but never  quite understood. While it has fewer tools, I like the Crater C33T/TX better. With that, I have a full 3D Phillips that can also accept the Removable Bit Adapter that is carried with my Rebar/ST300/Bond that have it (as well as Gerbers and others).

It was handy, and I'd mostly been using a large CRKT folder (Ruger Windage) to break up boxes today. I've been trying to clean several years' worth of junk out.

MTO SAK-Alike Day 29 by cody6268, on Flickr

I totally agree, and that's why when I play with the Free T2 and a K2 in store, I end up getting a K2.

That’s fantastic!

Good looking band Nate!

[comis]

Day 30

Have really enjoyed this challenge, both the LM T4 and the Armbar have been good carries and like them both a lot

The T4 just feels solid, has a good tool selection and is slimmer in the pocket than I was expecting.
Usually prefer a P7 clip to hang tools from my left hand pocket but the built in pocket clip worked well.

Although the blade is a little shorter than a 91mm SAK, it’s wider and thicker and works well for most jobs but perhaps not so great with food tasks where that missing length is missed

Particularly like the package opener which also doubles as a pry bar. The scissors are good, not quite SAK but good nonetheless. In-line philips is always a bonus and even has tweezers

The Armbar was a bit of a surprise package, the only other Gerber MT I have is the Dime, which i should say I’ve always liked for all its shortcomings.
Like the Dime the bottle opener is very good, not as good as the Dime which I maintain has the best opener on any MT, but gets the job done better than most. The T4 bottle opener was also good, both are wider than a SAK so slip less

But the Armbar has them all beat with the drivers, truly excellent, much closer to using a dedicated tool than other MT’s or SAK’s IMO. The combination of a slim handle, decent reach and proper bits makes it a winner

Now that Sheepsfoot blade, longer than a SAK and very handy for a lot of tasks, again it’s won me over, would I swap it permanently for a drop point? Probably not but I’m hard pressed to think when it’d have made much difference to me in recent times when I wouldn’t have just pulled out a dedicated knife instead anyway

The scissors were fine, the awl is sharp if a bit small and the hammer (bottle opener) might be useful in a pinch. 
I’ve never been convinced of this type of design, whether seen in something like the LM Signal or here, quick way to damaging your hand IMO but better to have than not

All up both excellent tools I’d be happy to EDC

Thanks RP for a top challenge been very enjoyable indeed

Looking forward to seeing many of you in October’s Delemont challenge starting tomorrow …it’s not too late to sign up if you haven’t already, 31 challengers so far and you’re promised to see some mighty fine SAK’s with quite a few rarities

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(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

Thanks for the great detail writeup, never seen these put side to side, that's golden!  I think seeing your Armbar put in use has convinced me to get one.  Never did warm to the T4, still too bulky for my taste.  See you in Delemont!

Day 30

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That's a healthy snack!

Day 29
Mini helped open a beer
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Good use!  Just one more day!

Day 30. Last day! I can finally put this back to a bag for long term storage where it belongs. If this didn't have a sentimental value, I would've gotten rid of this.



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I started off with a Buck imitation long, long time ago when I was a young boy scout, and till this day, it is still one of the most valued blades I have in possession, since it was given to me by my late grandfather.  Sometimes the sentimental value outweighs everything else.

[comis]

Day 30



First off, thank you RP for hosting this great challenge, I wouldn't have carried these tools if not for this challenge, and it is really quite enjoyable, especially doing it right after the Dare Devil challenge. 


For this challenge, I mainly rotate between the Mikov Stovka(the blue tool) and the Fixir(the longer stag handled one), both I got when I was travelling Europe many years ago.  Much to my surprise, these are actually really good SAK 'imitation', and the backspring and tools design are very adequate.

The stag handle on the Fixir is fabulous, and in hindsight, I was so glad I got it when I was travelling Europe years ago.  Way back when I didn't appreciate stag handle as much as I do nowadays, and I would have totally kicking myself not getting it, if I should have known how much I would love it nowadays.

In terms of tool steel, I think they are somewhat comparable to Vics, the only cons to these tools is some of the tool implements are slight short, so the tool tip might felt proud of the chassis and didn't utilize all the chassis space perfectly like Vic.  But all in all, these really are some of the best SAK alternative I have seen, and I do recommend them.


See many of you very soon again in Delemont 30!

[Rich_SD]

Day 30

Have really enjoyed this challenge, both the LM T4 and the Armbar have been good carries and like them both a lot

Excellent writeup and great SAK-alike selections 

[Tet]

Day 29

I'm going to copy Tet and say that I'm about to gut an Amazon White and an Amazon Brown 

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You bagged two at once!
(And I was just copying Alan!)

Day 29
Mini helped open a beer
(Image removed from quote.)

Grateful! Good name on a beer. It reminds me of the Benjamin Franklin quotation (I think it was him):

“beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”
*edit - it seems that this is one of those quotations that has been passed around that isn’t really true.  He did say something about wine more eloquently though - that has been morphed into this false quote

Great write ups and even better photos John! The armbar sounds good, I don%u2019t have any Gerbers. I might have found something else I need to try out!  Next month will be fun!

Thanks for hosting RP! It was nice to carry my old G&F again.
The Adler was actually really good. Knives, scissors, bottle opener (my most used tools) are great.  Can opener is meh, but works in a pinch. Functional as a Phillips. Awl is terrible.
All in all a good tool packed with useful tools. It%u2019s too much of a boat anchor for my lifestyle to be carried regularly by me though.

[Sos24]

You bagged two at once!
(And I was just copying Alan!)
Grateful! Good name on a beer. It reminds me of the Benjamin Franklin quotation (I think it was him):

“beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”
*edit - it seems that this is one of those quotations that has been passed around that isn’t really true.  He did say something about wine more eloquently though - that has been morphed into this false quote

Great write ups and even better photos John! The armbar sounds good, I don%u2019t have any Gerbers. I might have found something else I need to try out!  Next month will be fun!

Thanks for hosting RP! It was nice to carry my old G&F again.
The Adler was actually really good. Knives, scissors, bottle opener (my most used tools) are great.  Can opener is meh, but works in a pinch. Functional as a Phillips. Awl is terrible.
All in all a good tool packed with useful tools. It%u2019s too much of a boat anchor for my lifestyle to be carried regularly by me though.

My FiL has a poster on his wall of some variation of the “Beer is proof God loves us…”

[ReamerPunch]

 
This challenge was a lot of fun. 
So many different tools, and a nice departure from the usual suspects. There are some diamonds in the rough to be found, as well as other, perhaps questionable choices. The format definitely works. A knife for the main tool, and a few others piggy-backing for the ride.

A big thanks to all who participated in the challenge and to those who followed. 
I enjoyed the pics, the posts, the puns.
I requested the badges Jothra made be added to the system, so those who completed the challenge will be able to request the badge soon, hopefully.

[Alan K.]

Day 30 of 30
Thanks to awl who participated in this challenge and to ReamerPunch for hosting it.
Today I used the small blade on the Hoffritz Gentleman's knife to open a package of Chorizos

[Adam5]

Day 30



3 SAK-alikes, 3 good experiences:

3) The Bibury was a pleasant surprise. Yes, the knife blade has a funky profile, the can opener is not easy to use, and the Ianyard ring will poke into your hand. But the scissors are good, the Phillips driver is functional, and the bottle opener works well.

2) Much like myself, the T2 is chunky but gets the job done. I do think that, given the thickness to tool ratio of the knife, the T4 is the better choice. But I have no complaints about the tools it does have and found it to be quite capable overall.

1) I can't say I loved my Armbar Drive when I received it. But after making an adjustment to the backspring to create more force against the driver, I do like it a lot. Nice blade, okay bottle opener, good driver with Phillips/straight double-ended bit. I wish that the scissors were as good as the Bibury scissors (I see a possible future mod), but I am happy to own the Armbar Drive.

Thanks RP for the challenge, and thanks to everyone for their participation. I enjoyed the month.

[Echotech]

Excellent writeup and great SAK-alike selections 

Thanks for the great detail writeup, never seen these put side to side, that's golden!  I think seeing your Armbar put in use has convinced me to get one.  Never did warm to the T4, still too bulky for my taste.  See you in Delemont!

Thanks Gents

[cody6268]

This challenge was very interesting for me. I went from bargain bin knives intended for el-cheapo types, to knives even more exsmurfve than the SAK. Misplaced a couple, and these are what I could grab.

Scissors and saws on the cheaper tools usually were mediocre. They are expensive to produce, and thus easy to mess up.

My favorite, personally was the ASP. I plan to order another of those, having it engraved with my name and the American flag. I lost my Leatherman Bond, and figure maybe having my name personally engraved might increase my chances of having it returned. While I've bought engraved knives, and have given knives with company names that were identical to friends' last names to them; I've never had knives engraved, instead  using company logos as a way to ID my knife. My last name isn't that unique; and the only other person with the same first and last name locally I am somewhat distantly related to (my Granddad's nephew's son, who is two years older than me).

Mikovs are pretty good for the money. I have a bunch in various patterns, but I like the Fixir line the most. They make automatic SAK-like knives, but the law regarding them is murky in my state.

The Colonial is halfway decent, and heavy-duty. Nowhere near an SAK in finish, or quality of tools.

MTO SAK-Alike Day 30 by cody6268, on Flickr



Tommorow, in the Delemont Challenge, I get back into what I'm used to.

Swizas are overpriced, but good knives.

Free is overrated. Hard to use left-handed, not as smooth as advertised; no real Phillips.

The ISC was pretty good, but saw sucked.

I plan to buy a more SAK-like Richartz. The Pierre Cardin was designed stupid. It is very symmetric, and easy to accidentally cut myself on.

The $3 el cheapo. It does what it says on the tin. It's crap.

[Rich_SD]

Day 30

SAK-alike Mission Debrief

My two SAK-alikes were the Leatherman Free T2 and the Gerber Armbar Slim Drive.  There are already some good writeups on these tools, so I will approach this a little differently - how did this 30-day challenge affect some of my opinions on multitools.

First, this challenge made me really appreciate pliers-based multitools.  I don't need pliers frequently, but when I do, I really hate not having one on hand.  I have always switched between pliers-based and lighter non-plier tools depending on the day, but I suspect my experience in this challenge will result in me carrying pliers-based tools more frequently.

Another change in my opinion is on sheepsfoot blades.  Before the challenge, I wasn't very fond of them.  After being forced to use one on my Armbar, I really began to like it.  I open a lot of packages, and I found the sheepsfoot blade works very well in this role, especially on plastic clamshell packaging.  I think my perfect multitool would have a short sheepsfoot as a secondary blade. 

This challenge also made me appreciate the importance of replaceable blades.  Again, I open a lot of packages.  Normally, I use a Gerber Superknife Edge (or any other utility knife) to open packages and to break down boxes, but this challenged forced me to do these tasks with my multitool blade.  Where I could normally just put a new razor in my utility knife, I now have to consider resharpening both of my multitools already. Maybe I need a multitool that includes a replaceable blade.

Since this is a SAK-alike challenge, my opinion of SAKs has changed too.  First, it was no surprise to me that in many ways, my Leatherman and Gerber SAK-alikes completely outclass SAKs.  One-hand opening and locking blades, more durable tools, and greater usability (especially the screwdrivers) put Leatherman and Gerber in a completely different league than SAKs.  That said, the sacrifice for better tools is having a larger frame.  My SAKs may not be as usable or robust, but they are still pretty damn good and they pack a lot more tools in a much smaller space.  In short, while I still think that Leatherman and Gerber outclass Victorinox, this challenge made me appreciate SAKs much more.

Finally, the most difficult part of the challenge was taking away my freedom of choice.  There are just too many situations and too many different needs to stick with a single multitool.  On some days, my Leatherman Surge is the best tool to carry, and on others my Ambassador is the best.  Having the ability to choose from several options on any given day is extremely important.  Still, the challenge was really fun.  Thanks!

In closing, here is a parting shot of the stars of the show.  Take a bow, guys:

[Sos24]

Day 30
Being the last day, instead of a use picture, I thought I’d put a group picture along with some of my thoughts on each.


Boker TechTool 7 - Overall this is a pretty good tool.  My only complaints are the lanyard ring and the scissors.  The lanyard ring point as previously mentioned gets snagged too easily.  The scissors work on many things but just not as well as SAK scissors (no surprise).  There is also an issue occasionally when opening the scissors the scissor handle snags the saw and both open. 

Ruike S31 (Thought it was called Mini like Boker but isn’t) -  I really like a lot about this tool, especially the blade and hook cutter.  It is about the size of a 74mm Executive, but the tools are more robust, about on par with an 84mm.  The scissors aren’t the worst I’ve seen, but they aren’t very good either.  The bottle opener works but the shape means it works less than optimal.

NoBox Tool - I really wanted to love this tool because of its looks but it is lacking.  The saw gets stuck easily and the spring is not strong enough to hold open when trying to free.  The scissor do not cut well at all and have a strange angle so not that comfortable either.

[Tet]

Day 30

Helping me get into some juice boxes for the kids.

[Echotech]

Excellent write ups and observations Adam, Cody, Rich & Sos 

[Echotech]

Great write ups and even better photos John! The armbar sounds good, I don%u2019t have any Gerbers. I might have found something else I need to try out!  Next month will be fun!

Thanks Steve    your GAW prize should be with you soon mate, Australia Post said it landed in Canada earlier in the week
The Armbar is good, I think you'll like it and the price for what you get is very reasonable
 

[nate j]

Day 30

Overall, the RRR stockman served me well during the course of this challenge.  The fit and finish are quite good, and I appreciate the choices of micarta scales and D2 steel.

I’d rate the knife blades as as good, or perhaps better than, SAK blades.  Both came with a good edge from the factory, and I would expect them to keep that edge longer than SAKs before needing resharpening.  I did notice just the slightest hint of rust beginning to form in the nail nicks, but I believe it would take years of neglect for it to develop into anything significant.

The bottle opener was better than all SAK bottle openers except the combo tool.  It easily and consistently removed bottle caps in one smooth motion.

I never really got a chance to test the screwdriver, but feel it is a bit wide for what should be a “one size fits most” tool, and also that it may be ground a bit thin for as wide as the blade is.

I definitely missed (and at times, resorted to using) my SAK scissors and wider selection of screwdrivers.

I also felt the sharp corners of the RRR made it less comfortable to carry in pocket at times than a SAK.  As always, I would have preferred rounded bolsters.

[Poncho65]

Great challenge peeps  We are in the works of trying to get the badge added, so stay tuned

Sorry for the delay

[ReamerPunch]

 

[SteveC]

The award is now up and ready to be requested.

[Echotech]

The award is now up and ready to be requested.

Nice one Steve

[ReamerPunch]

 

[an0nemus]

Thanks for initiating this ReamerPunch! 

Thanks to those who commented! Sorry as I wasn't able to interact much and reply.

I actually forgot that there is an award for this so thanks, Steve! 

[SteveC]

Badges awarded ! 

[Rich_SD]

Badges awarded !

Ok, dumb question... how do I get it to display?

[SteveC]

Ok, dumb question... how do I get it to display?

Did you request one ?