The Quintessential Swiss Army Knife

[Singh]

You got hooked on it, too, huh?

 

My preferred configuration is the Deluxe Climber (climber + pliers).


Ya notice that just about every SAK configuration s a "Climber plus something else"? 

[Fast Bill]

Climber.

Or SwissChamp.

Both bring something different to the discussion. The Climber is a universal, carryable and very sensible tool for everyone.

The SwissChamp confounds because IMO most people start by thinking "That's just silly" until you have one and use it and in a short space of time you're thinking "Actually, know what, this works..."

Maybe that should be Climber AND SwissChamp?

[Singh]

The Climber is a universal, carryable and very sensible tool for everyone.

Nailed it.

[Gareth]

Huntsman.  Frankly, Victorinox agrees with me. 

[Ron Who]

Huntsman.  Frankly, Victorinox agrees with me. 

I have an old signboard. Notice the lack of a can opener.
Also iircc the Huntsman is one of their best selling SAKs.

[NutSAK]

Climber.

That's actually a Huntsman.  Mr. Happy just doesn't know how to deploy the saw.

 

[pfrsantos]

I have an old signboard. Notice the lack of a can opener.
Also iircc the Huntsman is one of their best selling SAKs.

Who cares about the smurfing can opener! Where's the hook?!

 

[Aloha]

Add me to the Red Celidor camp.  I would have thought the Classic would be mentioned since its their biggest seller  . 

One of my firsts was a Recruit.  I quickly got a Explorer then Swisschamp so those are special to me. 

[Andetto]

Hello
I never had a certain model in my mind of what a sak is when speaking or thinking about saks.
Having said that, I also never thought that a sak that had not red scales is real.
Long time ago, 30 years maybe, I was a teenager, sitting with some friends in a club. We ordered cold drinks. The waiter took a sak out of his pocket, it was an alox cadet I guess, and openned the bottles. I thought what joke is this. Inside, I envied him, because I didnt own a sak back then. Only wished my dad gave me his.
Although one of my favourite models now is the pioneer, I still cant look at it the way I see cellidor.
In particular red color. I dont fancy any other cellidor color.
Just a story.
Regards

[Singh]

Huntsman.  Frankly, Victorinox agrees with me. 

Ya got me there!

[hsherzfeld]

My preferred configuration is the Deluxe Climber (climber + pliers).


Ya notice that just about every SAK configuration s a "Climber plus something else"? 

Or the "Tinker plus something else"...

[lipoff]

Gosh this is a good one! 

My first SAK, as a Boy Scout, was a red cellidor Ranger.  But I don't think that's the quintessential Swiss Army Knife.

To cognoscenti, I think there's a strong argument for the alox Solider.  That awl!  But somehow it should be red cellidor, right?

The Spartan would thus probably be my pick; it's got the Solider's tools, plus the corkscrew, which I think is pretty quintessential.  It's the modern officer's knife!  But maybe that's not quintessential anymore then?

I can see the magnifying glass as being important too, and thus might also nominate the Passenger.  Somehow 91mm scissors don't seem quintessential.

But maybe 91mm is the wrong size?  The Classic may be the best selling Swiss Army Knife, but for me the Quintessential Swiss Army Knife is actually the Rambler.  Philips and flathead drivers; nail file and a bottle opener; scissors and a blade; toothpick and tweezers.  And always with you.

[Explorer]

When I think of Swiss Army Knife, the image that comes up in my mind is that of an Explorer.
Something to do with the magnifying glass that makes me think of Scouts out and about earning badges.

resistance to the Explorer model is futile!

[hsherzfeld]

resistance to the Explorer model is futile!

[Jothra]

[Echotech]

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[Aloha]

Well played 

[SteveP]

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Jothra, will you be putting this SAK through a 30 day challenge, too?
 

[pfrsantos]

Jothra, will you be putting this SAK through a 30 day challenge, too?
 

 

[Tasky]

I'd have said something like the Huntsman or Mountaineer.
Basically anything with the most common tools, and enough layers to make it as wide as it is deep, so it feels almost square in profile.

[maxdog]

Image that comes to mind when someone says Swiss Army knife are those red celidor scales, the Swiss cross, corkscrew, and lots of layers of jam packed tools, along the lines I guess of a Spartan, Camper, Climber, Huntsman, Ranger, Explorer, Swiss Champ. 

[hsherzfeld]

Image that comes to mind when someone says Swiss Army knife are those red celidor scales, the Swiss cross, corkscrew, and lots of layers of jam packed tools, along the lines I guess of a Spartan, Camper, Climber, Huntsman, Ranger, Explorer, Swiss Champ.

Same here. Part of the SAK's appeal, popularity, and worldwide fame comes from the clever ways in which the designers are able to incorporate features without sacrificing practicality or usability. To that end, I think that the more ridiculously large the number of features, the more quintessential a Swiss Army Knife is.

[Aloha]

I'll tell ya what, when I first got my Swisschamp I had once heck of a smile on my face.  I had to show it off to anyone willing to listen and have me show them each tool.  I felt the same way when I recently got my Workchamp.   

[Singh]

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Jothra has won this thread,