ID Help Please

[HoosierSAKFan]

I have a box of miscellaneous stuff I’ve accumulated over the last 30 years or so and recently ran across this knife in it. I have no idea how or when I got it, but it’s been in there a long time and I don’t believe I ever carried it. I started researching it which led me here. I believe it’s a Sportsman but it has some features that don’t match what is in the SAKWiki so I thought maybe some of the experts here could shed a little light on what exactly I have here.

First thing I noticed is that the shield is different than what is on the newer ones, it looks like the older Elinox? The SAKWiki mentions a similar model known as the Assistant which lacks the tweezers, toothpick and key ring. Mine has the key ring but no tweezers or toothpick. The awl/reamer has no eye like the newer ones.

I have a small 15 knife rotation of folders, nothing spectacular, some Kizers, Kershaws, Ruikes, Sencuts etc and I never leave the house without one clipped to my right front pocket. For the last 25 years or so I always carried a small three bladed Case XX in my left front pocket, but since finding this SAK I have retired the Case. I have carried it on my key fob a couple of times and it doesn’t seem to be too large for this method. Since it lacks the toothpick and tweezers (and scissors) I’ve been looking at the Super Tinker as a pocket carry with this one on the key fob, or an Ambassador on the key fob and this one in the pocket. Either way, I see a new SAK or two in my future!

Thanks for any information you can provide!

Edited to add: Sorry for the small pictures still trying to figure out the photo posting on this forum.

[Aloha]

Welcome.  Under variations #2 and identifiers last item in addition to the shield it looks to be Econoline Sportsman. 

[HoosierSAKFan]

Thanks, but it doesn’t have the matte nylon scales, it has the shiny scales.

[Aloha]

I'm sure one of our SAKperts will be along.  Great SAK.

[HoosierSAKFan]

Here are  a couple better pictures.

[DavZell]

It is an Assistant/Sportsman with cellidor and no scale tools.  There is one on leaf-vic's site; knife#203.

https://leaf-vics.com/2014/11/203-assistant-sportsman.html

[HoosierSAKFan]

It is an Assistant/Sportsman with cellidor and no scale tools.  There is one on leaf-vic's site; knife#203.

https://leaf-vics.com/2014/11/203-assistant-sportsman.html

Thanks, I saw that one and the Assistant is mentioned in the SAKWiki as well, but it doesn’t have the key ring like mine does. I haven’t been able to find a picture or description of one that matches mine exactly.

[HoosierSAKFan]

Ok, this is getting weird now. I was digging through our junk drawer in the kitchen looking for a small carabiner and found another one of these way in the back! This one has a lot of wear on the scales and the blade had some stuff dried on it so it was obviously used by someone, but I have no idea who. Someone must have given me these at some point in the past.

The one on the bottom is the one I just found.

[Explorer]

It looks to be a pre 1986 Econoline Sportsman- some of the sportsman came with the nylon scales others just plain cellidor. Econoline was a cheaper more affordable line that had a different shield and lacked a toothpick and tweezers.
Awlways fun finding SAKs in a drawer 

[HoosierSAKFan]

It looks to be a pre 1986 Econoline Sportsman- some of the sportsman came with the nylon scales others just plain cellidor. Econoline was a cheaper more affordable line that had a different shield and lacked a toothpick and tweezers.
Awlways fun finding SAKs in a drawer 

Thanks, but if I’m reading the SAKWiki correctly they replaced the corkscrew with the groove in 1991 or 1994 with the smooth one, both of these have the smooth corkscrew.

[DavZell]

Thanks, but if I’m reading the SAKWiki correctly they replaced the corkscrew with the groove in 1991 or 1994 with the smooth one, both of these have the smooth corkscrew.

You may have a repaired knife, swapped/replacement scales, or one of the weird ones that slips sometimes!

[HoosierSAKFan]

You may have a repaired knife, swapped/replacement scales, or one of the weird ones that slips sometimes!

But two of them? I’m starting to believe these are variants of the Sportsman/Assistant that no one knows anything about, and there is nothing in the SAKWiki that matches them exactly, at least that I’ve been able to find.

[Huntsman]

So a bit of SAK history and Wiki approach:

• For all the SAK models the tool variations have changed/improved over the years eg corksrew with w/o groove, awl w w/o hole etc etc
  
• The base toolset is sometimes available with variations eg Nylon/Cellidor scales; Keyring no keyring; regular Vic shield/Swiss cost of arms; tp/tw or no tp/tw - We try and include these variations in the Wiki if we know about them
• Names have sometimes varied from one geography to another
• All models were initially just known by a product code and not a name, but these days we typically call even the older ones by their modern/current name

So in SAKWiki and I would say across the globe - we usually name a model after its main toolset ie the metal 'blades'
- So this is definitely a Sportsman.

[Aloha]

 

The mothership never intended for SAKthusiasts to be a thing, yet here we are.  Its would be pretty awesome if you have unknown variants but even if you don't they are great SAKs.   

The authors of the SAKWIKI ( I am not one ) do a tremendous job and little known fact, even the mothership tends to use that info.  I'd tend to lean into the info contained within the SAKWIKI tho cool stuff emerges and then the real fun begins.   

I'd say keep searching for answers as this is part of a fun journey.     



   

[HoosierSAKFan]

The mothership never intended for SAKthusiasts to be a thing, yet here we are.  Its would be pretty awesome if you have unknown variants but even if you don't they are great SAKs.   

The authors of the SAKWIKI ( I am not one ) do a tremendous job and little known fact, even the mothership tends to use that info.  I'd tend to lean into the info contained within the SAKWIKI tho cool stuff emerges and then the real fun begins.   

I'd say keep searching for answers as this is part of a fun journey.     



   

I agree, the information in the wiki is phenomenal, and I fully appreciate the work it’s taken to put it together. And searching for an example that matches exactly what I have has been fun, and I’m convinced these two are slight variations of the Sportsman/Assistant that aren’t in the wiki.

It would be interesting, at least to me, to know when the toothpick and tweezers became standard on the Sportsman, or if there was a time models with or without them were available and the consumer could choose which one they wanted to buy.

[Huntsman]

This .......................

It looks to be a pre 1986 Econoline Sportsman- some of the sportsman came with the nylon scales others just plain cellidor.
Econoline was a cheaper more affordable line that had a different shield and lacked a toothpick and tweezers.
Awlways fun finding SAKs in a drawer 

Typically both versions were available some time ago - Only the regular versions are available now
As to exactly when the Ecoline came in and when it finished for the Sportsman - I am not sure - But I would guess Ecoline stopped at least 20-25 years ago.

The best way to date SAKs is via their tool versions and tang stamps
Check here: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,51872.0.html
and here: https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,50014.0.html

Your knife is also a little confusing as it seems to have two tools whose dates contradict each other -  smooth CS > 91 but no hole in awl < 86
This is also a very common situation - Possibly as old parts get used up after a new versions are issued - which they might do on Economy variations