Fish Scaler

[Gareth]

Having had my Champ on me yesterday and my Champion on me today my thoughts have turned to the fish scaler.  As part of my general daily use I can justify pretty much any and all of the rest of the tools on these SAKs but, I have to admit, not the scaler.

Now I've used the scaler to excellent effect to carve pumpkin, but that's once in a year, not exactly a regular thing.  Anyone here actually use the scaler on a regular basis?

[Cyclone82]

Thats why i chose the craftsman as i also didn't need the corkscrew or magnifier either. In the past if i ever had to remove a cork from wine and had no cork screw i just dug it out with something pointy or just pushed into the bottle and i dont drink wine anymore so its really not needed and if one day im really desperate i still know i can get the cork out one way or another without a corkscrew. The only thing good about the fish scaler is it has a ruler.

[Gareth]

The ruler is an odd one for me.  It's not that I never need a ruler, it's just that I never seem to have used the one on the scaler.  In this day of screw-caps the corkscrew is becoming less useful but it does still seem some activity in my house plus it carries the micro screwdriver.  The magnifier doesn't see lots of use either but certainly more than once a year.

[bren10man]

Oh, ye of little faith.......I pity you.    I use my fish scaler for more than just dressing fish.

- ruler, I find myself using it all the time.

- I have used the tip/hook discorger for multiple uses of when I need to safely move things in tight spaces, sometimes to remove cotton in pill bottles, etc.

- I have a magnetized tip on my Champion....so I use it to pick up screws, nuts, bolts, etc if need comes

- opening mail....the dull serrated edge comes in handy.  Much safer than with a sharp-serrated blade, depending on contents

Open your minds and your eyes.   That is the beauty of the SAK...they can do most anything.

[alelser]

The scaler was what was holding me back on the Champ as well, then someone pointed out the hook disgotger is a little fork. I'm constantly popping olives as a snack -- great tool for that!

[Sazabi]

Though I've almost never used the fish scaler, myself, I do wish that Victorinox would make a non-Battle Series Battle of Murten, which is effectively a Spartan + Fish Scaler, and was a nicely compact knife.

[Gareth]

some excellent suggestions chaps, thanks very much.   Feel the need to go buy some olives now.

[ironraven]

Ripping down corregated cardboard, rather than using the knife blade and risk running into staples. Only done it a few times, then switched to a slimmer SAK for EDC

[Gareth]

Ripping down corregated cardboard, rather than using the knife blade and risk running into staples. Only done it a few times, then switched to a slimmer SAK for EDC

I'll need to give that a go.

[New_World]

with the SAK...use your imagination...you'll find 100's of new uses.

[Gareth]

with the SAK...use your imagination...you'll find 100's of new uses.

well so far we have 9, I'll let you fill in the next 91 shall I?

[alelser]

What the heck. I'm taking a rare break at work so let's see what I can brainstorm...

From the above posts:
1. Fish scaler

2. Hook disgorger

3. Ruler (metric and English)

4. Pumpkin carver

5. Cotton remover (from pill bottles)

6. Magnetic picker-upper thingy (for models with the magnetic tip)

7. Letter opener

8. Olive fork

9. Cardboard knife

Some more ideas:
10. Mini-massager. The smooth "fingers" on the scaler would do well to relieve the keyboard tension built up in the knuckles of the hands after a hard day's work typing out uses for the scaler.

11. Staple remover. Would prevent the small blade or small screwdriver on the can opener from getting marred up, too.

12. Rubber band shooter. Disgorger makes a perfect little notch to hold the end of a rubber band and one could aim pretty accurately.

13. Broken wine cork remover (for those few models with the scaler but no corkscrew).

14. Moustache comb!

Okay, that's five more. That leaves only 84 more to reach 100. I bet if we really put our minds to it we could change this red-headed step child of a tool into one of the most useful of the whole bunch!

[Gareth]

Not quite convinced that it'd do much for my moustache but the rubber band shooter is inspired.

[New_World]

Not quite convinced that it'd do much for my moustache but the rubber band shooter is inspired.

I'd like to see someone comb their moustache with a SAK.  =)

[sousterre1]

15. Mini back scratcher.

[ICanFixThat]

  

This thread is turing into some real fun... 

[Reinier]

Not quite convinced that it'd do much for my moustache but the rubber band shooter is inspired.

I'd like to see someone comb their moustache with a SAK.  =)

Remember Movember? Neil made a custom Moustache Comb SAK Device^TM for that occasion 

+1 on the mini massager by the way!

[alelser]

16. Mini meat tenderizer (never know when camping if your recently harvested game is going to need some "help").

[thebullfrog]

Back scratcher. Of all things, that is by far my primary use for the scaler, and works fantastically. Also, all the aforementioned ideas too I suppose...

[GraysonK]

17. Orange Peeler

[Stirling3749]

18 Crab fork.
...Unfortunately the ruler is too short to measure the two edible species found here, Dungeness and Red rock crab. 

Edit: Combines nicely with pliers. 

[Mercury]

When I had a Champ and a Champion, I used the fish scaler for mostly prodding things.  I took apart a first gen xbox and as all gamers know, that is a pain.  The scaler and awl worked beautifully when used to depress the plastic tabs, and there is one that you really need Microsoft's tool for, but the scaler really fits the bill.  I have used it for many other things, that one just sticks out in my head. 

I have another Champ on the way, I will repost if when I find some new uses.

[Reinier]

20: Drawing compass (is that the right term ). Insert pencil into tip (the hook disgorger), rotate fish scaler around its pivot. Repeat until circle = finished

This is 100% hypothetical, haven't actually tried this

[thebullfrog]

That'd be really hard to do without breaking the pencil tip, but it's a sound theory.

[alelser]

20: Drawing compass (is that the right term ). Insert pencil into tip (the hook disgorger), rotate fish scaler around its pivot. Repeat until circle = finished

This is 100% hypothetical, haven't actually tried this

Yep, that's the right term. I'm going to have to try this (will use a mechanical pencil). Might not be the best for full circles, but should be great for arcs/partial circles. 

[Reinier]

Drawing compass... nope. I tried it, doesn't really work

[alelser]

Dang. Back to 19...

[Nikos]

Drawing compass... nope. I tried it, doesn't really work

What if you do it the other way round? Insert a pencil/pen at the tip, then insert another pencil/pen in one of the teeth, and rotate around the tip pen (i.e., the tip is the compass pivot).

[Mercury]

Drawing compass... nope. I tried it, doesn't really work

What if you do it the other way round? Insert a pencil/pen at the tip, then insert another pencil/pen in one of the teeth, and rotate around the tip pen (i.e., the tip is the compass pivot).

I guess you have to use your third hand to hold the SAK still huh?

[Nikos]

Drawing compass... nope. I tried it, doesn't really work

What if you do it the other way round? Insert a pencil/pen at the tip, then insert another pencil/pen in one of the teeth, and rotate around the tip pen (i.e., the tip is the compass pivot).

I guess you have to use your third hand to hold the SAK still huh?

Yup, and that would still leave one hand free for doing other stuff (they don't call me code monkey for nothing... )