The best SAK for Army uses?

[arekmilik]

tl;dr: Which model should i pick for the army 'Huntsman' or 'Swiss Soldier's knife 08' ?

So im joining the army next week and many told me that a pocket knife can come in handy, i started investigating and i got some basic knowlage about Victorinox the thing is that im not too sure which model would be the most useful for the army service and im looking to hear some opinions or reviews ASAP


Thought about getting the "Swiss Soldier's knife 08" simply because it supposed to match the army needs and its in the use of the Swiss army itself (aswell as the German army), the thing is that the "Huntsman" seems more usefull- its smaller, weight less, got the scissors and the model is also cheaper.
So questions about both models are:
What should be more important/handy- Having a more "mobile" pocket knife with scissors or having a lockable bigger blade?
The option to have a lockable blade is that imortant/crucial?
Any other models i should consider?

[irona]

Let me preface this by saying i have absolutely zero military experience or training or ANYTHING
I personally would look into a Victorinox Farmer - the Alox scales are going to be harder to destroy, and it comes with a saw, while still being small and light enough (like you mentioned) to keep in a pocket. For me the blade length is plenty, but then again I use my SAKs for wilderness stuff.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you go ALOX you might want to spend some extra time looking around to find a non-silver model. I hear that the military frowns upon reflectivity?
Thanks for your service!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[magentus]

Welcome! 

Depending on what you want from a pocket knife, the Huntsman is a good starting point. Many people here find the scissors essential. How much use do you think you'll have from the wood saw? The 91mm size is great for carrying in your pocket.

Have you seen the new Pioneer X which has the tougher Alox scales, large blade, openers and awl? It's based on the 1961 Soldiers knife and is practically bombproof. The Wenger SI or Vic Farmer are also good choices.

Sort out what tools you think you'll get the most use from and then choose your model on that basis. Don't forget we're all here to help widen those choices 

[Thunderpants]

I would get the cheapest, most nondescript SAK you can find. A Tinker or a Hiker for example. If your soldiers are anything like the ones I know it'll be stolen within 3 days...

[Barry Rowland]

I carried my Huntsman exclusively during my time in the Army and was never lacking.  It seems like the GAK might be a nice carry, but that didn't appear until well after my time in.  Depending on what you are going to do in the Army is going to dictate what tools you need.  My advice would be to wait until you are done with Basic Training (at least) or AIT then make the call.  Time was you could get issued a Gerber 600, and that might still be the case.  In any event, I don't believe the regs have changed to allow you to carry a pocket knife in Basic anyways. 

[Barry Rowland]

No truer words have ever been spoken!

I would get the cheapest, most nondescript SAK you can find. A Tinker or a Hiker for example. If your soldiers are anything like the ones I know it'll be stolen within 3 days...

[cbl51]

Without knowing what country or branch of the army you will be serving in, it's hard to say, but I can give you my feelings based on my 10 years service in the U.S. Army Engineers. I enlisted just after high school, and served in the combat engineers for a decade until getting a medical discharge for injuries while on active service. Our mission was construction, and demo work. Building structures like barracks building, bridges, road work, and renovation of existing structures for our purposes. I served in Germany, around the U.S., Vietnam, and England, with some TDY trips here and there for temporary deployment.

The army issued us a all steel scout knife much like the Victoriox pioneer, but it was a clunky thing that broke springs often. Most of the guys all carried some kind of pocket knife, with private purchase SAK's being very common. I carried a tinker for a while, and a Wenger SI.I did have a huntsman for a while and it was a great knife, but got stolen when I got carried into brooke Army Hospital and my personal effects were bagged. When I woke up the SAK was gone.  All of them served so well they  became my edc pocket knife even after I was discharged. I had a Buck 301 stockman that got carried, but it wasn't near as useful as the SAK.

It won't really make any difference what model you pick, as long as it's what you like. I never found any real use for the locks they put on knives, but I'm an old fart who grew up using small slip joint pocket knives, so I just learned at an early age to be careful and use a knife right. To this day, I don't carry a knife with a blade lock. But I'll always have a Vic tinker or recruit in a pocket with my little classic on the keyring. SAK's are just too handy to leave home and all other pocket knives pale to insignificance next to a SAK.

My fellow soldier carried a wide variety of pocket knives from Case carbon steel trapper to Buck 110 folding hunters to SAK's. They all worked, and it was all up to personal preference. But I fond scissors handy now and then.

Whatever model you pick, don't take it to basic or AIT, it'll be taken from you. When I was in, trainee's were NOT allowed any knives on them.

[Smashie]

When I joined in 87 the only kit you were allowed was the kit you were issued with, No exceptions. That hasn't changed in the UK so I'm guessing it hasn't changed over there either.

[G-Dizzle]

If it were me and I were going into the millitary, I would want a heavy duty plier based mt that you can preferably use with gloves. Have you looked into Leatherman offerings? Non locking tools are great for edc, but not high stress situations in my opinion (i may be wrong). Also, I would carry a larger one hand opening or (preferably) fixed blade. I tend to over-prepare, But I would much rather have more than what is needed and carry some extra weight every day than to not have enough if I was in a military situation.

Thank you for your service.

[G-Dizzle]

Without knowing what country or branch of the army you will be serving in, it's hard to say, but I can give you my feelings based on my 10 years service in the U.S. Army Engineers. I enlisted just after high school, and served in the combat engineers for a decade until getting a medical discharge for injuries while on active service. Our mission was construction, and demo work. Building structures like barracks building, bridges, road work, and renovation of existing structures for our purposes. I served in Germany, around the U.S., Vietnam, and England, with some TDY trips here and there for temporary deployment.

The army issued us a all steel scout knife much like the Victoriox pioneer, but it was a clunky thing that broke springs often. Most of the guys all carried some kind of pocket knife, with private purchase SAK's being very common. I carried a tinker for a while, and a Wenger SI.I did have a huntsman for a while and it was a great knife, but got stolen when I got carried into brooke Army Hospital and my personal effects were bagged. When I woke up the SAK was gone.  All of them served so well they  became my edc pocket knife even after I was discharged. I had a Buck 301 stockman that got carried, but it wasn't near as useful as the SAK.

It won't really make any difference what model you pick, as long as it's what you like. I never found any real use for the locks they put on knives, but I'm an old fart who grew up using small slip joint pocket knives, so I just learned at an early age to be careful and use a knife right. To this day, I don't carry a knife with a blade lock. But I'll always have a Vic tinker or recruit in a pocket with my little classic on the keyring. SAK's are just too handy to leave home and all other pocket knives pale to insignificance next to a SAK.

My fellow soldier carried a wide variety of pocket knives from Case carbon steel trapper to Buck 110 folding hunters to SAK's. They all worked, and it was all up to personal preference. But I fond scissors handy now and then.

Whatever model you pick, don't take it to basic or AIT, it'll be taken from you. When I was in, trainee's were NOT allowed any knives on them.

Thank you for your service to our country sir!

[G-Dizzle]

I carried my Huntsman exclusively during my time in the Army and was never lacking.  It seems like the GAK might be a nice carry, but that didn't appear until well after my time in.  Depending on what you are going to do in the Army is going to dictate what tools you need.  My advice would be to wait until you are done with Basic Training (at least) or AIT then make the call.  Time was you could get issued a Gerber 600, and that might still be the case.  In any event, I don't believe the regs have changed to allow you to carry a pocket knife in Basic anyways.

Thank you for your service!

[Smashie]

Shiny or Gucci kit attracts 'magpies', you will be lucky to hold onto it.

Plus although redundancy is good there are two things to remember, you will never operate on your own, your mates carry the same kit as you.

On a final note you will be looking to shave as much weight off your kit as you can i.e. a stainless steel KFS set will last forever, 10 sets of plastic cutlery weigh next to nothing.

[gene stoner]

Unless thing have changed in the last 30 years. You can't have a knife till your done with basic and AIT so you don't have to decide just yet. Also some retailers give military discount so if you wait you might save some money.

If I where still in today I would carry a Vic Soldier.

Good luck.

[sergemaster]

Amici,
Being a former sailor who also spent several years in the ARNG upon returning to civilian life, I can honestly say that I've experienced the best and worst of both worlds.

So as it was mentioned earlier, it really depends what rate/MOS you plan on doing once basic training has been completed. If you think you can bring along your SAK with you, you'll be sorely mistaken.  Since everything besides possibly your watch will either be packed up and secured, or sent back home.

So you'll be experiencing serious withdrawals until boot camp graduation.  Once you do, I would go to your local PX/Exchange and immediately pick up whatever is available to assist you with your EDC tasks and schooling until you reach your assigned ship/duty station.

As a sailor, I owned several kinds of knives of all types, but for being at sea, I found that the Swiss Champ along with a Buck 110 and a Marlin spike addressed much of my needs. This is also true when in port stateside, or overseas. The buck 110 worn on my belt, was my constant companion whenever on duty  in uniform (dungarees). When on liberty, the Swiss Champ took over, plus also met or satisfied nearly 100% of any overseas legal restrictions one might encounter with the locals regading concealed carry.

Now when I discharged and transitioned to an ARNG soldier, (13B) that's was a totally different animal literally.

Allot of what you could carry was left to the CO, where as in the USN, the old man didn't really much care what deck sailors used during my time. Plus there was a distinction between combat arms and support arms and what each would or could have.

Then again, there were still allot of Vietnam era guys serving when I was in and still just a wee lad, so they either schooled us on what to have and what to ditch. Allot of them by that time, still loved the Buck 110, and also the Multitool was really beginning to take off.

Allot has changed since then. But when I served as a soldier, I continued to use my Swiss Champ, Buck 110, as well as a plethora of production or custom fixed blades since we were in the field about 80% of the time. My favorites were the Mark 1 or "Kabar" design that I could throw onto my LBE with some duct tape or rubber type Ranger bands. My favorite was of the Case manufacture, since it was parkerized, and not with a cheesy  epoxy black finish. Plus I didn't care for those "rubberized" or Kraton grips either. Remember, besides being fragile, rubber melts..

Besides the Case, I found that a Randall either number 1 or model 18, was also a very reliable fixed blade to use in the field as well..

But for small tasks, allot was accomplished again with just using the Swiss Champ or later on, a Leatherman of some type.. Probably the Super Tool or a SOG due to the need of being mechanized. I actully remember how the Champ saved me from a very precarious accident, but that posted here in another thread.

So that's my plus 2, hope it helps.. That's how it is here in the states, dunno much about Europa, but I can imagine nowadays, it's even worse than it is here.

Cheers,
Serge

[Okie Shyster]

The "best SAK" for you will likely be determined by your chosen career field, e.g., an infantryman's needs will be different than those of a helicopter mechanic or intelligence speSmurfpillst.

My suggestion is to wait until you've completed basic and advanced training and are on the job.  It will become apparent pretty quickly what your needs are and you can then pick the SAK that best meets your needs.  As noted above, you probably won't be permitted to have a knife before then anyway.

Just my $.02.

Thanks for choosing to serve.   

[arekmilik]

Let me preface this by saying i have absolutely zero military experience or training or ANYTHING
I personally would look into a Victorinox Farmer - the Alox scales are going to be harder to destroy, and it comes with a saw, while still being small and light enough (like you mentioned) to keep in a pocket. For me the blade length is plenty, but then again I use my SAKs for wilderness stuff.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you go ALOX you might want to spend some extra time looking around to find a non-silver model. I hear that the military frowns upon reflectivity?
Thanks for your service!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the suggestion! Seems like a nice one ngl but then again i think that the Huntsman got more function to offer, so it should fit more needs i guess?

[arekmilik]

Welcome! 

Depending on what you want from a pocket knife, the Huntsman is a good starting point. Many people here find the scissors essential. How much use do you think you'll have from the wood saw? The 91mm size is great for carrying in your pocket.

Have you seen the new Pioneer X which has the tougher Alox scales, large blade, openers and awl? It's based on the 1961 Soldiers knife and is practically bombproof. The Wenger SI or Vic Farmer are also good choices.

Sort out what tools you think you'll get the most use from and then choose your model on that basis. Don't forget we're all here to help widen those choices 

Thanks! I dont know yet what would be my job at the army but im just thinking to grab one with some basic stuffs for qrmy uses, what do you think?

[arekmilik]

I carried my Huntsman exclusively during my time in the Army and was never lacking.  It seems like the GAK might be a nice carry, but that didn't appear until well after my time in.  Depending on what you are going to do in the Army is going to dictate what tools you need.  My advice would be to wait until you are done with Basic Training (at least) or AIT then make the call.  Time was you could get issued a Gerber 600, and that might still be the case.  In any event, I don't believe the regs have changed to allow you to carry a pocket knife in Basic anyways.

Well i am allowed to carry that on the basics and id love to use it! As i said before im not sure about the basic tools that you "must" have, any suggestions?

[arekmilik]

Without knowing what country or branch of the army you will be serving in, it's hard to say, but I can give you my feelings based on my 10 years service in the U.S. Army Engineers. I enlisted just after high school, and served in the combat engineers for a decade until getting a medical discharge for injuries while on active service. Our mission was construction, and demo work. Building structures like barracks building, bridges, road work, and renovation of existing structures for our purposes. I served in Germany, around the U.S., Vietnam, and England, with some TDY trips here and there for temporary deployment.

The army issued us a all steel scout knife much like the Victoriox pioneer, but it was a clunky thing that broke springs often. Most of the guys all carried some kind of pocket knife, with private purchase SAK's being very common. I carried a tinker for a while, and a Wenger SI.I did have a huntsman for a while and it was a great knife, but got stolen when I got carried into brooke Army Hospital and my personal effects were bagged. When I woke up the SAK was gone.  All of them served so well they  became my edc pocket knife even after I was discharged. I had a Buck 301 stockman that got carried, but it wasn't near as useful as the SAK.

It won't really make any difference what model you pick, as long as it's what you like. I never found any real use for the locks they put on knives, but I'm an old fart who grew up using small slip joint pocket knives, so I just learned at an early age to be careful and use a knife right. To this day, I don't carry a knife with a blade lock. But I'll always have a Vic tinker or recruit in a pocket with my little classic on the keyring. SAK's are just too handy to leave home and all other pocket knives pale to insignificance next to a SAK.

My fellow soldier carried a wide variety of pocket knives from Case carbon steel trapper to Buck 110 folding hunters to SAK's. They all worked, and it was all up to personal preference. But I fond scissors handy now and then.

Whatever model you pick, don't take it to basic or AIT, it'll be taken from you. When I was in, trainee's were NOT allowed any knives on them.

I am joining the Israeli army (should've mentioned that before) we are allowed to carry them through basics, i am well aware of the stealing but im armed with some locks and they should do the job. I enjoyed reading your story, and im happy tp hear that you liked the Huntsman because it seems like a great one but would you recommend another one which you think is better for army uses?

[arekmilik]

If it were me and I were going into the millitary, I would want a heavy duty plier based mt that you can preferably use with gloves. Have you looked into Leatherman offerings? Non locking tools are great for edc, but not high stress situations in my opinion (i may be wrong). Also, I would carry a larger one hand opening or (preferably) fixed blade. I tend to over-prepare, But I would much rather have more than what is needed and carry some extra weight every day than to not have enough if I was in a military situation.

Thank you for your service.

Im not really into Leatherman tbh, they are too expensive big and heavy to carry. So you basically saying that the one hand and lock function are going to help me more if i got you right?

[arekmilik]

Unless thing have changed in the last 30 years. You can't have a knife till your done with basic and AIT so you don't have to decide just yet. Also some retailers give military discount so if you wait you might save some money.

If I where still in today I would carry a Vic Soldier.

Good luck.

Sorry for the question but what is the Vic Solider?

[Damsel]

Sorry for the question but what is the Vic Solider?

https://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Large-Pocket-Knives/Swiss-Soldiers-Knife-08/p/0.8461.MWCH

This I imagine.

[arekmilik]

Amici,
Being a former sailor who also spent several years in the ARNG upon returning to civilian life, I can honestly say that I've experienced the best and worst of both worlds.

So as it was mentioned earlier, it really depends what rate/MOS you plan on doing once basic training has been completed. If you think you can bring along your SAK with you, you'll be sorely mistaken.  Since everything besides possibly your watch will either be packed up and secured, or sent back home.

So you'll be experiencing serious withdrawals until boot camp graduation.  Once you do, I would go to your local PX/Exchange and immediately pick up whatever is available to assist you with your EDC tasks and schooling until you reach your assigned ship/duty station.

As a sailor, I owned several kinds of knives of all types, but for being at sea, I found that the Swiss Champ along with a Buck 110 and a Marlin spike addressed much of my needs. This is also true when in port stateside, or overseas. The buck 110 worn on my belt, was my constant companion whenever on duty  in uniform (dungarees). When on liberty, the Swiss Champ took over, plus also met or satisfied nearly 100% of any overseas legal restrictions one might encounter with the locals regading concealed carry.

Now when I discharged and transitioned to an ARNG soldier, (13B) that's was a totally different animal literally.

Allot of what you could carry was left to the CO, where as in the USN, the old man didn't really much care what deck sailors used during my time. Plus there was a distinction between combat arms and support arms and what each would or could have.

Then again, there were still allot of Vietnam era guys serving when I was in and still just a wee lad, so they either schooled us on what to have and what to ditch. Allot of them by that time, still loved the Buck 110, and also the Multitool was really beginning to take off.

Allot has changed since then. But when I served as a soldier, I continued to use my Swiss Champ, Buck 110, as well as a plethora of production or custom fixed blades since we were in the field about 80% of the time. My favorites were the Mark 1 or "Kabar" design that I could throw onto my LBE with some duct tape or rubber type Ranger bands. My favorite was of the Case manufacture, since it was parkerized, and not with a cheesy  epoxy black finish. Plus I didn't care for those "rubberized" or Kraton grips either. Remember, besides being fragile, rubber melts..

Besides the Case, I found that a Randall either number 1 or model 18, was also a very reliable fixed blade to use in the field as well..

But for small tasks, allot was accomplished again with just using the Swiss Champ or later on, a Leatherman of some type.. Probably the Super Tool or a SOG due to the need of being mechanized. I actully remember how the Champ saved me from a very precarious accident, but that posted here in another thread.

So that's my plus 2, hope it helps.. That's how it is here in the states, dunno much about Europa, but I can imagine nowadays, it's even worse than it is here.

Cheers,
Serge

Great story, thanks for sharing! The Swiss champ indeed looking like the ideal tool but its over my budget :/ any idea for cheaper alternatives? (would definitely consider upgrading if i will enjoy the brand)

[arekmilik]

Sorry for the question but what is the Vic Solider?

https://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Large-Pocket-Knives/Swiss-Soldiers-Knife-08/p/0.8461.MWCH

This I imagine.

Aw that's the one that i mentioned in the op, didn't knew that its also called like said, thank you

[arekmilik]

The "best SAK" for you will likely be determined by your chosen career field, e.g., an infantryman's needs will be different than those of a helicopter mechanic or intelligence speSmurfpillst.

My suggestion is to wait until you've completed basic and advanced training and are on the job.  It will become apparent pretty quickly what your needs are and you can then pick the SAK that best meets your needs.  As noted above, you probably won't be permitted to have a knife before then anyway.

Just my $.02.

Thanks for choosing to serve.   

You are right but i would love to carry one on my basics already im just looking tonhave one with the basic "must have" tools for the army

[Thunderpants]

The good thing about the Huntsman is it's hugely popular so it's cheap. Scissors & saw, openers, blades - there's nothing bad here.

If you can find one for a good price, the Fieldmaster is the same thing, except with a Phillips driver instead of a corkscrew. Probably a slight increase in usefulness there.

Good luck whichever SAK you pick.

Ps Glenfiddich managed to find a shop in Israel that sold him a Climber (I think) with the Israel colour scheme on it which looked pretty cool. Somewhere on this forum are pictures.

[sergemaster]

Arekmilik wrote:

Great story, thanks for sharing! The Swiss champ indeed looking like the ideal tool but its over my budget :/ any idea for cheaper alternatives? (would definitely consider upgrading if i will enjoy the brand)

Amici,
If that's that case, try to score something with scissors.. Alox would be a plus also.. Personally if I was in your shoes and in real-time, I would look to score an Alox Pioneer X.. If $$$ is tight for you, try to check out some of the online market sites and I'm sure you can score a used one that can be found at quite the reasonable price.. 

Cheers,
Serge

[arekmilik]

The good thing about the Huntsman is it's hugely popular so it's cheap. Scissors & saw, openers, blades - there's nothing bad here.

If you can find one for a good price, the Fieldmaster is the same thing, except with a Phillips driver instead of a corkscrew. Probably a slight increase in usefulness there.

Good luck whichever SAK you pick.

Ps Glenfiddich managed to find a shop in Israel that sold him a Climber (I think) with the Israel colour scheme on it which looked pretty cool. Somewhere on this forum are pictures.

Thanks, those are some useful tips! Im leaning forward for the Huntsman (or if i can find the Fieldmaster). Any chance that you can find the picture btw? I would love to see how it's looking like

[jalind]

I carried my Huntsman exclusively during my time in the Army and was never lacking.  It seems like the GAK might be a nice carry, but that didn't appear until well after my time in.  Depending on what you are going to do in the Army is going to dictate what tools you need.  My advice would be to wait until you are done with Basic Training (at least) or AIT then make the call.  Time was you could get issued a Gerber 600, and that might still be the case.  In any event, I don't believe the regs have changed to allow you to carry a pocket knife in Basic anyways.

I echo most of this. Wait until you're done with BCT and AIT (some MOS's have OSUT with BCT and AIT combined), and then decide based on where you are assigned and what you're doing. They're not going to let you keep anything in BCT they didn't issue to you. Your recruiting NCO should be able to give you a list of what NOT to take to BCT. Can guarantee you a knife of any kind is still considered contraband in at least BCT, and possibly during AIT.

The 111mm 08 Soldier is a bit large to try to pocket carry. Its unique shape and size compared to other folding pocket knives will attract flocks of magpies. Very, very few of your fellow GI's will have even seen one, even with NATO forces in Europe, unless they were among the very few who worked directly with German soldiers. It would disappear in a heartbeat. A red or black 91mm SAK with no more than 4 or 5 layers would be much more innocuous looking and less attractive. Nevertheless, I wouldn't turn my back on it for even a few seconds. It would be in hand, in pocket, on belt, or tied to me with a boot lace. The three 4-layer I recommend thinking about for after AIT:

• Fieldmaster: same as Huntsman with wood saw in 4th layer, except it has a Phillips on the back layer instead of a corkscrew
• Explorer: has in-line Phillips and magnifier in 4th layer, and a corkscrew as the Phillips is on top
• Deluxe Tinker: has pliers in the 4th layer, and like the Fieldmaster, a Phillips on the back layer instead of a corkscrew; more minimalist is the 3 layer Super Tinker without the pliers

All of them have the blade layer (large and small blades), the opener layer (bottle and can opener), and the scissors layer. They also have a Phillips driver. The significant difference is the fourth layer. Using a #2 Phillips is much more likely to occur than having to open corked wine bottles. I carried a 5 layer Woodsman for about 20 years, which is an Explorer with the Huntsman's wood saw added in a 5th layer. Unfortunately it's been discontinued for some years now. I used its Phillips much more often than the corkscrew.

John

[arekmilik]

Arekmilik wrote:

Great story, thanks for sharing! The Swiss champ indeed looking like the ideal tool but its over my budget :/ any idea for cheaper alternatives? (would definitely consider upgrading if i will enjoy the brand)

Amici,
If that's that case, try to score something with scissors.. Alox would be a plus also.. Personally if I was in your shoes and in real-time, I would look to score an Alox Pioneer X.. If $$$ is tight for you, try to check out some of the online market sites and I'm sure you can score a used one that can be found at quite the reasonable price.. 

Cheers,
Serge

Ahm sounds good, would look after a cheap Pioneer, thanks