Day by Day...a Journey down the 91mm Range

[Rapidray]

Nice information and photos! 
Didn’t think it would be thicker than some 5 layer! 

[Max Stone]

Yup, the same as a Huntsman Lite and quite a bit thicker than the Ranger.

[Huntsman]

Didn’t think it would be thicker than some 5 layer! 

Fat scales and fat lite layer = Double fat !!!   

[Rapidray]

Wow...

[Max Stone]

Day 16

Scissors are very popular across the 91mm range, and the Climber (corkscrew) and Super Tinker (back Phillips) are both excellent 3-layered SAKs with this tool.

But if you want pliers with scissors, you only have one choice in 4-layers; the Deluxe Tinker.

And while the Victorinox scissors are good at general-purpose cutting (within the size  limitations), the pliers are very much a compromise based on size and strength, and should not be considered an alternative for full size pliers.

As mentioned in the Angler review, where we first came across the pliers, it’s best to consider the pliers more as ‘super tweezers’. Still useful, but you may want to pair with another multitool that has folding pliers if you expect to need this tool.

Pros:
- Good combination of scissors, pliers and back Phillips driver
- Pliers good for detailed, delicate work
- Still small enough for EDC

Cons:
- Pliers limited in strength and size

Bottom line:
The Deluxe Tinker is a great SAK if you can accept the compromise of the dinky pliers. But you may be better off with the Super Tinker and a Leatherman if you use pliers regularly.

[Rapidray]

Day 16

Scissors are very popular across the 91mm range, and the Climber (corkscrew) and Super Tinker (back Phillips) are both excellent 3-layered SAKs with this tool.

But if you want pliers with scissors, you only have one choice in 4-layers; the Deluxe Tinker.

And while the Victorinox scissors are good at general-purpose cutting (within the size  limitations), the pliers are very much a compromise based on size and strength, and should not be considered an alternative for full size pliers.

As mentioned in the Angler review, where we first came across the pliers, it’s best to consider the pliers more as ‘super tweezers’. Still useful, but you may want to pair with another multitool that has folding pliers if you expect to need this tool.

Pros:
- Good combination of scissors, pliers and back Phillips driver
- Pliers good for detailed, delicate work
- Still small enough for EDC

Cons:
- Pliers limited in strength and size

Bottom line:
The Deluxe Tinker is a great SAK if you can accept the compromise of the dinky pliers. But you may be better off with the Super Tinker and a Leatherman if you use pliers regularly.

Very nice! 

[Max Stone]

Thanks Rapidray 

[FolderBeholder]

Nice review Max!
One of the best uses of the pliers for me is taking out stubborn staples that get stuck at the tip of the stapler.

[Max Stone]

Thanks FB    yes that’s a good use case!

[TXSAK]

Great thread! 

[Scubadawg1]

This thread is outstanding, great job!

[comis]

Another good writeup!
If this pilers is meant to be used on nuts/bolts, I kinda wonder will we be better off to carry a separate pocket wrench, which is similar thickness to a layer and not expensive.

[Max Stone]

Thank you Scubadawg1, TXSAK 

Hi comis, that’s a little what Wenger did with their little wrench tool, but this is also limited in the size department, so a separate small adjustable wrench is not a bad idea if you have an EDC bag to carry it in. 

[Fast Bill]

Just catching up on this thread Max and well done for keeping up with the insights. I am a Mountaineer fan, probably more Urban that rural EDC and I do like the Traveller Lite too (even with that underwhelming torch) ... just because ... 

[Max Stone]

Thanks Fast Bill.  Yes the Mountaineer is a bit of a sleeper of the range. It’s a good SAK.

[comis]

Thank you Scubadawg1, TXSAK 

Hi comis, that’s a little what Wenger did with their little wrench tool, but this is also limited in the size department, so a separate small adjustable wrench is not a bad idea if you have an EDC bag to carry it in. 

Good call on the Wenger wrench!    Oh, the pocket wrench I refer is actually the following OPT, I think it does compliment most MT quite well and a perfect pry tool as well:


https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,45219.msg931607.html#msg931607

[comis]

Just catching up on this thread Max and well done for keeping up with the insights. I am a Mountaineer fan, probably more Urban that rural EDC and I do like the Traveller Lite too (even with that underwhelming torch) ... just because ... 

Another fellow Mountaineer Fan here!

[MacGyver]

Another fellow Mountaineer Fan here!

+10

I always get surprised about the little general interest people have on the Mountaineer, and on the "metal file and saw" too, for that matter... 

The Mountaineer always was a favorite of mine on the 4 layer department. The only place i feel the Camper/Hiker or Huntsman (wood saw) is useful, is in a purely rural environment, all other situations i feel a saw might be handy, the metal saw/file always takes priority for me, besides also having 4 functions (or more, depending on one's creativity), instead of just one. It's way more useful to saw a wider type of materials than the wood saw, even if slower at that.
But than again, no sak tool is made to be nearly as effective as the actual dedicated tool it's trying to replicate, so the idea is not to be "faster" but to actually "getting the job done" when nothing else is available, and it does that very well, faster or slower 

I'd love to get my hands on a Trail Guide (or 3... ), i'd take it for urban 3 layer EDC, over any Climber.





On a side note,

Max, thank you for creating this great thread man 
A joy to read on a daily basis, especially for a cellidor (84/91mm line) die hard fan like me... 

[Borg]

Hi comis, that’s a little what Wenger did with their little wrench tool, but this is also limited in the size department, so a separate small adjustable wrench is not a bad idea if you have an EDC bag to carry it in. 

   I have yet to use the wrench on mine as i never come across any nuts small enough for it to fit, there was once though i thought i was in luck, the small bolt on the bottom of the fridge door was loose and i figured i would tighten it with the Wenger, but no..even that was too big for it

[VICMAN]

You're doing a great job with your reviews Max!

This is a very informative thread and will provide a great resource for others to find out about models they have not seen, and probably help inspire quite a few people to add a few more SAKs to their collection.

[Max Stone]

Thank you VICMAN for the kind words, I too am enjoying the journey and learning more about each SAK 

Thanks also MacGyver, Borg, and comis, that’s a clever pocket wrench...I’ll need to look out for one like that. 

Day 17

Choice is generally good, and Victorinox certainly give us lots of choice across the 91mm range.

And today, as an alternative to the Angler, we cover the Fisherman. Featuring the same fish scaler tool as the Angler, the Fisherman swaps the corkscrew for a Phillips back tool, and the pliers for scissors.

Now I’m a little of a traditionalist, so while I recognize the value of the back Phillips, my preference is the corkscrew.

But the scissors are certainly the more usable tool when compared to the pliers, so you have to wonder whether it would be better for Victorinox to rather put the scissors on the Angler, as set the Fisherman off on a retirement cruise...

Sometimes choices are not necessarily better.

Pros:
  - Scissors more useful than pliers
  - fish scaler can be used as an improvised cocktail fork

Cons:
   - fish scaler tool not particularly practical

Bottom line:
The fish scaler is not exactly a high-demand tool, otherwise we’d see more of it paired with scissors. The next time we come across it is with the Swiss Champ, and there you get it with scissors, pliers and the corkscrew. But for something with less layers, the Fisherman is the best alternative.

[Rapidray]

Nice review and great photos! 
I don’t know exactly why but I have 3 of them. And I do use the fish scaler just not for it’s intended purpose!

[Huntsman]

......
But the scissors are certainly the more usable tool when compared to the pliers, so you have to wonder whether it would be better for Victorinox to rather put the scissors on the Angler, as set the Fisherman off on a retirement cruise...
.....

Thanks again Max

Hmmm  - I always thought both was a good option - So why not bring back the Deluxe Angler? .... Or a Deluxe Fisherman?

[Huntsman]

Added this thread to the SAK Identifiers stickie:
 
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,75774.msg1630522.html#msg1630522

- Thanks Max (..... again!)

[Max Stone]

Thanks Rapidray  and Huntsman      for the stickie.

[comis]

+10

I always get surprised about the little general interest people have on the Mountaineer, and on the "metal file and saw" too, for that matter... 

The Mountaineer always was a favorite of mine on the 4 layer department. The only place i feel the Camper/Hiker or Huntsman (wood saw) is useful, is in a purely rural environment, all other situations i feel a saw might be handy, the metal saw/file always takes priority for me, besides also having 4 functions (or more, depending on one's creativity), instead of just one. It's way more useful to saw a wider type of materials than the wood saw, even if slower at that.
But than again, no sak tool is made to be nearly as effective as the actual dedicated tool it's trying to replicate, so the idea is not to be "faster" but to actually "getting the job done" when nothing else is available, and it does that very well, faster or slower 

I'd love to get my hands on a Trail Guide (or 3... ), i'd take it for urban 3 layer EDC, over any Climber.





On a side note,

Max, thank you for creating this great thread man 
A joy to read on a daily basis, especially for a cellidor (84/91mm line) die hard fan like me... 

Yes, another Mountaineer user!  Yes!


Max, I gonna thank you again for this thread too.  This is like a mini-union for all the Mountaineer Lovers out here.

[Max Stone]

I think we’ll have to start a Mountaineering Club     

Day 18

There are only six 91mm SAKs in the current range that have a Phillips back tool. We’ve covered five of them so far (Tinker, Super Tinker, Deluxe Tinker, Hiker and Fisherman), so today’s mini-review is on the last one, the Fieldmaster.

The Fieldmaster can be considered the near-identical twin of the Huntsman, as it has the same tool load (scissors and wood saw), just with the Phillips on the back instead of the corkscrew.

However, the Huntsman gets the lion’s share of attention as it’s by far the more popular of the two. The Fieldmaster getting largely ignored.

Like the Huntsman, the Fieldmaster is quite a compact 4-layer SAK, and while you’ll feel it in your pocket, it is usable for EDC on your person.

As a cross-over between urban and outdoor use, the Fieldmaster is certainly worth considering. Especially if you like using the wood saw and see value in having the Phillips over the corkscrew.

Pros:
- Both the scissors and wood saw are good at what they’re designed for.
- Just about pocketable for EDC

Cons:
- Lacks the character of the Huntsman

Bottom line:
A little lost without a strong identity, the Fieldmaster is still a capable SAK with a good set of tools. It’s just questionable whether it gives any real-world advantage over the Huntsman, considering that you get the corkscrew and can still use the can-opener’s driver for cross-head screws.

[Rapidray]

Another great review and photo’s - 
I have 3 Fieldmasters...they are all BSA’s Huntsman. Talk about a misunderstood step child...this one only gets loved by Scouts!

[fullbreakfast]

A little lost without a strong identity, the Fieldmaster is still a capable SAK with a good set of tools.

What even is a ‘Fieldmaster’, anyway? I mean I know what a huntsman is, and a climber, and a Spartan...but who is the mysterious master of fields, and what does he do?

All we really know is that he prefers working on easily-accessible Phillips screws that don’t need much torque, to drinking wine. The man has his priorities wrong, in my opinion.

[Ron Who]