I LOVE your stories. You should write a book…
Thank you for sharing this. It makes me wonder if I should consider replacing a keychain Classic for an Executive (have both).Though to your point, this may be redundant if one always carries a full size (84/91/93mm) SAK as well...
I am tying to follow your lead. HahaI have been carrying this lately... Cadet in my main front right pocket and Ambassador in my watch pocket, for the scissors. I have an Executive ordered, to try. (Image removed from quote.)Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sooo, we just got back from California where we spent the New Years holiday and my birthday at the daughters place. She lives in Mission Viejo, California and I always enjoy the time spent with my granddaughter, Brianna aged 10 now. In the almost two weeks spent in California and two days each ay on the road, my only pocket knife was the little Victorinox executive.Okay, let me correct that, it was the only pocket knife I carried. In my bag was my old war horse, the Wenger SI that never got used once. In California, we went hiking up in the Cleveland National wilderness area, fishing up at Lake Arrowhead, beach going, and bar hopping, and shooting over in the desert country. The Executive cut bait, trimmed fishing line, did a sight adjustment on a Smith and Wesson revolver so my granddaughter could use it, opened plastic packages, trimmed the end off some cigars that my son-in-law and enjoyed out on the patio after dinner, sharpened a pencil, trimmed some fat off the beef cubes that were going on the grill for kabobs, and even used the orange peeler for peeling a California orange or two. The orange peeler also works well as a monofilament line cutter.Here's the thing; I'm an old fart. I've carried knives for most my life. I've carried Buck stockman, Boker pen knife, Buck 309 companion pen pattern, Case peanuts, Opinels, Douk-Douk's, Randall fixed blades. I've carried all kinds of SAK's. Huntsman, tinker, spartan, hiker, bantam, cadet, waiter, fisherman, pioneer/soldier, classic (a personal favorite until July 2018) and others.BUT...I've never had any pocket knife that took over my pocket like the executive. I loved my Case peanut, but age and arthritis made a small stiff spring half stop pocket knife a pain to handle, not to mention a bit dangerous. The other SAK's all were close, but had to be 'augmented' with another SAK or dedicated knife. But since July of 2018, when I was gifted the executive, it has taken over as my EDC pocket knife to exclude all others. It's a little on the small size, but it works for its intended job just like the Case peanut and Boker 240 pen, but with more capability due to the few tools like the screw driver tip of the orange peeler and the small Philips screw capacity of the nail file tip when a small flat is filed on it. Not to mention the scissors and tweezers.The two knife blades do all that my old Case peanut did, but with the easy Victorinox springs and smooth pulls, its far easier to deal with, not to mention that the danger of a fumble finger old fart cutting himself is great reduced. The executive gives me a blade that is just long enough to cut a sandwich in half, or a slice of pie. The small blade is the box opener, mail opener, twine cutter, blister package opener, and whatever needing a small sharp blade.For over 20 years I carried a classic on my keyring in a leather pouch sheath I made for it. That tiny SAK, was a perfect example of how less, can indeed be more. It did 98% of what I had to do with a pocket knife, and the other pocket knives I carried were more for my knife nut obsession. They had little to do with the real world.For all my years growing up, I watched my dad get by very well with his little 2 inch bladed Case peanut. If he needed a screw driver or can opener, he had an old P-38 and a Sear's 4-way keychain screw driver on his keyring. The man was a walking lesson in maximum minimalism. I guess I grew up with a lot of that rubbed off on me, and many things in my life reflect that. Now as an old fart, I finally see the wisdom of his words when he said, "It doesn't have to be big, just sharp." My little executive has become my 'peanut', the little pocket knife that is the always present EDC, and seems to do all I need. On the few times I needed a better screw driver or can opener, the P-38 and Victorinox quatro in my wallet did just fine.Its a strange twist of fate that at this stage of my life, the Victorinox executive has become what my Case peanut once was. It's small and light enough that I can drop it in my pocket and forget about it until I need it. But it has more capacity than my old peanut had. It's easy to now understand how Chuck Yeager spent two weeks at a time in the Sierra Nevada's with a Executive as his backpacking/fishing knife.
It might be a good year for another Yeager Challenge. Like Carl says, it's amazing how little blade you actually need. I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail with a Minichamp and only fell short when a saw was needed. I'm really getting into the ultralight end of things as my back, after almost 20 years supporting a 20+ pound duty belt (and an Army rucksack prior to that) is becoming pretty vocal about weight. I use the smaller Classic blade on my Executive more than any other tool on it. I like my bigger knives and mt's, but it sure fun fixing things with the small SAKs!
Nice narrative. I like the Executive... particularly the small size but also having 2 blades, and the scissors. I like the form factor of a 2-blade pen knife reminiscent of the ones by Case or Buck, but even more thin (like the stainless steel ones that they made decades ago in Europe). What I don't like... as usual... is the file. there's something to be said about experience... it really seems, the more experience you have, the fewer tools, implements, and equipment you carry.I think when I'm experienced, I'll carry a Bantam. But for now, I tell myself I need scissors.
other pocket knives I carried were more for my knife nut obsession. They had little to do with the real world.
No, no. Look at me, this is serious. You need scissors. Scissors are sooooo handy. You can't save a Texas spiny lizard without them!
I sometimes find myself thinking I need to carry a Swisschamp just in case I need to save a sea turtle.
I agree with much said above. Scissors are very important to have. I’m thinking of having someone add a pair of scissors to the Cadet!!Cadet X Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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