Living Life with Just an SAK

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  • Can you live with an SAK as your only knife?


    • Total voters
      0

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    I've been using a Victorinox Fieldmaster for the last few weeks for almost all of my knife-related tasks. It causes me pain to realize that I make it through life with only an SAK. I reject such a bleak existence!
     

    jsharmon7

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    119   0   0
    Nov 24, 2008
    7,821
    113
    Freedonia
    Outside of intentional hard use just for the fun of it, there’s not much practical reason for big beastly knives. Some backpackers say they could go on a multi-day hike with just a disposable utility razor. Even some survival “experts” stick with a basic Mora. I think a SAK would be just fine for me, but I like variety!
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    Pretty cool, but there ain't no pliers on a SAK...

    Except for the Deluxe Tinker, SwissChamp, and a few others . . . with pliers! Okay, they're so small that they're more like giant tweezers, but they are pliers. Furthermore, I did not preclude having real pliers and wrenches. I was getting at not needing fancy folding or fixed blade knives.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    Outside of intentional hard use just for the fun of it, there’s not much practical reason for big beastly knives. Some backpackers say they could go on a multi-day hike with just a disposable utility razor. Even some survival “experts” stick with a basic Mora. I think a SAK would be just fine for me, but I like variety!

    Yeah, I slapped myself when I thought of this topic a week ago or so and then slapped myself just now.
     

    CampingJosh

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    18   0   0
    Dec 16, 2010
    3,298
    99
    I don't mess around with knives that don't lock open, so I haven't used a SAK since sometime in high school. I still have a nasty scar on my thumb to show for it.

    No way.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana

    teddy12b

    Grandmaster
    Trainer Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    40   0   0
    Nov 25, 2008
    7,661
    113
    In 2017 I spent 8.5 days on the Isle Royale in Michigan. For those unfamiliar it's an island National Park in Lake Superior that's the least visited National Park in general, but also the most re-visited of all the parks. Between open water kayaking and backpacking we did over 100 miles in that week and the only knife I used was a swiss army fieldmaster. While there, I cut down a walking stick that I used quite a bit, and dressed it up along with some other light duty camp chores. I took a bigger fixed blade knife and never used it once.

    In 2018 I went to Alaska with 3 days in Denali National Park, then all the other days we hit trails throughout Anchorage, Alyeska, and along the Kenai penninsula. The only knife I used was my swiss army fieldmaster. Again, I'd cut cut and dressed up a walking stick, and for general camp chores. Again, I took a backup fixed blade,
    but never used it once.

    If that wasn't enough, watch some episodes of Alone on the history channel. Many of those people on that show are using a condor knife of some sort and one guy I remember who nearly won was using a Mora Companion. The guys using a custom knife makers blade usually have some sort of a deal worked out with them so that after the show they can capitalize on that blade. Those are people who legitimately go out and stay in the wild unsupported as far as supplies go for a couple months till the last one taps out.

    If you watch any thru hikers you tube channels who hike thousands of miles and "survive" the great outdoors the overwhelming majority of them carry as minimal of a blade as they can find. Check out "Darwin on the trail" or "homemade wanderlust" for some thru hikers channels. If tiny little ladies can get outdoors and hike thousands of miles with a couple ounce knife I think all us big boys can admit maybe we're putting too much emphasis on knives being a "must have". Big knives are cool and they're fun, and it's great to see mint condition knives on the INGO picture thread of all these hardcore guys that really "use" their knives. We've just got to have a little bit of a reality check from time to time.

    For me, I like having a pocket knife that also has a saw on it. Those two items are pretty big on my list. If I find one better than what I've got now, I'll make a switch. When I go on solo overnight hikes I take along a small/lightweight fixed blade just as a spare "in case", but if I'm with a group of people who also have sharp/pointy things I don't take anything else with me.

    Sorry to be such a buzzkill.

    **Edit to add** In case some aren't aware there's an outfit making ferro rods for swiss army knives that replace the toothpick. They aren't a great ferro rod and I have successfully used one in the backyard and accidentally broke one while on a trail in Alaska. Its one of those things where you gotta go into it knowing what it is, and if you were in a tight spot do you have a better chance of starting a fire with a plastic toothpick or a crumby breakable ferro rod that still sparks even when broken in half. https://tortoisegear.com/product/firefly-3-pack-pre-order/
     
    Last edited:

    Usmccookie

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jan 28, 2017
    5,838
    113
    nwi
    I carry the same benchmade I have for 4 years. It has been used! Recently I bought a folding utility razor blade knife for work. I use it almost exclusively now. Carry it only 30% off the time but it does 90% of my cutting. That's just my real world nonfantasy experience. Out in the woods, a simple esee vispa folder does great. I've even used it to split small firewood. Not my "best" knife, but its probably my favorite in the woods. Plus @$35, I'm not crying if it's time for a new one. But it's been a year with hardly a scratch to show the abuse.

    If tl;dnr.
    No, big fancy cool knifes are not necessary, unless it's my wife asking, then yes. I will die in the woods without this bad@$$ knife I want... err I mean, need*
     

    Sticky

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 22, 2011
    497
    18
    central IN
    I carry a SAK Farmer all the time. It has a ring on it for using a cord leash to the belt. A leash is used for outdoor stuff like backpacking/canoeing. For outdoor trips longer than 2 weeks a Mora 4"-5" and a SAK Victorinox lockblade is added. The additional 2 knives rarely see use.

    The Farmer is used for almost everything, up to field dressing deer-sized critters. A diamond DMT is always carried for touch-up.
     

    deeno3432

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Jul 4, 2018
    72
    6
    heartland
    I carry a SAk but I find myself using my knife clipped to my pocket instead due to conveinence. I guess I could live with only a ask since our grandfather's did just fine with them. Not as tacticool but what the heck I think I'll start only carrying one for a week for science sake.
     

    Gabriel

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Jun 3, 2010
    6,713
    113
    The shore of wonderful Lake Michigan
    I carry a SAk but I find myself using my knife clipped to my pocket instead due to conveinence.

    I'd love to have a Farmer with a pocket clip. The lack of clip is the only reason I don't carry it all the time. I don't like it floating around in my pocket and I'm not big on knife sheaths for something small enough that it can fit in my pocket easily.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    Still going on my experiment to use my Fieldmaster for pretty much everything. I have to touch-up the edge frequently, but so far no job has beyond its capabilities.
     

    teddy12b

    Grandmaster
    Trainer Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    40   0   0
    Nov 25, 2008
    7,661
    113
    Still going on my experiment to use my Fieldmaster for pretty much everything. I have to touch-up the edge frequently, but so far no job has beyond its capabilities.

    Going on a few years with mine. It'll serve you well. They make some good tools.
     
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