GreyShark
Enlightened
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2008
- Messages
- 359
My first knife was a knockoff SAK. My second knife was a real Victorinox SAK. When I broke it I switched over to a single blade lockback because I felt it would be stronger and better suited to self defense. Recently I had to replace a Benchmade tactical folder I wore out. Things change with time and after giving it a lot of consideration I decided I'm no longer interested in knives for self defense because for one thing I've been able to carry a gun for years now and for another I don't like the idea of being so easily exposed to bloodborne pathogens. It's too easy to win the fight but still lose later on because you get something inconvenient like hepatitis or AIDS these days. 
So that got me thinking about what I do still use a knife for and my thoughts drifted back to SAK's. I always liked the concept, they're very handy, but there were also always a few flaws that jumped out at me. One thing was the relatively thin blade. That's how I ended up breaking my original Victorinox. Another was the red plastic scales seemed to loosen somehow with use which is related to the third point, there was a troubling degree of flex in the handle of the SAK, it didn't make me feel too confident about pushing it very hard. Finally while there were many good and useful tools on the knife there were also a few that never saw any use and that always seemed like kind of a waste to me.
My first thought was to look at the Soldier model. After some research I learned that the blade was made a little thicker and that the alox handles were much more rugged. The feature set was okay but seemed a little barren. I don't often use a lanyard but I like the option for special applications so that alone was enough to spur me to look at other models. I first found the Pioneer, a soldier with the lanyard ring added. That was a plus but it still seemed to be lacking a feature that really pushed it over the top for me. I wasn't too interested in nail files or extra small knife blades. Then I stumbled onto the Farmer with it's lanyard ring and saw. A saw is something I could really use quite often so that was a big advantage. Then I learned that the small screwdriver will work on phillips head screws which was a feature I wanted. Sold!
My first impression when I opened the package that arrived in the mail was that this knife is very small. Compared to some other Victorinox models it isn't but I traditionally lean toward bigger, stronger gear. So the first thing I had to do is inspect it from a strength perspective. The blade is indeed relatively thick. It has a distal taper so that won't help tip strength even if it has other advantages but the base is just about as thick as my old Benchmade. Next I started squeezing and twisting the handle. I expected all kinds of creaking and flexing. Nope! Solid as a rock! I'm sure that it will loosen with use over time but it will remain solid. I have some concerns over the shear strength of what appears to be brass pins but those are easily replaced and would have to be peened or replaced to tighten the knife after a while anyway.
It'll be a few days before I actually put it to use. Right now I'm still just getting used to the feel and size of it. Because it is so small and light I find that it's pretty easy to do different palming and coin tricks that weren't so practical with my larger knives. I wouldn't go so far as to say that smaller is better, but small is good and plenty of fun. It's also a pretty little thing. The fit and finish is good enough for it to bear up to close scrutiny even if it isn't completely flawless. The proportions, shapes, textures and colors all work well together. I appreciate this because while I'm open to many different aesthetic styles and believe that form should follow function I find unattractive gear to be contemptible. In more cases than not time and use have shown that lack of attention to the aesthetic design also suggests lack of quality in other more functional areas. I think this has something to do with pride of craftsmanship.
Speaking of finish I got the plain alox model. I really like the looks of the red anodized alox but I also know it will wear quickly. The plain aluminum should eventually acquire a relatively even and attractive patina whereas the red anodize will just look ragged and worn to me. I don't find this attractive because I have no problem wearing out gear. I respect things that can take a beating and still look good. This has got me interested in stripping the black type II anodizing from one of my 6P's. It will match the knife plus the scratches and dings won't look so bad. Interestingly enough the large blade on my Farmer is stamped with the year of its manufacture which I understand is something of a rarity.
All in all it seems to be an amazing knife for the money. I expect it to perform as a slightly improved version of my old Victorinox SAK in which case I have no doubt I'll be very pleased with it for its intended use. I can usually kill a knife in this price range in a short amount of time so I may post an update in a few months if it survives.
So that got me thinking about what I do still use a knife for and my thoughts drifted back to SAK's. I always liked the concept, they're very handy, but there were also always a few flaws that jumped out at me. One thing was the relatively thin blade. That's how I ended up breaking my original Victorinox. Another was the red plastic scales seemed to loosen somehow with use which is related to the third point, there was a troubling degree of flex in the handle of the SAK, it didn't make me feel too confident about pushing it very hard. Finally while there were many good and useful tools on the knife there were also a few that never saw any use and that always seemed like kind of a waste to me.
My first thought was to look at the Soldier model. After some research I learned that the blade was made a little thicker and that the alox handles were much more rugged. The feature set was okay but seemed a little barren. I don't often use a lanyard but I like the option for special applications so that alone was enough to spur me to look at other models. I first found the Pioneer, a soldier with the lanyard ring added. That was a plus but it still seemed to be lacking a feature that really pushed it over the top for me. I wasn't too interested in nail files or extra small knife blades. Then I stumbled onto the Farmer with it's lanyard ring and saw. A saw is something I could really use quite often so that was a big advantage. Then I learned that the small screwdriver will work on phillips head screws which was a feature I wanted. Sold!
My first impression when I opened the package that arrived in the mail was that this knife is very small. Compared to some other Victorinox models it isn't but I traditionally lean toward bigger, stronger gear. So the first thing I had to do is inspect it from a strength perspective. The blade is indeed relatively thick. It has a distal taper so that won't help tip strength even if it has other advantages but the base is just about as thick as my old Benchmade. Next I started squeezing and twisting the handle. I expected all kinds of creaking and flexing. Nope! Solid as a rock! I'm sure that it will loosen with use over time but it will remain solid. I have some concerns over the shear strength of what appears to be brass pins but those are easily replaced and would have to be peened or replaced to tighten the knife after a while anyway.
It'll be a few days before I actually put it to use. Right now I'm still just getting used to the feel and size of it. Because it is so small and light I find that it's pretty easy to do different palming and coin tricks that weren't so practical with my larger knives. I wouldn't go so far as to say that smaller is better, but small is good and plenty of fun. It's also a pretty little thing. The fit and finish is good enough for it to bear up to close scrutiny even if it isn't completely flawless. The proportions, shapes, textures and colors all work well together. I appreciate this because while I'm open to many different aesthetic styles and believe that form should follow function I find unattractive gear to be contemptible. In more cases than not time and use have shown that lack of attention to the aesthetic design also suggests lack of quality in other more functional areas. I think this has something to do with pride of craftsmanship.
Speaking of finish I got the plain alox model. I really like the looks of the red anodized alox but I also know it will wear quickly. The plain aluminum should eventually acquire a relatively even and attractive patina whereas the red anodize will just look ragged and worn to me. I don't find this attractive because I have no problem wearing out gear. I respect things that can take a beating and still look good. This has got me interested in stripping the black type II anodizing from one of my 6P's. It will match the knife plus the scratches and dings won't look so bad. Interestingly enough the large blade on my Farmer is stamped with the year of its manufacture which I understand is something of a rarity.
All in all it seems to be an amazing knife for the money. I expect it to perform as a slightly improved version of my old Victorinox SAK in which case I have no doubt I'll be very pleased with it for its intended use. I can usually kill a knife in this price range in a short amount of time so I may post an update in a few months if it survives.
