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Hewbacca
59
Jul 17, 2017
I have the next model up from this which has scissors as well.
Pros: Improved Swiss Army knife, addresses most of the issues with the common SAK. Much-improved blade steel doesn't need to be sharpened once a week if you actually use the knife. The scales don't disintegrate in your pocket after a few months of use like the plastic scales on SAKs do. The pocket clip is excellent which keeps you from losing the knife. These three things have been my main complaint with SAKs and all three are non-issues here.
Cons: Of course it isn't perfect as it introduces new issues the original SAK doesn't have. Primarily, the small-screwdriver/serrated knife only opens to about a 120 degree angle (shown in the picture, might not realize that is as far as it opens at first glance, but it is). If you use it as a screwdriver, which is all I've ever used it for, it's very awkward. This has been a big problem for me as that is one of my most-used tools. I've never needed a serrated blade before as I prefer keeping the main blade sharp and use that for all tasks, but if you want to cut rope or something the angle may be beneficial. But it is awful for using the screwdriver. It is a little thick for what it is, but the tools are heftier than on an SAK, and the scales are superior as mentioned. The options are far more limited than an SAK, so getting the proper set of tools for your uses is a lot harder, and you might get saddled with one or more tools you don't use.
Overall, if you EDC a SAK and have the complaints I listed above (blade steel, scales, and no clip), this is a huge improvement. If those things aren't an issue for you, you're better off with a SAK.
JamesAsh
132
Jul 18, 2017
HewbaccaSAKs mostly use Sandvik too now, don't they?
Hewbacca
59
Jul 18, 2017
JamesAshI've never seen that, and my newer SAKs get dull if I look at them wrong just like the old ones. Source on that?
JamesAsh
132
Jul 19, 2017
HewbaccaFrom what I understood (I saw an old episode of 'How It's Made) they use a variety of cutlery steels, as they are the largest consumer of them in the world and have to shop around, but a large majority of what is used is Sandvik 12c27.
BUT... I've just had a Google and it seems these days they use DIN 1.4110 (same as X55CrMo14).
I have loads of SAKs, old and new, and I must say I haven't had them dull like yours have, even with moderately heavy use.
Hewbacca
59
Jul 19, 2017
JamesAshInteresting. So I am pretty stringent on my requirements, what I consider in need of sharpening I suspect most people would think is plenty sharp. I need to be able to easily push-cut through paper, or shave hair off my arm. My Boker Tech Tool remains this way much longer than any of my SAKs. There are elements at work other than steel type, like edge geometry and heat treatment, and it is possible Victorinox is lacking there, but it is harder to quantify.
JamesAsh
132
Jul 24, 2017
HewbaccaI'm the same, my blades have to be absolutely hair-popping sharp.