As probably a high percentage of posters here do, I carry my blade/multitool everywhere I go. To me, it feels just as strange not to feel it in my pocket as it does if I don't have on my wedding band. Trouble is, I travel fairly often (fly) for business, usually just for two nights or so. Since my trips are short, I never check a bag, because what I need always fits in a rucksack. (You can see my website for a more detailed description of this neurosis on my Travel Tips Page). However, since the heightened security measures have been in effect, I can't take my blade through airport security, but I could place it in checked luggage. So, what have those of you in a similar situation been doing? Check a bag just for carrying your blades/tools? I wish there were a way to have small packages checked differently than larger suitcases for this purpose.

Another question: Why do most SAKs continue to come with a corkscrew? I've seen some neat tools that made me think, "Well, that would be a nice tool if it weren't for that @#$%^& corkscrew that adds no utility and unnecessary thickness to the tool. As long as you're adding the corkscrew, why not add a pecan cracker, shrimp fork, and pate spreader too? The most ridiculous example can think of is the Schrade Navitool. Looks really neat, but do you really need that corkscrew in a survival situation.

the corkscrew's great, you're surviving on the beach/waterfront because there's lots of food to be found, and low, a bottle of chateau la fite 1935 washes up on your beach, which using your sak corkscrew you open and enjoy with your muscels sauted in wine and garlic!
on the other hand they are quite good for digging exploded batteries out of torches and the like!
steve

I heard the subject line calling me from afar... :-)

Back in the days when "laptop" PCs were prohibitively expensive, and the group I was part of was doing a week here and a week there in cities accross the US, some members of the group just had UPS ship their desktop computers to their hotels ahead of them. Just call the conceirge (ok, "front desk" at the EconoLodge) and ask them to hold it for you. They're used to that sort of thing. For something as small as a knife you could FedEx it overnight. Nobody cares what it is.

Of course, if you were truly blade-obsessed like some of us, you'd view the trip as an opportunity to immediately buy yet another knife at your destination, then just have it shipped home. :-)

>>Why do most SAKs continue to come with a corkscrew?<<

Well, I guess the manufacturers just assume that many of the people buying their products are civilized. Ahem...

Seriously, there's obviously demand, and, unlike most tools, when you need a corkscrew nothing else is nearly as convenient (yes, I know about the back-of-the-saber technique, and the wet-feather technique, etc. The statement stands). Even some makers of military equipment have realized that if you don't give the troops a coffee grinder (Sharps?), corkscrew (some WWII bayonets), beer-cap-lifer (other bayonets (German), Galil assault rifle bipod base) or whatever, they're going to misuse some other piece of equipment to get the job done, perhaps ruining it and endangering lives in the process.

Besides, unlike with a lighter, no decent group of people could ask to use your corkscrew, and not offer to share the wine... :-)

And, if you find yourself some sunny day on a mountain top with a lovely lady and a bottle of wine, and you think you won't miss a corkscrew if you don't have it... I've got to think you're missing something about the point of survival.. :-)

Ha ha! Points well taken, Presumed Lost. Now I'm longing for that scenario where a vintage bottle AND a mermaid wash up on my deserted island. Then I'll need that corkscrew!

Wouldn't the shrimp fork be better for the mermaid????

I vote for the corkscrew too. My SAK proved it's usefullness at a dinner party some time ago when the hosts couldn't find their corkscrew. Actually it works better than many corkscrews I've used.
Of course some vintners are switching to screw tops. Reminds me of Chateau Boone's Farm, 1972. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

CH,
I JUST finished drinking when I read your post, otherwise you would have owed me a new keyboard <img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

With advances in packaging,the can opener and bottle cap lifter may be looked upon with the same disdain soon. The idea of encountering some survivalists food cache and no way to access that .45 and fresh underwear is to abhorent to even ponder. The small screwdriver tips on said tools are for field stripping swiss battle rifles. I've never been called upon to do that yet.

Yeah, what you said...

I use the corkscrew on my SAK, uh, "frequently"... for the intended purpose.

My EDC SAK has had this added a while back:





That is the eyeglasses screwdriver and if you have a corkscrew Victorinox SAK, purchase this accessory - it does the job quite well. I have perfected a left-handed maneuver that removes the screwdriver, tucks it between little and ring fingers, and grasps the wine bottle firmly while my right hand gently teases the cork out... LoL - really!

Seriously, I'm not interested in SAKs that do NOT have a corkscrew.

Regards,

Tom

Since I don't enjoy wine, I'll probably stick with my "corkscrew-less" Micra. I'm always looking for that magic wine that I don't think tastes like paint thinner. They all do to me, whether it's a $5 bottle from the grocery store, or some rare vintage. <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

(This prol should get moved to campfire) - I've been hanging around BladeForums too much lately - but here's my recollection of a tagline from a frequent poster:

"Beer makes us stronger
Wine makes us wiser
Water has bacteria in it..."

BTW, what does paint thinner taste like? (no, no - don't say "wine"!)

Your avatar doesn't show eyeglasses, but for those of us that usually have a pair stuck in our shirts, the screwdriver justifies the corkscrew, which is the only point I wanted to make - I was struck by it when I finally ran across one and said "I've got to get one of those!"

OTOH, it is against King's orders in my castle to serve certain meals without wine... P_L can discuss whites with you; I'm a red wine fan. Just in case you ever want something other than "paint thinner", hehehe...

I wish one could custom-order layers from Victorinox - I have this PERFECT SAK vision in my mind...

I like my Micra, too - another part of my EDC kit.

As a retired Combat Engineer, I suggest you switch from paint thinner to JP5 - much more complex bouquet, interesting aftertaste, better legs... overall a more robust beverage.

TIC,

Tom

Hi Rob,
First, I wanted to say I enjoy reading your website.I'd like to ask the input of some of our European members on this, but it seems to me that, thinking back over the wars of the twentieth century, a European soldier was somewhat more likely than an American one to have a bottle of wine as part of his provisions. It is, after all, a Swiss army knife, despite how many people use them now. Bottles of wine have never in history been a large part of the American G.I.'s common meal and I can easily imagine that a corkscrew might seem more of a necessity to a Swiss soldier than his American counterpart.
So, perhaps it's a matter of historical need turning into tradition? Any comments, anyone?
Stay safe,
J.T.

Try asking a European about the corkscrew. They insist upon having one. They drink wine the way we drink coke.

Basically, I would always check a bag. No matter what. Or I would have duplicate tools, and have them shipped in advance to wherever I was staying. This all takes planning.

Now you see why I have not flown since 9/11.

Thanks, J.T.

Okay, I give. The historical significance coupled with the beverage preferences of our European bretheren have convinced me that a corkscrew is a fine thing to have on a SAK. I'll close out this thread with this:

http://www.victorinox.ch/newsite/en/action/fun/inhalt2.cfm#

(Click where it says "Click here to play."

you mean the europeans in a wine producing country, like france. There isn't much wine drinking over here in holland.

hummm.... where exactly is your beach ? Did you really say Chateau Lafitte 1935 ???

Well, I'm not sure 1935 was a good year for wine .... 1934 certainly was !!

There is only one way to know for sure : let's use your corkscrew to open that bottle, so we can taste it ............


Alain

Well, I certainly wouldn't say so.... but I'm afraid some people indeed do ....

<img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Alain

Rob,

As a current, albeit part-time Combat Engineer, I reccomend that you stay away from the JP5 (the more recent vintages aren't up to snuff, and even then...it's too good for you sissy civilians anyway <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />). Here in Kentucky, it isn't unheard of to have moonshine in a canteen....which probably qualifies as both paint thinner and fuel.

I also like the corkscrewed SAKs, although that's more for sentimental reasons than regular usage.


Tom,

I believe it goes:

In beer there is strength,
In wine there is wisdom,
In water there is...bacteria.


Would love to hear your ideas about the perfect SAK.

Take care,

Andy

sorry bout the ignorance in the wine stakes, normaly drink new world chardonay, or italian reds
sc

At some point several years ago now, I think it may have been at bladeforums, a bunch of us were going on about asking Victorinox to dispense with the corkscrew.

I don't know from where in Europe the European opinions came, but they were quite insistent that if Swiss Army dispensed with the corkscrew, they would cease buying them.

Less vitriolic posts described mealtimes "over there," and some people drink wine the way Americans drink coffee and coke. Some have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Certainly gave me pause. If I had that much wine in one day, let alone every day of the week, I'd fall asleep at my keyboard.

Differences between cultures certainly are fascinating. I mean, how does one drink wine with all meals and still function?

My hat's off to whoever can do that. If I drank wine the way I drink coke, I'd be dead drunk in no time.

I have used my SAK for opening wines and it gives great self-satisfaction.
But imagine this: you carry a SAK, got a bottle of the finest wine and you can’t open it! How embarrassing and anoying would that be?! Especially in company.

The other day I worked in a restaurant (permanent job) I needed to open a beer bottle but the only thing we had at the bar was some ^%$^%£* lousy bottle opener which didnt work. But as i was in uniform I coundn't carry my Vic. I was cheesed off!

I won't touch wine myself, but at least the corkscrew makes a good holder for the little eyeglasses screwdriver. What intrigues me more is the 'parcel hook' on my SAK. What's up with that? Do people actually still tie parcels together with string? <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I stopped using SAKs long time ago after I was able to get my hands on decent multitool and locking folder. By all logic it has been a stupid move since I went from one small tool to two big ones. I almost tripled bulk and weight right there. But I gained two tools that are more adequate to do better job than SAK.

I think that SAKs are general all purpose multi situation tools. They look stylish in the restaurant, picnic, camp site, date, outing trip, gold course, etc, etc... Blade quality and number of tools assures you that you are somewhat prepared for everything that can come your way. They are not fully devoted tools that you would use if you had a choice but adequate enough to get you thru the task. SAKs are made to high quality standards, they make nice gifts and if I had to ditch my current setup my replacement choice would be a SAK. They will keep the corkscrew on it as long as cork is used for wines. For some of us it is pointless (beer/whiskey drinkers) but others seem to find use for it.

Also SAK has certain kind of image/status in the society. Imagine you pulling out Sebenza/Spyderco folder in the office to do a task and imagine the same scenario with the SAK. Latter would be more accepted. SAK is also associated with MacGyver who’s non violent image makes the knife somewhat a toy and yet a serious tool. Also I heard that SAKs are for old timers (oh I'm going to get blasted for that), they are considered blades of older generation. But to defend the SAK and corkscrew... My dog grabbed my wine/bottle opener and decided to roll it under the couch somewhere. Friend of mine who had a SAK on him was able to perfectly open wine for the ladies without old push the cork in the bottle method.

Matt

Thanks for the images. I was missing the point having never seen one of those before. Where did you get it?

Willie, I honestly don't remember, but it may have been here. But they're available from several internet dealers who carry Victorinox. It was about $3.00 when I purchased it and I included it in a larger knife order or the S&H would have made it fairly expensive. I see that they suggest using a SASE with your order to avoid that - good idea.

There's a Hunter Plus model available for a decent price (shop around) that includes, among other things, the screwdriver.

Tom

Matt - just for the record, I'm one geezer who does not like the spear-point blade shape on most SAKs. Very slice-the-cheese-and-summer-sausage shape, but not an ideal shape for many potential outdoors tasks. It does some things well and is a really poor choice of shapes for other things. <shrug> My solution has always been to carry at least one more knife.

I still would like a crack at designing my own "ideal" Victorinox - and blade shape is one of the key areas that I would go into <sigh>. Oh well - an excuse to carry another knife.

Tom

For a year or two, sometime back, I had an English gent for a Project Manager. Great guy, one of the best PMs I've worked with, and razor-sharp mind... one of the fastest learners I've known. Older than I was, he looked better, seemed to be in excellent shape, and played sports frequenly. Smoked like a chimney.

At one point he confided to me that he used to work for a brewery in the UK, and that he was in the habit of drinking 1-2 sixpacks of beer every night, sometimes more on the weekends. I never saw him hung over, or even looking tired... unlike the rest of us on the project.

I guess you can get used to anything. Though I think it would have made me unemployed in rather short order if I'd tried his routine, it obviously worked for him.

Our janitor hasn't been particularly eager to refill the paper towel dispensers for the past several days. It occurred to me that my SAK's nail file was about the same size and shape as the dispenser's key, so I decided to give it a try. Saved the day again! <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Let us remind ourselfs, what does SAK stand for? Swiss Army Knife. That's Swiss Army. Almost a contradiction in terms. Seeing as they won't be doing any fighting, what else is there to do but drink wine? There's your answer <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.

I grew up in the country where a lot of people drink. I had an uncle who only drinks beer, I have never seen him drink anything else. But he is the only person I have ever felt confortable drinking beer, he had built up such a tolerance to it that it had no effect on him. Moveing to the city I see the people there are no smarter than the backwards counrty folk they poke fun at because they drink and get drunk just as much, only they do it with expensive wine instead of beer. Maybe us backward country folk arn't as dumb afetr all <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

An army so well trained,equipped and geographically secure nobody will fight it can put anything they want on their knives. In pre war europe a young swiss read Mien Kampf, promptly bought a 7.65 pocket pistol and stalked Hitler. He actually came close to shooting him when a group of children surrounded der Fuhrer for a photo op. Shortly afterwards he was arrested and executed by the gestapo. Hilter banned all performances of The William Tell Overture.

Yes, about that hook thing.
I have never understood it as well, but you can use it to pull open a stubborn can lid or undo a tight knot (you can also use the corkscrew). I have never tried to carry a parcel with it though.... <img src="images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

>>>or undo a tight knot <<<
I thought that's what the blade was for <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Ed

Has anyone noticed that you're probably more likely these days to have a bottle that requires the corkscrew, than a bottle that requires the cap lifter, or a can that requires the can opener?

We keep a can opener in a kitchen drawer, and another with the emergency gear (not counting a dozen or so P38s in kits), but I can't recall the last time we needed it.

Seems likely that both of those implements will be obsolete curiosities before the wine industry gives up on corks.

well, corked wine bottle's are getting rarer to these days, the most newer stuff are twist caps. they are cheaper, have no diffrent effect than cork, easyier to open...

I am no wine expert, but I wouldn't say that...

I know that many wines bootled in California and other parts of the world, now have plastic "corks" instead of traditional corks. This is mainly to prevent the wine to smell and taste "corky" (??!!??) if you understand what I mean ... so less bottles (and less money ...) are wasted.
But a plastic cap is totally impermeable ; a traditional cork let some contact (a very small contact indeed) between air and wine. And this is necessary for most good wines to mature/age well.

I guess if you want to know more about that subject, you will have to ask a wine expert (there is no translation for "oenologue" in my e-dictionnary ...).
<img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Alain

I love how those things have KEYS. Like I'm going to steal toilet paper. Diamonds, maybe. Gold ingots, perhaps. But toilet paper? I mean, cripes, people.

Why are janitorial staffers somehow reluctant to keep the dispensers stocked or to restock them?

That's a question for the ages.

I confess, this whole turn that the thread has taken surprises me.

I buy wine frequently, and not infrequently experiment with new labels, and I have yet to see a plastic "cork". I remember seeing screw caps on some in the '70s, but not on anything I'd recommend drinking...

I've seen plastic "corks" on some domestic "Chapagne", but, so far, not wine.

I don't know about the US, but in the UK, some people are ignorant to how other people feel. They will open up the dispensers and throw the towels everywhere for a kick. Everything has to be locked up nower days <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />.

In the UK most wine bottles still have corks and most beer (and the like) bottles still have the caps that you need an opener. I say keep it that way. People are getting increasingly worried about using upthe earths precious resources, yet, increasingly products which could do they job just as well before, are being made out of plastics. I suppose its all about keeping costs down. <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Dunno... many years ago I was at a party in a very posh penthouse condo... not so much BMWs and Mercedes in the lot, but Maseratis, Ferraris and limos. It was on the water, and every condo had it's own slip on the dock out back for the owner's boat...

On the ground floor, there were men's and women's dressing rooms, showers, jacuzziis, steam rooms... so, presumably, you could clean up between the boat and your condo...

Anyway, the "super" there told me that he couldn't keep the toilet paper supplied in this area; all the multi-millionaires stole the toilet paper rolls to use on their yachts.

Ayers TG

PLEEEEEEEEEEASE tell us what your ideal SAK is!

WOFT - <groan> The budget monster has me by the throat right now. Somebody else start a discussion on this and I'll dive in later when I have a chance. Pick two standard lengths (say, 91mm and 111mm?), cap the number of layers at something not too pudgy, and don't invent anything that doesn't already exist in an SAK. Let's see what folks posit. We oughta be able to come up with an "ETS" SAK - or two.

Tom

PS - Hi, Andy (ADE) - good to see you back posting.

Thanks, god ! I'm relieved .... there still is some hope .... <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I read about those plastic "corks" in a newspaper's article, about wines around the world... and I have to confess that I did find some bottles with those "corks" in FRANCE !!!
True, that was some cheap wine (maybe imported ... <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />).
The great "Châteaux" are not using that kind of stuff, neither do most french wine producers.
But I guess those producing bottom/middle of range wines, not designed to be kept for a long time, may be tempted to use those "corks", to save a good deal of Euros.


Alain

ever thought why a millionare is a millionare? some of them are tighter than a ducks are under water. they have lots of money cause they never spend it on normal things.

i like mine, rucksack model, had it for about 12 years now, the lock is a bit knackerd now as someone who i've lent it to in the past must have tried to force it shut! its got all i need in a sak, large blade, which locks, meaning that i can't carry it every day <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> but got saw, large+small screw drivers, bottle and can openers, awl and corkscrew. thats it. works well, quite slim. not a lot else to say really
steve

I heard that the plastic corks don't break off in the bottle like cork corks can do...

I have a couple of Victorinox "picnickers", which are very similar, and they are a handy knife to carry.

>>its got all i need in a sak, large blade, which locks, meaning that i can't carry it every day <<

For a moment I was tempted to say something about a government that doesn't trust it's own people to have knives with blades that lock... which has nothing whatsoever to do with lethality... but then, our government doesn't trust it's own people to have knives that open by a spring, which has nothing whatsoever to do with lethality...

What is it about knives, perhaps the most simple, basic tool ever invented by humankind, as a weapon manifestly much more suited to defense than offense, that drives authoritarians into frothing-at-the-mouth spasms of irrational legislation?

Oh Lord how I second that. There are people out there that if you threw a penny in between them, they would make world's thinest copper/zinc wire.

That's truly sad. People with wads of cash stealing toilet paper.

That's because of the laxity in child raising now.

When I was a boy, if I did something like that, my mom would have whaled the tar out of me in public.

Now some busybody would call the cops and she would be arrested for that behavior.

In case you haven't guessed, I believe in corporal punishment.

If these guys can't remember or won't take the time to stock their yachts with toilet paper do you think they'd remember to stock it with emergency supplies? .. stock an abandon ship bag? ...a decent life raft? .. enough life jackets? ... an SAK? ...with a corkscrew? Wait, that's the one thing they might carry.

Brian

One thing I have noticed about people who have more money than the average person is that they always moan about lack of money!

I wish too that people would take a more realistic view towards knifes. I always tell people its a tool, not a weapon.

reinhardt

My ideal SAK would have a large locking blade, saw, cap lifter, magnifying glass, awl, phillips/corkscrew, ballpen and tweezers.

I read an article in a knife magazine one time.It stated that there are more laws and ordinances restricting knives than fire arms.It's a sad state of affairs when you cant carry one of mankinds oldest tools but can carry a Glock or S&W.

Back when i had a hardware store i heard a lot of wonderful stories of what can happen to toilet paper. The most memorable one was a maintenance person whose full toilet paper rolls would be removed and stuck down into the toilet and then the toilet would be flushed repeatedly until the bathroom flooded. He came in one day and said that he had found the answer to his problems, a toilet paper dispenser that would only dispense one square at the time. He purchased one way screws to keep anyone from taking his new expensive dispensers. A month later he is back in asking how to remove one way screws because since the delinquents couldn't flood the bathroom any more they would take and pull one sheet out half way and light it with a cigarette lighter which would burn up the inside of the dispenser. The maintenance personal that have toilet paper stolen are getting off easy.

If one unwinds a roll to the right amount, soaks it in water, and chambers it in a 75mm pack howitzer ahead of a blank round, it really travels a loooooong way...

Don't ask how I know...

Hmmm... Military brats at homecoming. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />