I'm also a fan of the alox farmer. It's not too big or bulky and has useful tools.

Alox Farmer and Locksmith..

Currently listening to Emerson Lake & Palmer (1970) CD (remember them) through a SE valve headphone Amplifier (Little Dot MkII) and AKG702 headphones whilst drinking some W&J Graham's Port..

I've always wished that these SAKs, and multitools as well, would be offered in some variety WITHOUT a knife blade. I always carry a larger and better knife separately. The blades on most SAKs don't lock, and are rather cheap IMHO. And the ones on multitools are about the most un-ergonomic things in existence.

But of the currently available SAKs, the Victorinox Explorer would be my choice. I have a SAK that was a special make-up for REI that I bought decades ago. It is like the Explorer, except without the scissors and the hook (or whatever that thing is next to the corkscrew). I added the micro screwdriver that threads into the corkscrew. But I carry it rarely. By far, my most used item is a knife, and none of these SAKs (or multitools) does it for me in that regard.

Alright, one more --



As you can see, the display case is a vertical wall near the stair case. The picture shows only one floor, but I think the entire case is about two or possible three stories tall. Eat your heart out!

if your in Minnesota check out their store in their Mall Of America.i don't carry my Leatherman anymore on canoe trips but the
belt case is just right for the Farmer.a bit of leather lace and
a couple wood beads make it easy to pull out.

To be honest, I also prefer carrying a stronger folding knife separately (usually a Spyderco Endura or Benchmade Griptilian). However, the knife blades found on a SAK tend to be every bit as good as those on multitools, plus there is the advantage of better ergonomics as noted already.

The SAK has been around for a long time, it doesn't look all that tacticool in this day and age and rarely gets the credit it deserves. Nevertheless, the folks at Victorinox (and Wenger) know their stuff. Their blades are tempered a tiny bit softer than some of the high-end competition but the steel is good - it takes a very fine edge and is easy to resharpen. Also, the flat grind with almost no secondary bevel to speak of offers excellent cutting performance.

The SAK may not be the toughest uberfolder in existence. However, as a cutting tool it will easily outperform most modern tactical knives, simply due to its thinner edge geometry. A friend of mine actually uses a couple of slightly reground SAKs as carving knives, with pretty awesome results. So all in all, the good old SAK is a well thought out tool and still a very worthy addition to anyone's "survival" arsenal.

There is a review of the SAK 'Army' knife on the home page of this site.
qjs

Russ, I just found it on Amazon.

My point exactly.

I've been carrying a Boy Scout Huntsman for about 20 years now. The Boy Scout Huntsman has a Philips screwdriver whereas the regular version has a corkscrew. I really like having the screwdriver for EDC, it's one of the more frequently used tools on mine although it's placement leaves a little to be desired at times.

DS has several different SAKs, from the very basic model, the recruit, with 2 blades, can opener and bottle opener, up to a huntsman like mine. He has a step down from the huntsman, the hiker, which is pretty much the huntsman without scissors. It also has a slightly slimmer profile than my huntsman which might be more practical for some and seems ideal for wilderness only carry.

I really like the saws on the SAKs, they are one of the most functional saws in their size range I've ever used.

The farmer is also spoken highly of although I have no personal experience with that model. It's supposed to have a longer beefier knife and saw blade. If they are anywhere near as functional as on the versions I have they'd be well worth it.

When it comes to the SAK, it's best to decide first what you'll be using it for (urban EDC, wilderness carry, etc), then decide which tools you're most likely to use, and from there pick the model which best suits your needs.

YMMV