My brother , a meatcutter also, gave me one of his old Forschner boning knives, they bought new ones, I own a lot of knives but the Forschner is the best, cuts like a razor, holds an edge and sharpens easily. Didn't know they were made by Victornox untill I went to their web site. If you want one of the best meat cutting knives for not a whole lot of money , use what the pro's use Forschner. I'm going to buy a few more !
Gary

I have many. They are the best. 12" ciameter, 8" breaking and 6" semi stiff curved boning knife are my daily cutlery. Detail work,trimming and portioning. Great tools.

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Take it easy. Chris

I have been very happy with my purchases from swissknifeshop.com.

Macgyver carries various models of swiss army knives in the TV series, but the most frequently carried model was the "Tinker."

Carbon steel vs stainless steel.
No need to frequently sharpen my stainless SAK (Tinker), which is a quality piece...I just can't fillet fish with it.
It resides in my backpack, when hiking, for the other chores it does very well.
It's my understanding that stainless will hold the edge longer than carbon...but you can get a sharper edge on carbon.

I have a carbon steel 12" butcher knife that can cut paper thin slices off a roast beef.

As for steels, whether carbon or stainless holds an edge better depends on the particular steels compared and their heat treating.

Gary Randall told me that of his blades, the stainless might hold an edge maybe 10% less long, but if you need rust resistance, that's clearly the main factor.

And based on the knives I've seen, I think Randall's stainless blades tend to be better polished.

Of course, Victorinox's blades are really well polished, not given the "satin" look of so many modern knives. I like that. Their knives resist rust very well.

Use a pipe cleaner to clean inside pocketknives, and carry only the knife and a handkerchief in the same pocket. Coins, keys, etc. scratch up a knife something awful.

I thought the Forchner my brother he gave me was a boning knife, but after looking at the cimeter pattern , had to look that one up , it's a cimeter that has been sharpen so many times it comes to a point and just looks like a boning, even in a well used condition it's still awesome! I could barely make out the name on it. Thanks for the recommendations for patterns
Gary

They do wear down over time from sharpening and just normal usage I still keep all mine and rotate them and work buys a me a set every few years. I use a chefschoice electric sharpener the professional model. Best $400.00 I've spent takes all the guess work out of sharpening. Which is a art form in itself,and I don't have it. I don't even have to use a steel during a days work cutting. Just bring my knives home and a few second touch up on each and I'm good for another day of cutting. I've seen guys try to sharpen there knives and just destroy the edge over time,makes for a sore arm and hard cutting day. Some use knives that look like pencils they have been sharpened so many times but they still work. You have a good tool there. A boning knive would be a 5" or 6" blade when new.Straight or curved,stiff,semi-stiff or flexible.

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Take it easy. Chris

Loyal Victorinox user here. Been carrying one for 15+ years. I'm on my second one as I lost my camper last year. Only knife I carry. I wear dress clothes a lot and don't think the belt clip style of knife looks good sticking out of the pocket. Seems I use the other tools more often than the blade too. Can't see ever being without one.

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SWCA #2922

My only real gripe about SAK's is that most don't have really sharp blade tips. You have to carefully hone the last fraction of a inch for them to stab well.

Even if you don't intend to ever use the knife as a weapon, stabbing is useful for such things as sticking the blade into cardboard seals when opening new medicine bottles. or when opening some packages.

I've been going over my Victorinoxes, and I need to sharpen several blade tips. The smaller pen blades are often okay, but the main blades tend to have dull tips.

Does this bother anyone else here? Do you sharpen the tips? It just takes a mm or less distance to sharpen them. The stone that comes in their SOS Kit pouches will work.

When I was a kid we were provided $1.29 "boy scout" knives. They were the common equal end knives with a spear master blade, can opener, bottle opener and awl. After I could save enough paper route money I bought a Buck stockman. For me a spear blade will forever symbolize low quality knives.

The only SAK I ever carried was the discontinued Automotive model that I liked for its metal file/saw. IMO you have to like SAKs for tools other than their soft metal knife blades. It would not hold up if formed into a clip point.

It is amazing that I still have any of my old SAKs. When the Leatherman appeared, it replaced SAKs in all my motorcycle tool kits. As I learned to my regret, the knife on the Leatherman wasn't much either. Now, I may carry an SAK, but I always accompany it with a knife with a good blade.

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Not in jail.

I've owned some, and never had a problem with them.

The Mauser model from Victorinox had a clip point on one blade, and I think a few others have. Wenger's small blade was usually a clip shape. At one time, Vic. also used that shape on the small blade.

The nice thing about the SAKs is you can generally find one with your favorite tool set. SAKs are not very expensive, so get a bunch, find out which tool set works best for your needs. TSA confiscations often found at gun and knife shows are cheaper still.


I like the thin 2 layer alox Soldier or Pioneer for EDC, they have the tools I use. I prefer the awl style in the alox models over the standard ones. If I go to a three layer I will use the saw in the outdoors, the scissors are great for cutting ties at gun shows, and I never found the pliers to be very useful.

Farmer


Pioneer


Soldier

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

How does the Soldier differ from the Pioneer, other than the shield?

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Not in jail.

The Pioneer has a lanyard ring and comes in a variety of colors

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I wonder if someone could help me identify these old war horses. The red handled I've used since the mid 1960's and it served me well for 30 years as a Mercedes-Benz mechanic. The aluminum handled version came from my father in law and is probably just as old.
thanks

The red one is the Automotive. I brought one back from Switzerland in 1972. Leatherman types were not aound yet. I liked its mix of screw drivers and especially the file/saw. Mine was stolen. They are discontinued. It is the only one I might seek out again.

Thanks K22fan. Appreciate the info.

The alox scaled SAK is a Voyageur. Very sought after because they are long discontinued and any 84mm with scissors is hard to find.

BlackTalonJHP (quite the handle), thanks, appreciate the info.

Leatherman "Wave"...about as good and reliable as they come. JMHO.

Tool box in the trunk full of Craftsman, Stanley and Crescent tools and a knife with a hard blade and India stag handle on the belt. JMHO.

I really like my Victorinox Fieldmaster. I use the scissors, philips head screw driver, and flat head screw driver on the can and bottle openers the most. The knives are okay for very light duty. I carry my Spyderco Delica4 for a primary knife blade and supplement it with the Victorinox Fieldmaster for other light duty tasks. You can get the red one for $26 and they also come in many colors. Mine is blue and I paid $35. You can even get an American flag one for $35.

I really have never carried one. I prefer my knives to be sharp and to stay that way under use. But I've supplied my wife with several over the years. Maybe the most memorable is the one with a thumb drive as one of the instruments. She uses the tooth pick and tweezers frequently.

But the best story is about my oldest son who will turn 45 this summer. Way back in his youth he saved his money. All of it for a long time (its relative for kids). And about the time he was either 9 or 10, I forget which, I noticed he hadn't spent his birthday money either. Something was up. I just figured I'd learn in due time. So that fall we went to the Smokey Mountains for a weekend. And as was our habit, we stayed in Gatlinburg. And the son had his stash along with him, having counted it a few dozen times. He was going to the Acorn shop, a knife shop down in the center of town. Guess it was convenient to bring mom and dad along in case they were needed for the purchase. Surprisingly, he had a real good idea which SAK he wanted, and knew about how much they cost. Yes, he had more than enough money.

So he took his prized knife home and had it with him pretty much. Then about his 14th year, we lost track of it. At least we stopped seeing it. So more time passed and we pretty much all forgot about it. I figured he got his money's worth out of the darn thing.

Time passed and we were moving out of the old house. His room was basically undisturbed (a disaster). So we summoned him home to clean it out, taking what he wanted and throwing the rest away. So digging his way in he started yelling. He found his knife! It was in a box full of toy rocket stuff. I don't know what happened to that junk, but the knife went into his pocket. I've asked him about it a few time over the last 20 years, and he's got it in his safe. I'm guessing he won't be giving it to any of his kids - too valuable. If they want one, let them buy their own!

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Dick Burg

How old is this knife? Looks to have the same blades as the Huntsman, which I own.

But the handle crest of Wm. Tell's stylized crossbow is usually just on a blade tang, with the Helvetian Cross on the handle. But I enlarged the photo and the blade shows Victorinox manufacture.

Did you buy this in Switzerland?

I found the photo online. It's actually basically a Huntsman, but instead of having a corkscrew, it has a phillips head screwdriver. I bought mine on ebay. Mine is blue with the Victorinox logo and cost around $35 shipped.

Do any of you know of a source for leather belt pouches for medium width Swiss Army knives? I want one that will handle 3 1/2" to 4" knives that are up to an inch thick.

Try ebay, Amazon, etsy, bass pro shop, and cabelas. I got a nylon case for my leatherman wingman from bass pro shop.

Like M29since14, I've carried a pocket Executive since I was in high school. My father gave me my first one: it was a gift to him by Hubert H. Humphrey. It was black with the seal of the President of the United States on one side, and Lyndon B. Johnson's signature on the other.

I carried that knife every day for years until one day I put my hand in my pocket only to discover it was gone! I never found it.

Today, I have a collection of some 16 Executive and Limited Edition Classic SD knives.

Somewhat related: on the Swiss Army Knife web site, one can also purchase Leatherman products. And their latest is the "Tread," a "bracelet" that contains some 29 different tools (and is TSA approved).

Leatherman Tread Wearable Multi-Tool Stainless at Swiss Knife Shop

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Eschew Obfuscation.

Try Swiss Army Brands in the USA or contact the factory. I gave the address in a prior post in this topic.
Victorinox offers a number of pouches, inc. the SOS Kit in single and double pouches, with added survival gear. Those kits go well in a briefcase or in a backpack.

Both firms will sell via mail. And their dealers here in knife shops in malls sometimes have those pouches. That's where I got mine. You might also try the Campmor catalog.

A.G. Russell also sells some leather knife pouches.

I got Smoky Mt. Knife Works catalog over the holidays, feeling sure that they'd also have some good Cordura sheaths. Nope.

Some guys hide their Playboy magazines, I have to hide my Swiss Army knife collection. Went to Switzerland last year and came back with a few more instead of coo-coo clocks.

I'm nowhere close to a swiss army knife expert, but I have a Wenger Soldier, made in 97, with a loop thru the bolsters. I think the original Swiss issue knives had them. Bill S

I have a couple, they are kind of bulky and you will know if its in your pocket. If you carry one in the same pocket long enough, it will wear a hole though it (I am talking Levi's)

These days I carry a little Buck with the assisted opening, I don't even know which model it is. The important thing is, it has one of those clips so it doesn't have to be at the bottom of your pocket, I hardly even know its there, but like anything, nothing is perfect and sometimes the clip gets caught on things its not supposed to.

OK, so I finally picked one.

I chose the Deluxe Tinker.

It has everything the Super Tinker has but adds pliers.

Just got it today. Plan on putting some protecting on it and it goes on duty with me Monday morning.

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions.

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

I don't know what model this old Wenger is. My dad gave it to me sixty years ago. My grandmother had picked it up in Switzerland some years before that and gave it to my dad, so I have no idea how old it really is.

I used to carry it all the time, but now it's been retired as more of a collector's piece. I pretty much stick with a Case trapper nowadays as an everyday carry knife. Still, this SAK is a classic old knife.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I believe that is a Camper with an older style of can opener.

After about a century of selling Trappers Case must have sold a zillion of them. I find the standard size 54 pattern a wee bit long for my front pants pocket.

I was shopping at my local Ace Hardware last Friday, and while waiting in line at the checkout, the Victorianox knife display caught my eye. In the far lower left corner was a Camper marked $12.95. I hadn't seen one like it at that price in years. It was the last in stock, and I gave it a new home. Now, if I can only find a similar deal on a NIB pre-lock Model 27

That's about half of Ace's current price. Nice snag. The wood saw is surprisingly effective.

That's called a bail, and only the Wenger military knives had them.

I've owned both brands, and the Vic. was better finished.

This is almost as bad as collecting 3rd gennies....buy one and next thing you know, you're trying to justify purchasing another one......

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Un-Reconstructed Southerner

At least pocket knives are less expensive and take less storage space than "3rd gennies" and Swiss Army Knives are very affordable pocket knives.

This thread got me thinking back and rummaging around and I found a few.When I was a kid my father would periodically visit family in Switzerland and bring one back and sometimes give it to me.I haven't carried one in years, I prefer a small lock back,but I just sharpened those old knives anyway

Carried a Victorinox Nomad for years until the blade was worn so thin from sharpening that it was more like a stiletto. Picked up a one-hand Trekker a few years ago. I like the locked blade and have gutted a couple of deer with it, but it's a little big for every day carry. My current knife is a Swiss Army Pioneer. It's a better size and has most everything I need.

must have at least 10 of them, one lives on my keychain, others find a place in my truck...shaving kit...gun kit...home office drawer...office drarwer...hiking backpack...fanny pack...
I'm starting to think I have a problem

Funny part is that I use them all the time. Get as many as you can!

The one on my keychain is small/very small, sissors, tiny pen (yep, used it on many occaions), file, knife. Well, I went to Madison Square Garden and they wouldn't let me in! LOL, the blade is no sharper than a toothpick. Good lord, told the guard I wanted to see his supervisor. The supervisor came and confirmed I couldn't pass with it. I then asked to speak with her supervisor...finally reached a gentleman that asked me if my wife was present. She was. He asked her if she had a purse with her. She did. He then asked her if he placed the offending Swiss Army Knife in her purse would she promise not to return it to me until we left MSG! She agreed, and the knife was placed in her bag...we saw the game and my wife, as agreed, gave me my knife back after we left.

You can't make this stuff up!

I have a carry knife along with my CH Firearm. Work has identified anything with an edge as a weapon so it has to stay in the car. Here was the collection a while back.

I have several with the pliers, unless it is something pretty small, they are not much use, they are well constructed and will strip about 16 to 18 ga wire. I am guessing they will hold about a 10mm ( guess about 1/4 ") I use leatherman tools for heavier stuff.

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Regards from THE Old Fart

Not sure about issued knives, but my first victorinox had a bail. 60's vintage, 4blade corkscrew & half round awl. No pick no tweezers. Still have the knife, but the bail is long gone.

Get one WITH the corkscrew.
The main reason is because a tiny screwdriver is available that screws down into the corkscrew for safe storage that fits the little screws in the hinges of prescription and sun glasses. I know, because I just ordered a 5 - pack of them from Amazon. I have been carrying a Victorinox with the tiny aftermarket screwdriver since 1986.
The corkscrew works very well for untying knots in running shoes and kid's shoes too.

A friend gave me a NIB Victorinox a couple of years ago. It says "SWISSCHAMP" on the box. It took me back to when I was fascinated by these things as a kid.