Swiss Army Knive, the Pyra under the Sharp Tools


I just ordered a Companion to my Cybertool L, also Swiss Made, also Victorinox but no Swiss Army Knive as its only got one Blade..

In Germany, the Therm for a Swiss Army Knive is "Schweizer Taschenmesser", so this might fit on this new Toy from me..

Pictures and maybe Videos to be come when i got it..
 
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I habitually have a Victorinox knife around (the Sportsman), but I have one big and one small gripe about it.

The big gripe is that the plastic dissolves in isopropyl alcohol and melts in boiling water!!! I use the knife as a working tool, and occasionally it gets a bit dirty, so my cleaning approach is (a) dry microfibre cloth; (b) damp microfibre cloth; (c) damp microfibre cloth with a small amount of washing up liquid/deterergent; (d) isopropy alcohol; (e) denatured ethanol; (f) mineral turpentine/white spirit; (g) D-limonene (citrus degreaser).

I expect a tool to be resistant to common solvents, so I was very surprised to find the plastic melted and released the red pigment when I tried to clean it with isopropylal alcohol. Even worse, when I wanted to sterilise the tool, and put it in boiling water, the plastic melted even more.

The small gripe is that the model I prefer has a large blade and a small blade. I'd prefer the small blade to be the saw tool instead. There was a time when it was possible to order custom knives with the slection of blades you wanted, but ti doesn't seem possible now.

It might be inevitable with the form-factor of the knife, but the corkscrew diameter is too small. I've used it and simply pulled a small plug of cork out of the cork, rather than the whole cork coming out of the bottle. It's probably because the cork was old and friable/dried out, but even so, it is irritating.

I used to habitually carry an Opinel No. 8, but knife laws became too restrictive. The blade locks, and is too long. Sigh. Having a sharp knife (I like carbon steel as it takes a nice edge) big enough for cooking preparation with me meant I didn't have to suffer blunt knives with too-thin blades at friends houses and holiday cottages.
 
Well the Knive i wait to arive got Alox Scales and no Plastic so it might be it would survive some Alkohol and hot water , allthough i would suspect a Scalpel or a Stanly Knive might be a better solution for Work purposes..
 
Confuzzled said:
I habitually have a Victorinox knife around (the Sportsman), but I have one big and one small gripe about it.

The big gripe is that the plastic dissolves in isopropyl alcohol and melts in boiling water!!! I use the knife as a working tool, and occasionally it gets a bit dirty, so my cleaning approach is (a) dry microfibre cloth; (b) damp microfibre cloth; (c) damp microfibre cloth with a small amount of washing up liquid/deterergent; (d) isopropy alcohol; (e) denatured ethanol; (f) mineral turpentine/white spirit; (g) D-limonene (citrus degreaser).

I expect a tool to be resistant to common solvents, so I was very surprised to find the plastic melted and released the red pigment when I tried to clean it with isopropylal alcohol. Even worse, when I wanted to sterilise the tool, and put it in boiling water, the plastic melted even more.

The small gripe is that the model I prefer has a large blade and a small blade. I'd prefer the small blade to be the saw tool instead. There was a time when it was possible to order custom knives with the slection of blades you wanted, but ti doesn't seem possible now.

It might be inevitable with the form-factor of the knife, but the corkscrew diameter is too small. I've used it and simply pulled a small plug of cork out of the cork, rather than the whole cork coming out of the bottle. It's probably because the cork was old and friable/dried out, but even so, it is irritating.

I used to habitually carry an Opinel No. 8, but knife laws became too restrictive. The blade locks, and is too long. Sigh. Having a sharp knife (I like carbon steel as it takes a nice edge) big enough for cooking preparation with me meant I didn't have to suffer blunt knives with too-thin blades at friends houses and holiday cottages.
Click to expand...
Do you know whether that’s the same plastic as used on the Opinel Outdoor, or Explore models?
 
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matzesu said:
Well the Knive i wait to arive got Alox Scales and no Plastic so it might be it would survive some Alkohol and hot water , allthough i would suspect a Scalpel or a Stanly Knive might be a better solution for Work purposes..
Click to expand...
You are right, but sometimes the knife (tool) in your pocket is more useful than the one in your workshop 30 minutes travel-time away. I would be a bit wary of keeping a scalpel in my pocket, and the best use of Stanley knives seems to be hijacking aeroplanes - I think they are a pretty poor design, and I have not worked out what they are designed for, even though they are used for many tasks where they perform poorly.
 
Phlyra said:
Is that the same plastic as used on the Opinel Outdoor, or Explore models?
Click to expand...
I don't think so. I think the Victorinox plastic is a cheap thermoplastic. The Opinel says it is a "fibre-reinforced polymer" - "The multi-material handle is fiber-reinforced to withstand extreme temperatures, knocks and exposure to water."
 
Confuzzled said:
I don't think so. I think the Victorinox plastic is a cheap thermoplastic. The Opinel says it is a "fibre-reinforced polymer" - "The multi-material handle is fiber-reinforced to withstand extreme temperatures, knocks and exposure to water."
Click to expand...
Yeah I just had a quick look again at the Opinels’ descriptions: “Fibreglass-reinforced polyamide to whithstand shocks, humidity, and extreme temperatures(-40°C to +80°C)”
So maybe better not boil them o_O
 
Phlyra said:
Yeah I just had a quick look again at the Opinels’ descriptions: “Fibreglass-reinforced polyamide to whithstand shocks, humidity, and extreme temperatures(-40°C to +80°C)”
So maybe better not boil them o_O
Click to expand...
Yes. Not impressive. Wooden handles cope with boiling water.
 
Incidentally I served in the Swiss Military. My Victorinox Soldatenmesser only has one blade:

1622024248844.png


But this is a really useful pocketknife that happens to be Victorinox. I call it the Kāsejāger - "cheese hunter" :cool: . It has everything you need for a pic-nic: locking serrated blade for bread (these are rare), knife for soft cheese, cork-screw and of course toothpick. It's also illegal where I live in the UK. I don't care. Pic-nicing is my raison d'ėtre.

1622024621045.png


I do like a good knife. Here is a beautiful one from Japan. It is actually a money clip, but is extremely sharp and has the advantage of being hideable in ones sock (you never know).

1622024793767.png


1622024771818.png


Here's another soft-cheese knife I picked up in Florence. Exquisitely elegant.

1622024868193.png


And lastly this was given to me by a Japanese friend (who also had a crazy art collection). I can't open it. It's stuck and actually I don't want to.

1622024944382.png
 
I'm curious about the motivations people have for buying or carrying penknives, etc.
  • How many carry a multitool professionally? What jobs do you do?
  • How many use it for a specific hobby? Camping? Something else?
  • How many carry a knife as insurance for emergencies? What sort of emergency?
  • How many end up buying a bigger, fancier knife than needed out of love for gadgets?
  • How many collect knifes out of interest in their design or history?
For my own part, I own about three(?) penknives, but they aren't very useful except for opening parcels. That probably means they have the wrong features, or aren't carried to the right places...
 
netcat said:
Incidentally I served in the Swiss Military. My Victorinox Soldatenmesser only has one blade:

View attachment 37185

But this is a really useful pocketknife that happens to be Victorinox. I call it the Kāsejāger - "cheese hunter" :cool: . It has everything you need for a pic-nic: locking serrated blade for bread (these are rare), knife for soft cheese, cork-screw and of course toothpick. It's also illegal where I live in the UK. I don't care. Pic-nicing is my raison d'ėtre.

View attachment 37186

I do like a good knife. Here is a beautiful one from Japan. It is actually a money clip, but is extremely sharp and has the advantage of being hideable in ones sock (you never know).

View attachment 37188

View attachment 37187

Here's another soft-cheese knife I picked up in Florence. Exquisitely elegant.

View attachment 37189

And lastly this was given to me by a Japanese friend (who also had a crazy art collection). I can't open it. It's stuck and actually I don't want to.

View attachment 37190
Click to expand...
Did that art collection contain many pieces with certain numbers on their reverse side (AKA “Raubkunst”)...?
 
Phlyra said:
Sure, but you have to oil them afterwards.

Assuming the polyamide used is essentially a fibre-reinforced epoxy resin, using isopropyl alcohol shouldn’t be a problem: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/chemical-resistance-epoxy-d_786.html
Click to expand...
There's a whole industry that supplies knife handle materials. Lots of overview articles available, like this one, or this one, and suppliers, like these. What irritates me is that Victorinox have chosen a material that is just not up to the job.
 
Binky said:
I'm curious about the motivations people have for buying or carrying penknives, etc.
  • How many carry a multitool professionally? What jobs do you do?
  • How many use it for a specific hobby? Camping? Something else?
  • How many carry a knife as insurance for emergencies? What sort of emergency?
  • How many end up buying a bigger, fancier knife than needed out of love for gadgets?
  • How many collect knifes out of interest in their design or history?
For my own part, I own about three(?) penknives, but they aren't very useful except for opening parcels. That probably means they have the wrong features, or aren't carried to the right places...
Click to expand...
I don't carry a multitool professionally. Or non-professionally.
Opinal No. 8 no longer carried (because that would be illegal), but is my favourite letter-opener. Has other uses, but sits on my desk.
Victorinox Sportsman: Used for nail-care (removing the gunk from under my nails), the screwdrivers used a great deal - not least for unlocking bathroom-door modesty locks (6mm), because I use a bathroom that has two doors, and previous users have a habit of leaving the door they do not exit by locked. The small screwdriver (3mm) is just right for Philips/Pozidrive/Crosshead screws - especially replacing batteries in childrens toys. The corkscrew is used, as is the bottle opener (I have another bottle opener on my key-ring). The toothpick is used, but the tweezers are insufficiently stiff and do not open far enough (to release small screws). The main blade is used (for opening letters if I'm not at my desk) and stripping bark off wood that is used at bonfires to hold sausages and marshmallows. I also use the large blade for cutting bread at pic-nics. The small blade is almost never used, which is why I'd prefer it to be replaced with the saw-blade. I almost never use the reamer/punch/sewing awl. The can opener gets occasional use.

So, not used for specific hobby.
I don't regard the knife as 'insurance'.
I haven't bought bigger or more complicated. I try to analyse my needs and buy the minimum solution that meets my needs.
I don't collect knives.
 
Well, for me at least i got used to carry a Pocketknive or 2 , as i was at Boyscouts..
A Boy or Girl needs a Knive for Woodcraft, etc, it was common that our Scouts had a Fixed Knive on the Belt and its still.. they also have an expetation from the 42a Knive Law in Germany: As long as you have your Scouts Uniform on, you are allowed to carry a fixed knive over 12 cm ^^

I use my Knives these days mostly for cutting packages, foil, bagels, or something, for private and work purposes, and on beekeeping,
its also a bit collection allthough i use the collection knives also..

As i dont go that far away from European Civilisations its not realy needed as a "Emergency Survival Tool", i mean even in the Vosguess in Frence, a few hours of walk if you knew where you are, and you have a small village

Allthough i heard the Frenche Knive Laws are much worse than ours, : even an Opinel might bring you trouble if the Gendarm (French Police) cought you whit it, so my new knive is only for Germany..

A Steanly Knive (or Carpet Knive) would also fell under the German 42a as its one hand opening..

In Germany you needs a purpose if you want to carry a One Hand Opening Folder whit Lock, but the Folder i will get is 2 Hand Opening so save in Germany ^^

EDIT: @netcat Your Last Photo shows my first Boyscout Knive, but whit a Lille instead of this not allowed in Germany Symbol, it was marked as a Boyscouts Knive, but it was a pretty poor thing, quite dull, its metal holster also damaged the blade, as well as his history as the Knive of the Hitler Jugend ..
My next Knive was a quite cool Norwegian whit 13 cm blade, werry sharp whit a cool wood handle and leather holster..
 
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Binky said:
I'm curious about the motivations people have for buying or carrying penknives, etc.
  • How many carry a multitool professionally? What jobs do you do?
  • How many use it for a specific hobby? Camping? Something else?
  • How many carry a knife as insurance for emergencies? What sort of emergency?
  • How many end up buying a bigger, fancier knife than needed out of love for gadgets?
  • How many collect knifes out of interest in their design or history?
For my own part, I own about three(?) penknives, but they aren't very useful except for opening parcels. That probably means they have the wrong features, or aren't carried to the right places...
Click to expand...
PICNICING!
 
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netcat said:
PICNICING!
Click to expand...
Well, the Kāsejāger looks rather fine. I could be tempted...

While I don't collect knives as such, I do have a particularly fine bread-knife with a reverse-scalloped, not serrated blade*. I inherited it, and subsequent research showed it is rather difficult to find such blades. I still haven't worked out how to sharpen it nicely. It is very good at cutting crusty bread (or indeed any bread) without producing lots of crumbs.

*Like this Messermeister Meridian Reverse Scalloped one. Look at the blade carefully.
 
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I do not carry a toolknife anymore, but use a key now when I need to cut something (badly). Most have been lost to airports. All I have are cheap ones from the dollarstore.
I do carry a plastic knife in my backpack. Useful for mid-day meals (spread something on bread)
Best one given to the next generation (child), but it's not used there either.
I overbought a spade+knife+beer/can opener. Used it once a bit to dig and used the knife to know how well it did saw (pretty good to cut wood). Brought it to 1 camping. Did not use it. Then cleaned it and stored it to never use it again (now lost in cellar)
Most useful: the pincer to remove splinter. The scissor to cut a band-aid.
No interest in collecting knifes. If it's useful, I buy it.
 
Binky said:
I'm curious about the motivations people have for buying or carrying penknives, etc.
  • How many carry a multitool professionally? What jobs do you do?
  • How many use it for a specific hobby? Camping? Something else?
  • How many carry a knife as insurance for emergencies? What sort of emergency?
  • How many end up buying a bigger, fancier knife than needed out of love for gadgets?
  • How many collect knifes out of interest in their design or history?
For my own part, I own about three(?) penknives, but they aren't very useful except for opening parcels. That probably means they have the wrong features, or aren't carried to the right places...
Click to expand...

Just take one always with you, it is incredible how many times it can be useful.

Every time there's the need, I just extract it from the pocket and always see people around saying "oh, you have a pocket knife !!", and I will never understand how could someone go around without it !!
It was with me way before mobile phones were invented, I used it to play and build things as a child, and actually grown up with me because I learned many new ways to use its tools with the years... it became an extension of myself.

It's like thinking fingernails are not useful... you just use them constantly without even noticing, just because them are always with you... so, the pocket knife is like fingernails for me, but I cut cables and food with them, open bottles and other things, force stuck stuff, screw/unscrew...

Happened some times I had to use it in unexpected ways:
I was in camping and I had the need to repair the tent... I had a patch for it, but required ironing... so I put the knife over the patch and heat it up with a lighter !! Worked great !!
Still in camping I needed to make a fire... but I lost my lighter... so I used the magnifying glass of the knife to burn some dry grass, and after 5 minutes a real fire started.
Once I had a knot in the shoelaces, it was really tight... after some trial to remove it I was almost ready to cut them... but... then I thought to try with the corkscrew... I just inserted it in the knot and started twirling and pulling... in 30 seconds the knot was loose !!
I was going in bicycle, at some point something entered in my eye... I used the knife as a mirror to find and remove that damn little bug.
A friend of mine got a splinter in the hand, it was too small to be seen... using the magnifying glass and the tongs to remove it took me one minute.

...actually I could go on forever with things like these... the more I think about them, the more are coming to my mind...
 
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