Gerber Compact Keychain Knife

I recently picket up this little best.  It's is a Gerber Gear 30-001691 Key Note Compact Keychain Knife.  It has a one Inch blade, and as you can see comes in my favorite color, black.  Now this is a little chunky for a keychain knife, I am not sure I want this on the zipper of my anorak.

Chonky little fella.

It has a small tab to flip the blade open and a substantial belt loop. I have not carried it on my belt, I am not sure how that would work. I have also not carried it on my keyring as it's a bit heavy for that so i am not really sure where this fits.  With that said though, it is very well made and feels very solide when in use.

The blade is nominally 1" but as you can see from the pic it is a little irregular in shape however it has 2 cutting edges and really feels more like chisel than a knife. For cutting up boxes, opening Amazon packages and other types of packages, it works really well, and is very sharp right out of the box.

I like the knife and it is a good addition to my collection, but I am not sure where this would fit in real life. Maybe hooked to a pack or belt as a last ditch emergency knife perhaps but even then, there are better options.  Good solid knife though.

It's New SAK Time Again!

It is that time of year that I purchase my limited edition Swiss Army Knives.  This year the collection is the same as last year with the exception of the color.  Now I wasn't sure about the color as from what I could see online, it's not an attractive color. Some might like it, but me, not so much.  But I purchased them anyway in the hopes that the color would be better in reality.

So was the color better? No, no it wasn't.  I love the knives but the color this year is ghastly.

Pioneer X Alox

Hunter Pro Alox

Hunter Pro again

Classic SD Alox

Yeah this is not a nice color at all but what do you, dear reader, think of the color?

Nitize

Nitize make some interesting pocket and keychain tools, and I have a fascination with some of these small things, finding them to be very useful for the odd little job here and there.  I recently picked up the Niteize DooHickey to go with my other Doohickey and the Skullkey

Clipkey, KMT-01-R3 & Skull key

I actually don’t carry keychain tools as much as I used to, rather I favor carrying a multi tool or SAK, but I still like to collect them on occasions. 

DoohicKey ClipKey

This little tool has a belt loop or keyring clip, a bottle opener, screwdriver tip, and box cutter/scoring edge and a serrated cutting edge.

I can see limited usage for this too but I don't think it is a tool I would carry frequently

DoohicKey KMT-01-R3

This one, much like the previous tool, has a clip for a belt loop or key ring. The end of the tool is a large flat head screwdriver or small pry perhaps with a bottle opener, small ruler, Box Cutter, and Wrench (1/4", 5/16", and 3/8"). 

The screwdriver could be very useful for opening battery compartments and of course as a screwdriver. As an IT guy I often open battery compartments and sometimes they need a little leverage to get them open.

DoohicKey Skull Key

The skull key has a basic bottle opener, serrated cutting edge and a flat screwdriver/scoring point. It’s a handy device to have on a key chain and can open blister packs, Amazon boxes and could cut various cord types. 

Skull Key

All of these tools are essentially the same, performing limited functions based on form with no real moving parts. They have their uses, and if I did not carry the CRKT KERT I would carry one of these. 

Gerber Zippers

I have three of these now. I have no idea how that happened, but here they are (see below). The idea is that these can be added to a zip pull as an easy way of carrying a backup blade, driver or light. So how do they hold up?

Light, Drive and Blade

Gerber Zip Blade

I actually really like this little blade. it’s pretty small but it is sharp out of the box and it even locks, which is a nice safety feature. I have no issue with cutting paper, matchsticks etc with it and it can open a blister pack or Amazon box so it works.  As a survival knife its too small but better than using your teeth, and its not too ungainly that it can’t be attached to a zipper pull.

Gerber Zip Driver

The driver on the other hand is not something I would use as a zipper pull. I like the idea of it but it is ungainly and I would not want to put this on a zip pull.  It has a tendency to poke you at all the wrong times, however the driver does work. Like the blade, it is very functional and can be used, but there are other formats of driver that I think make more sense, 

Gerber Zip Light

The light is I think the best of the three in terms of utility. The light is just a press to operate LED light, but it also has a bottle opener and that is what makes this useful. Having this on a jacket zipper pull means you always have a light and can open a beer when sat around the camp fire. perfect.

Conclusion.

I doubt I am going to use these that much, and I doubt I will use the driver at all. However I can say that all three are well made; the light and the blade are well thought out, just not so much where the driver is concerned so as Meatloaf once said; “two out of three ain’t bad”.

With the new year comes a new SAK

As you know I have this ongoing love affair with Victorinox Swiss Army Knives. I recently decided I needed a larger SAK in my EDC pool. Currently I have a Jetsetter, Classic SD and Hunter Pro; there is a lot of difference in size between the Classic SD and the hunter Pro!

It’s so big!

One of the SAKs I relay like is the Compact. It is as the name implies, a compact Swiss Army Knife, having a single blade, and a host of other tools in a compact arrangement.

In all its glory

The knife has the usual SAK tools that you would expect; the bottle opener/screwdriver, scissors and knife. It also has the parcel hook, corkscrew and the scale tools; the tweezers and toothpick. It also sports a pin and an ink pen.

The pin is very useful for resetting routers and other electrical equipment.  This picture also shows the addition of a small screwdriver that fits into the corkscrew. I have several of these and they are good for small repairs to glasses.

I have also added a paracord lanyard to the knife, as the SAKs don’t have pocket clips. I like to use the lanyard to secure the knife to my belt.

And that’s about it for this knife. It will be used for most of the tasks I have been doing with the Classic SD, but the larger knife will feel a little more solid when opening larger boxes and so on. And I am sure I will open a few bottles with that bottle opener which is something you just can’t do with the Classic, 

Victorinox Executive

I was unable to find one of these in red, but I was able to get a black one.  The Executive is an interesting tool combo.  It has the usual tools you would expect of a classic although this is a 74mm SAK and not a 58mm. The blade is the same as the Ambassador that I have written about previously.

In all its Glory

The scissors are again the same as the Ambassador. However the nail file and screw drive combo is unusual. I haven't tried this but I suspect the screwdriver would work on Philips head screws, but not flat head screws.

The only one like it in my collection

In addition to the usual tools it also has a smaller blade and another rather unusual tool; an orange peeler.  The small blade is about the same size as the blade in the Classic SD, but I don't think its the same blade.

About the same size but not the same blade?

Overall I like this little knife. I am not sure I would ever use the orange peeler but it is sharp and would make an interesting third blade.

Victorinox Ambassador

As you know, my passion for collecting Swiss Army Knives knows no bounds. I recently picked up one that I had not seen before; the Ambassador.  The Ambassador is essentially a larger Classic, with the Classic being 58mm and the Ambassador being 74mm.

Classic SD vs Ambassador

The Ambassador has some advantages here compared to the Classic, mostly due to size.  The Ambassador is larger and has a much larger blade. The Ambassador scissors are better again due to size, but the Classic SD has the screwdriver which I suspect is more useful. Their Ambassador has the classic nail file.

Classic Nail File

The blade on the Classic/Classic SD is pretty thin.  It's pretty good for opening Amazon packages but sometimes you need more than that and that is where the Ambassador wins.

Ambassador Blade

The blade on the Ambassador is a little more robust and has more length.  Sometimes more girth and length is needed to get the job done.

Classic vs Classic SD

I have a number of Victorinox Classic SD 58mm pocket knives.  I am sure you have one of these little pocket knives or you have owned one. I think many of us had them as kids, I know I did.  But did you know, there are two versions, the Classic and the classic SD.  But what is the difference?

Can you tell which is which?

At first glance they appear the same and they mostly are.  We can see the body of the knife is the same and the tools are essentially the same.  However if you look closely at the nail file you can see the end design is different.  On the Classic nail file the end is a sort of gentle point and that is used to scrape under the nails to clean them.

See the difference?

With the Classic SD, the end of the nail file is a small flat screwdriver.  That small screwdriver can be used for a variety of tasks so this gives the Classic SD a little more usefulness than the Classic. 

Which one do I prefer?  I don't have a strong opinion either way.  I like having the small screwdriver but I honestly don't use it that much as I usually have other tools around me that have better screwdrivers. However I have not scraped my nails with the end of the Classic nail file either.

Which one do you prefer and why?

SAK Cases

You know how much I love my SAKs, but having them just lying around, oh horror. They could get scratched or dirty. I'm not sure how I feel about that so I picket up a couple of cases.

This pretty red one is a genuine Victorinox leather case for the smaller classics or classic SDs.

Has the logo

I am not sure I will use it much but I like it. It is striking in color and takes almost all the 58mm SAKs, with maybe the exception of the mini champ.  I think that might stretch it out a bit too much.

With my Jetsetter

Comes with a lanyard

The other case I picked up was a silicon case with a simple clasp.  It has a couple of horns on top and I noticed there is a number like this, each with a different theme,  

Cow or devil?

Given the color I tend to think this is a cow, but my wife thinks it might be a devil.  I'm going with cow though.  It fits the 58mm SAKs well and I currently have my Jetsetter in there, ready for my next flight.

New Jetsetter

I have been working remotely since early 2018 with my current employer.  It's a nice arrangement for both of us, as I get the solitude I like, and HR doesn't have to listen to me break HR policy a dozen times a day.

On my desk I keep a Victorinox classic SD.  It's a handy tool and i use it often.  I may be biased but who doesn't love a small Swiss Army Knife.

However we have recently talked about getting back into the office for some meetings and honestly i think its time.   My team is remote so office visits might be twice a year, perhaps, maybe.  With that in mind I figured I would need a travel safe classic SD to take with me.  And so here is the Jetsetter.

Look, no blades!

The Jet Setter is a Victorinox small (58mm) SAK but as the name implies it is TSA friendly.  It has the tweezers and toothpick, but instead of the blade it has the handy little screwdriver and bottle opener tool.

I like it but I wish it kept the screwdriver/nail file combo as well, but I guess we can't have it all. I have one already and I think I posted about it a while back, but this one is just for my EDC stuff.

Yes, I keep my EDC stuff seperate from my collection items, at least where the SAKs are concerned.

Victorinox Rambler

Well, the interlude away from Victorinox didn't last long.  The latest addition to the collection is the Victorinox Rambler.  The rambler is a Classic SD format but with an extra tool.  This makes the rambler just a little thicker than the Classic, but not by much.

The extra tool is a multipurpose tool that has a philips head screwdriver and bottle cap lifter.

Of course it also has the usual compliment of scale tools; in this case tweezers and a short toothpick.

It's a handy casual tool. Not something I would want to do serious work with, but for the odd light job its perfect.  I consider it a great addition to the collection.

Something a little different

I noticed that I have spent too much time recently on Victorinox knives so I figured I would get something a little different.  This time I picked up a pair of Gerber knives.  A few years ago I had a Paraframe that enjoyed carrying and then for some reason it went missing; I have no idea where it went.  Sometimes this is the fate of the small pocket knife.  So I decided it was time to replace it and so I picked up these two beauties.

The funny thing is the larger one is about the size of the Victornox Hunter Pro, albeit a bit lighter, but the small one is almost too small to carry really.

Because the larger one is not that heavy I can see me carrying that one on odd occasions.  It would make a good hiking knife so that is where it may end up - in my pack.

Victorinox Tinker

Lately I have really been into the small (58mm) SAKs but this week I picked up a slightly larger one; the tinker.  Now I do like this as it feels a little more sturdy than the small knives as it is an intermediate sized knife.  To me, this just feels like a traditional Swiss Army Knife.

There are two sizes of Tinker; the larger 91mm but this is the smaller 84mm.  And here you can see it compared to my trusty Classic SD.

The tools are what you would expect from a Swiss Army Knife, but rather than a corkscrew, it has a fairly substantial screw driver.  Lets face it, who has time to drink when there is screwing to be done.

Its basic but compact and useful enough, although I have never used the reamer for anything.  I also rarely ever use a small knife blade and I am not sure why a second smaller blade is needed. But then I have also never used a SAK to open a bottle of wine with the corkscrew tool - I always have a larger corkscrew on hand.

The Victorinox Signature

This is the latest addition to the SAK collection; the signature.  It is essentially a Classic SD but with the toothpick replaced by a pen.

Looks just like a Classic SD

But its a little thicker as you can see

But it has the same tools essentially

You can see the pen, and the little plastic tab that extends and retracts it.  This one is just for the collection, I doubt I would ever use the pen for anything but it is usable. 

Another Small SAK

As I mentioned in my last post about the small Victorinox knives, I had one in transit and it arrived recently.  This is the Victorinox Escort; essentially this is a Classic SD with no scissors, but just the screwdriver/File and small blade:

Looks just like a Classic SD

... but no scissors

it still has the standard scale tools; the tooth pick and the tweezers.  I like this little one a lot, and might swap my Classic SD for this as I don't use the scissors at all really.

The supplier for this knife was VGA international, a store based in France.  This model of SAK is hard to find in the US.  But the kind souls at VGA also shipped this nice sleeve with the knife.

Now where can I get more of those sleeves from as I really like the way that fits.

My Daily Carry

I focus on the collections mostly, but I also carry and use tools, especially knives frequently.  I thought in this post I would detail what I keep for carry and EDC.

From left to right, we have a Thorfire PF01 mini flashlight, a Victorinox Classic SD in red and translucent ruby, a Kershaw Chill 3410 and the Victorinox hunter pro in a very fetching red.

Generally speaking I carry the Kershaw when I am out and about, but the two Classic SDs are what I use around the house, mostly for the scale tools.  If I need anything hefty I can carry the Hunter Pro but I tend not to due to its size.

I still raid the collection from time to time to find a carry knife, in much the same way my wife looks and the weather and decides what handbag to carry :)   There is a Buck Apex, CRKT CEO and of course the SAKs that i enjoy carrying.

I am less of a flashlight geek than I am a knife geek so for me the Thorfire does what I need it to.  It runs on a single AAA and I just need it for occasional light when I don't want to use my cell phone, which of course has a perfectly good LED light.

So that is the current EDC set up.  It does tend to vary over time so when I make a drastic change, I will push out another post just to update you.

Other small SAK tools.

One of the small additional tools that I noticed was available for the SAKs a few years back was the small screw driver that would fit into the corkscrew tool.  Now I have never used a SAK to open a bottle of wine, and the corkscrew seems to have limited use for me.  But adding a screwdriver to it is a great idea.

This is small flat head, just right for adjusting glasses for instance.

This one does not fit all that well:

I saw recently on Amazon that Victorinox have released a new batch of corkscrew tools

Hard to see in this photo, too much reflection

I especially like the idea of the SIM card tool. For a traveller, this is ideal.

The kit comprised a flat head driver, Philips driver, Torx driver and a SIM tool.  I can see all sorts of uses for all of these tools but as I mentioned above, the SIM tool could be a great addition to any travel kit.  Now if I can find a airport friendly medium sized SAK with a corkscrew.