Swiss Army Knife?

I was going to get a Swiss Army Knife and I was wondering what type would be best like a spartan or something?

Comments

[yokozuna]

I would suggest the name brand knives.  There are a ton of models to suit your specific needs.

[dkop1]

I personally am I big fan of the Climber, Hiker, and Classic SAK's. The Cadet and Recruit aren't bad either, but I like to have more tools. In the outdoors, I like the Hiker or Climber best, and I'm always accompanied by my Leatherman CORE. I like swiss army and all, but my leatherman I feel is more suited to the abuse I put my tools to. However, the SAK has it's place as a good tool for someone who doesn't beat their equipment. (which I think most people try to avoid abusing their tools.) Their also nice to have in you pocket for easy carrying and quick access, and are nice for finer work. For the handyman/DIYer/maker, a swiss army knife I think would do fine. I still like my plier based tools, so I like my leatherman. I would like to have a swisstool, but don't have the funds quite yet.

[acidbass]

 coldsteel is the best  but spartan and swiss are good also

[Pinkly]

Cold Steel does not make Swiss Army knives or multi-tools of any kind. Swiss is not a brand. Spartan is a model. Victorinox and Wenger make the only real Swiss Army knives. The rest are China-made knockoffs. Bad ones.

[RavingMadStudios]

Unless you actually need the toothpick and tweezers, I'd go with a Leatherman.

[Pinkly]

Or a SwissTool, or a SOG or a Gerber...
Leatherman's not the only pliers-based multi-tool in town anymore.

[Re-design]

The best one for you is the one that you can afford to buy that has what you want on it and that you don't mind lugging around.  Some of them are quite large and heavy and I would only have them in a tool box.

[orksecurity]

+1. What features do you actually _NEED_? That will drive what model you want.

For example, I can't live without the saw blade and screwdriver and awl, but have no use for a corkscrew and little use for a bottlecap lifter.

Also remember that this is not the last tool you will ever buy. It doesn't have to do everything; it just has to do the things you expect to need soon and/or unexpectedly (if that isn't a paradox). You will eventually lose it and replace it; at that time your experience with this one will help you select your next.

Whatever you get, get the highest quality you can afford, not a low-budget knockoff. Good tools may not automatically make you a better craftsman, but bad tools will automatically make you worse.

[caarntedd]

++1.......BTW.... little use for a bottlecap lifter????

[orksecurity]

Yep. I actually use the corkscrew more often than the churchkey.

Most of the caps I run into these days are twist-off. Or I'm in a situation where I can do the traditional workman's approach to opening the bottle. (Hang edge of cap on edge of a board, pull downward, strike sharply downward; cap digs in and flips off. Be careful when doing this; occasionally the glass will chip, in which case you obviously discard that bottle and try again.)

Besides, I don't much like what Americans call beer, and soda mostly comes in cans these days.

[Pinkly]

FWIW, the bottle opener is also a screwdriver on every SAK I've ever owned or seen.

[caarntedd]

Yeah, I've done the same thing. Put the massive thousand use multitool that is too heavy to carry on the belt in the tool box...........with the rest of my hand tools  that perform the same tasks, only better. Live and learn.

Don't get fooled into buying something that has a tool for every single task you can think of, because you will lug it around and never ues it to it's full potential.
A good blade, flat and phillips screwdrivers, pliers/wirestripper, holepunch/awl. You can do pretty much anything with this stuff. The saw/file combo is only good for tiny jobs and won't see much use.

Improvise, adapt and overcome.

[blkhawk]

Swiss Army Knives are an excellent choice! My first knife I got was a Swiss Army one when I was 13 years old. I used it every time we went out camping, fishing, to the beach or picnicking.  With so many choices just pick the one that is right for you. It is a great investment.