Victorinox SAKs

[daddyo]

Does anyone know where in the Nashville area I can find a good selection of Victorinox Swiss Army Knives other than Friedman's Army Navy Store? I went there at lunch today and was a little disappointed at their selection and their prices.

[Guest eyebedam]

Friedmans Sux... At 1 time they carried pretty decent stuff now it's almost all Chinese knockoffs & air soft. You can find a decent boot or carharts but you will pay a premium. Not really sure of anyone in town with a great selection. Maybe greens military? I know there's a knife shop in cookeville with a huge selection of knives but that's a bit of a drive.

[Moped]

If you get to Knoxville, go on over to Smoky Mountain Knife Works in Sevierville. They carry a HUGE SELECTION of both Victorinox and Wenger. You can also check them out online, by going to www.smkw.com and selecting BRAND in the upper left corner of your screen. Do you know what model you want? My personal favorite is the Farmer. http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/products/Victorinox%26reg%3B/Victorinox%C2%AE+Farmer%26%23153%3B+-+Silver+Alox/V53964.html

[daddyo]

Wasn't really looking for any one model in particular. I have a "camping" model and a "mechanic", which I am currently carrying along with my folder du jour. I wanted to see some single and double layer SAKs. Friedman's had a few, but not many.

I'll be going over to Gatlinburg/PF in the fall, but that's a long time to wait.

[Capbyrd]

I bought one of these from a store in Opry Mills a decade ago.

http://www.smkw.com/webapp/eCommerce/products/Victorinox%26reg%3B/Victorinox®+SwissChamp®+-+Red+Composition/V5069R.html

Don't remember who it was though.

[daddyo]

Shepherd Hills Cutlery used to be at Opry Mills. The Victorinox website lists them even though they chose not to reopen after the flood.

[Moped]

I'll be going over to Gatlinburg/PF in the fall, but that's a long time to wait.

I feel your pain!

[Shorty]

Oddly enough I've seen a few decent ones in the past at Target. I was kind of surprised when I saw them. Might be worth a shot if you can't find one anywhere else.

[hipower]

Like the guns at Walmart, ask the clerks, a fair selection can be ordered. Not as much as you'd like, I'm sure, but I talked to a sales associate who seemed to care about selling at a Nashville store last fall. Was told that a lot of inventory was available to them.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I bought one of these from a store in Opry Mills a decade ago.

http://www.smkw.com/...ion/V5069R.html

I got one of those maybe 20 years ago. Mine has identical tools and look, but the web picture looks "shorter" than mine. Mine looks a little skinnier, not so "chubby". Maybe the web picture has been distorted or maybe they have made a new model that is slightly shorter with all the same tools? Maybe its just an optical illusion bothering my bad eyes.

I bought mine at Ace Hardware. Haven't looked lately, but as best I know my local Ace still has a locked display case full of knives. Might be worth checking next time yer in Ace, just to see if they have one you like.

Anyway, have used it quite a bit and it is still in excellent shape. I really enjoy that SAK and have repaired lots of electrical sockets and tightened lots of glasses frames, etc, with the tools in the knife. The only thing I've noticed that isn't a big knock, just something I noticed. Dunno much about knives. The victorinox blades are marked "stainless". The blades will take a pretty good edge and I suppose they hold the edge pretty good, but I've never succeeded in sharpening those swiss army stainless blades "razor sharp". They get sharp enough for most purposes, but not razor sharp. Perhaps someone with better skill could get em sharper.

OTOH I have a fairly old small made-in-usa Buck locking pocket knife that takes an edge easy. That Buck can be sharpened good enough to shave with. The old Buck blade is not silvery shiny and I guess it is carbon steel but haven't the foggiest clue about knives. Have noticed several stainless knives that seemed "impossible" to sharpen razor-sharp, but all except the victorinox were cheap walmart $5 chinese knives and multitools and so it might be a "chinese stainless" problem with those, rather than a generic "stainless" problem.

It can't be a generic problem with stainless though, because I have several of the Stainless blade and Aluminum handle older S&W SWAT lockers. I buy em when I see em cheap at gun shows because I just really appreciate the industrial design and appearance. I've bought several spotless used S&W Swats at gun shows only $15 to $25. Gave a few of the SWAT knives to nephews and friends. Anyway, those S&W Swat knives come in three sizes, either serrated or non-serrated and have what appears stainless blades. They take an edge easy and hold the edge a long time. You have to be careful when one of those is razor sharp because you could accidentally hurt yerself bad. Last year I was chipping two decades of paint off a picket fence and none of my paint scrapers were getting it done. I took one of the S&W Swats to the job and it made a wonderful paint scraper, and after hours digging paint out of nooks and crannies, the knife was none the worse for wear after a few strokes on the sharpening tool. Blade got a few scratches, but for the cost, heck a good paint scraper can cost $15.

[daddyo]

Stopped at the local Walmart this morning to look and see what they had. Nothing out in plain view, but they had the diagram on the top of the counter that included only 3 models of SAKs: Classic, Spartan, and one other (I already forgot).

I think I'll visit the local Target this afternoon to see if they have anything in stock.

Oh, and Lester, last night I got the SS blades on my Mechanic shaving sharp using my Lansky fine stone. Been entertaining myself today by cutting the corners off 8.5 x 11" sheets of paper.

[JAB]

I got my Victorinox SAK - The Tinker - at Walmart toward the end of last year. They had it on clearance because they had just gotten in Tinkers which came with a belt pouch. Mine didn't come with a belt pouch and, on clearance, I got it for (iirc) $17.

I was also going to suggest making a visit to Smoky Mountain Knife Works but figured that would be quite a drive, for you. It surely is a fun place to look around, though. I went there to pick up a Cold Steel neck knife so I wouldn't have to fool with trying to order it online, etc. Then, again, living just west of Knoxville it is only about an hour drive for me.

Is there still an Outdoor World/Bass Pro at Opry Mills? Do they have much of a SAK selection?

Edited March 22, 2012 by JAB

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Stopped at the local Walmart this morning to look and see what they had. Nothing out in plain view, but they had the diagram on the top of the counter that included only 3 models of SAKs: Classic, Spartan, and one other (I already forgot).

I think I'll visit the local Target this afternoon to see if they have anything in stock.

Oh, and Lester, last night I got the SS blades on my Mechanic shaving sharp using my Lansky fine stone. Been entertaining myself today by cutting the corners off 8.5 x 11" sheets of paper.

Thanks DaddyO. Maybe the steel formulation in my old SAK isn't as easy to sharpen, or alternately perhaps I just don't have the skill. Some blades are easy to sharpen though it is true I don't have skill at sharpening. Might try to remember to carry the old SAK to the next gun show and get if perfessionally sharpened, see if a pro can put a better edge on it.

You could call Ace hardware for kicks. Am guessing they would most likely want near-retail for a knife, but OTOH they may have stock. Think I recall seeing various SAKs in stock at the chatt Sportsmans Warehouse, if you have one of those local. At the time was paying closer attention to their various leathermans, which they seemed to have about the entire leatherman line and a whole bunch of gerbers in stock. As with Ace, probably wouldn't expect a drastically discounted price from Sportsmans.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[Guest Bowdenknxvll]

I would highly recommend any of the Alox knives. They hold up a little better in my experience.