Yes and I was not successful. The TSA at Ontario, CA, airport is now the proud owner of a Schrade multitool.
However, lessons that are as painful as that one was serve to prevent me from making the same mistake twice.
I have three Leathermans and two Victorinox Swiss Army knives (mid level models). The Leathermans would be useful if they didn’t sit in a drawer all the time. OTOH, I always have a a SAK on me and use it several times a day. The reason is the fit and finish of a SAK is infinitely superior to a Leatherman. They are smooth, nice to look at and open quite easily. I can drop it in my pocket and not even think about it again until I need it. Leathermans are not nice to look at, are not well-suited for pocket carry and are not as user friendly or polished as a SAK so it is almost never handy when I need it and that defeats the purpose. They are are the better choice for some specialized tasks but the SAK wins 99% of the time for my varied needs.
Lum! I’ve had one of these for over thirty years now, and never even knew it HAD the hook! I can actually think of times I’ve made a hook out of wire, when I had this in my pocket the whole time!
Sadly I’ve given up carrying one because I end up donating them too often. Airports, emergency rooms, concert doormen etc.
Super Tinker, $30US: http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Super-Tinker-Pocket/dp/B000MLU8PE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383780484&sr=8-1&keywords=super+tinker
Climber, for $26: http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Original-Swiss-Climber-Pocket/dp/B00004YVBA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1383780523&sr=8-4&keywords=victorinox+camper
I like those options because they have everything I want and nothing more.
I have actually used the hook a number of times although I agree it is the strangest and least used tool commonly included on them. There is a repair I have to do at work frequently that involves snagging the end of a small spring and stretching it back to where it should attach. It is in a small space so it is impossible to do without the right tool. The SAK hook is like a custom tool for the job. I think its official purpose is for helping to lace some type of military boot but it is also good for snagging and stretching other things so keep that in mind if you ever have a need to do that.
The corkscrew versus Phillips head screwdriver dilemma is the biggest reason I have two SAK’s that are only slightly different. The biggest difference is those features. I have needed both frequently (I once saved a two hundred person party when there wasn’t a corkscrew to be found but I had my SAK on me) and the Phillips head screwdriver has saved me more times than I can count. I wish they would make a mid-sized model that included both of those features but they typically occupy the same position on the bottom of the handle so they don’t. I would pay a lot of money for a custom designed one that included both of those features plus the other things I commonly use but no more.
Even some of the ones that don’t have a full Phillips head screwdriver can still turn Phillips head screws. Mine has a small flat blade that fits into Phillips head slots and will work just fine unless you need a lot of torque to turn it.
The Explorer does - and that’s why it’s my favorite.
Leatherman makes a pocket multitool, the Style PS, that is supposedly permitted in airports. It has scissors but no knife.
I tend to buy mine second hand off ebay, got a few nice ones at pretty cheap prices that way.
No, Victorinox Swiss Army knives about the best bang for the buck tools you can possibly own. An mid-range one costs $30 - $80 and lasts indefinitely as long as you you lose it or truly abuse it. That is just a few dollars a year for some serious utility and craftsmanship. I would rank mine as #3 in the ranks of things that I own just behind my SUV and home computer but above my cell phone.
I certainly don’t work for Victorinox and I am not associated with them but they make outstanding products. My main Swiss Army knife developed a small crack in the handle after 8 years of use. That is the week spot (the tools themselves will not break or rust unless you truly abuse them). I remembered it had a lifetime warranty so I looked up the address of their repair center in Connecticut and mailed it off along with $5 for return shipping. They took it apart, replaced any worn components including the scissor springs, sharpened it and sent it back in like new condition. You can’t beat that.
I was so impressed that I also bought two of Victorinox butcher knives even though I already had some very expensive kitchen knives. It has been the same thing. They are outstanding especially considering the reasonable price and I look at the others with complete contempt now.
You’re being a little too much of an SAK fanboy about this differential. I’ve owned and used a variety of knives and multi-tools including SAK and Leatherman among many others. The SAKs are perfectly fine, but they are not “infinitely superior” to a Leatherman in terms of fit and finish. The tools have somewhat different design philosophies, and while the Leatherman metal surfaces do not have the mirror bright finish of the SAKs you seem to find so appealing they are very well made tools.
Don’t buy knives from that site. It was linked for reference. They’re all available for much less elsewhere.
They are much better, but you asked about SAKs specifically. The Leatherman Wave is a great option, and it’s cheap.
Alternately you could just get a made-in-china knock off for $10 if price is a major concern. It won’t be as good, but it’ll work.
Victorinox
As opposed to MOST Leatherman-type tools, you can access the tools without opening the pliers.
I have carried an Explorer SAK for over 20 years, and have used every tool many times. Surprising how often the magnifying glass comes in handy.
Related–I hope not a hijack:
Why don’t all SAKs and Leatherman tools have locking blades? Would the locking mechanism mess up the design–making the tool too bulky, or force the removal of some of the other tools?
It might have something to do with the fact that a lot of countries don’t allow you to carry a knife with a locking blade in public. So Victorinox and Leatherman probably don’t want to lose a lot of customers.
Nope, can’t be. They are two different models. They both can’t have everything you want and nothing more, because I see they don’t have exactly the same tools.
Sure they can. If you need to open a bottle of wine, you pack one of them. If you don’t, you pack the other. Easy peasy.
I actually prefer Gerber multi-tools to Leatherman for that reason. With Gerber you also get the one-handed opening with just a flick of the wrist. As you say, I think on a SAK the locking mechanism would be too bulky/ugly. Maybe they could design one where just the big blade locks and have it come with 1 or 2 fewer tools.
This Gerber on Amazon shows the locking mechanism pretty well.