Yeah, but could potentially have many uses as a long, non-sharp straight edged proddy type tool though - I’ve seen a few videos on RUclips where folks have come up with some novel uses for it! Scaling fish is something I’m personally highly unlikely to ever do with it though! 🤷♂️
I also own seversl saks and am a fan of the inline phillips. The spartan lite is the slimest model that comes with inline phillips. 3 layers. Of course also the yeoman, but that is hard to find. I recently bought one...like it very much
Ah the Spartan Lite! Forgot about that one! I’d love a Yeoman - have actually just had someone ale me a “Yeoman Mechanic” & that is just about perfect for me as an urban edc 👍👌
The Explorer is a great urban tool...the Huntsman is the country-rural equivalent...If you want to be fully equipped, the Swisschamp will meet your needs, regardless of the "bulk"....personally, I like the minichamp....the Handyman would be perfect for those who do not wish to carry a Swisschamp...however, it lacks an in-line Phillips....if it had one, it would be perfect...Good video! 😊
Yeah, love the Huntsman for in the woods! I had a Handyman but sent that one back exactly because it lacks the Phillips: if you’re going for a bigger model might as well get the Champ and have the Phillips, I say 👍 Personally I prefer the Manager over the Minichamp but I know the Minichamp has tons of fans! Thank you for commenting 🙂
@@The-Homecook-0000yeah the Compact is a good choice for general edc I think: my perfect general edc would take the Compact and add the Phillips and the Pliers 👍 Wouldn’t be nearly as ‘compact’ then though would it!? lol 🤷♂️ Thank you for commenting 🙂
If the Handyman had the inline Phillips it would be about 2mm thinner than the Swisschamp, and if I got one I'd suddenly find myself with a bunch of fish I need to scale knowing my luck. In all seriousness though the fish scaler is a handy little prodding implement and can be used as a fork in a pinch.
Right there with you! I carried the Manager for years. Love that thing. And I much prefer the in-line Phillips to the back-layer Phillips. Great trick with the paper clip BTW! Would a safety pin work there too? I vacillate between four SAKs for EDC: Pioneer X if I want something thin. Otherwise: Leatherman Free T4, Modeler Plus (Explorer + file & plus scales) and a custom Cyber Companion (Cybertool layer added to Companion). My EDC pocket priorities in order are 1) blade, 2) scissors, T3) file, T3) screwdrivers distantly followed by 5) pliers, 6) saw. The Free T4, Modeler Plus and Cyber Companion are all about the same size and weight. Each is great in its own right. I carry the Cyber Companion the most during the day. The Modeler Plus the most at night (mag glass comes in handy at some restaurants). To each Victorinox, I have attached a Skilhunt EK1 high CRI flashlight. I have a nice Handyman (Climber + pliers, file & saw) which clocks in a little wider at 28mm width (compared to 25mm above) and heavier at 5.5 oz (compared to 4.3 oz above). The Handyman is getting a little weighty and bulky for the sake of "tweezer" pliers. At that size and weight, if I want pliers and a saw I'd rather carry a Spirit MX Clip (7.6 oz).
Thank you for commenting 🙂 Yes, a safety pin fits in that position behind the corkscrew as well - I just prefer the paper lip as I always already have a pin in the little slot 👍 Sounds like you have some great tools/system there! I always change around what I carry depending on what I think I’ll be doing on any given day Must say, I sent my Handyman back: I figured if you’re going bigger then just use the Swiss Champ, then you get that great Phillips driver too 👍
I think it’s perfect ! I have this in yellow with the plus scales and it’s very none threatening I took this out in London to cut my side nail with the scissors back in the summer in front of a large crowd and no one cared whatsoever
Yes its great that this knife doesn’t generally raise eyebrows here in the uk, although someone did give me a look like I was a psycho freak when I pulled out a SAK Compact at work a few weeks ago, so, Jeez, I suppose you’ll always get that response from some people in this modern world… ugh! 🤦 But yeah, Explorer is a great model! And I really like the yellow scales! 👍👌🍌
My very first knife was my dad's old Spartan. My hands grew around that thing, so for me, anything over three layers feels like too much, and honestly three is pushing it already unless it has the slimmer alox scales. If I need as much as all this, I'm just going to bring my Leatherman, and in particular if I anticipate needing a magnifying glass, I'm just going to put a lupe on a string around my neck. +1 on the Victorinox scissors. Unparalleled. I've been tempted more than once to replace my Leatherman with a Swisstool for that very reason.
I picked one up because I found it for £25 and people like it, but I can't really find a situation in which I would carry it instead of the Tinker Deluxe. (The Explorer Philips is better, but I love the mini pliers.)
Yes I *think* I prefer the Deluxe Tinker but that backside Phillips is far inferior to the inline on the Explorer! Ha - I actually gouged my finger just last week using the backside Phillips when it slipped on me - ouch! Could’ve also happened with the inline Phillips though I suppose... I’ve just had someone make me a “Yeoman Mechanic” & that is just about my perfect urban edc! 👍
But that's just the problem isn't it? Every Swiss Army knife is perfect if only it just had one more tool, so you upgrade and upgrade until you get to the champ. I currently EDC a Ranger because I love to have the saw, pliers and scissors but if only it had that inline Philips... I suppose that working your way up to the champ would accustom one to an increasingly larger knife and by doing so it may not feel so bulky. Regrettably, my Champ was the second Swiss Army knife I ever acquired and it took me years to fall in love with it.
@@FiveRustyNails yeah… just one more SAK… & then one more… and so on and on! 🤷♂️🤪😖 I am really liking the Swiss Champ but still prefer something slimmer for my day-job clothes. I’ve found a model called the Yeoman Mechanic on Google - that’d be my ideal for general edc I think, but rare as hen’s teeth… think it might be time for me to start having a go at some modding rather than pay through the teeth for someone to build me one 👍 Hope you’re well, & merry Christmas to you! 🙂
Torx and hex are definitely becoming more common now aren’t they, but for general use on an edc item, Phillips are still more likely to be encountered I think. 🤷♂️✌️
I like the explorer and did carry it for months . The compact is still the goat but....swiss mini champ in alox is in my pocket now also try the leather squirt ps4 pliers that are comparable to the deluxe and scissors,file , small slotted ,knife blade . Swiss champ in alox for the win though.
@@solomonkane408 I do also love the Compact! Have a couple of Squirt PS4s as well which are really great - I do wish Leatherman would flippin’ stop discontinuing all my favourite models from them… (RIP juice S2 as well - that’s also a fantastic tool) 😤😢
Decisions, decisions. As you say, it's always a compromise with these SAKs. These last few months, my EDC consists of a Minichamp in my fifth jeans pocket (or right pocket if I wear a suit) and the Ranger on a suspension clip in the left pocket. If I'm on the go with my backpack, I do not pack the ranger, because I always carry the Swisschamp in my backpack. For me, the combination of the small and large SAK is perfect. I, too, was someone who worried about bulk in the beginning, but I do not even really notice the Ranger on the clip by now. I believe it's largely a non-issue and there are no real reasons not to pack a capable tool like the Ranger, the Explorer or the Deluxe Tinker. I chose the Ranger over the Explorer (which I also own and EDC'd beforehand) because I believe the file/metal saw to be a more useful addition than the inline screwdriver - the can opener can manage most screws and for smaller screws, there's always the driver on the Minichamp.
I’d always backed away from larger SAKs until quite recently but you’re quite right, they’re hardly massive items to haul around are they! Especially compared to some of the larger Leatherman tools or suchlike. I think the combo of a 58mm and a larger SAK is probably the optimum choice. I do really love the little Phillips on the 58mm models - has opened hundreds of battery compartments on kids toys, etc. over the years - great for fitting in places other Phillips heads can’t 👍
Love mine, picked it up at a car boot for 5 quid. Have a victorinox pouch to carry it in to save my pockets. As you say, Philips driver is brilliant. Use the magnifier regularly as my eyes are shot. Great knife.
Just imagine this model: Blade + Cap lifter layer (like. Waiter) + Scissors layer + Pliers layer + Philips Driver layer. ( I honestly wrote this comment before you got to it in the video :D )
Ha - yes I *think* that’s exactly what I’d go for! The combo tool is inferior to the separate opener layer but it saves lots of space and is still pretty useful so I’d settle for that over the separate layer on such a knife. Think I might have to look around at the price of getting one made like this. Thank you for commenting! 👍👍👍
@@lmbraga been having a Google, and this was a very limited model called the Yeoman Mechanic!! As rare as hen’s teeth by the look of things! Yup, that’d be the perfect edc SAK for me! Let’s all write to Victorinox to request they produce it! 🙏🤘🤞
@@jamesconroy7030 aye, phone’s camera is great/better for zooming in. The mag glass is always on that inline Phillips layer so it’s just something you have to accept and/or embrace with those tools that have it. 🤷♂️
That's a weird coincidence, about the same time you uploaded this, Slipjoint Sawyer replied to my comment on his Explorer vid, trying to encourage me to get this, terrible enabling behaviour only too typical of all of us SAK addicts. At the moment I'm sat here with the Farmer X and Knipex Cobra XS in my pocket, alongside a Sealey mini ratchet with a small selection of bits, because I always feel faintly uneasy if I don't have the ability to handle recessed Phillips screws which are beyond the reach of the can opener on my SAKs. I often carry the Climber with my Knipex and with that too because of this irrational yet nagging sense of being not adequately prepared, I often add the ratchet or the small Wera driver handle just in case. Please respond telling me I have no need for the Explorer, I must not relapse. Actually I've looked at the Deluxe Tinker too as well as the Explorer and found myself also thinking that a 5 layer with both the inline SD and pliers would be perfect but then it would be pretty much as big as the Swisschamp.
Ha ha ha, well, it sounds to me like you almost certainly DO need an Explorer, then you can leave the extra driver kit behind in general everyday situations, thus saving you weight and bulk, thus in turn making your life better! 🤣😉 Seriously though, it’s IS a really good option for edc, and I think more SAKs should have this Phillips driver on them. 👍 Good luck with the addiction!! 🫡
Also, the Swiss Champ is 7 layers, so 5 layers would feel considerably less bulky, BUT the Champ really doesn’t feel overly big imho - is a great tool that makes me feel like I’m prepared for every eventuality. Absolute steal from Millets in the uk if you local store has one at £59, as priced online with them! The Cybertool M is also an excellent choice though: that bit driver and incorporated bit holder is really cool. There’s just soooo many options with SAKs isn’t there! 😩👍
Just discovered your channel and love your sensibilities and thought process. I agree with you! Cheers from America. New subscriber
Why thank you kindly!! 🫡👍
If the Swiss champ got rid of the fish scaler I think that would be perfect
Yeah, but could potentially have many uses as a long, non-sharp straight edged proddy type tool though - I’ve seen a few videos on RUclips where folks have come up with some novel uses for it! Scaling fish is something I’m personally highly unlikely to ever do with it though! 🤷♂️
I also own seversl saks and am a fan of the inline phillips. The spartan lite is the slimest model that comes with inline phillips. 3 layers. Of course also the yeoman, but that is hard to find.
I recently bought one...like it very much
Ah the Spartan Lite! Forgot about that one! I’d love a Yeoman - have actually just had someone ale me a “Yeoman Mechanic” & that is just about perfect for me as an urban edc 👍👌
Thanks for the paper clip idea 👍 when you become an old codger with fading sight you will appreciate
the magnifying lens.
@@hitchpost5822 ha ha, ah thanks for commenting.
The Explorer is a great urban tool...the Huntsman is the country-rural equivalent...If you want to be fully equipped, the Swisschamp will meet your needs, regardless of the "bulk"....personally, I like the minichamp....the Handyman would be perfect for those who do not wish to carry a Swisschamp...however, it lacks an in-line Phillips....if it had one, it would be perfect...Good video! 😊
I love the compact
Thanks very much😊 Yeah the Explorer is a very good one imho 👍
Yeah, love the Huntsman for in the woods! I had a Handyman but sent that one back exactly because it lacks the Phillips: if you’re going for a bigger model might as well get the Champ and have the Phillips, I say 👍
Personally I prefer the Manager over the Minichamp but I know the Minichamp has tons of fans! Thank you for commenting 🙂
@@The-Homecook-0000yeah the Compact is a good choice for general edc I think: my perfect general edc would take the Compact and add the Phillips and the Pliers 👍 Wouldn’t be nearly as ‘compact’ then though would it!? lol 🤷♂️
Thank you for commenting 🙂
If the Handyman had the inline Phillips it would be about 2mm thinner than the Swisschamp, and if I got one I'd suddenly find myself with a bunch of fish I need to scale knowing my luck. In all seriousness though the fish scaler is a handy little prodding implement and can be used as a fork in a pinch.
Right there with you! I carried the Manager for years. Love that thing. And I much prefer the in-line Phillips to the back-layer Phillips.
Great trick with the paper clip BTW! Would a safety pin work there too?
I vacillate between four SAKs for EDC: Pioneer X if I want something thin. Otherwise: Leatherman Free T4, Modeler Plus (Explorer + file & plus scales) and a custom Cyber Companion (Cybertool layer added to Companion). My EDC pocket priorities in order are 1) blade, 2) scissors, T3) file, T3) screwdrivers distantly followed by 5) pliers, 6) saw. The Free T4, Modeler Plus and Cyber Companion are all about the same size and weight. Each is great in its own right. I carry the Cyber Companion the most during the day. The Modeler Plus the most at night (mag glass comes in handy at some restaurants). To each Victorinox, I have attached a Skilhunt EK1 high CRI flashlight.
I have a nice Handyman (Climber + pliers, file & saw) which clocks in a little wider at 28mm width (compared to 25mm above) and heavier at 5.5 oz (compared to 4.3 oz above). The Handyman is getting a little weighty and bulky for the sake of "tweezer" pliers. At that size and weight, if I want pliers and a saw I'd rather carry a Spirit MX Clip (7.6 oz).
Thank you for commenting 🙂 Yes, a safety pin fits in that position behind the corkscrew as well - I just prefer the paper lip as I always already have a pin in the little slot 👍
Sounds like you have some great tools/system there! I always change around what I carry depending on what I think I’ll be doing on any given day
Must say, I sent my Handyman back: I figured if you’re going bigger then just use the Swiss Champ, then you get that great Phillips driver too 👍
I think it’s perfect ! I have this in yellow with the plus scales and it’s very none threatening I took this out in London to cut my side nail with the scissors back in the summer in front of a large crowd and no one cared whatsoever
Yes its great that this knife doesn’t generally raise eyebrows here in the uk, although someone did give me a look like I was a psycho freak when I pulled out a SAK Compact at work a few weeks ago, so, Jeez, I suppose you’ll always get that response from some people in this modern world… ugh! 🤦
But yeah, Explorer is a great model! And I really like the yellow scales! 👍👌🍌
I carry a 4 layer Mountaineer and love it.
My very first knife was my dad's old Spartan. My hands grew around that thing, so for me, anything over three layers feels like too much, and honestly three is pushing it already unless it has the slimmer alox scales. If I need as much as all this, I'm just going to bring my Leatherman, and in particular if I anticipate needing a magnifying glass, I'm just going to put a lupe on a string around my neck.
+1 on the Victorinox scissors. Unparalleled. I've been tempted more than once to replace my Leatherman with a Swisstool for that very reason.
I picked one up because I found it for £25 and people like it, but I can't really find a situation in which I would carry it instead of the Tinker Deluxe. (The Explorer Philips is better, but I love the mini pliers.)
Yes I *think* I prefer the Deluxe Tinker but that backside Phillips is far inferior to the inline on the Explorer! Ha - I actually gouged my finger just last week using the backside Phillips when it slipped on me - ouch! Could’ve also happened with the inline Phillips though I suppose... I’ve just had someone make me a “Yeoman Mechanic” & that is just about my perfect urban edc! 👍
I just bought the compact, love it..
Yeah, the Compact is a great choice! I often carry one too 👍👍👍
But that's just the problem isn't it? Every Swiss Army knife is perfect if only it just had one more tool, so you upgrade and upgrade until you get to the champ. I currently EDC a Ranger because I love to have the saw, pliers and scissors but if only it had that inline Philips...
I suppose that working your way up to the champ would accustom one to an increasingly larger knife and by doing so it may not feel so bulky. Regrettably, my Champ was the second Swiss Army knife I ever acquired and it took me years to fall in love with it.
@@FiveRustyNails yeah… just one more SAK… & then one more… and so on and on! 🤷♂️🤪😖 I am really liking the Swiss Champ but still prefer something slimmer for my day-job clothes. I’ve found a model called the Yeoman Mechanic on Google - that’d be my ideal for general edc I think, but rare as hen’s teeth… think it might be time for me to start having a go at some modding rather than pay through the teeth for someone to build me one 👍
Hope you’re well, & merry Christmas to you! 🙂
I find myself surrounded by torx and hex screws. So I rarely get any use out of philips drivers.
Torx and hex are definitely becoming more common now aren’t they, but for general use on an edc item, Phillips are still more likely to be encountered I think. 🤷♂️✌️
I like the explorer and did carry it for months . The compact is still the goat but....swiss mini champ in alox is in my pocket now also try the leather squirt ps4 pliers that are comparable to the deluxe and scissors,file , small slotted ,knife blade . Swiss champ in alox for the win though.
@@solomonkane408 I do also love the Compact! Have a couple of Squirt PS4s as well which are really great - I do wish Leatherman would flippin’ stop discontinuing all my favourite models from them… (RIP juice S2 as well - that’s also a fantastic tool) 😤😢
Decisions, decisions. As you say, it's always a compromise with these SAKs. These last few months, my EDC consists of a Minichamp in my fifth jeans pocket (or right pocket if I wear a suit) and the Ranger on a suspension clip in the left pocket. If I'm on the go with my backpack, I do not pack the ranger, because I always carry the Swisschamp in my backpack. For me, the combination of the small and large SAK is perfect. I, too, was someone who worried about bulk in the beginning, but I do not even really notice the Ranger on the clip by now. I believe it's largely a non-issue and there are no real reasons not to pack a capable tool like the Ranger, the Explorer or the Deluxe Tinker. I chose the Ranger over the Explorer (which I also own and EDC'd beforehand) because I believe the file/metal saw to be a more useful addition than the inline screwdriver - the can opener can manage most screws and for smaller screws, there's always the driver on the Minichamp.
I’d always backed away from larger SAKs until quite recently but you’re quite right, they’re hardly massive items to haul around are they! Especially compared to some of the larger Leatherman tools or suchlike.
I think the combo of a 58mm and a larger SAK is probably the optimum choice. I do really love the little Phillips on the 58mm models - has opened hundreds of battery compartments on kids toys, etc. over the years - great for fitting in places other Phillips heads can’t 👍
Love mine, picked it up at a car boot for 5 quid. Have a victorinox pouch to carry it in to save my pockets. As you say, Philips driver is brilliant. Use the magnifier regularly as my eyes are shot. Great knife.
What about the cybertool m?
@@YudhishKs yeah Cybertool M is awesome too - did mention this in the video too. 👍👍
Just imagine this model: Blade + Cap lifter layer (like. Waiter) + Scissors layer + Pliers layer + Philips Driver layer. ( I honestly wrote this comment before you got to it in the video :D )
Ha - yes I *think* that’s exactly what I’d go for! The combo tool is inferior to the separate opener layer but it saves lots of space and is still pretty useful so I’d settle for that over the separate layer on such a knife. Think I might have to look around at the price of getting one made like this. Thank you for commenting! 👍👍👍
@@accoutrements4469 I've seen some custom knifes where they use the Alox Bantam combo tool, which is a little thicker.
@@lmbraga been having a Google, and this was a very limited model called the Yeoman Mechanic!! As rare as hen’s teeth by the look of things! Yup, that’d be the perfect edc SAK for me! Let’s all write to Victorinox to request they produce it! 🙏🤘🤞
for me the Tinker Deluxe is the perfect EDC
Deluxe tinker is fantastic! It’s *almost* perfect for me, I just don’t get on with that backside Phillips so much. 🤷♂️
Too bulky for me I don’t often need pliers often
@@grovesy333 the pliers layer is a thick one for sure if that’s a tool you don’t often use.
Victorinox Yeoman Mechanic is the perfect edc
@@tomaszdawidziuk8512 Yeoman Mechanic!!! Yes!! This is the model I want!! I wish they’d produce this as a standard model - perfect! 👌👌👌
The tiny magnifying lens is useless. Don't you already carry a smart phone with a camera? It works great.
@@jamesconroy7030 aye, phone’s camera is great/better for zooming in. The mag glass is always on that inline Phillips layer so it’s just something you have to accept and/or embrace with those tools that have it. 🤷♂️
That's a weird coincidence, about the same time you uploaded this, Slipjoint Sawyer replied to my comment on his Explorer vid, trying to encourage me to get this, terrible enabling behaviour only too typical of all of us SAK addicts.
At the moment I'm sat here with the Farmer X and Knipex Cobra XS in my pocket, alongside a Sealey mini ratchet with a small selection of bits, because I always feel faintly uneasy if I don't have the ability to handle recessed Phillips screws which are beyond the reach of the can opener on my SAKs.
I often carry the Climber with my Knipex and with that too because of this irrational yet nagging sense of being not adequately prepared, I often add the ratchet or the small Wera driver handle just in case.
Please respond telling me I have no need for the Explorer, I must not relapse.
Actually I've looked at the Deluxe Tinker too as well as the Explorer and found myself also thinking that a 5 layer with both the inline SD and pliers would be perfect but then it would be pretty much as big as the Swisschamp.
Ha ha ha, well, it sounds to me like you almost certainly DO need an Explorer, then you can leave the extra driver kit behind in general everyday situations, thus saving you weight and bulk, thus in turn making your life better! 🤣😉
Seriously though, it’s IS a really good option for edc, and I think more SAKs should have this Phillips driver on them. 👍
Good luck with the addiction!! 🫡
Also, the Swiss Champ is 7 layers, so 5 layers would feel considerably less bulky, BUT the Champ really doesn’t feel overly big imho - is a great tool that makes me feel like I’m prepared for every eventuality. Absolute steal from Millets in the uk if you local store has one at £59, as priced online with them! The Cybertool M is also an excellent choice though: that bit driver and incorporated bit holder is really cool. There’s just soooo many options with SAKs isn’t there! 😩👍
@@accoutrements4469That's a great price for the Champ, I bought mine online just over 2 years ago for £57 and that was a bargain then too.