sm
member
It is said the SAK Classic is the most popular knife made and large quantities are produced.
Why?
Allow me to back up for the younger folks.
When I was growing up, motor vehicles did not have seat belts, one rarely locked their door, and if they did they did so with a Skeleton Key they paid 5 cents at the "5 & 10" store.
These keys came in two configurations or shapes if you will, and your key fit your neighbors door, or most anyone else's.
Motor vehicles had the ignition switch on the dash, and most folks just left the ignition set to "on". Just get the vehicle, turn the switch to start.
Some left the key in the ignition, or set of keys in the ignition because they did not the keys for house, and it was not for the car, instead they knew where the keys were for the safety deposit box, or private mail box at the post office.
Just easier to leave the keys in the vehicle to keep up with them.
Another neat thing was Free advertising knives.
Oh boy oh boy!
For a kid this was great, and adults were worse as kids about these small knives given out free by Feed & Seed Companies like Purina.
Stores from Auto Parts, Paint, Hardware stores had them too.
Businesses from banks, insurance companies and whatever else one can think of , had a free knife with logo and advertising.
Small knives on a beaded key chain, with carbon steel blades that were sharp!
Some were really small, with one blade, others were a bit bigger with a pen blade and nail file, and some had a main blade, nail file and a pair of scissors.
Everyone had some, and not only carried them, they had them in vehicles, at the offices, and stashed all throughout the house, barn, sheds and on tractors and ....
Handiest darn things you ever did see.
Folks always had a thin sharp blade at least, and with nail file and scissors they were well equipped.
I do not remember seeing a SAK of any kind until sometime later in life, and I want to say it was after I graduated High School in 1973.
We had these advertising knives and we had our traditional pocket knives and fixed knives.
So for me, this SAK Classic is nothing more than a Free Advertising knife of yesteryear that costs $7 and up now.
Price of inflation I suppose, Free is $7 in today's economy...
Still for Free even if "free" starts at $7 one cannot afford to not have one.
A little bit of sharp steel is all one needs sometimes...
So there I am around 1975 best guess and I have this souvenir knife , free, from Vicksburg, Mississippi, with a rebel flag in my pocket.
Carbon steel pen blade, nail file, and scissors.
I am tossed my set of keys to a Shotgun Club and there is this red knife on it.
It had a Cross on it, that is all it had.
Mine at least had "Vicksburg, Miss" with a Rebel Flag, and being a Southern Boy, this was just up my alley along with other Southern knives.
The one from Texas had both a Rebel Flag and Lone Star flag...
This damn thing with my new set of keys didn't have anything on it but a Cross.
"What the hell is this?" - I asked.
"They call 'em Swiss Ar-mee knives", said the gal that tossed this to me.
"Oh, them blades made of stainless, so they ain't gonna take a patina either" - she added.
"Then what the hell good is it?" - I shot back, heading out to see if my keys opened the trap houses and other things.
I admit, I took if off my keys and tossed into a range bag.
Red plastic handles, and back then these did not have a toothpick or tweezers, but did have a screw in the scissors.
At least they got that part right...
My other small advertising knives, like the one from Vicksburg, had a wood handle.
Texas had stag bone looking one, most likely Delrin.
I mean I could accept the plastic advertising knives that looked white, yellow or something, but a smooth plastic red handle?
Come on now!
Still a little bit of sharp steel is all one needs, and as time passed and the Free Advertising knives went out of fashion, the SAK Classic gained some popularity with folks.
We still did not do other SAKs in my area, we had our Hen & Roosters, Case, Boker, Old Timers and the like.
WE set back our Advertising knives as collectibles of a time going by.
Danged old progress.
Back in the day, one was not dressed without a knife on person.
Boys, girls, ladies and gents - all carried a knife .
We kids took knives to school, and by golly that knife better be sharp, and pivots oiled if the teacher, any teacher, or Principal, even school nurse asked to see it.
We sharpened pencils and did all sorts of stuff in school with ours.
Adults used them at work, home, dealing with babies and kids.
One was not dressed without a knife.
Farmers, ranchers, shop keepers, bankers...
Today, we have restrictions.
A kid cannot take a knife to school.
Some adults cannot take a knife to work, and if they do , it has to be a small knife, under 3" closed, that does not lock.
SAK Classic now comes in all sorts of colors, and even aluminum and Sterling Silver.
It cuts.
A knife is supposed to cut, and I will admit, these knives come of the box ready to cut.
They quit doing screws in the scissors, and added a tooth pick and tweezer.
Being honest, I sorta prefer the green aluminum one I had, without tooth pick and tweezer.
These are handy, even in settings where one is restricted.
Stayglow , has become a real interesting safety tool.
One of the kids I know was collecting SAK Classic and got a Stayglow.
Now the backdoor in the kitchen has a deadbolt, and the key stays in the lock when folks are home, and removed when they leave.
Well with fire safety lessons and all, she wanted a reflective key fob, and got one to put on it.
Messing with her new StayGlow, she slipped it on that key ring, and flipped off the lights.
Mom was called in to look and "honey, what is that?"
Daughter explained that it was her new StayGlow SAK Classic, and if they had a emergency, and had to run out the back, they could see the key easy in the dark - and have a knife.
Pretty darn smart.
Her grandpa got her a gift certificate and she ordered some more and now there are StayGlow SAK Classics in all sorts of places, on key rings, and pull chains for attic lights to spare keys to in the glove boxes in vehicles.
She got her aunt and uncle one for their back door, her best friend at school, even the darn dawg wears on his collar out for a walk at night...pretty cute, and funny, still a safe idea.
No, the SAK is not free, unless someone gives you one, then again these do make a great gift for others.
They will fool one as to how much they can handle, just being handy.
Open crackers, a mustard pack, a kid's toy, a music CD, open boxes, cut a loose thread , even for sewing a new button on...
That glow on a set of keys when the smoke alarm goes off in the wee hours....
Steve
Why?
Allow me to back up for the younger folks.
When I was growing up, motor vehicles did not have seat belts, one rarely locked their door, and if they did they did so with a Skeleton Key they paid 5 cents at the "5 & 10" store.
These keys came in two configurations or shapes if you will, and your key fit your neighbors door, or most anyone else's.
Motor vehicles had the ignition switch on the dash, and most folks just left the ignition set to "on". Just get the vehicle, turn the switch to start.
Some left the key in the ignition, or set of keys in the ignition because they did not the keys for house, and it was not for the car, instead they knew where the keys were for the safety deposit box, or private mail box at the post office.
Just easier to leave the keys in the vehicle to keep up with them.
Another neat thing was Free advertising knives.
Oh boy oh boy!
For a kid this was great, and adults were worse as kids about these small knives given out free by Feed & Seed Companies like Purina.
Stores from Auto Parts, Paint, Hardware stores had them too.
Businesses from banks, insurance companies and whatever else one can think of , had a free knife with logo and advertising.
Small knives on a beaded key chain, with carbon steel blades that were sharp!
Some were really small, with one blade, others were a bit bigger with a pen blade and nail file, and some had a main blade, nail file and a pair of scissors.
Everyone had some, and not only carried them, they had them in vehicles, at the offices, and stashed all throughout the house, barn, sheds and on tractors and ....
Handiest darn things you ever did see.
Folks always had a thin sharp blade at least, and with nail file and scissors they were well equipped.
I do not remember seeing a SAK of any kind until sometime later in life, and I want to say it was after I graduated High School in 1973.
We had these advertising knives and we had our traditional pocket knives and fixed knives.
So for me, this SAK Classic is nothing more than a Free Advertising knife of yesteryear that costs $7 and up now.
Price of inflation I suppose, Free is $7 in today's economy...
Still for Free even if "free" starts at $7 one cannot afford to not have one.
A little bit of sharp steel is all one needs sometimes...
So there I am around 1975 best guess and I have this souvenir knife , free, from Vicksburg, Mississippi, with a rebel flag in my pocket.
Carbon steel pen blade, nail file, and scissors.
I am tossed my set of keys to a Shotgun Club and there is this red knife on it.
It had a Cross on it, that is all it had.
Mine at least had "Vicksburg, Miss" with a Rebel Flag, and being a Southern Boy, this was just up my alley along with other Southern knives.
The one from Texas had both a Rebel Flag and Lone Star flag...
This damn thing with my new set of keys didn't have anything on it but a Cross.
"What the hell is this?" - I asked.
"They call 'em Swiss Ar-mee knives", said the gal that tossed this to me.
"Oh, them blades made of stainless, so they ain't gonna take a patina either" - she added.
"Then what the hell good is it?" - I shot back, heading out to see if my keys opened the trap houses and other things.
I admit, I took if off my keys and tossed into a range bag.
Red plastic handles, and back then these did not have a toothpick or tweezers, but did have a screw in the scissors.
At least they got that part right...
My other small advertising knives, like the one from Vicksburg, had a wood handle.
Texas had stag bone looking one, most likely Delrin.
I mean I could accept the plastic advertising knives that looked white, yellow or something, but a smooth plastic red handle?
Come on now!
Still a little bit of sharp steel is all one needs, and as time passed and the Free Advertising knives went out of fashion, the SAK Classic gained some popularity with folks.
We still did not do other SAKs in my area, we had our Hen & Roosters, Case, Boker, Old Timers and the like.
WE set back our Advertising knives as collectibles of a time going by.
Danged old progress.
Back in the day, one was not dressed without a knife on person.
Boys, girls, ladies and gents - all carried a knife .
We kids took knives to school, and by golly that knife better be sharp, and pivots oiled if the teacher, any teacher, or Principal, even school nurse asked to see it.
We sharpened pencils and did all sorts of stuff in school with ours.
Adults used them at work, home, dealing with babies and kids.
One was not dressed without a knife.
Farmers, ranchers, shop keepers, bankers...
Today, we have restrictions.
A kid cannot take a knife to school.
Some adults cannot take a knife to work, and if they do , it has to be a small knife, under 3" closed, that does not lock.
SAK Classic now comes in all sorts of colors, and even aluminum and Sterling Silver.
It cuts.
A knife is supposed to cut, and I will admit, these knives come of the box ready to cut.
They quit doing screws in the scissors, and added a tooth pick and tweezer.
Being honest, I sorta prefer the green aluminum one I had, without tooth pick and tweezer.
These are handy, even in settings where one is restricted.
Stayglow , has become a real interesting safety tool.
One of the kids I know was collecting SAK Classic and got a Stayglow.
Now the backdoor in the kitchen has a deadbolt, and the key stays in the lock when folks are home, and removed when they leave.
Well with fire safety lessons and all, she wanted a reflective key fob, and got one to put on it.
Messing with her new StayGlow, she slipped it on that key ring, and flipped off the lights.
Mom was called in to look and "honey, what is that?"
Daughter explained that it was her new StayGlow SAK Classic, and if they had a emergency, and had to run out the back, they could see the key easy in the dark - and have a knife.
Pretty darn smart.
Her grandpa got her a gift certificate and she ordered some more and now there are StayGlow SAK Classics in all sorts of places, on key rings, and pull chains for attic lights to spare keys to in the glove boxes in vehicles.
She got her aunt and uncle one for their back door, her best friend at school, even the darn dawg wears on his collar out for a walk at night...pretty cute, and funny, still a safe idea.
No, the SAK is not free, unless someone gives you one, then again these do make a great gift for others.
They will fool one as to how much they can handle, just being handy.
Open crackers, a mustard pack, a kid's toy, a music CD, open boxes, cut a loose thread , even for sewing a new button on...
That glow on a set of keys when the smoke alarm goes off in the wee hours....
Steve