-CIA Agent Jake Wade, from the James Bond film, "Tomorrow Never Dies"
If I could only have one knife, "to travel the world with" my choice:
The Victorinox "Farmer"
First Exposure:
I started on the road this knife as most people did when I was a Cub Scout in the very early '80s. I needed to carve a car for pack's the Pinewood Derby. The knife gives to me, for this task, was my grandfathers, as he had passed away about 5 years prior. He was an outdoors-man, a one-time lumberjack, and a carpenter. So having a pocket knife was a must.
As a Cub Scout, at the ripe ole' age of 9, I was to be trusted with a pocket knife of my very own!!!
I was taught safe use, sharpening and general care of the tool. I was also told (WARNED!!!), to never take it to school, or take it out to "show" friends. It was the first part of becoming a responsible person, by being trusted with something that could hurt, or kill, if miss used.
I've never violated that trust, I'm happy to say.
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| Imperial Kamp-King (Image from internet, Photographer Credit: Unknown, ) |
The knife I was given, was an Imperial "Kamp King", in which overall design, and manufacture, dated back to the 1950s, and was manufactured till the close of Imperial-Schrade in 2004. The knife, in general, is known as the "Boy Scout Pattern", has the requisite, spear point main blade, can opener, screwdriver/bottle top opener, and (leather) awl.
The very beginning:
This configuration was formalized by the Swiss Army in 1890, although the shapes of the implements have changed, the basic functions have remained more or less the same.
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| Swiss Army Knife "Soldier" Model of 1908 (Photo from Wikipedia, non-copyrighted photo | ) |
The famous Swiss Army Knife (SAK) was breed from the basic requirement that the Swiss soldier has at his disposal, a folding knife, a screwdriver to take down his Schmitt-Ruben rifle, a can opener for rations, and an awl to repair horse tack. All in one instrument.
The problem was that NO ONE MANUFACTURER, in Switzerland, had the manufacturing capacity to satisfy the military contract, when the winning design was settled upon. Thus the first year's production of the new knife was produced in Germany.
In 1891 Karl Elsner, who owned a surgical instrument manufacturing company, decided to try for the contract and won the bid. The problem was, even with his best efforts, his company still couldn't produce the knives in quantity, to satisfy the Swiss Armies fielding milestones.
As a result of a competing company named WENGER, emerged in 1893, that would be on Victorinox heels throughout the 20th century and was actively encouraged by the Swiss government to compete. This was done to keep the price per unit low, and to satisfy the French-speaking Jura region, to show that there was no "favoritism" in contract awards. Yet with Wenger, it added additional manufacturing capacity within the Swiss borders in case of war. As a result of ALL military contracts until the purchase of Wenger, by Victorinox in 2005, were divided between the two companies.
The Victorinox name would come about in the 1920s, as Karl Elsner renamed the company after his late mother Victoria (died in 1909), and combined with the fact the company was starting the production of knives in what we in North America refer to as Stainless Steel. But in Europe, it's called acier INOXydable steel (French in origin), or INOX for short. Hence Victoria+INOX=Victorinox.
The American twist on things:
About the same time in 1923, the first AMERICAN produced knives appeared, with the Swiss Army specified implements, and with the additional feature of the bottle cap opener, and a more streamlined shape, and appearance. It was produced by Remington Arms Company, as it went into the cutlery business from 1920-1939. It would produce the REMC4A. It was the first "Official" BSA knife, and it's the influence of it's implement design, and overall shape would be felt, in the U.S. Military's 20+ years later, and even "backwash" to Switzerland from which it was born.
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| The Remington REMC4A BSA Pocket knife (C. 1923) (Courtesy Mark McClurg and Scoutknives.net) |
Through the next generation of Scouts growing up using this indispensable tool, it's influence, was felt by the U.S. Military, as the former scouts became Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines. As the men carried their scouting knives in the field during WWII, it was realized such a useful knife should be available to all servicemen. By February of 1945, Camillus Cutlery and other contractors would churn out the first of hundreds of thousands of such knives, until it's closure in 2007.
The US Pocket knife is short on ergonomics but is built Hell for Stout, including 100% stainless construction throughout, including the pins. It features a large bail for going over you miss tin handle with your knife, spoon, and fork so it can go into the heated wash, and rise water bins at the mess tent.
Even though it got the name "Demo" (demolitions) knife, some say because its stainless construction prevented it from triggering magnetic triggered mines, which was false. Others because it was standard issue in the demolition technicians tool kit. The fact was, if your specialty required for one reason, or another, to needing the use of a pocket knife, this was the one issued.
The evolution:
By 1961 the Swiss military asked for and got a major makeover of their "Solider" knife, and it looks very familiar. Victorinox and Wenger, produced the revamped "Solider" from 1961 to 2008, for the Swiss Military, military export contracts, and commercial sales.
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| Victorinox "Soldier" (C. 1961-2008) Note the official Swiss Army shield logo is different than the commercial logos for Victorinox and Wenger |
It now had the familiar US contemporary styling, now sported Aluminum Oxide (AKA Aluminum) scales, again shortened to ALOX in Europe. The screwdriver now sported a bottle opener and an ever so simple wire-stripping notch. The can opener received what appears to a smaller standard screwdriver blade, but in fact, is smartly sized to work in Phillips screw in a 2-dimensional method. It has a civilian look-alike that is still produced called the "Pioneer".
To tell "Soldier" from a "Pioneer" the primary differences are:
The "Soldier" has the last two digits of the year it was produced, is struck, at the base of the Main Blade.(i.e, 84 = 1984 ) None will have been stamped past 08 (2008)
The Soldier has the official round bottom shield emblem of the Swiss Army.
The Pioneer has the commercial Victorinox logo, a key chain loop, and an engrave-able panel on one of the scales.
"Your no longer in the Army now, you're now behind the plow......":
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| Victorinox "Farmer" (C.2010) Photo by Author |
Victorinox came up with the "Farmer" configuration, more or less, as it stands today, in 1957, before the Swiss Army, officially accepted the 1961 "Soldier". It has all the standard features of the Pioneer, with the simple addition of the very effective wood saw.
The specs for Farmer:
Length: 93mm/ 3.66 in
Width: 14mm /.55 in
Weight: 86g / 3oz
This knife in the bushcrafting, and survival communities, has a cult following on to its own, as the wood saw adds the ultimate in utility, to a near-perfect configured tool.
Why do I love it so.........
In the above the US pocket knife was shown. A soldier from a South American army, that received material assistance from the US government, was showing off his favorite survival knife on one of many survival boards. Being a door gunner on a helicopter, it was furnished in his survival vest.
Immediately, an inconsiderate "keyboard commando" berated the soldier's choice as "nothing to be proud of......."
Carrying the "Farmer" and other knives, of like pattern, every day for most of my adult life outside of High School, I felt the need to defend the Soldier.
So I wrote the following in response:
Yes, there are "Tacticool" $800+ dollar hand made knives out there that look awesome, but don't cut any better than an everyman production knife at a mere fraction of the cost.... and this knife proves it.
The pattern isn't a "one-trick pony" when the chips are down in survival situations, and various needs need to be addressed.
Granted, the plier based multi-tools add the handiness of a pair of pliers, but greatly increase the cost, weight, and bulk of the tool. But, when you need a pair of pliers, nothing is going to do the job almost as well. You need it, you need it... but in general quality, ones are very expensive, and I've gotten along without them.
But as far as the rest of the "Boy Scout pattern" goes it extremely functional, compact, and lighter weight that mid to full-size multi-tools.
The Knife will cut things that need cutting (I know right!!!!);
The can opener is an absolute must, even though military rations are no longer canned, you can open up civilian canned food, without risking killing yourself ( You'd be too scared to risk marring $2000 fixed blade, Damascus steel wonder to do it anyhow );
The screwdriver is always needed somewhere, as long as it's a standard screw;
The cap lifter might seem dated here in North America, with the proliferation of twist-off bottle caps. But in many "third world" countries, there are almost 100-year-old bottle capping machines still chugging away, and capping bottles of local product, that you might need to partake in while abroad;
The awl. "Well, that's "useless"!!!!! When's the last time a soldier had a horse??? The Civil War......"!!!!
Yes, this instrument, in my opinion, is worth the price of admission a alone, in addition to leather and sailcloth, this instrument has served as a scrapper, a tapered drill, a Ferro striker, an interior door lock opener, a reamer, and many other things, I can't even begin to remember, in using it for other tasks, other than leatherwork.
And God only knows how much I miss it when carrying another multi-tool or one with the smaller, type with the eye, put on other SAK's, or worse yet some multi-tool that omits it altogether;
This is a real survival knife configuration, with over 100+ years of proven use......it's something to be proud of.
For the "Farmer" add this reasoning to the above:
Add to the above the addition of the small but efficient, "stick saw "on the "Farmer" allows, for cutting of small sticks, and branches, to allow the making of tent poles, tent pegs, and traps, etc. Let's face it some wood species, have a fibrous layer that'll make "just breaking a stick " a real fight!!!! The saw on the "Farmer", is sharp, fast cutting and seems to have far larger punch, above its size.
I've carried the example in the above picture since new for over 5 years, and if I had to jump on a plane or ship, to "parts unknown", or had this knife tumble out of a survival kit, I know everything will be just fine......
If I was king for a day:
So if I was the head of Victorinox, is there anything I'd change on the "Farmer" if I could update it???
1. Granted, it has the small 2-dimensional screwdriver on the can opener, that can be used in a #2 Phillips, but it's not ideal. As it slows the task down considerably. So a bottom opening #2 driver would be nice, and a would help on "spring balance" in the mechanical operation of the knife.
2. Another feature that I've seen on some customization groups is adding a pocket clip, to the design. To have it reversible, for left or right, side "tip-up" carry, I think would add to the utility, and handiness of this piece, for you can clip it, to a multitude of areas about your person, for off-body carry, such as in a fishing vest, or on a seat belt.
After that, I'd leave it alone.
I'd recommend the "Farmer" for people that, don't need "tactical" knives and dislike bulky, heavy, or expensive multi-tools. It's a great knife for "Town and Country" and you can handle 95% of real-world situations, you could ask of a pocket knife.
At the time of this writing, the "Farmer" with plain color ALOX scales are averaging $40+ dollars, from most retailers, and is well worth the money................
I rate it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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| Public domain Clip Art |
