When someone calls for “common sense” or “reasonable” gun control laws, the counter-argument is usually that such “reasonable” laws won’t remain reasonable. The “common sense, reasonable” answer to that is gun people are being paranoid, and that the use of a slippery slope argument is, all by itself, enough to show that we’re using fallacious thinking.
But, if you’ve even read the Wikipedia entry on the slippery slope argument, even it points out that a slippery slope is only fallacious when you can’t draw a logical connection of some kind to prove that the slope or a reasonable chance of a slope exists. Examples of whole countries that have fallen down this slope are numerous and well-documented, as are statements from gun control activists indicating that they want that outcome to a cheering crowd.
But, today, we’re seeing a new low on the bottom of that slope. Certainly, you’d think, even if guns were banned and even if dangerous knives were banned, you’d still be able to carry a small utility knife in case you need it for honest, nonviolent uses, right?
Sadly, there are now enough countries where even possessing a small utility blade or pocketknife is too much so that now Victorinox (the maker of the famous Swiss Army Knife) will soon be offering a defanged and declawed version of the knife.
For those unfamiliar, the Swiss Army Knife is not only a product you can buy, but a metaphor in the English language. Instead of only offering a blade and maybe a second different blade, a Swiss Army Knife offers an array of tools for you to fold out and use. The knife part is the most common, but there are also often saws, can openers, scissors, a magnifying glass, a screwdriver (or several), a leather punch and a number of other tools. I’ve even seen them or generics with a digital display, compass, eating utensils, and laser pointers built in!
The blades on a Swiss Army Knife were never very big. They were typically only 2 to 3 inches long at most. They were also too flimsy to serve as a reliable weapon in most cases, and don’t typically lock open. Plus, when you get a Swiss Army knife out, finding the actual knife is a bit like finding the right bill in your wallet, adding extra time to deployment.
In other words, a Swiss Army Knife can be a useful and awesome tool, a conversation piece, an ego-stroke for a wannabe-MacGyver, a survival lifeline and much more. But, it’s a lousy weapon because they were never made to act in that role. Before the ninnification of America after 9/11, they were even allowed on aircraft!
This isn’t “common sense” enough for the hoplophobes, though. When countries that banned guns years or decades ago experience a “plague of knife crime”, there’s no blade too small, too useless or too impotent to escape the clutches of the weapon grabbers. Victorinox still wants to make money in every country it can, so the company was left with little choice but to make some without a blade to stay afloat.
So, when some effete anti-gun turd tells you that they only want “common sense” this or “reasonable” that, point this out and let them know that they’re being either ignorant or dishonest, because a knife without, well, a knife, is neither reasonable or common sense.
 will soon be offering models without the blade.){kind=link}
Most folks that need or want a knife get one. Playful types collect Swiss Army Knives.
A Swiss Army Knife (SAK), without a blade/knife is just a Swiss Army Device (SAD).
Tyranny of any kind is horrible, but bladeless tools definitely have a place in society. I’ve got a small Victorinox “Jet Setter” that I carry with me on planes, and into places like Disney World where no blades are allowed (beyond small scissors). It’s got a pair of excellent scissors, a multi-function tool with a screwdriver and opener, a toothpick, and a small but useable ink pen. Lots of functionality in a small package that can go pretty much anywhere, including places regular knives cannot.
I’ve got a couple of custom SAKs from Robert Lessard in Canada, and I’ve been thinking about having him make me a bladeless one for air travel, concerts, etc… If Victorinox does a good job with their bladeless tools I will most likely add one to my collection instead of buying an expensive custom job.
They only “have a place in society” because government tyrannizes us every time we go out into society. Screw that.
Tyranny of any kind is horrible, but bladeless tools definitely have a place in society. I’ve got a small Victorinox “Jet Setter” with an excellent pair of scissors, a multi-function tool with a screwdriver and opener, a toothpick, and a small but useable ink pen. Lots of functionality in a small package that can go pretty much anywhere, including places regular knives cannot.
I’ve got a couple of custom SAKs from Robert Lessard in Canada, and I’ve been thinking about having him make me a bladeless one for air travel, concerts, etc… If Victorinox does a good job with their bladeless tools I will most likely add one to my collection instead of buying an expensive custom job.
I agree, ill buy one just to fly with. Then ill go back to my beloved 1987 Swisschamp.
I prefer Swiss Civvie Widget.
More proof that even the Swiss have been neutered.
This doesn’t really apply in Switzerland. It’s for Western Euro countries with major immigration/street crime problems and Asia where knives have been illegal in a variety of places for a long time.
More to the point the UK where any knife is considered a lethal weapon regardless of length and is an arrest-able offense. Unless you can prove it is a tool necessary for your job or profession you will be arrested and charged. They don’t play around over there. Even a hammer, piece of pipe, a large wrench or cricket bat, among other things will get you arrested and charged. Then the court will decide if it’s a tool or a weapon.
and dont forget the deadly weapon of praying in front of an abortion clinic.
And that determination will likely be based on your ethnicity. Englishmen must remain unarmed.
I’ve got a couple different ones, including Cabelas tool that I’ve used to skin numerous deer.
In the age of the tranny why should a knife without a blade be shocking?
We live in clown world.
I own and carry two SAK’s. Not at the same time, of course. I have also given many as gifts.
Much easier to carry than the multi tools that are all the rage these days.
I own a couple of SAK’s, but really love the utility of having pliers that the multi tool provides. Most of the time however, I just carry a basic small folder.
I have multi tools. One lives in my range box. Another in my vehicle. I just find it handier to carry a SAK.
Yeah I got one. It lives in the console of my van. Also a multi tool & various wrenches & screwdrivers + pepper gel thing & a flashlight. Are they gonna outlaw pointed sticks?!?🙄
In the UK they already have.
Before mankind invented languages we were making stone blades and tools. A properly knapped obsidian blade is sharper than any modern steel knife or scalpel and is completely undetectable in a metal detector.
I’ve never owned a Swiss Army Knife and I’ve had knives all my life. It was never even a consideration. They make great stocking stuffers or something for the BoyScout/high school kids maybe. If I’m going bladeless then give me a Leatherman to go with my Buck110. But even with a blade, Swiss army knives just seem too much like a toy you might get out of a box of Cracker Jacks. I’ll likely never buy one anyway.
https://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/7049939_700bwp.webp
Lol
I think I’d rather have a bone handle Uncle Henry folder.
Flimsy blade worked for me.
Other than Swiss Army fanboys or a Boomer gifting one to a great grandkid has anyone bought one of these rather than a Leatherman or other multi-tool with a locking blade in the last 20 years?
I have. Multi tools have their place but are a PITA of have in a pocket. IMO.
SAK is the easiest way to have a variety of tools to accomplish a task in everyday scenarios.
Agreed! I won’t leave home without a SAK in my pocket.
What the heck is a SAK. Sounds like i need to get one
Oh duh swiss army knife. I thought yall were saying you didn’t like Swiss Army knives so you carry a SAK. Guess I misunderstood.
Ha!
Shire-man,
In the recent past I carried the smallest (as far as I know) Swiss Army Knife in my pocket. It had a small blade (about 1-inch long), small nail fail with a small common screwdriver blade at its tip, small scissors, small tweezers, and a plastic tooth pick. It was surprisingly handy. The small blade was nice for cutting string or tape to open cardboard boxes. The small scissors were handy for cutting coupons or similar. Of course I used the tweezers occasionally to remove small wood splinters or to grab tiny items that I could not grab with my fingers. Of course I used the small common screwdriver blade once in a while. And I even used the small file on a few occasions.
The only down side: it was so small that I tended to lose it, especially in my couch cushions if I reclined on my couch.
Stupid fact: a few years ago I was visiting various points of interest in Washington, D.C. and had that tiny Swiss Army Knife with me in my small daytime backpack. I sailed through security at the Smithsonian museums and even the administrative offices of our Congressmen/women to visit my Congressman. Then I went to the Library of Congress: the security screener saw it in my backpack with their X-Ray imager. To his credit he was minimally reasonable about it: he pondered whether there would be any discreet locations outside where someone could temporarily place a tiny object while touring the Library. I stepped outside with my pack and returned a couple minutes later. When he saw me return, he smiled and cheerfully admitted me into the Library (after passing my pack through the X-Ray imager). After I finished my tour, I went outside and retrieved my tiny knife from its secure hiding place and went on my way.
The swiss army knife has been obsolete for years at this point. Almost any basic multi-tool outperforms the swiss army knife.
I get the greater point of the article, of course. But still… I’m not going to loose any sleep about these ‘knives’.
I carry a Swiss army knife every single day (“Apprentice” in my pocket as I type this), and I assure you they are far from “obsolete.”
I even have a bladeless “Jet Setter” that I have carried onto planes and into places like Disney World that forbid any kind of bladed tool beyond small scissors. I got stopped by security at EPCOT for setting off the metal detector years ago, and they weren’t going to let me in until I showed them my “knife” did not have a blade. SAKs (even bladeless ones) have their place in the world even with pliers-style multitools.
Dog of War,
The “lesser” models of Swiss Army Knives are superior to multi-tools when you want something relatively sleek, thin, and light to carry in your pocket.
Of course multi-tools are superior if you are good with carrying a thicker, bulkier, heavier item in a holster on your belt.
A knife without the blade? Could they come up with anything more stupid? Wait, never mind, that might be taken as a challenge.
Kinda like the Dyson bladeless fan or the hammerless revolver right?
They are making them to fit the markets in the UK ,Japan, Italy, Greece and many other countries around the world where carrying a knife is strictly verboten.
No knives for you Mr. A. Wyte. Mann
Now those military aged youths from africa and south america and the middle east will be allowed to carry swords and machetes around after all its cultural enrichment
Swiss Army Knives are cool. Victorinox makes some bad ass steel.
Read the article, they are not discontinuing the bladed versions.
That photo clearly shows a knife blade along with the rest of the implements. Picked the wrong stock photo to make the point and a good point it is.Details schmeetails .
Hey, finally a Swiss Army, er, device that might be legal here in the People’s Republic of New Jersey. Just like some Eurofascist countries, here in New Jersey there is no knife so tiny that it’s not illegal (if carried for defensive purposes or used for defensive purposes, or if it has a double-edged blade).
The TSA in New JerKsey even has a problem with the folded “Allen wrenches”, those 9 part ones that resemble a Swiss Army knife. I guess they feared I’d try to disassemble the cockpit door frame with it? Wouldn’t let me bring one aboard, yet had NO issues with a 10 inch pair of Channellock pliers and a 9 inch flathead screwdriver in a long slender metal toolbox. I wouldn’t dare try to bring even a “Boy Scout” knife aboard.
These offerings are for some Western Euro countries and in Asia. Asia isn’t very surprising, really, they’re looking at the size of the ChiCom market.
The Euros are just sad. They import a bunch of people who don’t assimilate and “knife crime” goes through the roof so they just start clamping down on carrying a blade of any kinda. Actually looking at the rules for the UK you sorta wonder if the person who wrote the law wasn’t emotionally damaged by a forced castration earlier in life.
Also,“The blades on a Swiss Army Knife were never very big. They were typically only 2 to 3 inches long at most. They were also too flimsy to serve as a reliable weapon in most cases, and don’t typically lock open.” isn’t entirely true.
This varies by the knife you buy from them. For many years I’ve had a large-ish SAK that is maybe the size of most Surefire pocket lights. Its blade, 4″, automatically locks open and you have to move a slider on the left side of the handle in order to close it. It’s a pretty burly blade for a folder too, you can definitely stab the fuck out of someone with it if you want to but it’s not going to be remotely quick to get into action. Using the knife without the blade, as a fist-pack, skull crusher would be faster and, honestly, pretty damn vicious.
Then again, not everything needs to primarily be a weapon.
That knife would these days be considered part of their “large” collection meant for “outdoors” use.
It’s from before everything needed a specialized name, but it’s rather similar to what they now call the “Hercules” except this one doesn’t have the pliers.
Overall, as a weapon, most of their medium or large knives most of them will do quite nicely if you use overall tool as a fist-pack and have the reamer stick out between your fingers. It’s now a mini-push dagger/fist-pack/skull crusher. Again, not real fast to do that, but it will definitely ruin and shorten someone’s life.
Wenger was the SAK that made some knives with locking blades. I’ve got one from the late ’80s that’s an 8-layer model. Victorinox bought Wenger around 2007. Victorinox makes some knives that have Wenger features.
This knife predates your acquisition or that acquisition happened earlier. I had this knife when I lived in Central America in 2004.
Victorinox has made such knives, on and off, for a long time.
And yes, this is a Victorinox. Stamped right there at the base of the blade.
I used Foeshner Victorinox knives at a meat packing plant in 1979.
Wasn’t Foeshner just a Victorinox’s name for their kitchen style knives back in the day?
I seem to remember that being a division and not an acquisition.
Just like our eunuch congress…useless.
My father didn’t give me a gun. But he did give me a swiss army knife, when I was about 8 years old. And I cherish that knife.
Knives are the weapons for the poor because guns are expensive. And the rich have always wanted to keep the poor disarmed.
It is why the rich invented the term derogatory gun term “saturday night special.”
Unfortunately the “gun community” swallow that one hook line and sinker.
They managed to get the poor tagged with this “Saturday night special” term. Now they are going after the middle class with the term “assault weapon.”
And as far as knives go. It’s interesting that the gun industry has moved away from having a bayonet lug, on so many rifles nowadays.
And you’ll hear the “gun community” agree with these tryants. Who say that the bayonet is worthless in the twenty first century.
The second amendment is about “arms.” It’s not just about guns.
The TSA confiscated a boatload of them. I went on a Napa wine tour and had my bottle opener confiscated. Its that ludicrous.
For those who haven’t figured out the “Victorinox” trademark: “Inox” is short for inoxydable = French for unoxidizable, so a knife labeled “inox” is made from stainless steel.