Victorinox Cadet - 2 Year Update - Minimalist is Good!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2024
- I am happy to report my initial opinions of the Victorinox Cadet were slightly off the mark, or at least they have changed over time.
Initial Review Dec 2014: • Victorinox Cadet - Too...
I was initially disappointed by the minimalist tool set of the Cadet vs other offerings such as the Huntsman or Spartan. What I have come to realize over the last 2 years is that I prefer the thinness and light weight of the cadet. It is so easy to carry in your pants pocket, and I seem to have it with me almost every day.
How many tools do you need?
I usually carry a Victorinox Huntsman in my backpack, and I have a Leatherman Wingman in my desk at work. I feel pretty prepped up! Cadet is plenty for on my person.
Thanks for watching.
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The file and nail cleaner is not "useless" also the bottle opener has a wire stripper on the bottom. It is a 6mm flat head on that. On the can opener it is a 3mm flat head screw driver which also fits Philip's head.
@Zane Eitniear 1.) Troll
@Kyle Kyson 2.) Troll
Many carry the Cadet and use the nail file. The whole point of the large variety of Victorinox models is that we pick what suits us. Any one model might be missing a tool we like especially. And perhaps the perfect model doesn't exist.
Thinness or lightness is an attribute born of fewer tools. Want a lightl knife with a saw? Try the Camper. Alox with big scissors? Pioneer X. Scissors AND saw? Evogrip s18 with Phillips, or s17 with corkscrew. Recruit, Camper, Huntsman, Spartan, Pioneer, Farmer etc. Don't need to wish a Cadet had a saw, or didn't have a file. Try an Evogrip s18, and you get a locking blade, too! I have around 35 Victorinox pocket knives, and add 2 or 3 every year. Alway one for job or mood at hand.
Cheers and thanks for the review. Despite my critique I enjoyed it...
What uses are there for the nail file? That function is what is shifting me away from cadet.
And if the reviewer think the file is useless then there are others like bantam if lightness and thinness are the only reason.
MK. Harvey - Nail file is to file your finger nails. Didn't you know that. Besides we all have different needs and wants. We're all not alike.
Your reasoning for why you carry a Victorinox as your main go-to blade when you are in public or work makes complete sense in pretty much any country. Even in USA (I have family there and go there often enough to have some idea)I think people are often a bit nervous when someone pulls out a 3 inch (or larger) blade. It's easy for us knife fanatics to get so used to having a knife around that we forget how some people perceive us when we pull out a blade.
I still like to carry a 3+ inch blade but I almost always go to one of my little blades or even one of my tiny blades (1.5 inch or less that I keep on my keychain) when i am in public.
I really like your channel. I am trying to learn from you, and a few others, on how to run a successful TH-cam channel, thanks for being a great example.
which is one reason I carry an Opinel 8 in addition to my Voyager XL
which is one reason I like Opinels since I prefer the 10 or 12--with the wood grip and discrete lock, it is less scary to people since I usually open it one handed
Before I actually bought and carried a cadet I thought that it was too minimalist as well, but I quickly found it to be one of my favorite SAK's I own currently because its just so damn slim! it disappears in the pocket and doesn't intimidate people when you pull it out to use it. All around a great minimalist/gentlemens EDC folder.
Justin Barylski
the same happened to me with allox 1 solo
I love it
I'm glad you changed your mind and you admit it too. :)
Instead of the nail file, the original Cadet had a small blade. Then Vic has released this version with the nail file and called it the Cadet II. However, it became so popular that they changed the names: the one with the nail file became the Cadet and the one with the small blade became the Cadet II, then it was discontinued.
You can still find the Cadet II in the used market but it's more of a collectors piece with the old logo and the horizontally ribbed Alox scales. There is a silver version and an even more rare red version of the Cadet II. Some of them still had the clip point small blade, the newer ones had the spear point blade already.
And you are right about the saw: it would only fit in a new layer. That model exists, too: it's called the Cadet Plus.
Another discontinued 84 mm Alox is the Lumberjack (same as the "new" Walker but also available in Alox): it has a main blade, a saw and a combo tool (bottle and can opener) so it' has only 2 layers. (Older Luberjacks had the bottle opener instead of the combo tool.)
The Cadet is the only knife in my ultralight backpacking kit.
Really all I need.
Good follow-up video. I just commented on the last one. Makes perfect sense to me. However when saying the file is useless you gave several different uses for it. That file will also clean muck that can get under your nails. Also the file works for more than nails. I have found burrs (plastic even metal) on products that are sharp and could cause injury that I have eliminated with that file.
Not sure why you carry a SAK at all, you complain about half the tools and their use.
Got the point!
I didn't know Ryan from The Office was into survival and on TH-cam!
When you started knocking on the Cadet with the Spyderco at 3:30 I thought "OMG, he just hit the anodizing off that poor little Cadet"... I was looking at that spot for over 20 seconds when you finally whiped it off, I was very happy to see that! :)
Can’t argue about VG10 vs AUS8, VG10 every time
Commented on your previous video about the Cadet and then found this video . . . You might consider the Tourst which is the same tool set as the Spartan in the 84mm size of the Cadet. (The Sportsman is a Tourist with same pointed file as the Cadet instead of the pen blade.) Some of the Evolution and EvoGrip carried over from the Wenger line also have the pointed file, just as they did when Wenger made them, and a few have a small clip blade instead of the file. The 85mm Evo version of your Spartan are the Evolution S101 and EvoGrip S101. They have sculpted Evo scales and a locking main blade (the "S" identifies locking blade models). Victorinox has combined the best of Vic and Wenger in them now. They have the Victorinox can opener, awl (with edge and sewing eye), toothpick and tweezers. The scissors, cap lifter and liner lock for the large blade are the original Wenger design. The Wenger cap lifter, when open and used as a screwdriver will lock when it's pressed firmly onto a screw head and cannot close; it unlocks as soon as you stop pushing on it. The EvoGrip models have black rubberized pads molded into the Cellidor scales. They've proven to be quite durable. I've got several of the Evo line and am ambivalent about the Evolution vs. EvoGrip scales. Some alternatives to think about with the same Spartan tool configuration.
Regarding the pointed file I just used the one on the Cadet today to deal with the battery on my external garage door opener. The point was used to unscrew the Phillips on the battery box cover, and the file was used to burnish the copper battery contacts that had oxidized. The battery itself was fine. Exposed to the elements the copper oxidizes and has to be burnished periodically. May eventually find some way to put a gasket on the battery box cover, but that's on a back burner as a hinged flip down cover goes over the entire opener. The tip of the file works fine on Phillips that don't require a lot of torque. Don't know about you, but my fingernails are brittle and can occasionally start to split. The file does help fix that to keep them from snagging on clothing although I also carry a Rambler or a modified MiniChamp on my keyring and more often than not I use its file.
Good review. I disagree slightly about the nail file. It is useful to clean your nails of course. I have also used it to clean mud from boot soles and compacted sawdust from tongue and groove wood. It also makes a good box opener if you don’t want to risk cutting the contents. I carry the Cadet and an Alox classic for the scissors, we are not allowed locking blades here but slipjoints are good enough anyway.
Pioneer is the way to go if you don't want a nail file. I however prefer the tinkerer and hiker.
Thanks for the video. I carry a Pioneer X or Vic Explorer for my EDC but i've been looking for something lighter, a little more stylish yet still functional to carry when I have to wear a suit and you convinced me to try the Cadet. Silver Alox on order.
3 knives you carry every dan? Woouu.... Why? Cannot understand that
Slow down man....so much waffle does my head in. It's a knife with a couple of features that you like - that's it.
the can opener is a philips head driver. I use the nail file to open up staples at the office and help open knots that the kids make
For me I'm either carrying the Victorinox Compact or the Spartan unless I'm going to be doing some kind of work where I think I'll need my saw or file or something.
If you want the file to be a small blade I think the victorinox recruit is a cadet with a smaller blade instead of the file
But the Recruit is only available in Cellidor so he would lose the thinness of the 84 mm Alox.
I have 2 blades on me, Spyderco Chaparral and the Victorinox Classic.
I use the blade of the Classic when i need to open packages, i don't care if the blade get glue on it.
And then i have my Chaparral for every thing else, i know the blade is clean so i can cut food if needed.
I also carry a Leatherman Style PS and a Nitecore Tube flash light, this is the perfect minimalist urban EDC for me and it doesn't bother me to carry that in the pockets of my jean (i wear slim jeans).
Just my 2 cents here but take that file and grind down one edge of the tip “just a little” and you have a great tool to break down boxes with and you can save your knife edge for other things. I’ve been doing it for years and works nice. Great video by the way.
I see you carry a larger locking knife in addition to the SAK, as I do. I like the rambler over the classic and the small tinker over the Spartan.
The Cadet is a small multitool but still a gentlemans knife. The Bantam in alox is even thinner. There's also the alox pen knives (called Ambassador I think) with large and small blade but they are not as wide.
When I go visit people for a dinner or a picknick I usually throw an extra Waiter or Spartan in my pack.
When I go outdoors into the woods I replace with either a Pioneer or my old trusty Soldier (Dutch Army edition) as a last resort knife.
There's definitely something about these " minimalist" SAK. I, like most owners of swiss stainless have a few different SAK's. I started with the Ranger which is probably at that limit of usefulness. Anymore tools/layers and it would be like the cybertool 34, (which I own) too big to carry and sits around.
I don't use half the tools on the Ranger so I am going to stick the Ranger into a bag and start carrying the SAK 2, simgle main blade and a pruning blade. Unfortunately this knife doesn't have scissors which is what I would use most, daily. I have a few different Alox models, the Pioneer X and the Farmer X, so I can see me ending up carrying the Farmer X and the SAK 2. I know LOL That's the trouble with these SAK's, spoilt for choice. I keep a brand-new Pioneer X in with a first aid kit. Its never been used so its very clean and very sharp. Its one of those bits of kit I have and hope I don't need.
First World problems LOL.
Did you (or anyone reading this) every get to see the Victorinox take-down mountain bike? It was a sales promotional display item that was never sold, and was extremely cool. I recently did some research and found one person at Victorinox that remember the item, but they are so rare, that was the only information I could find on it. It was designed so multiple people could carry different pieces of the bike, and share the weight load. A very cool concept in my opinion. Thanks for the video.
You could put a sharp 40 degree bevel on the nail file and turn it into a reamer.
I edc a Victorynox outrider black, and a schrade 4ot.
Many times I carry even more small knives, because I like to whittle.
What I don't understand is, how can you feel the weight difference in your pocket carrying a cadet or a pioneer?
I don't. I never notice any difference. It's grams. Not kilo's.
I wish so bad that they would make the alox knives with a toothpick and tweezers. I especially use the toothpick a lot@
those packages never stop coming. Tactical knife won't stop them. Flamethrower next time. or just nuke them. Better go strategic rather than just tactical
i wish Victorinox would make an Alox slipjoint with just a single large blade. about the size of the Cadet. It would be a featherweight and it would totally appeal to me because i never use files or openers. Maybe if they made something like that, id find myself carrying a Victorinox again. The last time i did was years ago in Boy Scout camp haha
but i have to semi agree with the whole Delica in public thing, i think that maybe a blue or orange delica wouldnt be too menacing. i think the whole thing with public knives is the deployment. always using two hands for opening and closing definitely reduces the scare factor. however, the spidey hole might be a turn off. a good explanation never hurts though. i love telling people that it's just a tool. and when i tell people that the Sheepsfoot on my Griptilian was actually made to cut seatbelts off and other things in the event of a life or death situation, the person actually warms up to knives more!
There is an Alox Solo but that's 93 mm not 84 mm so the scales are thicker. However, with only 1 layer, it's still a thin knife. I definitely need the openers, but if I wouldn't , instead of the Solo I would choose the Pioneer Pruner or Apprentice because they have a large and a small blade. i would use the small one for dirty tasks like opening boxes and the large one I would keep clean for food prep, e.g. cutting an apple.
Yeah, right, I think I also wanted to mention the Bantam but I forgot to. It is 84 mm like the Cadet and on top of the blade it only has a combo opener tool. Even if you never use it, it hardly adds anything to the weight. It's as slim as the Classic Alox (!) and is really featherweight.
The 84mm Alox Bantam is a single layer and is only 6mm thick. Has a main blade on one end and the "combo" tool on other end. It doesn't have a key ring though. Measure the thickness of your other knives. 6mm is extremely thin.
Edit: The Alox Secretary is recently discontinued a year or so ago. There are apparently a few still around at high prices for 2.5x-3x their former retail.
The other possibility with smooth Alox scales (not the waffle pattern) is the Alox Secretary which has the larger blade and a smaller pen blade opposite. At 5.55mm, it's even thinner than the bantam. No keyring, and has a different elliptical shape compared to the Bantam's oval. As a result the large blade appears to have a slightly different profile. Between the two I'd go with the Bantam, especially in light of the edit above regarding discontinuation and high price.
I have a Solo with nylon scales. Discontinued but still around. One large blade which is thicker than usual SAK blades, and longer, and has a very strong back spring. No other tools. Perfect camp food knife. Or for medical kit. Grip is great, too.
My dad gave me a swiss army knife when i was a kid
The cork screw is such a waste.
wrong. its way more usefull than the non-inlined and flexy phillips screw on the back.
I use it all the time. But of course I’m a wine drinker
The only reason I never bought the cadet was because of the nail file. It's garbage.
Of they're not used to seeing knives, maybe get them used to it. Too many sensitive people out there. I mean, what can they do to you? Whine? Well, yeah, probably.