As we learned last month, Knifeforums.com had managed to give me a “home” where I could indulge myself with like minded individuals, if not specifically SAK info, then at least with the knowledge that there were other, very normal knife collector’s out there.  In this month’s installment we see how SOSAK got started, why it has such a lofty name and why it’s only visible to members.

    During a software upgrade, Jim Nowka, who had purchased Knifeforums a couple of years before and is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever deal with, found the ability to create “hidden” forums where only “special” members could get access.  He came up with the silly name “The Secret Order of the Swiss Army Knife” playing on the hidden forum motif and SOSAK was born.  Of course, at the time, it was just a joke, and meant to be open for a few days to test the hidden forum ability.

    Well it was a joke that no one was laughing at- closet SAK fans came from everywhere to join this new forum.  I think I was the twelfth person to join, and I really didn’t know much about SAKs at the time since no one was talking about them.  The next thing I know, some member (Travis Autry, but at the time I didn’t know him from a hole in the ground!) who worked for a promotional company was offering these Huntsman knives with the logo on them and everyone was singing the praises of the noble SAK!  I was in heaven, my tactical knife buying dropped off (although I still bought many) and my SAK buying expanded exponentially despite my local dealer (S&R Knives- when in Toronto, go nowhere else!) only having a very basic selection of SAKs.  I think that for the next year straight I purchased almost every SAK listed in the For Sale Forum on Knifeforums!

    I was just thrilled to be a member- SOSAK was as far as I was concerned the perfect spot on the only website that mattered on the whole of the World Wide Web, and I wasn’t even close to being prepared when the original moderator of SOSAK, who at the time we called The Grand ToolMaster (everyone had titles in those days!) decided he was watching too many forums at KF and he chose me to be his successor.  I was floored as you can imagine, and I set to work to make SOSAK the best and most frequented forum at KF, and for a long time we were pretty successful, but that’s getting into next month’s edition!