This is just why I think that Swiss Army Knives are the most
practical and also the best option when it comes to carrying a knife.

I used to have a Swiss Army Knife (SAK) when I was a kid but I can't
remember what kind it was or anything about it.  At the time I just
didn't care about it.  I was in boy scouts.  I knew it was red and it
had many tools.

About two years ago I started getting into knives.  This was after
handling a few Spyderco's that were owned by a friend.  I started
looking around on the Internet and came across Benchmade.  I had to
have one.  I bought an 880BT as my first knife.  I loved it but it
scared people and it was just too large.  I traded it later for two
Spyderco knives.  I got to the point where I had collected about 9
different Spyderco's and I was really having a good time and
appreciating the knives.  I switched to Spyderco because I just love
the opening hole and I couldn't go back to anything else after I tried
it out.

There were times where I would begin to feel frustrated because I
only had a single blade.  I would sometimes need a nail file, or a
mini-screwdriver.  Other times I needed to clip a hangnail and I
didn't have clippers on me.  Scissors would have been great.  I went
out and bought a Victorinox Climber.

The small blade is perfect for opening boxes and not making people
scared.  The larger blade is good for cutting fruit or peeling an
apple or whatever.  I found that even the corkscrew came in handy at a
party where a friend needed to open a bottle of wine and couldn't find
his own corkscrew.

There was a time when I felt like I was a little safer and protected
because I had a Spyderco knife clipped to my pocket.  Let's be honest
however.  I have no experience at all using a knife for self-defense.
You can get in a load of trouble if you cut someone up really bad or
kill them even using a knife in self-defense.  I can figure out ways
to use my SAK as an impact weapon.  Besides, if I have to fight
someone I will use my hands if needed or some pepper spray.  I will
however always try to run before I do anything physical with the
person.

Lastly, I prefer Swiss Army Knives is because they are very
affordable and easily customizable.  I am not independently wealthy so
I would rather not spend $100 or more on just one knife.  I can buy a
whole bunch of SAK's for $100.  I enjoy collecting knives little by
little and I can do this with SAK's and not go broke.

By David Lowry, a.k.a. SAKGuy