Huh, so that's what that is on my Swiss Army knife!

[packman]

v

[Irish_Dem]

1. It's a sewing needle, how cool.

[lillypaddle]

2. Now isn't that handy!!

[Merlot]

3. Manually powered sewing machine!

[Ferryboat]

4. In a interview a spokesman for the company

pointed out that the awl is the one implement that hurts everyone.

[Sneederbunk]

5. It's a sewing awl.

[Wawannabe]

6. Packman

I’m 50 and YOU just taught me to sew!



(Oh, and I’m serious too)

[LearnedHand]

7. No freaking way!

Now I want to go by leather strips just to do this!

[LiberalLoner]

8. So cool! Could be used to do stitches to close a wound in an emergency I bet.

[llmart]

14. Ouch!

Super glue works fine also.

[soldierant]

27. Super glue would seal ... but it is kind of toxic. I really

would not want it near an open wound of mine.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. I hope the Swiss Army Knife comes with a hypo full of anaesthetic.

I prefer a swingline stapler and some duct tape or Flex Tape, with mass quantities of Bourbon.

[Beakybird]

9. The secret is to give your awl!

[FuzzyRabbit]

10. It is learning cool stuff like this that keeps me coming back to DU.

[mezame]

25. The Russian Dudes...

...yesterday here on DU, the ones who taught us how to open cans with no tools of any kind, just a block of concrete. Brilliant, and funny as hell.

[mdbl]

29. They reminded me of Hans and Franz

[jpak]

11. Wow

Learn something new every day.

[UpInArms]

12. They used it to repair their saddles

[tiptonic]

13. I have

I have one on my Leatherman Multi-tool. Really comes in handy for leatherwork.

[JohnnyRingo]

15. OMG!

Why don't they come with instructions?
Maybe they do, but I never had a new one.

Thanx for posting.

[usaf-vet]

16. Anyone know what model # it is. I have a stitching awl but can never find it when I need it......

..... or it's home when I'm out in the field and could use it.

[erronis]

19. It's on the Camper and Climber (I think). I have around 6 of these scattered around the house.

When my father died I added a SAK to his casket, just to be prepared.

I was hiking in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix one day and inadvertently left my keys on the drivers seat and locked the door. Windows open about an inch for heat release.

On returning, there was nobody around. I could see the keys on the seat but couldn't find a branch/wire/etc. to try to snag them.

I hooked my belt into one of the blades of the SAK, opened the "bootstrap" blade, lowered the belt/knife into the car and was able to snag the keys. Beat busting the window!

[highplainsdem]

22. Victorinox Huntsman, maybe?

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/41646

[Earthshine2]

32. The awl is on all of them.

Any standard-length Victorinox knife that is 3.5 or 4.25 inches (closed) has this tool.

You can't buy one without it!

It also functions as a reamer. It very good for enlarging small holes in wood or metal.

[usaf-vet]

33. Thanks to all who responded. And it does appear to be on every model I look at.

Decisions, decisions, decisions! But first, I need to check the two models I have. Now that I am retired the only one I carry regularly is the small money clip one. Others are in the toolbox in the workshop.

[Larissa]

17. Indispensable

I carry a Swiss Army knife in my handbag. Once, when I traveled overseas, I decided to leave it at home in an abundance of caution ('cause Homeland Security checkpoint.) I truly missed not having it, and realized what an indispensable tool it is. It would have been an enormous help to Tom Hanks in "Cast Away."

[murielm99]

18. I took mine out of my purse, too,

because I was worried about someone confiscating it in the airport.

It never got back into the purse. Now I have to go look for it.

[barbtries]

24. a friend's husband always carried one,

and after he died she carried it with her. homeland security confiscated it - she did not have time to take it back to her car, so she lost it forever. was heartbroken.

you'd think they might show a heart in such cases and ask one of the flight attendants to hold it for her during the flight or something. but no.

[MyMission]

34. The TSA confiscates and auctions them, and

Sometimes donates a few. Some are auctioned in bulk, by weight; the better ones are auctioned individually. The states apparently handle their own auctions.

Here's a link that tells you how to attend these auctions in each state.
https://www.eyeflare.com/article/where-buy-goods-confiscated-tsa/

And here's another link that has general information and a great photo of assorted knives they've confiscated. Many are Swiss army knives.
https://coolmaterial.com/gear/tsa-confiscated-knives-for-sale/

I learned about this from a TSA agent who was shopping at the Army Navy store I work in.
He said they confiscate tons of Swiss army knives people leave on their keyrings, when he saw our display of them. I also get a fair number of people who are looking to replace one that was taken when they flew. A few people have told me about touring the factory when they visited Switzerland.

Did your friend get a new one to replace the one they took? It wouldn't as special as the one her husband carried, but it would be nice to replace it. Perhaps you could get her a new one?
The little basic ones cost under $20; basic medium versions can cost up to $50. They also make many deluxe and limited edition models that are much more costly.

[barbtries]

35. i don't know if she did.

she didn't carry it for its utility.

[Laurelin]

36. I wondered what they do with them.

My husband has lost three to TSA.

[Pepsidog]

20. Cool

[erronis]

21. You can get used SAK from state surplus stores for pennies. Confiscated at airports.

I've lost several because I forgot. Always replenish.

Toenail/fingernail clippers.
Cork poppers.
Flat and Phillips drivers (I can use the can-opener blade for most Phillips screws)
Splinter puller, tooth crud remover
Etc. etc.

I have never found the saw to be useful (too small) but if I were on that Castaway island I might change my tune.

[keithbvadu2]

23. And a .22 revolver

https://awesomejelly.com/this-insane-multi-tool-has-100-blades-and-a-22-caliber-five-shot-revolver/

This crazy and incredibly complicated multi tool was made in Solingen, Germany, around the early 1880’s for J. S. Holler & Co.’s cutlery store in New York City.

[electric_blue68]

38. That's crazee fabulous (except for the revolver) wow!

[BobTheSubgenius]

28. Useful information, if you have that model.

A friend of mine was a landscaping contractor, and he had a Swiss guy on the crew for a while. When someone pulled out a "Swiss Army Knife," he laughed SO hard.

Apparently, the Swiss army has no such kit.

[Jetheels]

30. Satisfying

[Blue Owl]

37. Well now I've seen it awl!

[electric_blue68]

39. That is SO clever!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

40. That's cool, Packman. My blade doesn't have that little hole.

I sometimes use that tool to drill a starter pilot in soft materials like wood or plastic for drilling or as a punch awl when I'm away from my shop. I use the mini-scissors more than all the other tools.

My Swiss Army knife came from Germany as a corporate gift in the mid-90s. It's got a million miles on it but still works like new.

KY