The Victorinox GAKs are the best, with Aitors tight behind them. I have looked at the MilTech and it's like they bought the cheapest one they could find at an estate sale and copied it including a lifetime of use without thinking of how it used to look. I love the Vic 108s, and I expect to see the 84mm scissors come back first. :( One use for the corkscrew, because it's pointy but not sharp, is for undoing knots, particularly in boot laces that are frozen solid. I point that out because I don't imagine that Australia sees much snow and freezing rain.
Many Countries source there utility pocket knives for there military & rescue personnel from Victorinox for a good reason. At one time corks we’re used on bottles that didn’t contain alcohol, like medicine and such.
@@kisbushcraftdownunder Actually I think that is still the case, the actual current issue knifes have a phillips screwdriver. I wonder if the German military had something other than alcohol in bottles with a corks. The 108mm civilian version was issued to NATO troops, I have wanted to get hold of one with the white NATO on the scale to add to my 108mm collection.
the old "Bundeswehr Taschenmesser" / GAK was also made by Adler, Aitor, ICAR, CCM, B+H, Klaas, TSR there is also a Victorinox variant with the german Eagle logo that was issued in the Bundeswehr. it was common to keep your issued pocketknife after conscription - thats why so many are still around. Tipp: Dont buy the Mil-Tec or Fox reproduction; the original ones have a better quality, and its possible to find them for a reasonable price. ✌
Have 2 surplus old style GAKs and a Mil Tec one. One is the Victorinox GAK and one by a German company called B&H. The Victorinox is great, the only thing wrong with it when I got it was the blade was dull. The B&H one is rougher than the Mil Tec, it has blade wrap and it is just roughly done. My Mil Tec has a different blade from your's that doesn't even attempt to look like the GAKs and it's OK. Not badly done. I'm lead to believe there are worse Chinese copies out there than the Mil Tecs. I think Aitor in Spain still does a quality GAK copy if anyone's really sold on the knife.
Mil-Tec isn't known in any way for their quality, so you can't exspect it to compete with a Vic. In the main part it's not the steel, but the hardening and tempering, where they save on. On the other hand I don't give a s**t how sharp a knife is from the factory - if you can't sharpen a knife, you don't deserve to have one IMHO! First thing I do with new knives is take them to my sharpening plates an give them a grind to my liking, usually razor sharp and polished - the sharpening process gives me the 'feel' for it, its hardness, its toughness. So I know exactly what to exspect - the last time I broke a knifeblade was in 1962 as a 10yo. Any 'cutting test' with a factory edge is completely rubbish. BTW: I don't see a need for expensive sharpening systems, I use cheap diamond plates (~15€ a piece - or less, if from temu) and keep them cool with water, get even ceramic blades sharpened. I think, you can call the can-opener dull too - grind it and it will do a better job. If you don't mind sharpening the tools frequently, Mil-Tec is a budget-friendly option, but if you can afford it, buy Victorinox, they are fantastic
I used a full size Arkansas oil stone at home for decades and that was fine till some of the newer so called super steels came out I then started using a ceramic system with guide rods. Out bush I carry the diamond/ceramic pocket stone and it can cope with anything I need it to regards Mike
I have an I.C.A.R version from army surplus - works just fine. Thanks for sharing.
Great review. Thank you!
The Victorinox GAKs are the best, with Aitors tight behind them. I have looked at the MilTech and it's like they bought the cheapest one they could find at an estate sale and copied it including a lifetime of use without thinking of how it used to look. I love the Vic 108s, and I expect to see the 84mm scissors come back first. :(
One use for the corkscrew, because it's pointy but not sharp, is for undoing knots, particularly in boot laces that are frozen solid. I point that out because I don't imagine that Australia sees much snow and freezing rain.
I had a Aitor Gran Capitan and that was a great knife mine came as a kit with a fork and spoon sadly it vanished on a trip to South America
Many Countries source there utility pocket knives for there military & rescue personnel from Victorinox
for a good reason. At one time corks we’re used on bottles that didn’t contain alcohol, like medicine and such.
The older Victorinox knives only the officers models used to have a corkscrew still gives me a chuckle
@@kisbushcraftdownunder Actually I think that is still the case, the actual current issue knifes have
a phillips screwdriver. I wonder if the German military had something other than alcohol in
bottles with a corks. The 108mm civilian version was issued to NATO troops, I have wanted to get hold
of one with the white NATO on the scale to add to my 108mm collection.
the old "Bundeswehr Taschenmesser" / GAK was also made by Adler, Aitor, ICAR, CCM, B+H, Klaas, TSR
there is also a Victorinox variant with the german Eagle logo that was issued in the Bundeswehr.
it was common to keep your issued pocketknife after conscription - thats why so many are still around.
Tipp: Dont buy the Mil-Tec or Fox reproduction; the original ones have a better quality, and its possible to find them for a reasonable price. ✌
My tests proved the Mil-Tec repo is very poor quality regards Mike
Have 2 surplus old style GAKs and a Mil Tec one. One is the Victorinox GAK and one by a German company called B&H. The Victorinox is great, the only thing wrong with it when I got it was the blade was dull. The B&H one is rougher than the Mil Tec, it has blade wrap and it is just roughly done. My Mil Tec has a different blade from your's that doesn't even attempt to look like the GAKs and it's OK. Not badly done. I'm lead to believe there are worse Chinese copies out there than the Mil Tecs. I think Aitor in Spain still does a quality GAK copy if anyone's really sold on the knife.
I had a set from Aitor a gran Capitan with a separate fork and spoon I bought in South America
Mil-Tec isn't known in any way for their quality, so you can't exspect it to compete with a Vic.
In the main part it's not the steel, but the hardening and tempering, where they save on.
On the other hand I don't give a s**t how sharp a knife is from the factory - if you can't sharpen a knife, you don't deserve to have one IMHO! First thing I do with new knives is take them to my sharpening plates an give them a grind to my liking, usually razor sharp and polished - the sharpening process gives me the 'feel' for it, its hardness, its toughness. So I know exactly what to exspect - the last time I broke a knifeblade was in 1962 as a 10yo.
Any 'cutting test' with a factory edge is completely rubbish.
BTW: I don't see a need for expensive sharpening systems, I use cheap diamond plates (~15€ a piece - or less, if from temu) and keep them cool with water, get even ceramic blades sharpened.
I think, you can call the can-opener dull too - grind it and it will do a better job.
If you don't mind sharpening the tools frequently, Mil-Tec is a budget-friendly option, but if you can afford it, buy Victorinox, they are fantastic
I used a full size Arkansas oil stone at home for decades and that was fine till some of the newer so called super steels came out I then started using a ceramic system with guide rods. Out bush I carry the diamond/ceramic pocket stone and it can cope with anything I need it to regards Mike