The following is a collection of tips, tricks and general helpful advice. The original information was taken from postings on the SOSAK Forum at http://www.knifeforums.com Knife Forums, and the names in italics are the usernames of the posters responsible for the information. Where possible, the contributors have been quoted exactly. Any editing is an attempt to add clarity without changing the original intent. - Chief_Engineer, 25 May 07
'Corkscrew'
- Very easy to fix (a bent corkscrew). Take a pair of locking needlenose pliers and lock them around the base of the corkscrew. I use a small diameter punch that fits inside the corkscrew and gently bend it back towards the spine. You can also do it with another pair of pliers. The key is gentle pressure. I have done this dozens of time and it has worked every time. – Felinevet
- Never EVER try leverage with a SAK. Angle is wrong and you will either break the cork or bend the screw. Screw it in all the way. I usually put the bottle on the floor, stand with feet on both sides, one hand to push the bottle so that it stays on the floor, one hand to pull the cork out. Use a towel around SAK to improve grip if needed. This method stops you from shaking the bottle. Help you with a straight pull as well. – Saint-Just
- This is very similar to the method I use. Screw all the way in, bend slightly at the knees, hold the bottle between your upper thighs with one hand and pull the cork straight out with the other. - NutSAK
'Everyday Carry (EDC)'
- A finger off an old leather glove makes a great slipcover for an Executive carried in Levi watch pocket. Otherwise it tends to slip out.- Lavan
'Pliers'
- SAK pliers can be very useful but are definitely not as capable as full size ones. I find them very good for precision tasks (jumpers on electronics for example) and turning or holding small size nuts and bolts. – yoyoguy2
- I find them very useful for working on computers. They make it easy for my fat fingers to move jumpers, pick up dropped screws in cases, that sort of thing. They also are perfectly sized for dealing with stuck coax connectors. – revolvergeek
- Yesterday our Hewlett Packard color laser printer had a paper jam. The printer's paper feed machinery snagged the paper on one corner and that corner ripped off in an impossibly tight nook deep inside the printer. Fortunately I was carrying my Senior Mechanic and so I used the pliers on it to painstakingly pull out bits of paper from that impossible little crevice until the jam was cleared and the printer was once again functional! The Vic pliers are often maligned for being small and not as robust as some would like, but I really, really like having them ready to hand on my EDC SAKs. It's like having a set of forceps with you all the time, and unbelievably useful for that reason! - TColling
- I concur there's nothing better than the Vic pliers for computer work. Especially for small jobs like changing jumpers on a drive. A word of warning though--don't ever cut really hard wire with the wire cutters. I mushroomed mine and now the pliers have really sticky action. - NutSAK
- I find them great for ripping little pieces of tag off of my bloomers - Inkster
'Red Alox Repair'
- First clean it, scrub of all the grease and degrease it with a chemical solvent. Sand or file sharp nicks off if needed, then tape the open blade(s). Take a red marker that matches the color as good as possible and mark it all over the alox, ending with an all red handle. To help make this finish last, you need 3 or so coats of clear paint, sprayed over the handle only. Of course you won't end up with a brand new one, but rather a user that is red all over again and can be used and fixed numerous times. – swissbianco (edited by Chief_Engineer)
'Scissors'
- The rivet is standard now and there is seldom any problem. I would set the scissors on a hard metal surface, take a ball peen hammer and tap on the rivet gently repeatedly until it tightens up. – Felinevet