As you may have noticed, I have started carrying a SAK much more frequently. I have had a Robert J Lessard full custom for a while and it is lovely. But the SAK I have been gravitating towards recently is a non-custom Victorinox Compact with replacement scales from Prometheus Design Werx. This is a review of the scales.
The idea of scale swapping on Swiss Army Knives has been around for a while. Once CNCs were affordable enough to show up a small or even hobbyist shops, it became possible to batch out a bunch of high precision scales that can mesh with the pre-existing knife architecture. That’s no mean feat as the factory scales accomodate two large posts and up to four slots or channels (needle, toothpick, pen, and tweezers) are cut into the scale, some running between the posts. Once CNC machines were cheap enough to make scales that were press fit tight, a burgeoning niche of aftermarket scales has developed.
Here is the product page. There are a few versions—Ti, Black G10, OD Green G10, Orange, Gray, and Bright Green—each with and without fullers. The Ti version has three slots, the others have two. The scales are $58.00 or a dollar more with fullers. The clip is already attached when shipped. You need tools to install the scales. I’ll go through the tools and my method of installing the scales below. Note the scales only work for 91 MM Victorinox SAKs
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EverydayCommentary: Prometheus Design Werx SAK Scales Review and Installation Guide
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