7 Ways To Use The Fish Scaler On Your Swiss Army Knife

Swiss Army Knives are the ultimate jack-of-all-trades in the tool world. While the many accessories that make up these versatile little items each serve a primary function, those with enough creativity can surprise themselves with just how much use they can squeeze out of these tools. While finding alternative uses for the Swiss Army Knife's toothpick slot isn't too difficult, others aren't so straightforward. For instance, you may not have given much thought to using the fish scaling tool on select Swiss Army Knives — such as the Victorinox Fisherman 91-millimeter – for much else outside of their main purpose. 

A fish scaling tool, or fishing tool as it's sometimes referred to as, is typically designed as a short blade with one side possessing a ruler while the other is lined with jagged edges. As its name implies, its primary purpose is to measure with the ruler caught fish and then strip them of their scales by running the jagged side along a fresh catch, preparing it to be cooked. While certainly a worthwhile gadget to have along on your fishing trips, not everyone with a Swiss Army Knife goes fishing regularly or even at all in some cases, making the fishing tool seem like dead weight. 

If that sounds like you, don't fret. You may be surprised to learn that the fish scaling tool can prove useful in a variety of settings and situations outside of preparing bass for the grill. Keep reading to discover seven alternative uses for your Swiss Army Knife's fishing tool. 

Hammers are constantly used to both insert nails into surfaces as well as pull them out using their hooked ends. However, this way isn't always the most foolproof. It can be difficult to position a nail with your fingers while hammering it in, and you also risk injuring yourself in the process should your hammer miss its mark. Taking nails out can also prove difficult, depending on how deep they are into the surface. 

A tool designed to primarily skin dead fish may be the last thing on your mind while hammering some nails, but you'd be surprised to learn how handy they can be in these scenarios. Many Swiss Army Knife fish scaling tools possess a pronged end that's ideal for holding onto thin objects. While this part is typically used to remove hooks from caught fish, it can also prove useful when trying to get grip of a nail while hammering. 

Some Swiss Army Knives also have small magnetic attachments that can be placed at the base of the fishing tool's pronged end to better hold the nail while hammering, removing the need to use your fingers at all. Thanks to its small size, the pronged end is also easy to angle, dig underneath a hammered-in nail head, grasp it, and pull it out of a surface once you're ready to remove it. 

For many, nothing brings in the fall season like the act of pumpkin carving. As fun of a pastime as this is for individuals and families alike, it's not as easy as it might appear and can be dangerous if you're using a hefty or unwieldily tool for your cutting. This is another place where your fish scaling tool can come in handy, proving to be a far more easy and economical tool for many. 

The pronged end of your Swiss Army Knife fish scaler is perfect for inserting into the pumpkin's flesh without requiring too much force. The serrated edges are both sharp enough to cut the pumpkin as you please, while also being wide enough to be safer to use than some more extreme tools or kits. This, combined with their compact size and easy of handling, makes them ideal for children or those who simply aren't confident with larger carving tools. Nevertheless, you should still make sure that kids using a blade or knife of any kind is always supervised to ensure their safety.

The same qualities that make this good for carving pumpkins can be translated to various other materials and applications. Items such as craft foam, softwoods, and soaps can also be easily carved by Swiss Army Knife fish scaler. 

As we mentioned earlier, most Swiss Army Knife fish scalers possess a ruler on one side to allow fisherman to measure their catch. Along with determining if it's fit for your needs, it's also important to determine if the fish you caught is legally able to be caught, as many areas have ordained size limits for fish to be harvested. But when you're not measuring trout, this tool has no shortage of applications. 

Since they must fit into such a compact package, the ruler portion of your fishing tool doesn't boast extraordinary length. They typically come around 6 inches in length, so you won't be able to tackle the kind of tasks you'd be able to take on with a larger ruler or measuring tape. Nevertheless, when used in right circumstances they serve their purpose very well. 

Whether you need to measure small items or trace a straight line, your fish scaling tool can prove to be a useful ally. Being part of a pocket-sized set of tools makes them easy to quickly take out and transport to most excursions, whether at home or a worksite. They are also generally sturdy and durable, able to withstand their fair share of workplace abuse. 

Phones have evolved enormously over the decades from simple communication tools to powerful entertainment hubs that allow us to do everything from watching movies to playing games to engaging with celebrities and influencers. To top it off, these devices are extremely portable, making an endless array of content as accessible as reaching into your pocket. Nowadays, a variety of stands are available that can support your phone while your hands are engaged in other tasks such as cooking or cleaning, including some that sport rather quirky designs.

However, if you're already in possession of a Swiss Army Knife, then you have all you need to prop up your phone. Given that the many attachments on these little gadgets can swivel about and be positioned in various ways, you can easily rearrange them in a way to act as a make shift phone stand. This includes your fishing tool, which is surprisingly sufficient at keeping things steady. This is prominently demonstrated by YouTuber Jony Fire. The user placed their Swiss Army Knife in an upright position, unveiled two blades to hold the phone up front, and used the fish scaler to prop up the stand in the back. 

While screws are primarily used to strengthen objects, they can prove to be surprisingly delicate on their own. The small opening on the screw head where you'd insert a screwdriver or drill bit can be easily ruptured if using the wrong sized attachment or applying too much force. This can create the dreaded stripped screw which, while relatively easy to remove, can nevertheless become an inconvenience. Your Swiss Army Knife's fish scaler can once again prove an unlikely ally in this endeavor. 

Similar to its ability to support nails as we discussed earlier, a fish scaler's small size makes it effective in holding on to a screw without causing much damage. You can easily use the pronged tip fitted with a magnet to grab on to a screw and hold it in place as you drill it into a surface. Removing a screw is also possible with the aid of this tool. 

The pronged tip of the tool just so happens to be a perfect size to fit into the slots of a screw head and get it out. This is ideal if the screw is of an especially small size, and you don't have a screwdriver or drill bit that corresponds with it. Additionally, the long, yet narrow build of a fishing tool allows it to fit into tight or deep spaces with screws that a typical screwdriver may have trouble with otherwise. 

Lighting a candle can be a serene way to end the day and set a relaxing mood. But the actual act of lighting it can be anything but relaxing depending on the state of the candle itself. As candles continue to burn and melt, the further they sink into the jar. This increases the difficulty of lighting a candle as you have to position your match deeper into the jar, upping the chances of your fingers getting burned. While you can always buy a match extender, you might as well take advantage of something that has a far wider range of uses.

This is another instance where the pronged end of a fish scaler can be of great use. Just as it can grab thin objects such as nails and screws, it can hold on to the bottom of a match with ease. After lighting your match, you can place it on the pronged end of the fishing tool, position it to reach the bottom of a jar, and light the candle as needed. Your fingers will thank you. Even if you don't use candles all that much, your fish scaler's pronged end can be used to pick food or other items from the bottom of a jar that would otherwise be impossible to reach with your fingers.

Learning how to sew a neat tight stitch is a rewarding prospect to master. But you may have not given much thought as to how to remove a stitch should you become unhappy with it or want to use the fabric for another project. Unpicking a seam is not as simple as it might appear, as using the wrong materials such as a pair of scissors can cause distortion and further damage to the fabric. As a result, a smaller, more delicate tool is needed to get the job done, such as the fish scaling tool on your Swiss Army Knife.

The pronged end of a fish scaler is both strong enough to pull out a tight stitch while being gentle enough that it won't harm the material. To do so, position the tool's tip in between the stitch and the fabric and gently push against it to loosen the seam. Be cautious with how much force you exert to push the tool, as doing so too hard can damage the fabric, especially delicate varieties like satin. While it may not approach this task as delicately as a specialized seam ripping tool, a fish scaler nevertheless can get the job done with enough ease and efficiency for most needs.