Swiss Army Reviews

I've had one these puppies hanging on my keychain for about 1 year now and it's been a lifesaver at times. The light comes in handy when you're stuck in a dark spot and I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck without a pen and then suddenly remembered that I did have one, on my knife! The pen hasn't run out yet and always writes great. The scissors cut with the precision you'd expect from a Victorinox knife and the nailfile and knife are always useful whoever you may be. All in all, a great companion to any keychain!

Swiss Army has always produced great knives and this one is no exception. The light is a great add on.

This is the pocket knife I carry when travelling. You have what you need. It is thin, ligh.You have a blade for peeling and cut a fruit. A corkscrew for that special wine you will have in your room at a discounted price. Sometimes I use the cap opener and as far as I can remember I have used once the can opener. In other words do not go for those mini or maxi pocket knife, have your "waiter" with you!

You can't go wrong with the Champ in your pocket. Owned mine for a good 9 years and is still serves me well since the day I bought it. I even brought it with me when I did volunteer work and never failed me, not even when I used it to hammer some nails onto plywood. Now for the "other" camp, the LEATHERMEN's camp, sure, the Champ's pliers aren't beefy enough for some jobs but along with a good pair of Craftsman or Snap-on pliers and my trusty knife, I'm pretty sure things will be fine.

Besides, how many stories have you heard of a guy using a Leatherman to perform a tracheotomy on a choking child on a plane? I'm sure you haven't. But a Swiss Army knife did, right?

I have owned my Swiss Champ for more than two years. I wanted a POCKET knife that had many tools without having to go to a multi-tool that you had to put in a case and hook to your belt.
The Swiss Champ fit the bill perfectly. I carry it in my pocket everywhere I go.
The knife is built much stronger than I ever imagined. I have used the screwdrivers with screws that I felt would break the knife without even chipping a blade. I have put a tremendous amount of torque on the blades without a hitch. I love the tuck away tweesers. They have pulled many splinters from hands and fingers.
The scissors are very sharp,....though small. (I have used for personal grooming.) The pliers are strong,....but rather small. The file works well for small items. The saw blade is very, very sharp and I have actually used it in a jam to cut through a 1" X 2" board.
This is the best POCKET knife I have ever bought. I like it so much that I recently bought another and put it in my closet. (Just to have it on hand if I should ever lose this one.)
The original still looks and works like new. All the blades are still very sharp.
If you are looking for something that will actually fit in your pocket,.....this is the knife to own.

As you can see, this knife has many many tools. However, calling it a pocket-knife is a little misleading. It is a bit big to fit comfortably in a jeans pocket. Buy the sheath that is made for it and wear it on your belt. The sheath also has a pencil, sharpener, compas/ruler, matches, signal mirror, string, safety pin and more. When I've worn mine, the sheath has come in almost as handy as the knife. If you want one that fits in a pocket a little better, try the Delux Tinkerer, has a lot of the tools that I found useful. The victorinox knives are all great quality, withstand abuse, and the tools open and close very smoothly. For heavy-duty cutting, though, I'd look for one with a locking blade, such Victorinox's version of the leatherman.

This knife also comes or at least used to come in black. That's a really nice look and not as common as the red.

This is a high quality precise well made piece of art. Also the steel used in this tool is of high quality and not brittle like other tools. I gave this tool five stars. I give leatherman and gerber tools three stars each. If you don't believe me put this tool in one hand and any other tool you wish to compare in the other hand and compare. The only thing I like to have in this tool (new version) is a larger scissors. The one I have has small scissors. They are fine but a larger one will make them more practical.
UPDATE:
This review is for the new version tool (the one with scissors). I recently bought a Leatherman Wave tool...try to compare the two and give an honest opinion about the quality and the practicality of the two. The finish and the built quality of the Swiss tool is much better than the Leatherman. There is really a big difference here. The Vic. Swiss Army tool has a bigger and smoother pliers. The Leathermans Wave tool has too many small useless low quality bits without locking system. The Victorinox tool has an excellent smooth locking system that keeps the bit you use in place (think safety). The Swiss tool was designed to make it easy to open the bits you want to use. On the other hand, I have to figure out how to open the small bits in the Leathermans. You open one of the bits you don't want just to open the one you want hoping there is enough friction between the two bits (poor design).
The truth I returned the Leatherman Wave...because there is a big big difference between the two tools. The only good thing in the Leatherman is the metal file...The Swiss saw is an efficient fast great wood saw. Gerber new models may compete with Swiss Tools but The steel seems to be brittle and prone to breakage. I bought an extra (new version) Swiss Tool...The balistic pouch is of low quality...The tool is still high quality Swiss made. However, you can buy a high quality leather pouch from eknifeworks...The truth is that the Swiss Tool is the best tool I saw and used so far with a wide margin.

One of the two best multi-tools on the market today. (the other being the Leatherman SuperTool 200)

PROS:
1) Strong pliers with comfortable grip
2) All blades can open while pliers are closed and all blades lock
3) Useful Chisel blade
4) Anti-rust finish
5) Heavy Duty steel

CONS:
1) The file on the "X" model seems to be made of aluminum. After some use the "steel" plating chipped off. The Leatherman file is much tougher and can be used on wood or metal.
2) You might break your nails trying to open the blades.

*UPDATE*
>> I sold sold the "X" model and purchased the "RS" model thereby trading the cheap file for a curved serrated blade. I like this tool much better now.

When I decided to buy a multi-tool last fall I did a thourough research on the Internet, reading up on what others said, then I went to the store to touch and feel the tools to really sense the difference, and I must agree: This is the best. My first choice, if I hadn't done my homework, would have been Leatherman, mainly because of brand recognition. I never regretted that I bought the Swiss Tool instead. Why?
1. The best feature are the spring locks that lock each blade and tool securely. NO fumbling and accidental slips.
2. The knife blades are razor sharp, even after long use, so is the saw.
3.The size is comfortable, and you grip it very easily.

P.S. I suggest you to get hold of the version with scissors. They may look small, but they're not wobbly at all.

I saw quite a few reviews here from people who love this model but more or less miss having the scissors. You may want to know that Victorinox makes (at least) 4 slightly different Tinker models: "Small Tinker", "Tinker", "Super Tinker", and "Deluxe Tinker". If the measurement information given above (3 1/4") is correct, then the model sold here is actually the "Small Tinker". The other 3 are full-size models (just 1/4" longer). Trivia aside, what I want to bring to your attention is that the "Super Tinker" model has all the same tools as the "Tinker" plus one - the nifty little scissors! If you're looking for the ideal model that has BOTH the Phillips screwdriver AND the scissors, go with the "Super Tinker" instead.

I have had three Tinkers over the years. The first one I liked best, as it was the smaller size and had a nice black handle. It is a great size to carry at all times, and forget about it until you need it. I did miss the scissors at first until I realized something. If you keep it sharp you don't really need scissors. you can use the large blade for everyday use, and just keep the small blade as a backup, always razor sharp. Another reviewer mentioned that you should remove the key ring. I agree wholeheartedly, and I went one step further. After you remove the key ring, grind down the nub that the key ring went through (with a bench grinder or Dremel grinding wheel) and it is so much smoother and fits in your pocket without poking your leg at all. The only disadvantage I can think of is that the plastic that the handles are made of are not as rugged as the rest of the knife. After carrying my first one for about 7 years and dropping it a few times, the handles loosened up and eventually fell off. Victorinox is making some newer models at a lower price point with red nylon handles. The handles are much more durable, but the Swiss cross is just painted on and looks very cheezy. My original, smaller Tinker had a philips screwdriver that was shaped to blend in to the rest of the shape. The newer ones are just round and not quite as nice. I might be ready for my fourth Tinker, hehehe. If they would just make one with the smaller body, with the rivted aluminum handles and managed to keep the toothpick and tweezers...

The Tinker was the 1st Victorinox knife I got. I've had it for about 10 years now. It's got the scratches and wear marks that only a very used knife can have and yet functionally it is still in perfect shape. I've been able to keep the 2 blades razor sharp through the years with only occasional sharpening. The bottle opener and can opener double as tough flathead screwdrivers and the philips head screwdriver on the other side is solid as a rock. This knife has gotten me out of a jam many a time and is probably my most treasured item in my tool collection. A must have for the handy-man type!

Have had this for years now, with additional gifts at various times. Although I'd expected this to come in quite handy, I have found the scissors and knife not quite up to what I need at the time. (I probably use the tip of a ballpoint pen as well or better.)

I have two swiss army knives. I happened across a camper on a hike more than ten years ago, and have been sold on victorinox knives ever since. Now I have a card too. I have had it for a year now and really enjoy it. I carry it in the credit card slot of my PDA wallet and use it often. The camper is a stronger knife but I like this one's portability. The other knife was more than I wanted in my pocket all of the time and this one is just automatically with me. My only complaint is that it lacks the heft and strength of my other knife, but to be portable you go small. I compared it with the spydercard but I like to have more than just one blade available. Hope this helps!

This card fits perfectly into my wallet and contains all sorts of goodies that come in handy all the time. Just when you think you don't have the tool to do a job, you'll remember you've got this card in your wallter, whip it out, do the job and impress your friends at the same time. A great addition to any do-it-yourselfers wallet. Just make sure you take it out of your wallet before you go through airport security!

This knife is same as the Climber with a pen and clock in the side. The climber is significantly less expensive and the clock will likely not last as long as the knife. (If my climber going on 20+ years is any indication). Victorinox is my favorite of the two official swiss army knife manufacturers, (The other is Wagner) but this knife is not.