The last 50 years have been a mixed bag for the Swiss Army Knife. Computers, phones, and generally not-knife-fixable objects have pervaded our lives and the relevance of a multitool has been reduced. They’ve adapted marvelously, however, offering flashlights and USB drives included in their tools. And really, if you don’t at least have one of these things stored away somewhere, you’re cheating yourself. So maybe it’s time to just pick one, just in case the end times are approaching.
The original, and some would say still the best, is the Soldier Knife. It’s what was originally issued to the Swiss Army, and the secret of their neutrality. Nobody else brought reamers to the World War, so they had to trade for Switzerland’s, exchanging non-aggression pacts. Here’s what the original looked like:
But the original just got redone (a rare occasion) and the new standard is this:
Not bad, right? It’s rugged, and it’s equipped with the basics and nothing else. I like this one. Alternatively, if you want the original lozenge-style form factor, I recommend the Huntsman. You have no idea how many splinters I took out with its surprisingly effective tweezers. It also comes in camo.
But if you’re more of an urban adventurer and around-the-house type, the Cybertool 34 is the way to go. You should get the 125th anniversary one since the look is hot.
It’s got lots of stuff you need for home and computer maintenance: tiny, weird screwdrivers, dip switch flippers, wire tools… it really looks like something an IT department should have hanging on the wall for emergencies.
I’d recommend a SwissFlash knife — you know, the ones with the built-in USB drives — but they look bulky. They ought to spruce those up a bit.
If you’ve got a fat wallet already, you might add in one of these great Swisscards, which friends of mine have found very useful. For carry-everywhere knife-and-stuff, I always recommend the Utilikey, which made it past airport security about 40 times before one eagle-eyed TSA guy spotted it.
Of course there’s lots more at the Swiss Army site. I didn’t really mean for this post to be sort of shilling for Swiss Army, but I was just reminded by this post how cool their little tools are. I need one in my life, and you probably do too.
I’ve always had better luck with Leatherman tools than Swiss Army tools – they’re more rugged, better designed (IMO), and seem to last longer. Worth a look for comparison anyways, if you’re in the market.
I LOVE my nice Wenger bag – although I am depressed by all this knock off quality “swiss gear” accessories they’ve been releasing.
I like Leatherman knives better. They look more sturdier too.
The best small knife is the Victorinox Swiss Army Rambler.
It has flat and Phillips head, scissors, knife and the most important attribute – a bottle opener. All in the same size shell as a normal mini-knife.
yeah, but if I still can’t take it on an airplane…
Whats the difference between Wenger and Vitorinox? How can they both call themselves swiss army? Which one is the real one?
I like Leathermans as well. I have a Micra that I’ve been using for years now.
Leathermans own the basic army knife. You can use pliers for almost everything!
Swiss army knives are more compact than leatherman knives, and don’t gum up. The best is the cybertool. It has torx bits and pliers. Swak’s also have heritage. If your family served in a world war, chances are they had an original.
I love my CRKT Zilla. Full-size pliers, hex-bit screwdrivers, bottle opener, awesome knife-blade…. $30. Big, but it fits perfect in one of the pockets of my carpenter’s jeans. My wife prefers the Zilla Jr, but whatever floats your boat…. I gave up my many different Swiss army knives and multi-tools for the Zilla, and I’m not looking back.
My Leatherman Wave beats it for utility, but the SA Tinker has been part of my pocket arsenal ever since I bought it umpteen years ago, even when I carry the Leatherman. My only regret is choosing the Phillips screwdriver over the corkscrew.
Dante- Both Wenger and Victorinox were contracted by the Swiss government to provide knives to the Swiss army but Victorinox was first.
…and now Victorinox owns Wenger because Wenger was going broke, and risked being sold to the Chinese, which would have diluted the quality of the “Swiss Army Knife” overall.
Sometimes is helps just to leave all the tech stuff at home and go out and take a walk in the woods/nature with without all the modern crap that fills out lives. This is where one of these knives comes in handy.
But, I converted to leatherman years ago. The pliers are far too useful.