I’m not going to bore you with a long explanatory paragraph to introduce this article, because we all know the whole point of those is to make sure we get “best Swiss army knife” or something similar into the text so that search engines will find this piece more easily. Here’s I’ll even do it one more time before moving on: best Swiss army knife. Ah, doesn’t that feel good … and honest.
Swiss army knives by Victorinox are in the pockets of people all around the U.S. — they make great everyday carry blades, and their history has long made them a trusted knife to carry. And those tools! Most Swiss army knives have a bevy of tools for you to use, like the main blade, nail file, tweezers, bottle opener, screwdriver — the bigger the knife, the longer this list of functions is going to get.
But bigger isn’t always better, and after carrying this brand around our farm for years, I’ve zeroed in on what I believe to be the best Swiss army knives. Victorinox reportedly uses X55CrMo14 or DIN 1.4110 as the steel in its blades (though they don’t really advertise that), and while that’s certainly not super high-end by any stretch of the imagination, it fits the versatility and functionality you would want from such a knife. Not to mention that the company’s choice of steel helps keep the price down.
Victorinox knives are made in Switzerland, and the company provides a lifetime guarantee against defects in material and workmanship.
Here’s a look at our five picks for the best Swiss army knife to consider for your next EDC blade:
Victorinox Swiss Army Farmer Alox
As a farmer myself, of course this was the first Swiss army knife that I ever purchased. How could it not be?! It measures 3.7 inches closed and weighs 3.08 ounces. It features a 2.75-inch spear point stainless steel blade with a satin finish and which a blade thickness of 1/16 inch. Mine has been well loved over the 12+ years I’ve owned it.
Functions: large blade, reamer/punch, can opener, screwdriver 3 mm, bottle opener, screwdriver 7.5 mm, wire stripper, wood saw, key ring
Victorinox Swiss Army RangerGrip 79
This one is great because, exactly as advertised, it fits nicely and comfortably in your hand, and there’s little fear of you losing your grip and having an accident with the blade. It measures in at 5.1×0.8×0.65 inches and weighs 5.44 ounces. It has a 3.875-inch spear point and 4.125-inch saw stainless steel blades.
Functions: can opener, screwdriver 3 mm, large blade, bottle opener, screwdriver 5 mm, wire stripper, wood saw, reamer/punch and sewing awl, corkscrew, key ring, toothpick, tweezers
Victorinox Swiss Army Multi-Tool Tinker
Be honest, when someone mentions “Swiss army knife,” this is the blade that pops into your mind, right? The classic red multi-tool is iconic from Victorinox, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t at least a little bit familiar with it. It measures 3.58×1.02×55 inches and weighs a mere 2.2 ounces. The tool features a 2.625-inch spear point and 1.5-inch pen stainless steel blades with a mirror polish finish and a blade thickness of 1/16 inch.
Functions: 2 blades, Phillips screwdriver, can opener and bottle opener, small screwdriver, wire stripper, reamer, punch and sewing awl, toothpick, tweezers, key ring
Victorinox Swiss Army One-Hand Sentinel
Not every Victorinox blade is going to be a big multi-tool — sometimes, it pays to go simple. And for many chores we use these knives for, the basic blade takes good care of us. This smooth-bladed knife is 2 inches in length and has a weight of 2.58 ounces.
Functions: large blade, tweezers, toothpick, key ring
Victorinox Swiss Army Hunter XT
This is another one that we’ve long loved because of its unique handle design, which means we can literally use this for hours and hours and hours without a ton of hand fatigue. It comes in at 4.37x1x0.75 inches and a weight of 5.4 ounces — among the heaviest on this list. But there’s more sizable cutting power, too: It features a 3.375-inch spear point, 3.125-inch curved, and 3.5-inch saw blades.
Functions: large blades, seatbelt cutter, wood saw, corkscrew, key ring
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