| When I was a child in the Scouts, we would play games of Top Trumps with Swiss Army Knifes, constantly trying to out do each other by revealing some tool from the belly of our knife that supposedly more niche and of higher value than our friends. The bigger the knife, the more tools it contained and the more creative the imagination would have to get to define exactly what some of them were used for. Horse hoof stone picker…or parcel hook? Nut cracker or wrench? Small spike for making tiny holes in windscreen washer jets or…oh that’s what it is for!
Thankfully, the Swiss Champ Knife, the one I dreamed of owning as a boy, came with a universal picture manual to show exactly what each of the 33 tools were for. Of course, there are many of them that I would not dream of ever actually using, but is that really the point of this knife? The Swiss Army are, after all, issued with a knife with only 6 features. Top Trumps to me!
The tools are all made from stainless steel and are of the highest quality, still being manufactured in Switzerland since 1884. Using some of the tools to prise and bend puts a lot of torsional force on the main body which would cause less well constructed tools (like you get in the local market) to split open. Not a hint of it with the Swiss Champ, it is rock solid and shows no signs of the hinges loosening. This particular model is the most well equipped model in the range and has become such a classic item of design that it appears in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
A knife is often on the kit list for expedition races, but this would simply be overkill to carry with you, it is heavy and at what point in the race will you need the corkscrew anyway? It is one for the transition box though, and worth having. The tweezers alone could be a saviour to remove annoying thorns and a support crew could find a good use for the can and bottle openers.
While it is certainly not a necessity for adventure racing, it is a really nice tool to own and with a lifetime guarantee it should be a purchase for life.
Here is the tool list in it’s entirety:
Large blade, Small blade, Corkscrew, Can opener, Cap lifter, Screwdriver, Wire stripper, Reamer, Punch, Key ring, Tweezers, Toothpick, Scissors, Multi-purpose hook, Wood saw, Fishscaler, Hook disgorger, Ruler, Nailfile, Metal file, Nail cleaner, Metal saw, Fine screwdriver, Chisel, Pliers, Wire cutters, Wire crimper, Phillips screwdriver, Magnifying glass, Ballpoint pen, Pin, Mini-screwdriver (patented)For more details please visit: http://www.victorinox.com |
