I am really surprised the Victorinox Classic SD pocket knife hasn’t been named a Cool Tool yet.

Description:

The Classic is the smallest “Swiss Army” knife. It is 2.3 inches long, shorter than my pinkie, and 0.4 inches wide, about the width of my pointer finger. It has five tools: a 1 1/2 inch knife blade, a nail file with a small flat screwdriver tip, and a small version of the usual thumb-operated scissors, all fold out of the handle. A toothpick and tweezers are stored in the handle.

It weighs about 0.8 oz., or about the weight of two keys. (From what I can tell, there was a non-SD version that was very slightly smaller, and isn’t sold any longer.)

 

Advantages:

– The Classic is small enough to live on my keychain, so I always have it. It vanishes in my pocket.

– Like all Victorinox products, the Classic is beautifully made. The blade and tools are polished to a mirror finish on all surfaces, and open smoothly from day one, with no break-in period.

-The blade is pretty good, even for its small size. The steel used is rust-proof in everyday use, and so maintenance-free, other than occasional sharpening. The steel is relatively soft and easy to sharpen, but takes a keen edge. The blade has a full flat grind (with a tiny secondary bevel to form the edge), like many chef’s knives, so it has excellent slicing ability and does not get wedged in a cut. (For knife wonks out there, the steel is X55CrMo14 or DIN 1.4110.)

– As is typical for Swiss Army knives, the scissors perform beautifully. They are probably the only tool that works better (at least for certain uses) than their full-sized, non-knife mounted versions. They are spring-loaded, so you don’t have to pull the two legs open. They use the body of the knife as one leg, allowing your thumb to press on the other leg. They will take very small but very precise, clean bites out of fabric, cord, leather, etc. They can even be used to trim fingernails in a pinch.

– Even the nail file is useful. I use it to scrape, poke and pry things instead of the blade. I also use it to (surprise) file my nails. Working with my hands, I chip or tear a nail fairly often, and if I don’t deal with it, the tear can snag on something or get big enough to be painful. The file lets me smooth it out so I can get on with work.

– The Classic is non-threatening and familiar, especially in the traditional red Swiss Army livery. I have often taken mine places where weapons are not technically allowed, such as the state capitol building. The guards glance at it and wave it through. (The TSA will not allow one on an airplane, however.)

– It is available in dozens of different colors and patterns, including translucent and glow-in-the-dark. The patterns include zebra prints, flowers, chocolate, Swiss cheese, jelly bean, baseball, football, the Texas flag, sushi, etc., etc. The patterned versions have a coating to increase durability. There is even a sterling silver version. I personally prefer the “Alox” or aluminum version. (More on that below.)

– There is a kind of cottage industry for “hacking” these knives. People replace the plastic plates (or “scales”) with other materials, or modify the tools, etc.

– All the parts that can be lost are replaceable: the tweezers, toothpick, even the spring for the scissors can all be purchased separately for a pittance.

– They come with the usual Victorinox lifetime guarantee for defects in materials and workmanship. – They are cheap, available for $13 and up.

Disadvantages:

– It is a small knife. For bigger jobs, you will need a bigger knife. Of course, a bigger knife will be heavier, bulkier, more expensive, more scary and less likely to be allowed into certain places.

– The steel could be a smidge harder. I have sharpened mine enough that the blade is appreciably thinner than it was, and the tip is beginning to peek out above the handle. If it gets much worse, I will grind down the top of the blade to bring the point back down (hard to explain, easy to visualize.) Quick work with a metal file.

– The various plastic handles will eventually show wear from keys, spare change and whatnot. So I prefer the aluminum (or “Alox”) version. The aluminum scales are through-riveted, and will never break or fall off. They also seem to resist scratches better than plastic. However, they do not have space for the tweezers and toothpick, so those tools are omitted. And it does cost more.

– They come with the typical split ring to attach to key rings. That ring is simple and secure, but not so easy to remove. So I have the knife on a separate piece of cord, that is attached to my key ring with a “cow hitch” or “lark’s head” so it can be removed easily.

– Once or twice I have wished it had a bottle opener.

Variations:

There are several other Victorinox models that vary the formula a little. Note that they are typically available only with the traditional red scales.

– The “Rally” ($12) replaces the scissors with a combination bottle opener/Phillips head screwdriver. (I personally, the scissors are a must-have.)

– The “Jetsetter” ($17) has no knife blade or nail file, only the scissors and bottle opener, presumably to make it airplane-friendly.

– The “Broker” is all stainless steel, and suitable for engraving.

– The “Signature“($22) adds a tiny (replaceable) ballpoint pen that pops out slightly from the handle.

– The “Swiss Lite” ($29) adds a tiny LED flashlight. I prefer a separate small flashlight, personally. –

The “Rambler” ($21) adds a bottle opener/Phillips head screwdriver. It is slightly thicker and heavier, of course.

– The “Nail Clip 580” ($20) adds an actual nail clipper.

– The “Ambassador” ($23) is the same knife, but slightly larger in all dimensions. It is 2.9″ long.

Summary:

Nicely designed and made; small and light enough to be unnoticeable in the pocket; useful enough to be almost indispensable, even given the size limitations; durable, especially in the Alox version; and cheap. Obviously, such a small knife cannot do 100% of the things people use knives for, and many people will want a larger knife for various purposes. I have another pocket knife myself, for camping. But there is no other knife that is available to me literally all the time. I use mine every day.

-- Karl Chwe 04/4/17