Finding an all-in-one tool for outdoor camping and survival is probably the most difficult task for a knife collector. However, if you are here it means that you already have figured out that Swiss army survival knives are exactly what you need as multipurpose gear.
There are so many brands in the market today which are manufacturing Swiss army knives but Victorinox is known for its quality durability and traditional design. That’s why in this article, we have listed some best quality original and traditional SAK by Victorinox.
1. Victorinox Swiss Army Farmer Pocket Knife
This SAK has Nine functions packed in two Alox scales with amazing design and durability. Whether it’s about camping or hiking or you just want to keep it in your survival kit this gear is going to help you in every situation.
Alox is an aluminum-driven material and this Alox housing is not only very ergonomic but the style is also very eye-catching. This silver color case has a very compact design and has enveloped nine gears in a very beautiful manner.
This Swiss army knife has a total of nine gears including two screwdrivers, one cane opener, a bottle opener, a wood saw, punch, keyring, and a large blade. All of these tools have a unique hardness level so that these can be used for their specific purpose. The tools are made up of pure stainless steel means no chance of rusting.
Overall this 3.66 inches long knife is durable and the tools are very easy to access, you don’t have to struggle while pulling out any tool for use. However, some customers reported a slight rubbing of tools because of less space between them, which isn’t a biggie and can be fixed by oiling your knife after use.
Features
- Nine attachments including large blade, bottle opener, can opener, two screwdrivers, keyring, wood saw, punch
- Length= 3.66 inches
- Weight= 3 ounces
- Scale material= Alox
PROS
- Slim profile
- Agile
- Compact
- Durable
CONS
- Tools are too close to each other which may cause frictional damage
2. Victorinox - Victorinox RangerWood - Swiss Army Pocket Knife
Victorinox Ranger wood 55 is one of their most beautiful and finest knives. Unlike the traditional Victorinox, this doesn’t have red color but has a very woody brown color that further increases the aesthetics of the knife.
The elegant walnut scales enclosed a total of 11 attachments and don’t feel heavy at all in your pocket. Its wooden handle is pretty ergonomic and that’s why you can keep working with this for hours without any discomfort or ache.
The knife includes a very sharp 10cm long stainless steel blade that is perfect for cutting, chopping, skinning, and whittling. Other tools that come with the knife are: a cane opener with a 3mm long screwdriver, a cap lifter with a 6mm long screwdriver, a corkscrew, a wire stripper, a reamer, sewing awl, wood saw, keyring.
It’s an all-purpose utility knife that can be an excellent survival companion and you can even use it as your camping/hiking/EDC knife too. Also, for someone fond of backpacking, it’s an ideal gear.
The length of this knife is around 130mm and has a total weight of 5.75 ounces that’s why it feels light in the pocket.
No doubt, it is one of the most durable and long-lasting knives that you can use for years which is why spending 110.4$ on it isn’t a big deal.
Features
- Includes 11 tools(a blade, a cane-opener with a 3mm long screwdriver, a cap lifter with a 6mm long screwdriver, a corkscrew, a wire stripper, a reamer, sewing awl, wood saw, keyring)
- Handle material: wood
- Length= 130mm
- Weight= 5.75 ounces
PROS
- Amazing build quality
- Durable material
- Light weight
- Easy to carry
CONS
- Nil
3. Victorinox - RangerGrip Boatsman Multi-Tool Pocket Knife
Yellow and black is the combination that anyone would love to have. That’s is why this amazing yellow-black Swiss army knife of Victorinox is going to be the favorite of so many of you. The color, however, isn’t the only reason but quality too is.
Its yellow black synthetic two-component handle is very grippy and super comfortable. The design of the scales increases the overall functionality of the knife. This knife has a very compact, robust, and lightweight design which is why despite having 22 attachments it’s very easy to carry.
I know after reading about the number of attachments, you must be wondering, what are these? Well, this SAK includes tweezers, keyring, bit sloth, toothpick, 5mm long screwdriver, 3mm long screwdriver, bit Phillips 3, bottle opener, large blade with wavy edge, wire stripper, sewing awl, punch, nut wrench, sewing eye, wire cutter, two rulers one in inches and one in cm, needle-nosed pliers, marlinspike, can opener, corkscrew, shackle opener.
With all these amazing functions and top-notch quality, this 130mm long knife is just perfect for your pocket. It’s not heavy at all and weighs only 9.5 ounces and the tools are properly spaced to avoid frictional damage due to rubbing.
According to some buyers, the knife is a little on the expensive side but just think about purchasing all of these 22 tools separately, you’ll end up paying more amount of money.
So, 166.3$ is simply okay.
Features
- Weight= 9.5 ounces
- Length= 130mm
- Handle material= synthetic
- Material of blade and other tools= stainless steel
- Attachments= total 22( tweezers, keyring, bit sloth, toothpick, 5mm long screwdriver, 3mm long screwdriver, bit Phillips 3, bottle opener, large blade with wavy edge, wire stripper, sewing awl, punch, nut wrench, sewing eye, wire cutter, two rulers one in inches and one in cm, needle-nosed pliers, marlinspike, can opener, corkscrew, shackle opener)
PROS
- Vibrant color makes it visible and you don't have to search around for your knife
- Very long-lasting
- Sharp blade
- Multifunctional
CONS
- A little expensive
4. Victorinox- Multi-Tool SwissChamp Pocket Knife
With the iconic design, this ruby color knife isn’t less than a gem. It is a masterpiece by Victorinox having 50 functions. The material used in the manufacture of this knife is nicely tempered and polished right away to get the desired hardness.
Its acrylic plastic handle is extremely ergonomic and offers a great grip. Even sometimes it feels like this handle is the part of our hand. All the attachments are so nicely incorporated in the case that none of these is too tight or too loose.
All 50 tools are made up of stainless steel which is corrosion resistant and you can use this knife as your EDC companion too. This incredible SAK has a corkscrew, can opener with a small screwdriver, small blade, bottle opener with a large screwdriver, a wire stripper, Large blade, punch, straight pin, scissors, multipurpose hook, Wood saw, a fish scaler that has a hook disgorger, Ruler in inches and one in centimeters, tweezers, metal file, 2.5mm long fine screwdriver, metal saw, scraper, Phillips, wire crimper, mini-screwdriver, sawing eye, pharmaceutical spatula, pruning blade, electrician’s blade, a wire scraper, bit wrench, a 5mm hex socket, a DIP switch setter, a wire cutter, keyring, nail file, a nail cleaner, Phillips screwdriver, magnifying lens, pressurized ballpoint pen, straight pin, a 4mm long hex socket and much more.
Every single tool is properly hardened and is best at its job.
This knife is around 3.6 inches long and has a total weight of 8.68 ounces that’s pretty heavy for a pocket knife. Well, we know that it is not an ordinary pocket knife but a SAK, so the heavyweight will do as well.
Coming towards durability so this knife is extremely durable, you can keep using this for years and it won’t get damaged.
Features
- Handle material= acrylic
- Material of tools= stainless steel
- It includes 50 attachments
- Weight= 8.68 ounces
- Length= 3.6 inches
PROS
- Durable
- Include a huge number of tools
- Corrosion-resistant
- Sharp blade
- Nice handle
CONS
- Little heavy
5. Victorinox- Wine Master Olive
Look at this classic gear, it is the simplest yet most interesting tool I’ve seen on the internet so far. What makes it super cool is the material it is made up of.
This amazing SAK has 6 functions that are so nicely sandwiched in olive wood scales. These scales don’t only look great but are very comfortable in hands too. Its design is very handy and strong and you can do any and everything using this knife. Just because the scales are very grippy and non-slippery this knife can be used as a self-defense knife too in times of need.
Now let’s have a look at the six attachments that the knife has, these attachments include, a serrated beak blade, foil cutter, big-sized locking blade, corkscrew that comes with five coils, a two-step lever, and also contains a bottle opener.
All of these tools are very well hardened and polished and that’s the reason behind the knife’s durability.
This 130mm knife weighs only 117gm and just because of its compact design, it’s very easy to work with also a perfect knife to be carried in the pocket.
There is no doubt that this knife is perfect for survival and an excellent gear to be used for EDC too, however it is a bit overpriced when compared with the other knives we have listed.
Features
- Length= 130mm
- Weight= 117gm
- Material= stainless steel
- Wooden scales
- Total 6 attachments including
- A serrated beak blade
- A foil cutter
- A big-sized locking blade
- A Corkscrew that comes with five coils
- A two-step lever
- A bottle opener
PROS
- Very lightweight
- Easy to carry
- Good for day to day use
CONS
- Bit overpriced
6. Victorinox - One-Hand Trekker Multi-Tool Pocket Knife
One-Hand Trekker Multi-Tool is an all-in-one gear that can help you with almost everything that you come across as a survivalist. This SAK can be used as an EDC knife, a perfect whittling tool, and an amazing survival knife too.
As the scales are made up of Polyamide which is a highly durable and resistant material, this knife is perfect for rough and tough use. The handle is pretty decent and ergonomic because of being ant-slip. Just because of the perfect scale design its 10 attachments are so nicely incorporated in the knife that all of these are very easy to access.
As far as the functions are concerned so let me tell you that this knife includes a Phillips screwdriver, keyring, can opener, bottle opener, two screwdrivers one 5mm long and one 3mm long, wire stripper, reamer, wood saw, and a serrated blade.
All of these tools are made using high-quality stainless steel and each one of these is polished and hardened properly.
This is an awesome swiss army knife and it is very long-lasting at the same time.
When it comes to the design and compactness, it is only 4.4 inches long and the height of the knife is 0.7 inches which show that the knife is quite small, compact, and agile. Also, it’s pretty portable because of being lightweight and weighs only 4.6 ounces.
Features
- Weight= 4.6 ounces
- Length=4.4 inches
- Height= 0.7 inches
- Handle materials= polyamide
- Tools included- Phillips screwdriver, keyring, can opener, bottle opener, two screwdrivers one 5mm long and one 3mm long, wire stripper, reamer, wood saw, and a serrated blade
PROS
- Long-lasting
- Compact design
- Comfortable to use
- Blades are quite sharp too
CONS
- Saw angle isn't great
7. Victorinox - Pocket Survival Knife
Swiss army knives are known for their traditional red color scales and the Victorinox logo on the top. This one right here is exactly what a traditional Victorinox looks like. Beautiful red color scales and compact design with finest tools inside.
The polish Cellidor scales are quite comfortable for handling and have thirty-two amazing tools incorporated inside. Though it includes a lot of tools still it doesn’t feel heavy and bulky at all.
The swiss champ pocket knife has a sewing eye, small blade, straight pin, corkscrew, magnifying lens, Large blade, wire crimper, can opener that has a small screwdriver, scraper, bottle opener that has a large screwdriver, metal saw, wire stripper, nail file, nail cleaner, reamer, wood saw, keyring, scissors, tweezers, patented mini-screwdriver, pressurized ballpoint pen, Phillips screwdriver, pliers Including wire cutter, 2.5mm long fine screwdriver, metal file, fish scaler that has a hook disgorger along with ruler in inches and centimeters, multipurpose hook, and a toothpick.
When it comes to quality all of these tools are just perfect and durable.
Tools are nicely attached to the knives and are not too tight or too loose which is why opening any one of these is not hard at all.
Talking about the price so this amazing Swiss army knife is not expensive at all and you just have to pay 67.60$ for buying this one.
Features
- Length= 3.6 inches
- Weight= 0.19 kgs
- Height= 1.3 inches
- Handle material= Cellidor
- Attachments: Total (32) a sewing eye, small blade, straight pin, corkscrew, magnifying lens, Large blade, wire crimper, can opener that has a small screwdriver, scraper, bottle opener that has a large screwdriver, metal saw, wire stripper, nail file, nail cleaner, reamer, wood saw, keyring, scissors, tweezers, patented mini-screwdriver, pressurized ballpoint pen, Phillips screwdriver, pliers Including wire cutter, 2.5mm long fine screwdriver, metal file, fish scaler that has a hook disgorger along with ruler in inches and centimeters, multipurpose hook, and a toothpick.
PROS
- Affordable
- This one gear is what all you need as it has so many tools
- Very easy to carry
CONS
- Nil
Buying guide
For choosing the best Swiss army knife you may need an expert opinion. So here I have compiled the list of some important facts about how to choose the best Swiss army knife for your survival kit.
Following are some facts to be kept in mind while choosing SAK for you.
1. Pocket able size should be the first thing to consider
We know that these knives are not ordinary pocket folding knives but these are too, supposed to be kept in our pockets. That’s the reason why their size matters a lot. As these knives are supposed to be carried in the same way as other pocket knives if the size would be too big it’s going to be hard to carry these in the pocket. So always go for a Swiss army knife that is of moderate size, which is neither too big nor too small.
2. The material
We want our knife to be durable and long-lasting and that’s why the material of the knife we are going to choose as our companion for survival, matters a lot. So always go for a knife that’s is made up of high-quality material.
3. For handle
The brand Victorinox usually prefer wood handle and that’s because these handles are more comfortable to hold and easy to work with.
4. For blade and tools
Most reputable Swiss knife brand Victorinox prefers stainless steel or alloy of stainless steel that is at least rust-resistant if not rustproof. All the tools including the main cutting blade are mostly made up of the same material.
5. It shouldn’t be too hard to open
Your survival gear is ought to be easy to access if it’s not it means your life is in danger, same goes with the Swiss army knife. Over the years the Swiss army knife brands have tried their best to make sure that their knife shouldn’t be too hard to open. By saying too hard I mean that there is a high chance that at first, it’s going to be a little hard which is completely normal for a SAK but with time it gets loosened up with use.
6. Number of attachments it must have
It depends on your needs. If you need a SAK for EDC your requirements can be different and if you need it for backpacking or survival you may need several other tools. However, a basic Swiss army knife should at least have two cutting blades, primary (the large one) and secondary(the small one) for emergency use, a toothpick, a tweezer, and a screwdriver.
7. Portability
Regardless of the reason why we need a SAK, we all know that it is going to be an important tool of our pocket so it should be portable. A good Swiss army knife is always the one that is lightweight handy and of moderate size. Although the big-sized heavy survival knives are good as survival chopping knives but are always hard to carry with and that’s why we need a small yet effective tool for our survival In the form of SAK.
8. Identify your needs
Knowing your need and why do you need a Swiss army knife is always as important as knowing your budget for the knife. So once you have identified your need you exactly know how many tools you want and what type of Swiss knife you need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes these are, in fact carrying a Swiss army knife for survival is a great idea as you don’t have to carry a whole toolbox and you can do it all with only a single gear. These sorts of knives usually have all the important tools that one may need for survival. Even some SAK comes with LED lights and forks too, so what else do you need, when you can have all of it from only one tool.
All of these Swiss army knives are useful in different ways. So you can select the one for your need. However in terms of quality and durability always go for Victorinox Swiss knives. Victorinox has the honor of becoming the first brand that manufactured these knives for the German Army and that’s why these knives are traditional and phenomenal.
As it can be understood from the name, these knives are specially designed for army personnel and it is not a thing for kids. Nonetheless, many companies are manufacturing kids friendly Swiss knives too which can be used by a 4-year-old as well. So, it completely depends on the knife design, the tool it contains, and the blade sharpness, whether it can be used by kids or not.
Yes, many reputable brands that produce Swiss army knives have now introduced flashlights in their knives to make them useful for the user at night too. For a survivalist, dealing with dark at night in jungles is very common. So that’s why they need to use some sort of light to see and survive in dark. Keeping this in mind these brands have produced such knives so that they can be helpful in such situations.
Pocket knives are simple folding knives that are used for day-to-day tasks and these don’t have additional tools associated with them. While on the other hand Swiss army knife is a multipurpose gear that includes so many additional tools that can be used for survival like a flash light, bottle opener, etc.
