Reviews of Victorinox Champ Swiss Army Knife

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Get this. It has a magnifying glass.

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I'll review it like this ... When I die , I'm taking my Champ with me - just in case ...

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I have owned this knife since I was 14. I am now 38. Not a day goes by that I do not carry thgis knife.

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I've had this knife for over 15 years and it looks like it will last a lifetime (or even passed down to future generations), so it's definitely worth the money. Almost every feature on this knife has been useful at some point. -The knife, scissors, pliers, and screwdrivers are among the best and most commonly used features of the knife and they all perform very well despite their small size. -I have used the corkscrew to open wine bottles with no problem at all (it's easier if you place the wine bottle on the floor, put downward pressure on the bottle using the handle, and pull the cork up). There is also a bottle opener if you prefer a brew. -I use the mini flat-head screwdriver on the corkscrew to tighten the screws on my eyeglasses. -The pen seems kind of ridiculous, but it has come in handy when I couldn't find a pen anywhere and it works well. -I've used the wood saw a few times and it works really well. The only flaw in the knife is that the plastic housing developed a small crack near the pen holder, but it doesn't effect the functionality at all. The best part of the knife is that almost every tool I ever need is in one small package. I would have misplaced all these tools in the past 15 years, but since it's so small, I just keep it on my desk and it never gets lost! End of story: great knife for everyday use, camping, survival, etc.

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I've had this knife for 20 years now (had earlier version, but upgraded to this Champ in 2001) and originally used it during wilderness survival outings (some intentional, some not), and while I was homeless, living on the streets. Needless to say, this knife *has* actually saved my life several times over! When I upgraded to the new version of the Champ I used it mainly for my work as a building and apartment maintenance technician. Everything on this knife has been used several times over, including the 'hook' that some folks can't seem to figure out a use for. Yes, it's used for carrying packages by the string (which we don't use in the USA), but I've found it useful for a host of other things. Be creative and you'll be surprised how useful seemingly pointless features have, then you won't want to live without it! Initially, after upgrading to the new version, I was concerned about how useful the pliers on the knife would work. Surprisingly, it's very durable and incredibly useful. I've used it mainly on bolts and to get a good grip on the bolt I open the pliers all the way up and push forward to lock the bolt against the plier's teeth. While pressing forward, I twist the bolt. It's also handy for holding and shaping bendable objects when needed. Wrap a rubber band around the handles and it becomes a light-duty clamp. I've used the awl/reamer quite extensively and have found it useful for a variety of tasks, such as repairing my leather goods, making coiled pine-needle baskets using the eye of the awl for winding in the bindings (made from split lengths of tree roots), and carving out depressions in wood or scraping away at bone materials. One thing to keep in mind is that none of these tools lock. Be careful with how you apply pressure; with a little practice you'll figure out how to correctly apply pressure so you can get the most use out of this tool, but avoid the issue of having these tools closing unexpectedly on your fingers. It's happened to me a few times and it's not fun! With a little practice and foresight, problems are avoided. I like to keep the little blade extremely sharp and use it for fine detail tasks that require precision cuts, while the larger blade is my more utilitarian blade that I don't keep as sharp and sharpen less frequently. I use it for general cutting (rope, etc.), carving, and for splitting small logs (a wooden stick used as a mallet against the back of the large knife really helps here). The knives are pretty sharp from the factory, but a little elbow grease will get them extremely sharp and the edge will last a good while under moderate to hard use. I love that this knife comes with a phillips screwdriver, so few do, and it fits a wide range of screw sizes. There are several sizes of flatheads, which also come in handy very often. Like another poster here, I, too, have managed to make a fire from the 5x magnifying lense. It has to be a really hot and sunny day for this to work, though. Don't count on it…

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There is rarely a day that goes by that I don't use this tool. I have built things with it. I've even had the opportunity to use the ball point pen on a few occasions, and after more than TEN years, it still works. This tool is one of the top ten items on my bug-out bag: If things go terribly wrong (like a fire or earthquake or Armageddon,) this thing comes with. The workmanship is, of course, unparalleled. I suggest you get to know the tool before having to use it under stressful conditions, like having to utilize a particular function of the tool on a cold, dark night. It's heavy and a bit cumbersome, so it might behoove you to have a standby for time-sensitive situations. But on-site, it's a goldmine. Once, at Potrero Chico in Mexico, I was trying to tie down the guy-lines for my rain tarp. I'd gotten one down when a strong wind whipped up and tangled it like last years' Christmas lights. At my avail was my Champ, and because it was difficult to navigate, it took some time to get a knife blade out to free it up. Had I a smaller knife, I may have saved five minutes of untangling the tarp in 40 mph wind-driven rain. All-in-all, this is the Cadillac of SAKs, and would indeed be a valuable asset in a survival situation.

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This is a great knife. I've owned one for about 10 years, and while camping, it has EVERYTHING you need. All the tools are, at worst, are good. The steel stays sharp, the nick-nacks are easy to use, and it is small and handy. Its only short coming, as I see it, are the plyers. They aren't the most useful pliers in the world, but are great for small things. They make great tweezers, as someone else pointed out, but it'd be bit difficult to bend around a coat hanger into intricate shapes, and are deffinately no replacement for "real" pliers. Although I wouldn't recomend the Swiss Champ for an everyday or around the house tool, in an emergency or in the camp, they are EXCELENT, and I wouldn't want to need them and not have them. Unfortunately (or fortunately, we'll find out soon enough), I've lost my pair. I'm going to take this opurtunity to buy a Juice Xe6, which is comparable (but more expensive). If it doesn't far excede my expectations, I'm going straight back to the Swiss Champ because I loved it so much. In the end, this knife is wonderful. I've used all the tools at some time or another, and if you end up going with them, I promise you won't regret it!

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This is the first serious knife I had as a youngster. I believe back then it was the Champion and was a little different (no pliers). And after many years of collecting every sort of knife/ camp tool, for some reason, whenever I travel or go into the outdoors, this is the knife I reach for. It is certainly a little bulky for a pocket knife, but compared to the average camp tool, and this is a camp tool not a knife, it is rather svelte. The main reason I would choose this over a lesser swiss army version, is mainly for the choice of accessories - and this is the only version that has the pliers. I have had other types of small camp tools like the Leatherman Juice, but this is built better - although the pliers on the juice are more robust. Everything about this knife is compact, so things like the pliers and the saw are designed for the small-scale task, not for major use. But if I were stuck somewhere, from a hotel room where I need a reliable corkscrew, to the trail where I amy need everything else, this is the tool I would want; and it will last forever!

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My wife bought me my champ about 9 years ago. It's been a faithful companion ever since. I always have a tool for the job. I've only sharpened the blades 5 or 6 times the entire time I've had it and they stay razor sharp. I had upgraded from a Swiss army tinker which I also still have, but the champ is a champ. i love everything about it.

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It's the best knife ever! A little larger than my female hands are used to, but it has every tool imaginable. You couldn't ask for anything more.

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I fall between 'casual/recreational' and 'avid', I think it's who is describing me, what I'm doing and what they are thinking about it. I've been camping since before I was born, and have lived in the out-doors a full year doing a masters project: early Summer through late Spring on a Western Sierra river, and late Spring through Early Summer on a Great Basins ‘river’. I bicycled cross country on a 3 month trip and lived for several years in a walk-in cabin without power or running water. Over time I have come to know my 'gear'. I know that brand-name gear can and does save peoples lives every single year. Looking tough and BEING tough are not the same concept. Confusing them does kill people. This knife tops the list of every pocket knife I’ve owned or seen. I bet my life on it every time I go into the Great Basins and Ranges. It’s a sure bet I’ll not die from lack of a good knife. I own 3 of these for personal use and carry one 24/7. I have been carrying pocket knives since fifth grade. I got my first KampKing as a birthday present and teachers saw pocket knives as tools and not weapons (I’ve generally lived on the edge of 'rural' and 'wild' which made the difference I think). That was about 50 years ago. This is above and beyond all, the finest pocket knife I have ever owned. EVER. I have one in every vehicle I own, plus one in each emergency back pack I have in my truck (the ones everyone should carry ALL the time -- one for fall-winter and one for spring-summer, not the one you carry to 'go camping' with -- the one you carry ‘just in case’ which in California is everywhere all the time). I reach for my knife so many times a day I never realize how dependent I’ve become on it until I accidentally leave home without one (and have to go to my car to get one -- living a day without it is impossible). From the hallowed sanctified halls of Academia to the middle of the Great Basins and Ranges, this knife easily has thousands of uses without any exaggerations at all. Like I said above, the only fault it has is in completely finish cutting up a large animal like a deer. Rabbits, birds, fish will cause it no trouble at all. But a deer or larger is where the trouble begins. It will field dress without any trouble at all – but the final cutting that most folks pay a butcher do, take home to do, or reach for the real tools that are far larger, bulkier and heavy duty to do the job, will bend the frame of this knife. It will saw through small trees and brush with no problem, but when cutting the femur or other large bone, or when prying out some of the joints to get to the tendons, the entire frame will bend. If they used a stronger metal for the frame, you'd never be able to afford it. This leads to things like the blades not fitting properly and needing a second knife with it’s pair of pliers to get them to pull open. It’s my fault for not using common sense, or perhaps wanting to use the entire deer including the legs for hat…

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The knife has been a companion tool for me almost anywhere I go.Ive brought it to 3 continents, and use it almost daily. The feature least understood is the hook. I read the other reviews and it was mentioned that the hook is useless! Its a great tool. Heres what it does:It carries packages, groceries etc. Ever been vacationing and had to carry packages at stores and shops? Hook the first bag from the shoes your wife had to buy, then when she finds that italian dress... Pass the knife handle through the bag and clasp the knife handle and you got 2 gifts in 1 hand, continue with the bottle of wine, cheesy wood carved tourist nick-nacks, etc, and you can carry all of those gifts comfortably in 1 hand!!! The tool is also great for popping a soda top, pulling string or laces very tight, etc. I even used it to pull a wire that was on tention back into its clasp. Its not as importaint as the knife blade but I use it as much as any other tool.

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This is a great knife. It seems a little too big to put in your pocket, but it is fine in a sheath. The tools are easily accessed, and they are the perfect size. The hook is somewhat useless, but all other tools are efficient and high quality. I carry this knife almost everyday and use it very frequently. The large knife is very sharp and holds the edge well.

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I lead full-moon snow shoe outtings in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. On the full moon just before Christmas, we came across a pine tree that had fallen across the trail, about 6-8 inches in diameter. Everyone had, of course, to climb over it, just a tad awkward. I decided that it should be removed for everyone's easy access on the trail. I pulled out the saw blade on this knife, and proceeded to saw away. People thought I was kidding at first, but when I continued to saw they then thought I was nuts. 10 minutes later, the tree was cut, and removed from the trail. What a FANTASTIC tool this knife is!! Well worth every penny!!

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I've had my SwissChamp for about 2 decades now. It has traveled the world with me and saved my butt countless times, literally and figuratively. I have had ample experience with this knife and Swiss Army knives in general, have reviewed them many times, and can frankly tell you the pros and cons of every brand, every model, ever individual tool on them. I own a dozen different models (some with even more bells, whistles and gadgets), but I think that the Swiss Champ is probably the best balance between size, price and function of all of them. The Victorinox Swiss Champ simply has all of the useful tools with minimal redundancy, in a relatively compact package. There are a few "bigger" models, but IMO, the size of the Swiss Champ is about the largest practical size a person can handle and still effectively use the tools. Honestly, some tools work better than others (naturally because some compromises had to be made for the compact sizing) and I will gladly critique what's good and what's just ok. In general, the Victorinox Swiss Champ (one of only two "official" Swiss Army knife makers) is a very high quality piece of Swiss engineering, all stainless steel tools with plastic scales. Don't confuse it with the cheaper, shoddily made copies made in China, or the bulky inelegant models made in the US (I'm talking about pocket knives NOT multi-tools which are a different "class"). The knife blades (main and small) are really, really sharp from the factory. I'm not kidding. These blades are like scalpel sharp. You can literally shave with them. As a functional knife I would give them my top marks if only 1) they had a locking mechanism and 2) could be deployed more easily, like with one hand. If I could go to the factory and have a custom Swiss Champ made, I would replace the main blade with the tri-tooth serrated blade (and add the locking mechanism that Wenger employs). As it is, the blades are adequate (and sharp, very sharp). The little mini-saw, surprisingly, is one of the best tools on the Swiss Champ! It has a very aggressive tooth pattern that just chews through wood like nobody's business on both the upstroke and downstroke. I've used it side by side with other full-size manual saws and it compares favourably. The so-called "metal saw"/file is less efficient. It does work. I have eventually hacked through metal with lots of effort, but it's not great. The files, one on each side, adequately do their function (which include manicuring), but I don't use them much. The scissors are great. With sharp blades and a clever leaf spring tension system, the tiny scissors zip through paper with great dexterity. They also trim fabric, thread, cord, hair, and fingernails effectively. This is one of the most useful tools, I find. There is a slight tendency however for the little leaf spring to slip "aside" during function, requiring a manual reset of the scissors to the "open" position. It's a very minor design problem. They are very good precise scissors,…