VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY CLASSIC KEYCHAIN POCKET KNIFE

I loved my Dad, and my Dad loved me; he also loved pocket knives, especially Swiss Army pocket knives. When we were kids, he made sure me and my brother always had at least one good pocket knife. Meaning at least one good Swiss Army pocket knife. We used the little magnifying glasses to burn holes in dried-up leaves, the little saws to cut off small branches from trees, the big blades to sharpen the branches into spears, the files to smooth the ends of the spears. We would play with our newly-fashioned spears, pretending and convincing ourselves that we could fight off bears and snakes and hunt rabbits and deer and feed ourselves in the wild. At least we would do that until my Mom called us inside for dinner. Then we would watch Grizzly Adams on TV and do the whole thing over again the next day. Man it was great to be a kid with a really good pocket knife.

I grew up, moved to the big city, and for the most part stopped carving spears. But a good pocket knife is still a pretty useful thing to have around. Mine cut open UPS boxes, uncorked bottles of wine, pulled out splinters, filed down rough edges, all sorts of things. I found it on the street, while I was riding my bike. It has a little clock on its case, which I actually think is a Swatch. So I can even use my knife to tell time if I need.

I found another one on the street, again riding my bike (honest!). It’s a small one, with a keychain ring, the Classic. It had been run over by a car, so the case was slightly broken, and the tweezers were gone. I brought it to the Victorinox store in SoHo, and they sent it to Switzerland to be cleaned, sharpened, oiled, and to fix the busted case. When I got it back, it really was like new. They even gave me a new pair of tweezers. Oh, and there was no charge, not even for shipping. Now it’s on my keychain and when I’m out I use it to open uncooperative packaging, cut fraying threads and other loose ends, pull out splinters, all sorts of things, only smaller.

Boy it's great to be an adult with a really good pocket knife.

HISTORY

Victorinox started making knives for the Swiss army in 1897, when I guess they instantly established a worldwide reputation for quality, excellence, and innovation. Or something to that effect, if you read their website.

STANDOUT FEATURE/WHAT MAKES IT GREAT

Really does fit on your keychain. Just the right size. Big enough to be useful, not so big that it cramps your pocket style.

CHEAP?

Yup.

VALUE (GREATNESS/PRICE RATIO)

Twenty bucks for precision surgical steel. That’s enough for a grade of PDG (Pretty Damn Good).

CATCH

You might forget you have it when you try to go through airport security.

BONUS

Free lifetime repair service from Victorinox.

A HIDDEN GEM?

Yes and no. Most people know what a Swiss Army Knife is. But they might not know that they come in this size.

HOW TO GET IT

Victorinox’s US website, Victorinox stores, Amazon, camping stores, Macy’s, other department stores.

AVAILABLE IN BLACK?

Yes.