Victorinox Swiss Champ XXL - Red

When I turned 13, I received what is the equivalent of the current SWAK Recruit--only mine had cool metal scales, perhaps a version of Alox--as a birthday gift. I'm 46 now, in 2020. Unfortunately, last year, I broke the tip off of the larger blade trying to pry spline out of an old window screen, which left a sharp edge exposed in my pocket. It broke my heart, too, and I'm still holding on to the broken thing like an old sap.In need of a replacement, I bought the Wood Ranger 55, but found that beast much too big to carry comfortably in my pocket. I'm not foolish enough to return such a great tool, so I tucked it into an emergency bag.After spending some time distilling my wants and needs, I decided on the Camper. It has the same tools as my old knife--small and ... MoreWhen I turned 13, I received what is the equivalent of the current SWAK Recruit--only mine had cool metal scales, perhaps a version of Alox--as a birthday gift. I'm 46 now, in 2020. Unfortunately, last year, I broke the tip off of the larger blade trying to pry spline out of an old window screen, which left a sharp edge exposed in my pocket. It broke my heart, too, and I'm still holding on to the broken thing like an old sap.In need of a replacement, I bought the Wood Ranger 55, but found that beast much too big to carry comfortably in my pocket. I'm not foolish enough to return such a great tool, so I tucked it into an emergency bag.After spending some time distilling my wants and needs, I decided on the Camper. It has the same tools as my old knife--small and large blades, can opener, screwdriver--with the addition of a wood saw, corkscrew, a sewing awl, tweezers, and toothpick.I use the knife mostly to open packages or boxes or to occasionally, you know, cut stuff.The screwdrivers have come in handy quite often over the years. New to me is that the Camper's large flathead tool has a positive stop at 90 degrees. This means you can more easily use it to get into hard-to-reach spots that you couldn't manage if it were fully extended. Either with the Camper or my old knife (which had identical screwdrivers/can openers), I cannot remember ever wishing for or requiring an actual Phillips head, which is the reason I chose this model over Victorinox's Hiker. However, if you anticipate a frequent need for a Phillips head, it would be worth buying the Hiker.I rarely use the can opener other than for small or Phillips screws, though it's one of those things I've been happy to have in my pocket if I do happen to forget to bring one if I happen to be car camping with canned goods. Come to think of it, I have used the blade of the can opener to lightly scrape paint off of a surface once. I used it both so that I didn't dull either of my blades, and also because the angle was better for scraping than the blades on the knives.Of course, the corkscrew is good for corks. Although depending on your strength and grip, it might be difficult to remove a stubborn cork from a bottle. However, I have also used Zack Fowler's (of History Channel's show, Alone) suggestion of using the corkscrew for untying knots. Further, you can buy tiny screwdrivers from Victorinox with tiny handles that will screw into the corkscrew, both ways. So, you can screw the tiny screwdriver inside the corkscrew with the tip pointed out so that you can use the knife as a handle, and you can store the tiny screwdriver away inside the corkscrew while the corkscrew is folded down.The awl is, obviously, for making holes. I believe I may have used it once since I've had the Camper, but expect that it would work well in leather and wood.I have outfitted my Camper with a tiny, aftermarket, ferrocerium rod that fits snugly into the space usually reserved for the ubiquitous, nearly useless, toothpick. I am about to order a pen from Victorinox (REI doesn't offer them), in hopes that it will fit where the tweezers go.Uses for the saw are pretty obvious, and it is, in fact, a very sharp saw. Another great thing about it is that the spine of the saw has a sharp 90-degree angle, which is useful (and rather necessary, if you don't want to dull a knife blade) for striking the above mentioned ferro rod.TL;DR:This knife is a versatile and customizable tool for a great price that is a great size to carry with you without overwhelming your pocket. I wish the blade would lock properly, and that there was an option for a Camper with metal scales. Also, it would be nice to have only one, large, blade, and for the smaller blade to be replaced with some other tool.One more thing: If you haven't yet discovered Felix Immler, you haven't fully appreciated your SWAK. Check out his videos on the Tube of You, where he demonstrates the many uses for your knife.

Wonderful knife, small but has a great selection of useful tools. the Phillips head screwdriver is a brilliant inclusion! I've carried a Swiss army knife for years and they are a very useful multi-tool.This one will be a first knife birthday gift for a (sensible) young man and I know he will get much use from it over the years. I feel this model has just the right tools in a compact and easy to carry form that wont raise any eyebrows when its used, and wont feel like a brick in the pocket. Additionally the very reasonable cost made this a solid value proposition, especially given Vitorinox's reputation for quality. Knives like this stand the test of time, and the test of use. Cant recommend them more. I've bought a few from this vendor now and the transactions have ... MoreWonderful knife, small but has a great selection of useful tools. the Phillips head screwdriver is a brilliant inclusion! I've carried a Swiss army knife for years and they are a very useful multi-tool.This one will be a first knife birthday gift for a (sensible) young man and I know he will get much use from it over the years. I feel this model has just the right tools in a compact and easy to carry form that wont raise any eyebrows when its used, and wont feel like a brick in the pocket. Additionally the very reasonable cost made this a solid value proposition, especially given Vitorinox's reputation for quality. Knives like this stand the test of time, and the test of use. Cant recommend them more. I've bought a few from this vendor now and the transactions have been quick and trouble free.

Similar to the Climbers Knife the Huntsman has an additional twig/branch saw making is slightly larger and heavier. Very handy when traveling but don't forget to pack it in your checked luggage. Most people don't realize the tool on the upper right is actually an old style can opener. This is slow to use but very, very handy if you don't have one. The scissors are very sharp and also very handy as is the cork screw if you like wine and the bottle opener is very handy for beer and other bottled beverages. There is a wire bender, leather punch, tooth pick and excellent tweezers that are good for thorns and glass fragments. I have several of these of various types that I keep in the car, kitchen, workshop and work. There are other brands of pocket knives but Victorinox ... MoreSimilar to the Climbers Knife the Huntsman has an additional twig/branch saw making is slightly larger and heavier. Very handy when traveling but don't forget to pack it in your checked luggage. Most people don't realize the tool on the upper right is actually an old style can opener. This is slow to use but very, very handy if you don't have one. The scissors are very sharp and also very handy as is the cork screw if you like wine and the bottle opener is very handy for beer and other bottled beverages. There is a wire bender, leather punch, tooth pick and excellent tweezers that are good for thorns and glass fragments. I have several of these of various types that I keep in the car, kitchen, workshop and work. There are other brands of pocket knives but Victorinox is still the king.