Thank you. I'll check them out.
A Month of the SwissChamp
- Thread starter Buzzbait
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Are those scales glued on? If so, what did you use? Also, is there a slot for a pin? Thanks.
I never had a Swiss champ, but I have a Swiss Champion Plus (same thing just without pliers) and I use it all the time. I don’t carry it necessarily but when I was younger I did all the time, but it’s been a great knife for me and was technically my first real good quality knife
Great write up. The Swisschamp is my favorite SAK. I started small with the Tinker, then the Super Tinker, and eventually the Fieldmaster. I loved each one more than the last. Then I found the SwissChamp. It is the perfect SAK. Every tool on it has a purpose, even if you don't know what that purpose is yet. That's part of the fun of owning a Swisschamp. Discovering different ways you can effectively use it. Now I love my Leathermans, Bucks, and Benchmades, but the SC finds its way into my "edc" more frequently than anything else. Yes, I carry mine in my pocket. Either the front pocket of my jeans or the cargo pocket of my shorts. It has never been uncomfortable to carry or use. One of the unforeseen uses of my SC is to make memories. I carry and use it so often my 3y/o daughter has taken a liken to it. She often asks to see it so she can "fix" one of her toys. I always gladly take out one of the screw drivers and help her.
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The first two weeks of vacation this summer went beautifully with the SwissChamp. All major layers were used while camping. If anything, my love for the SwissChamp, and my "SwissTank" in particular, has grown exponentially. It's now been carried every day for about the last two months, and I have no plans for giving it a rest. This knife is quickly becoming part of my self identity, as I continually call it to task in my daily life.
Let's put it this way. I've spent the better part of three years constantly searching eBay for knife bargains, in constant pursuit of that elusive perfect knife. My watch list on eBay, for the first time in many years, is now completely empty. I honestly can't imagine carrying anything else.
I leave on Friday for another two weeks of camping and bikepacking, and the SwissChamp will be my only knife taken on the journey. It's proven itself to the point that I'm superbly confident in its abilities.
I've read complaints in the past about bulk, but I'm just not seeing it in my own personal usage. I'll go as far as to say that it's one of the most comfortable Victorinox knives I've ever carried. The fact that the thickness causes the knife to lay in my pocket, with scales facing sideways instead of outwards, makes the SwissChamp really, really easy to carry. It never turns in my pocket, and the thickness gives it lots of support in my pocket to stand up straight. I hardly ever notice that it's there.
The tool quality seems to be very good. I could argue that the fish scaler and hook disgorger aren't really needed by me, but I've come to appreciate having the ruler with me at all times. I use so much that I consider it more of a ruler layer now, that just happens to have a fish scaler and hook disgorger as a bonus.
The pliers are definitely no replacement for real full sized pliers, but that doesn't diminish their handiness. The pliers are great for pulling out that annoying cotton ball that's so hard to remove from a new bottle of Tylenol, or for holding the tiny nut in place while tightening small bolts on my bicycle.
With all that said, I'm working on a plan for a "SwissTank Mark II". I have another SwissChamp of slightly newer vintage that I believe is slightly better. The scissors are riveted instead of having a screw that can fall out. The pliers have a wire crimper, and a channel for the spring. The nail file's fine side is finer and better suited to nail care. But that will wait until fall, when I have more time to ponder on it. To be honest, the Swisstank is accumulating positive memories so quickly, I may not want to bother with an improved version. There's comes a point where you learn to live with the minor grievances, and they begin become part of the character of the knife. But we'll see after vacation is over.
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He must be a good salesman because I fell for it.
That's a beauty!!! I'd never considered white scales before, but I really like the looks of that.
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Once I used the scaler to clean a fish, but never again. It took me days to get rid of the smell
. Lesson learned. However, a use for the hook disgorger I have found is as a probe for things I can't or don't want to touch with my fingers. It has come in handy a number of times for that.My sister gifted me one from a trip to Switzerland around 30 years ago. It is nearly identical to the Swisschamp, but does not have the pliers. I don't think the exact model was ever marketed in the USA. It took me a few years to warm to it as bulky as it was, but I found a second-hand leather sheath with a sharpening rod and it became my constant companion. I wore that sheath out and it now rides in a nice old nylon sheath that came with a Kabar Hobo folder.
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Great post, you sold me a swisschamp!
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I just completed two more weeks in the field with the SwissChamp, and my love for this knife grows greater every day. It’s simply remarkable how in almost every situation in life, the SwissChamp finds an opportunity to make each moment just a little bit better. All one has to do is to open his/her mind to the possibilities presented by that this amazing piece of engineering. The answers aren’t always readily apparent, but sooner or later, they do present themselves.
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Thank you for posting this thread! It very similarly mirrors my feelings of SAKs and multitools.
I first started carrying a multitool (a Gerber MP600 Pro Scout) about eight years ago while working in road maintenance. I've been hooked ever since.
I first started carrying a multitool (a Gerber MP600 Pro Scout) about eight years ago while working in road maintenance. I've been hooked ever since.
I possess some SAKs, but I never had one of those toolboxes. Just <= 3 layer(s). Thanks for your thoughts about the SwissChamp. I think, it is a great tool for nearly every task you can imagine. Someday I have to buy one, or at least a Handyman.
It is always good to get the kids used to a knife / SAK. Because many don't know how to use it properly / safely.
Great review.
It is always good to get the kids used to a knife / SAK. Because many don't know how to use it properly / safely.
Great review.
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The SwissChamp truly is a wonderful knife. I had to do some bathroom plumbing this morning, replacing rotted out brass pipes under the sink. I used the main blade to open packages and cut the tip off a tube of putty. Scissors cut lengths of plumbers tape. The ruler measured some plastic pipe. The wood saw cut the pipe after measuring. The tiny flathead on the backside of the knife cleaned gunk out of some pipe threads. The pliers pulled small chunks of plumbers tape and old putty out of some tight spots. The Phillips screwdriver reinstalled the tap hardware. I even used the cap lifter’s flathead screwdriver tip to pop the top off of a can of denatured alcohol. It was a full tool effort, and so incredibly convenient to have at hand.
I think there’s a mentality you take on with extended SwissChamp usage. You start to assume that most every problem you encounter can be solved with the knife’s amazing toolset. The cognitive fun is in figuring out how the SwissChamp will accomplish it all.
I think there’s a mentality you take on with extended SwissChamp usage. You start to assume that most every problem you encounter can be solved with the knife’s amazing toolset. The cognitive fun is in figuring out how the SwissChamp will accomplish it all.
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I love that there are other folks out there as passionate about the Swisschamp as I am. Great photos of it in use, too. I have three Swisschamps at the moment and will buy yet another if I find another good used one. I need a back up to my back's up back up just in case the first one breaks and I have to send it in. I don't want to go a day with out one.