Review: Swiss-Tech Utili-Key

J

JNieporte

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Nov 1, 2004
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3,352
I found these for $10, so I bought a few. Swiss Tech Utili-Key.

Price: Ten dollars US, plus 6% sales tax.
Blade Specifications: The blade is 2" long. It's a wharncliffe point, with half serrations. The blade is sharpened on one side only. Blade steel is 420J2. The right side has SWISS+TECH above UTILI-KEY on it.
Tools: Half-serrated knife. Eyeglass screwdriver. #1 flathead screwdriver. #2 Phillips screwdriver. Bottle opener. Keychain adapter.
Testing: The knife locks open at the 90 degree (halfway) point, and fully extended. The blade came out of the package pretty sharp and needed only a few minutes on a ceramic rod before it was shaving sharp. The tools all performed as they should have, except for the micro (eyeglass) screwdriver. It snapped off after three times of use with moderate pressure. There are grooves on the blade so that you can open the tool easier. The knife locks closed very securely, and has never come lose or come off my keyring. The blade cuts paper and string very well, which is about all I'd use this small knife for. I whittled a little bit, and barely dulled the blade. It touched up quickly.
This is a decent keychain knife if that's what you're looking for. It looks like a key when snapped on to your keyring. For $10, you could do a lot worse.
 
I've been carryng one on my keychain for a few years now. It doesn't get much use, but it's a good backup, since I will always have my keys when I go out.

Strangely enough, the only tools I've used on it are the eyeglass screwdriver, fairly often, and the bottle opener a few times.

It's great for places where they don't want you to have a knife because even when you use it, they haven't got a clue what it is. :)
 
I have had one for years and rarely use it, mostly for the bottle opener which doesn't perform so well. But I got mine used from a knife show for $3 so who's complaining? Meanwhile I just paid $66 for an Atwood bottlebug, which I may not use that much either but I'll bet the bottle opener works great! I'll probably still keep the utilikey on the keychain though b/c it means you always heave a stealth blade on you, I got through courtroom metal detectors constantly & no on e has ever noticed it.
 
JNieporte said:
I found these for $10, so I bought a few. Swiss Tech Utili-Key.

Price: Ten dollars US, plus 6% sales tax.
Blade Specifications: The blade is 2" long. It's a wharncliffe point, with half serrations. The blade is sharpened on one side only. Blade steel is 420J2. The right side has SWISS+TECH above UTILI-KEY on it.
Tools: Half-serrated knife. Eyeglass screwdriver. #1 flathead screwdriver. #2 Phillips screwdriver. Bottle opener. Keychain adapter.
Testing: The knife locks open at the 90 degree (halfway) point, and fully extended. The blade came out of the package pretty sharp and needed only a few minutes on a ceramic rod before it was shaving sharp. The tools all performed as they should have, except for the micro (eyeglass) screwdriver. It snapped off after three times of use with moderate pressure. There are grooves on the blade so that you can open the tool easier. The knife locks closed very securely, and has never come lose or come off my keyring. The blade cuts paper and string very well, which is about all I'd use this small knife for. I whittled a little bit, and barely dulled the blade. It touched up quickly.
This is a decent keychain knife if that's what you're looking for. It looks like a key when snapped on to your keyring. For $10, you could do a lot worse.
Click to expand...

Where did you get these? Flea-bay? I'm interested in a few too.

Thanks,
CZ
 
Great review, thanks!
They look interesting but i'm all tool-keychained out! Got a half dozen Leatherman Micras for about 8$ Canadian (each) a while back on fleabay.
Canadian tire had Gerber Clutches on sale this summer for 10$ each, i bought two.
And theres the (currently) half dozen Vic classics that i have kicking around.
I have more keychain knives than i have keys,lol!
Its nice to always have a few Vic classics kicking around to give as knives to non-knife family and friends.
Very sheeple friendly and helps in the conversion/assimilation process!
"We are knife collectors you too will be assimilated"! lol.
:)
 
I've had for one quite a while now, you can find them on the bay for 8 bucks including S&H. Not that I advise it but I have flown with mine several times, not intentionaly but I just forget that it 's on my key ring.
 
They have them at Target too,in the automotive section.I have the larger plier version(no blade) seems sturdy.has tarnished alot since I got it (I live in florida so pretty much everthing does)but still quite functional.
 
cz75b said:
Where did you get these? Flea-bay? I'm interested in a few too.

Thanks,
CZ
Click to expand...

Costco sells them. It comes in a kit with a second tool that consists of a small pair of folding pliers (with regular and phillips screwdriver points on the ends of the handles) that wraps around a little mini LED flashlight. The second tool is intended to attach to a keychain just like the Utilikey, but it's a little bulkier. I think the whole thing is like $15-20.
 
I have had one for a couple years, I like that it's always there and makes i through airports etc just fine. It's well put together and invisible, a clever design, but I must admit I find it's a bit of a pain to pull it open off the keychain.
 
If you used it more often, it would come off easier. You might lube the pivot to help it open better.
 
Rich_S said:
Costco sells them. It comes in a kit with a second tool that consists of a small pair of folding pliers (with regular and phillips screwdriver points on the ends of the handles) that wraps around a little mini LED flashlight.
Click to expand...

Don't waste your money on the mini pliers/light. Light comes on in your pocket, lit batt goes dead. Pliers get so loose they fall off light and you can't hold them in your hand to use.
:thumbdn:
 
I just ordered a Swiss-Tech Utili-Key 8-in-1, a new model that has a file instead of a blade. Got it to augment the old-school slipjoint pocketknives I've been partial to lately. Mainly I just wanted a screwdriver tip or two and a way to open bottles of brew, all in a compact package. Can't wait to check it out.
 
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