Review Victorinox SwissChamp vs. SwissTool Spirit pictorial comparison

[A.L.]

Time to contribute to the forum!
I like to keep my words few and let the pictures do the talking.

HOW THEY LOOK TOGETHER:

Both tools opened entirely (exception to the little nick-knacks in SwissChamp, see below)

Not quite sure in which way I should compare these dimension wise, but here they are closed and side by side:

WHAT DO THESE GUYS SHARE:

It goes without saying that if pliers are important to you, the SwissTool is the tool for you:

SwissChamp pliers are mostly for little tasks; they are operated by thumb pressure and have quite small cutters where SwissTool has full blown conventional pliers.

Knives somewhat similar. SwissTool has bit more belly or curve to the blade and is slightly leaner.

SwissChamp does have the small blade though, which adds versatility to the cutting tasks.

Scissors do have differences. SwissChamp scissors are more refined and are suitable for delicate tasks such as grooming and cloth fixing etc. SwissTool has more robust or "snappy" scissors. This is noticeable when cutting paracord or fingernails. They are both fine examples of Victorinox's scissor making however!

Phillips screwdrivers are quite identical, with SwissTool having bit longer one for better reach. SwissChamp has half stop that allows more leverage options.

Both tools have dedicated flat head screwdriver but SwissChamp has it on the spine and thus is slightly awkward to use.

Both tools have practically identical can openers (with both having flat head screwdriver at the tip.

Both tools also have similar bottle openers. However, I have noticed that the thickness of the bottle opener on the SwissTool affects the opening bite. See the thickness difference below:

The bottle opener on SwissTool is more robust and longer, giving it light pry-tool capabilities.

Metal files/saws are practically identical in function..

..same goes for the wood saws.

Both tools share chisel, but the one on the SwissTool is quite the different beast! SwissChamp is kind of awkward to use and not quite that versatile. SwissTool chisel also has wire cutting tools in the same blade.

Both tools have awls, where SwissTool has "alox-esque" sharper one. I personally prefer the sharper alox-style awl. They both work though.

WHAT IS UNIQUE TO EACH TOOL:

SwissChamp overall, has little bit more versatility and "finesse" with it's little additions that might be useful on the go.

One of the biggest mentionable things about the SwissTool is the locking mechanism for each tool. Tools have impressive lockup with no blade play whatsoever!

WHERE I WOULD TAKE MY SwissChamp:
Railroad trip around the world, when little tasks are needed. Extremely handy for that. Offers little tools for grooming, fixing things and opening beers and wine (there is separate cork screw for SwissTool however). SwissChamp is classic and friendly looking tool to have in your backpack.

WHERE I WOULD TAKE MY SwissTool:
Army, construction yard, outdoors trips and/or where help is not readily available. SwissTool has robust credibility with all steel construction and good pliers that adds to the dependability.

 

[Student762]

Nice review mate, I like the highly photographic style. Quick question, what's the weight difference between the two tools? Also with the main blades is the Swisstools' any thicker at the spine or not? Also when it comes to carrying would you consider lobbing the Swisstool straight into a pocket or would you consider it solely a belt tool option?
Cheers mate

 

[A.L.]

Nice review mate, I like the highly photographic style. Quick question, what's the weight difference between the two tools? Also with the main blades is the Swisstools' any thicker at the spine or not? Also when it comes to carrying would you consider lobbing the Swisstool straight into a pocket or would you consider it solely a belt tool option?
Cheers mate

Thanks, and good questions! I don't have an scale unfortunately, but weighting them with hands I would say they are roughly the same weight.
SwissTool has slightly thicker blade, but only by hair. I would say that in practice there is no big difference.

SwissTool is quite heavy and might not be ideal for pocket. I have carried the SwissTool in knife pouch I made so that it stays vertical in the pocket and cushions the tool little bit (not that it has hotspots). Also my other pair of jeans has coin pocket that can take the whole thing without it popping out. I carry mine in my satchel, because I'm not that huge on having belt sheaths and I don't really need the tools that often to have either in my pocket all the time.

 

[Student762]

Cheers for the extra info mate. I have a Charge tti which I quite like but I want to expand the oldpliers based multitool collection a bit and I've had my eye on the swisstool for a while.

 

[brj]

Nice comparison. Thought I'd contribute a corkscrew face-off for good measure. The Spirit's is indeed a separate piece, but easy to carry inside the regular holster. It is also a bit easier to use due to the slimmer profile of the tool.

 

[ThePeacent]

Thanks, and good questions! I don't have an scale unfortunately, but weighting them with hands I would say they are roughly the same weight.
SwissTool has slightly thicker blade, but only by hair. I would say that in practice there is no big difference.

SwissTool is quite heavy and might not be ideal for pocket. I have carried the SwissTool in knife pouch I made so that it stays vertical in the pocket and cushions the tool little bit (not that it has hotspots). Also my other pair of jeans has coin pocket that can take the whole thing without it popping out. I carry mine in my satchel, because I'm not that huge on having belt sheaths and I don't really need the tools that often to have either in my pocket all the time.

Nice pics and thread!
FWIW, Swisschamp is 185 g in weight, Spirit is 210 g (an ounce of difference give or take)

 

[Humppa]

Thanks for taking time to do the review. Much appreciated!

 

[bozhidar47]

Appreciate the very interesting pictorial review/comparison. Thought the photo of the saw blades was especially nice. This was my first time seeing a Swiss Tool, and I liked it.

Thanks for the good work and posting all the cool photos.

 

[A.L.]

Appreciate the very interesting pictorial review/comparison. Thought the photo of the saw blades was especially nice. This was my first time seeing a Swiss Tool, and I liked it.

Thanks for the good work and posting all the cool photos.

I took a little re-read of the review and forgot to say (or just didn't notice it originally) that the saw blade on the SwissTool spirit is considerably thicker. This might be conscious choice as I would see that the SwissTool is perhaps more aimed for "harder use" crowd. I would also speculate that the saw is thinner on the SwissChamp because they are generally easier to replace if broken.

 

[vilePossum]

Nice, thanks a lot for sharing. Great comparison and it actually answers some questions I had about the Swiss champ.
I am actually currently considering upgrading my edc from my pioneer x and this comparison helped a lot in deciding what tools would work for me and which would not. Had a Swiss tool Spirit before and though light I found it a bit too much for edc. So I had been thinking about a Swiss champ recently, and I think it's style of tools will suit me better, but it is still too much.

 

[Mora2013]

I like how you summarized at the end, and I agree.

The swisschamp is something I would take out when I’m not expecting to “work”, and I need something to cover the unexpected. And a pliers based tool like the swisstool is something I would take out when I’m expecting to “work”.

In other words, I think the swisstool’s tools are a bit more robust, and act closer to the “real tool” and thus get things done easier. On the other hand, the swisschamp has more tools to cover more “situations.”