Great knife will always have one like.

Great knife will always have one like.  Read Less

I have an array of Swiss Army tools, from large to small. I did have more, but relinquished them due to non-use and limited ut...  Read More

I have an array of Swiss Army tools, from large to small. I did have more, but relinquished them due to non-use and limited utility (the Forester and RangerGrip are absent from this list). Not that they're bad tools, it's that they're very large and don't have a good tool selection. They're more KNIFE! with tools rather than LOTS! of tools. I never came across anything that the Forester/RangerGrip could do that the others couldn't, but many instances where vice-versa. Other people may disagree, depending on their job, and requirements of a knife/multitool. YMMV. Also I didn't include the smaller Swiss Army's like the Classic, Rambler, Manager because I consider those keychain tools, and I don't have a keychain anymore, due to key-in-pocket remotes and PIN pads for the house. Without the tiny-size requirement, I am free to select from slightly lager toolsets.I made this review to help contrast the various Swiss Army products. There's a huge size/weight difference between the smallest and lightest, to the biggest and heaviest. As with just about anything in life, there's no such thing as a perfect tool (although it is our duty as people) to try and obtain it.So here we go, starting from the left to right. Cadet, Pioneer, Super Tinker, Cybertool M, SwissChamp, Spirit X:The cadet is a ridiculous tool. While most people would regard it as the Pioneer's younger brother, it is substantially inferior in handling and construction. It's more like the Danny Devito/Arnold Schwarzenegger brother relationship. One is just downright cool and awesome and the other relegated to comedy roles. The aluminum siding is extremely thin, about as thin as the regular plastic scaled Swiss Army knives, except with no shiny plastic cover. Because of the missing plastic coverings, you can squeeze the center of the knife and it will flex! Then the knife rubs against the nail file! It's as if the maker simply took off the plastic scales, slapped a textured design on the aluminum, and called it a product. The only saving grace is the compact size, and the nail file vs awl on the Pioneer. To me though, that's just not enough reason to go with this over the Pioneer. If this knife was to suddenly go missing I wouldn't be very upset -The Pioneer, while lacking scale tools (toothpick, tweezers, pen) and backside tools (hook, corkscrew/screwdriver etc), is hands down, the best handling and strongest constructed of the bunch. It's textured frame (which Victorinox calls ALOX) is thick, solid aluminum, the weight feels right, the grip feels wonderful, and I love the wide, large blade. The Pioneer, while not the largest tool in the group, has the largest, widest blade. It also has the snappiest opening/closing, and hardest spring tension-I attribute that to the beefy frame, really tight construction, and larger rivets. Overbuilt is a great word to use describing this tool. It's a shame that Victorinox didn't expand the line past three layers. If they made 4 or even 5 layer tools of this variety I would certainly buy them, and not even care how much they would cost-this tool is that great! They more than make up for their lack of tool QUANTITY with a very rugged CONSTRUCTION and awesome HANDLING.The three layer super tinker has more tools than the pioneer but has a toy-like feel in comparison. I think the scales are made from a similar factory to one that makes Lego bricks. The good news is that the scales can be polished (scratches removed) by using a product used for watches: PolyWatch. Works great! I appreciate the abundance of tools but I don't like to use them as much as I do if the same tool was on a Pioneer. I find myself needing the tinker, but wanting the Pioneer instead. It is thicker (but only slightly) than the Pioneer, but the plastic scales are slippery and the weight, while .5 ounces heavier, does not give tgood handling. Not knocking the tool itself-this, and all the others (except the cadet) are wonderful toolsets and all of them have quality build. It's also easy to see why 3-4 layer Swiss Army's are the most popular-they have a good balance of tool selection, customizability, weight, and moderate size and finally (and most importantly) decent price, lower than the Pioneer.The Cybertool M (used to be called Cybertool 34) and SwissChamp are the tool-most heavyweights of the bunch. Yes, the Spirit X to the farthest right in the picture has only 26 tools, fewer than the Cybertool. More on that later. I carry the CT34 more often than the swisschamp because, as an IT tech, my work revolves around taking apart things with small screws. The Swisschamp is something I carry when I have no idea what I'm going to come across, like traveling, or camping. Both of these feel like *real* swiss army tools, good weight, decent sized knife, and abundance of tools.The Spirit X is in a league of its own. It's the one with a design not like any of the others in the review, but I wanted to show it because it's also a Victorinox product and one that I carry from time to time. Think PLIERS! with locking tools, with MORE! tools in the sheath-a literal condensed toolbox on a belt. Interestingly, the largest and heaviest tool, this big THING with all its steel, weight, and size, has the skinniest main knife. The non-serrated, pointed knife-tip version came with a ratchet, driver extension, bit set and corkscrew, all packaged together in an included case (wow!) It makes for a very useful tool, but only in the right circumstances, where pliers or a bit set are needed. I've used this tool to reassemble two-stroke engines, and put together bicycles, and help with home/yard remodeling projects. If I know I'm coming up against that kind of work, this is the one I grab. If its not in any of those categories of work, it's most likely I'll pickup any one of the others, depending on expected scenarios (except the cadet, which is almost useless). The extremely large size, heavy weight, and large-tool focus of the Spirit X toolset prevent me from using it for everyday carry.  Read Less

I have several variations of these. They are always a great knife.

I have several variations of these. They are always a great knife.  Read Less