Customer Reviews

Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife, Red

5 star:		(311)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

For many years now, I have carried one of these small Swiss Army knives on each of my two key rings - one for work and one for home. Barely a day goes by when I do not take one of them out of my pocket to use once or twice - to quickly file down a broken nail, to tweeze out a small splinter, to cut open a small item with the scissor of something larger by cutting the wrapping tape with the knife blade - the toothpick is used daily! I cannot imagine being without one. Of course, I own larger and more multi-purpose knives, but when it comes to carrying something this handy on a key chain or ring, you just can't beat them!

There are two major (authorized) manufacturers of Swiss Army knives: Victorinox, the maker of this particular favorite of mine and Wenger, a reliable alternative brand that makes many similar and some even nearly identical models. I have used both over the years and have found there to be absolutely no appreciable differences in the quality, durability or pricing of the knives. With so many models to choose from, it probably makes sense to decide which features you need and then shop both brands for the best price you can find. But back to the knife at hand, the SA Classic SD Pocket Knife.

This is the one of the smallest knives in the Victorinox line. Measuring only about 2 1/4" long and about 1/4" wide, it adds little by way of heft to a key ring. It is a compact knife containing a total of 6 equally compact tools. This is not for the big things. This is a small knife with small tools to deal with small things. With expectations appropriately set, it is unsurpassed in it's usefulness as a basic daily tool.

The Tools
There are compartments on the outer casing of knife - each containing a small appliance. One is home to a small white toothpick that I have found to be entirely satisfactory - except that after a year or two of use, I seem to lose them. I think the molded shape wears a bit over time and repeated use and no longer holds itself snugly in the allotted compartment. They can be easily and inexpensively replaced though at any fully stocked retailer of the knives. On the opposite side of the knife is a compartment housing a micro-tweezer. Because it is so very small and light, it cannot be used as a regular tweezer, but only for light-duty needs. These include, I am pleased to report, removing small splinters and picking up objects too small for my increasingly clumsy fingers!

There are three tools that fold into the knife itself, one of which has two uses - actually providing a total of four useful mini-tools. These include 1) a flat spring loaded scissor, a regular blade and a nail file (which, as a guitar picker, I use almost daily) topped with the fourth tool, a screw driver head, small enough to be used for either flat screws or Phillips head screws - providing that they are small enough. Don't misunderstand - the smallness of the tools does not render them either token or useless, but their size is a factor in their usability in real day-to-day life.

Maintenance
This is nearly a non sequitor, but in the interests of completeness, I will briefly address it.
Years have gone by before anything beyond simple removal of dust and cleaning the instruments is required. One time, a blade seemed to be sticking just a tad and a quick and very short burst of WD40 took care of it - permanently. The knife is build to last until you decide you no longer want or need it.

Value
There are few things in life built for frequent use without planned obsolescence being figured into their design. This little pocket tool set is, happily, among them. For somewhere around $9., you can have something actually skillfully made that will serve you well and for a good long time. How many things can any of us really say that about?

I love mine and would feel not only unprepared, but somehow naked - or at least disabled - were I to leave home without one.

After 14 years of service my Victorinox mini-Swiss Army Knife (SAK) has finally begun to show its age: the toothpick went missing, the enamel casing cracked, the insignia fell off. So I've bought another (the original sits in a drawer, its knife blade as sharp as ever, the screwdriver still perfectly utile, the scissors are gummed up but could probably be cleaned out with some rubbing alcohol).

For versatility and simplicity it's hard to beat this item. Sure there are SAKs with more blades and tools, but the simple knife/screwdriver/scissors combination is going to meet the vast majority of your needs (ok, it doesn't have a bottle opener: use a door strike plate, MacGyver). The toothpick is so-so, but I can't count the number of times I've needed to tweeze something and used the SAK tweezers when I couldn't find the bathroom set. The key fob, while not the most exciting of features, does provide a convenient way to carry the SAK around with you.

This item is sure to please. I love mine. You'll love yours. Buy one for someone else - they'll love theirs.

I have been a collector of pocket knives since I was a kid and I'm always doing something around the house, needing to file a nail, tweeze a splinter, cut off some twine or open a letter. I bought one of these years and years ago in the train station at Zurich with my leftover change and I have it to this day...

The knife takes a bit of sharpening--the type of steel used is resistant to rust and holds its shine, but it also makes it a bit more difficult to hold an edge. Nonetheless, with a good sharpening stone and some care, you can make a fine edge useful for opening letters, cutting twine or cutting open a box.

This version contains six tools, including the knife blade, scissors, nail file with screwdriver on the end, plastic toothpick, tweezers and lanyard/key ring attachment. If you attach a string to the ring, you can use the pocketknife as a makeshift plumb bob.

This is a small knife, just 2-1/4 inches long, so it fits flat in a pocket or purse. I personally like to have a corkscrew and Philips screwdriver as well, but that is on a larger model that doesn't fit so well in the back pocket of your trousers. Since this is so small, don't forget to remove it from your pants pocket before you head to the airport, as passengers are no longer permitted to board with such items.

I've been carrying one on my key ring for years. Unfortunately, this handy little knife has an inexplicable design error: the attachment ring is at the "wrong" end. When the blade is open, my key ring attachment is in the middle of the opened knife, rather than at the end. This is not a problem with the scissors because they open out from the other end. However, since I use the blade about 99% of the time and the scissors about 1% of the time, the awkward placement of the ring is annoying in normal use. The other problem with this placement of the attachment ring is that the toothpick and the tweezers are more likely to slip out and get lost because they are hanging on the "down" side (mine disappeared long ago). If you look at many of the other Swiss Army brand knives that have an attachment ring, the connection point is in the "correct" place for easy use of the main blade. I still wouldn't part with mine, but I'm not happy that the design fights with the use of the tool.

I got this little pink gem as a X-mas gift about 10 years ago (give or take a few years) from my sis-in-law. I have used it more than I ever thought that I would. Plus my son uses it. My friends all know that I have it wirh me & they've used it too. While the scissors are tiny, they are sharp enough & great to have on hand for cutting out coupons while standing in line at the grocery store. It's also nice to have a little nail file for when your nail chips or breaks. That way you can smooth it down before it gets snagged. This stays on my keychain at all times (unless someone is borrowing it). one side of the outside has finally came off. I think because it got cracked a little from me dropping my keys so much. Other than that, it's still in great shape.

After a number of years living out on the ragged edge of civilized society in the rural reaches of southern New Hampshire, I have learned the practical wisdom of always having a utility knife in my pocket. I have several of these Swiss Army pocket knives(one in the otherwise unused ashtrays of each vehicle, and one in my Land's End briefcase)and always have one on me personally. I cannot tell you how often I have used one to do everything from pick away the remnants of a sliver from my somewhat leery granddaughter's thumb to opening a bottle of diet soda on a hot summer afternoon. It truly is a tool dfor all seasons, whether one uses it to pick away the ice from one's car door lock on an icy frigid morn or to snip off the tag from some flip-flops at the local Eastern Mountain Sports shop so you could walk around without being burdened by shoes or socks on a scorching day in the local hamlet of Peterborough. Having everything the common guy or girl needs in a pinch (knife blades, scissors, nail file, screwdriver, toothpick, and tweezers, and also has a key ring for one's car or house key. I have them in a variety of colors, but the one I usually carry is candy apple red! Enjoy!

When I first saw this I wasn't too keen on it.
I wondered who would want such a little pocket knife when they could get the bigger ones.
I showed it to my wife who suggested we buy it as a gift for our fourteen year old granddaughter. I was hesitant about doing that but then, as chance would have it, when I showed her my new Victorinox Swiss Tool Set, she mentioned that she had previously owned a black Swiss Army Classic Pocket Knife. I asked her if she had liked it and she said "Yes, I used it a lot but somehow I either let someone borrow it or lost it. She said she used the nail file, scissors, tweezers and even the toothpick! Of course, after that it was a no brainer to order it in her favorite color, amethyst, a fancy name for purple.
When it came my wife thought it would make a good stocking stuffer or, depending on the amount limit, a great Secret Santa gift. She then made the comment, "What a great little item! You know I wouldn't mind one myself". Hmm, unless I am mistaken, I do believe that was a hint!
UPDATE ~ December 26, 2006: Happily received as Christmas gifts by both 'Misses'! ~ The Boss

This is the most functional knife I have ever owned. I buy a new one every six months, I don't sharpen it, I just get another one. This of course is another selling point, affordability. The blade is sharp and will cut through the most annoying plastic that everything now comes entombed in. It is not a lock blade so you must be careful. This is the only thing I don't like about the knife, but I have not once in 10 years cut myself with one. The scissors are sharp and do a good job. The flat tip/file is great and hard to live without.

I have used this knife to remove small screws from aircraft to working on my computer. Cut zip ties and remove clothing tags. It is small and fits perfectly into my coin pocket on my jeans. And if I forget to remove it, it comes out clean from the wash, still in the pocket. Not recommended for your washers sake, but it does happen.

I am ordering another one as I just lost mine in Iraq. Can't live without it.

This is a good starter Swiss Army knife. The blade is excellent and has stayed sharp for me for going on 10 years. Same with the Scissors, which I use all the time, and the tweezers...I have a slightly upgraded model that includes a very useful screwdriver tool.
Enjoy!

I got one of these for my wife after we found out our 3rd was a girl. She liked it so much, she had my buy another 6 as gifts for hosts, etc. These keychain knives are cheap an you will use them a thousand times (maybe literally if you don't lose it first).