Customer Reviews

Victorinox Swiss Army Executive Pocket Knife

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have had this knife every day for 15 years right there in my shirt pocket. I have fixed things, and peeled Clementines for my wife and kids using the orange peeler (works perfectly once you understand its function), tightened loose screws in the car waiting at stop lights, clipped a coupon or two, and loaned the knife to the wife and kids to fix the occasional hanging thread or broken fingernail, etc. Big enough to do a lot of useful work and small enough not to scare the timid when you take it out to use it. It is a useful addition to any man's pocket (or woman's purse for that matter).

I bought an Executive a while back from a member of a fountain pen list (yup, there are people who still use those LOL) I'm subscribed to. Before that, aside from a Benchmade 556, I always had a Vic Classic (another excellent little knife) with me. Since I got the Executive, it's replaced the Classic as my most frequently carried SAK (I have a number of others, as well). Size-wise, it sits just about smack between the Classic and the Tinker. It's big enough to be very functional, but not big enough that it becomes bulky or heavy. Two blades, screwdriver blades (which also work well to remove gunk from under fingernails--something I wish more people on YouTube would do before shooting knife videos), scissors, file, tweezers, toothpick (which I mostly use to dislodge lint from the back springs) and, of course, the orange peeler that I've not had occasion to use so far. If this knife had a saw blade, it would be absolutely perfect, IMO. Of course, then they'd probably have to change the name. Oh, well. I probably use the smalller blade and scissors the most, but I'm always glad the other tools are there, just in case.

I've been carrying one of these for 30 years. It's a constant companion, compact enough for dress pants...but versatile enough for just about any task you can do with a pocketknife. You've got two knife blades, letting you use one for tasks that dull a blade while keeping the other razor sharp. The scissors work well. The nail file is outstanding...better than most nail files. The orange peeler? Well, it's a good screwdriver - and the 'peeler' makes a good serrated cutting tool. I've looked for alternatives, but keep coming back to the Executive. It's the best on the market.

Although for many years I carried bigger models of the Victorinox Swiss Army Knives, I usually carried the bigger models in a belt pouch or case and not in my pocket. After a while, the novelty of carrying the bigger knives wore off and I switched to smaller models that could be carried in the pockets of my pants -- the pants that I wear to the office have rather thin pocket material. For the office, I compromised by keeping a bigger model ("Ranger" is what I think it was called) in my desk drawer and carrying a smaller, thinner model that would not quickly wear a hole in my pocket. I most often carried a 3-1/4-inch Tinker, but that model did not have scissors and the Super Tinker that has scissors is thicker and heavier.

When I first purchased the Victorinox Executive, I wanted a thin, light model for pocket-carry that had scissors but was not too small for convenient cutting. The 3-inch long and thin size of the Executive seemed to be just right -- I have not bought any smaller Victorinox model. I liked the narrow, thin knife blade (contrary to one reviewer who wanted a wider blade) for letter and package opening chores -- the longer blade is more useful for slicing open things than a shorter blade would be. Although I do use the scissors, the smaller knife blade for delicate cutting, the tweezers, and the toothpick, I actually found the nail file to be one of my favorite tools -- I prefer the Executive's nail file to the files on other multi-bladed knives and tools that I have used, although I did not foresee that happening when I bought the Executive -- I did not buy this model because of the nail file, but I now carry it often for the nail file to use on my cracked and chipped fingernails.

On one occasion, I went to a backyard party at a house where there was a cooler filled with drinks. The drink that I wanted was in a bottle with a cap. I have carried utility pocket knives with a bottle cap-lifter and screwdriver blade for many years since I was a child, but in recent years, many drinks come in aluminum cans with snap-tab openings and bottles with twist-off caps, so I have not often missed having a bottle cap lifter. That evening, I encountered a bottle that did not have a twist-off cap. After years of having a bottle cap lifter handy, that evening I had to ask around to borrow a cap lifter to open the bottle. Although when I purchased my first Executive, I used the orange peeler blade according to the instructions and it worked well to score the peel so that the orange peel could be peeled without puncturing the fruit and dripping orange juice, I actually have not used the orange peeler since then, and that was about twenty years ago. So, if there is anything to complain about the Executive, I would say that the orange peeler blade should be replaced with a bottle cap lifter blade. But I guess there must be a lot of people peeling oranges with the Executive, because that orange peeler blade is still there -- so, when I go to a party where a bottle cap lifter might be needed, I just take one of my other Victorinox models instead.

This is the most useful knife I have ever owned, and the most used...bar none. It's handy, small enough to easily carry in your pocket and small enough to easily mail home when you forget to take it out of your pocket before you go to the airport, but worth the expense. I carry mine everywhere. You will not regret purchasing this handy tool!Victorinox Swiss Army Executive Pocket Knife

Good knife.BUT THE BIG DIFFERENCE that makes this knife the best swiss army offers is the 3 inch size. Three inches is perfect.Why swiss army only makes this (one) model in a 3 inch size....is greatly unknown. This is by far the most useful size ( NOT TO BIG OR SMALL ), knife they make. AND IT's THE ONLY ONE. IF they where to make 4-5 models in this size...they would be a whole lot richer...I PROMISE. After a 100 yrs. in the knife business, you would think they would be smart enough to make more 3 inch knifes with different tool variations. This model is good,. BUT take out the nail file and add a real rounded shaft phillips screw driver.....and pow ( THE PERFECT KNIFE ). Even makeing it a little thicker (NOT LONGER ) and adding a plain med.size flathead screwdriver ( WITHOUT THE STUPID CAN or BOTTLE OPENER ) would improve the knife GREATLY. These couple of changes would make this the most sought after knife swiss makes. REALLY, after a hundred yrs., it's time to improve on there products. WE NEED A 3 INCH. KNIFE THAT HAS A REALLY WELL MADE PHILLIPS AND MED. FLAT HEAD SCREWDRIVER, WITH THE SCISSORS AND 2 BLADES ( the 2 blades on this knife are perfect size.......as well as the scissors ) Hope this e-mail is read by SWISS ARMY COMPANY...they need to listen to there coustomers for new ideas and changes....thats there problem.