Customer Reviews

Victorinox Swiss Army Sportsman Pocket Knife (Red)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Victorinox's can opener and caplifter/screwdriver tools work well. Off-brand camp knives usually aren't shaped just right or have visual flaws.

I like this model because it is a little smaller than the common Spartan or Tinker, making it better for daily pocket carry. For some reason those two are in stores, and they are a little large in my opinion. If I want a larger blade, I will use one of my one-hand locking knives. Other than the slightly shorter blade, this Sportsman carries the same tools as the Spartan but in a smaller package.

One thing I don't like is the corkscrew. A proper Phillips screwdriver would be more useful, although the tiny flat screwdriver at the end of the can opener is tapered and actually works for many Phillips screws.


Other models, with the same size handle:

The Tourist, which trades the nail file for a small blade but is otherwise identical. It is sometimes handy to keep a smaller blade razor-sharp and unused for emergencies, while the large blade can be used daily.

The Compact, which has scissors instead of the two can/bottle opener tools. It also trades the small file/blade position for Victorinox's combination tool, which is supposed to handle both bottles and cans (I have tried it, and it kind of sucks for cans. Emergency use only.). For some reason the Compact costs about twice as much as the others.

The Recruit, which drops the awl and corkscrew altogether while retaining the other tools of the Sportsman. It actually makes for a better overall appearance, because the backsprings line up with the handle slabs/liners (on all other models listed, the backsprings are recessed to allow for the extra tools).

The Cadet, which has the same tool set as the Recruit, but with a slim aluminum handle. But the aluminum handles means no toothpick/tweezers.

I ordered 5 of these knives for some of my Boy Scouts. They were thrilled to get an authentic Swiss Army knife and I was thrilled with the price and free shipping. All knives were new and packaged nicely. Keep up the good work and thanks.

The good news is that it's very inexpensive and relatively well built. The tweezers are the best I've ever used, the toothpick works well, and the corkscrew and screwdriver are both quite functional. If you want a nice cheap utility tool this is a pretty good deal. The bad news is that the blade does not lock open so it can be somewhat dangerous depending on how you use it. It's also not very sharp and needs to be honed when you first get it. The nail file is useless. I got this one as a gift but would haver preferred a model that came with scissors too.

This little item turned out to be invaluable while helping a friend move. It cut thru packing tape like a knife thru butter, pried open a stuck cover, tightened screws on a loose lock, filed a chipped nail, and opened a wine bottle, all in less than a day. A tremendous value.

the sportsman is a great multi-tool that suites many needs of day to day activities. it has the same great dependable, hard working craftsman ship of the other Victorinox products. with the exception of missing scissors, it has every tool that I need on a daily basis. you WILL NOT be unhappy if you snag one of these for every day carry. SAKs rock!

I own many Victorinox knives from the Swiss Champ, Champion Plus, Ranger, Huntsman, Huntsman Plus, Climber, Spartan, Camper, and Cadet. This Sportsman is just perfect, why? because it is a little more compact at 84mm (3 1/4") and it has all the essentials:

Large Blade, for cutting work like opening letters, peeling oranges, it is very sharp.

Nail file, some other knives don't come with nail file, unless you have the 3 layer mountaneer that has one or the Huntsman that is a 4 layer knife. It is useful when you chip a nail and need to file it smooth. The nail cleaner is also good for digging dirt out of the nails, specially after playing on the sand at the beach.

Can opener is very useful, when you are at a park and need to open it and forgot your regular can opener. The little screw driver tip also works as a phillips head too. Tried it a few times already when the flat head screw driver tip was too big for the phillips screw I was trying to tighten.

Bottle opener, this one I use a lot, specially to open bottles of beer, most beers i enjoy are imported and they don't have the twist open function. The metal is very thick and strong and I also use it as a prybar to open things like can's of paint.

Corkscrew, small but very useful, I use it all the time to open wine, as I enjoy a good Cabernet Sauvignon with my steak. For the people who don't use the corkscrew, it is used to house a mini screwdriver that you can get separately, this works on sunglasses, glasses and the little remotes for car alarms. It served me well the other day when I needed to change the battery on my car's alarm remote.

Awl, i use it to open boxes with it, cuz I don't want to dull the blade's edge with this task.


All in all this is a 2 layer knife that is very compact and one that you can carry in your pocket without being too heavy. I also stash it in my bicycle's saddle bag when I am riding my bike. As my bike tool is very compact and is missing some of the stuff I need in my Sportsman, it has become indispensable even on a bike ride on the beach or the park. Like a credit card commercial says, "Don't leave home without it", I always have mine with me.

The best thing about this knife is the size. Victorinox makes Swiss Army knives in four lengths: 58mm, 84mm, 91mm, and 111mm. The 58mm knife is great for a keychain, but is not very practical for everyday use. The 111mm knife is the most useful, but is too large to keep in a pocket, and would be better stashed in a backpack or belt case. The 91mm knife is the the most popular, and the knife most people think of as a Swiss army knife.
I chose the Sportsman because of it's unique size, 84mm. It is much more functional than the 58mm knife, and is as useful as the 91mm knife, while slipping into a pocket almost unnoticed. Perfect for everyday carry. The quality is great, and the blade shaved my arm without any touch-up on my part. With the Sportsman in my pocket and a Victorinox Spirit multitool (which I also highly recommend) in a belt pouch, I am well equipped for whatever the day brings my way.
3/11-- After having the knife for a while, I made it more useful by grinding one edge of the file to a sharp scraper-edge, and the tip into a small flat screwdriver, thus creating a 3-use blade. Still carry this knife every day.

For the price, this makes a decent cheap pocketknife to get someone as a gift. It's small, durable and very handy. Like others have said, the knife needs to be sharpened when you get it, as it isn't quite honed enough right out of the box. The toothpick is kinda flimsy, so I wouldn't rely on that too much, other than that all the other tools are solid.

This is a wonderful little tool. I have other knives for more rugged environments; this one sits on top of the minifridge and mostly serves to open wine and beer. The quality is top notch and it is great to have around when I need it. Keep in mind that it may not be a great idea to take this into a really sandy or dirty environment though, since it looks impossible to clean.

Everything you expect a swiss army knife to be - it is.

With the price (50% off), I think it is a very good deal. the knife is also sturdy and nice looking.