I like this knife. It's a more affordable version than the original Swiss Army Climber which is one of my favorite knives out there.
All of the tools on this knife are good. The knife is sturdy and sharp. I've gotten good use out of the bottle opener and the scissors. Corkscrew is helpful, as well.
Is it as nice as the original Climber Economy? No. It's got a plastic or nylon handle which makes it lighter but less cool in my opinion. But is it worth $15? Definitely Victorinox Swiss Army Climber II Pocket Knife
This version of the fabled Swiss Army knife adds a number of useful tools to the basic portfolio of large blade, can opener, bottle opener and awl. With this substantial (yet still pocketable) knife, we now have an additional small blade (GREAT for opening packages), a small pair of scissors, tiny tweezers, a toothpick (how sanitary!) and a corkscrew (a lifesaver for forgetful picnic-ers). The matte finish red plastic grips offer a secure hold.
While this knife is a bit heavy for everyday toting, it's a welcome companion on a hike. Durable and sturdily constructed, I give it a thumbs up.
I had to order this to replace the identical knife that I have owned for 7 years: airport security had to confiscate and destroy it when I accidentally left it in my laptop bag.
The Climber II knife is the knife I carry with me every day: even in the office, it always comes in handy. The can opener has a knack for staying sharp, the scissors often trim stray threads, and the long blade is just the thing for peeling a piece of fruit at lunch. I've also used the leather punch to add holes to my belt (thank you, regular exercise!), the corkscrew easily opens a wine bottle, and the bottle opener and screwdrivers get regular use. What's impressed me the most is the durability of the Victorinox steel: I've put all sorts of stress and leverage on the parts and have yet to break one, even prying loose the lid of an old stuck paint can.
Some quick tips for you:
1) Periodically clean out your knife: carefully open all parts, blow dust out, clean pocket lint, etc. Check the screw holding the scissors and tighen it.
2) Oil the knife: if it starts to get hard to pull out the parts, a drop of 3-in-1 oil at each end and in the middle (for the leather punch/hook handle) works wonders. Let the oil soak in, wipe up the excess, and don't put it back into your pocket until you've had a chance to work the parts back and forth a few times (to get the oil into the hinges) and then let it sit out on a cloth to pick up leftover leakage.
3) Sharpen with care: you should seldom have to sharpen the can opener, but the rest will need periodic sharpening. Think carefully about which angle you apply the whetstone to the scissors: you don't want to have the scissor blades abraded further apart from each other.
Do these things a couple of times a year and this knife will last you forever.
I am pleased with the knife. It has the same blade/tool selection as the super tinker, with one exception, the phillips screwdriver is replaced with a cork screw. However it does not have the "signature" smoothe red plastic housing with a metal "swiss army" insignia. Instead the case is a textured red plastic with a stamped-painted insignia. I miss the phillips screwdriver blade... instead this one has a cork screw. Other than that the knive itself is the usual excellent victoronox swiss army quality. I have carried the "super tinker" for several years and it is like my right hand.
[...]But true to the great brand of Victorinox, this knife is made in Switzerland with the consistent quality Victorinox has produced for over a 100 years. It also comes with a lifetime guarantee against defects. Thanks Victorinox for not letting me down. We need to count on at least one brand to remain consistent with it's quality standards.
For the price, this is a great knife. The blade and tool selection is good. Some may think that the knife is borderline too heavy to carry everyday, but I think it is OK.
The biggest disappointment with this knife for me is that it does not have the finish that I am used to seeing on a Swiss Army knife. Instead of the smooth red plastic with the inlay Swiss Army insignia, this knife's case is a textured red plastic with a stamped insignia. In my opinion, it feels and looks cheaper that what I have come to expect from Victorinox.
Overall, the casing is of little concern to me. What's inside is most important, and this knife offers a lot for the money.
I have had one since I was 12. Recently lost my at Orlando International Airport (forgot to put it in the checked luggage). This is almost the same as the one I lost. The only thing different is the texture and color of the red part (what would you call that, the handle?). It is rougher and slightly darker than the one that I owned. Still the same great knife.
This knife was purchased for my better half once his went missing after being in use 20 + years. True to say a boyscout is lost without his pocketknife but, from the moment he wrapped his hand around it it was like a long lost friend. Aside the weight difference he is very happy and I have not found a gift in years so simple thats gives so much pleasure. Thank you
Rather than recapitulate what other reviewers have mentioned, I'll emphasize two specific points: one, that this knife, with its small size, sturdy construction, useful toolset, stainless materials, and ridiculously low price point, is an unbelievably good value for an everyday-use tool; and two, that it came with both blades literally razor sharp--shaving sharp. This isn't a knife with soul or character to speak of (for that, go to a Laguiole or an Opinel), but its actual day-to-day use value is off the charts.
Edit 03/22/2011: Am very disappointed to have just had to replace this knife. The one previously reviewed now lies somewhere in the filth of Lake Michigan -- don't ask. I didn't get the same model though. For considerably more money I got the Victorinox Compact, which scraps the awl (used it only for cleaning my fingernails, which, really.) and small knife blade (sure, you could delegate tasks between two knife blades in various clever ways [I at first used the large, e.g., for crude tasks and the small for precise; then I tried reserving the large only for edibles; then I tried using the small blade only for work that would preserve its shaving-sharp edge so I'd always have a shaving-sharp edge; etc.; but I eventually decided that keeping both blades clean and sharp, which you ought to do anyway, makes it unnecessary to have two of them -- though with that said, if I still had two, my current policy would be to reserve one blade for anything involving adhesive, which is pretty much the bane of my existence--even more than the muck of Lake Michigan]) but combines the can opener and cap lifter into one tool, leaving you with an appreciably smaller and lighter pocket knife (two layers instead of three) that has blade, scissors, can opener/cap lifter, corkscrew (used by me probably as much or more than anything else on the knife), and hook (completely useless as a hook, but featuring in this case a minimally-useful nail file on its spine, which my Climber II didn't have) and retains the tweezers and toothpick, but adds a wee screwdriver (presumably useful for eyeglasses or similar?), needle, and, way usefully, a ball point pen. If you're even a little enterprising and have an internet connection and $5 you can teach yourself to replace the scales (handles) of the Climber II with ones that include a ball point pen, but you're still stuck with a three-layer pocket knife that unnecessarily divides can opening / cap lifting into two tools (and the combo tool works just as well, believe me; I use it all the time for both tasks) and includes the only-dubiously-useful small blade. For my money (literally) (and despite the inexplicable fact that it costs nearly twice as much, which, murky lakes nothwithstanding, what's an extra $12 divided into the lifetime of the knife?), the Compact is a better bet. Reckon I'll let you know in another 3 years. - Gift Idea - Victorinox - Pocket Knife - Multipurpose Tool'
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