Victorinox SwissChamp Swiss Army Knife Review

What’s in the box

A 91 mm Swiss Army knife with 33 functions on eight layers, in Victorinox’s classic red scales. The tools are Swiss stainless steel and the scales are plastic, with a key ring at the end. None of the blades or tools lock. Grouped, this is what folds out of it:

Quick Specs

Tool by tool

Every tool on the SwissChamp, from the blades and saw to the extras tucked into the scales, in four groups. Hover over a tool, or tap it on a phone, to see what it’s for. The photo below marks the ones you can see with the tools folded out.

1234567891011

1. 1Pliers
2. 2Wood saw
3. 3Fish scaler and ruler
4. 4Scissors
5. 5Magnifier
6. 6Metal file and saw
7. 7Large blade
8. 8Key ring
9. 9Corkscrew
10. 10Multi-purpose hook
11. 11Bottle opener

Saw and blades

The wood saw is the tool we use most on trips. It’s short, but it cuts through small branches more easily than you’d expect. The two blades handle the everyday cutting. After five years in the glovebox there’s a little rust on the main blade, which we could probably clean off if we tried, but it still cuts.

Pliers and screwdrivers

The screwdriver is one of the tools we reach for most at camp, and the pliers are there for small repairs. The Phillips screwdriver sits inline with the body, so you can turn it like a normal screwdriver. The other tools, from the corkscrew and openers to the hook, get used less, but they’re there when you need them. A couple, like the fish scaler, are a bit gimmicky.

The magnifier on the map

The magnifier is the surprise. It’s not strong, but it’s just right for zooming in on the small print of a navigation map, like the symbols on our Hema Outback NSW map. Tucked into the scales there are also a pen, a pin, tweezers and a toothpick, small extras that are handy to have in the car.

Build after five years

This is where the SwissChamp earns its price. Ours has been rattling around the glovebox for more than five years, and it’s still solid. There’s some dirt in the housing and the scales have picked up scratches, but that’s all. It’s a solid little unit that won’t easily die. The blades don’t lock, though, so keep your cuts controlled.

Size and weight

With eight layers of tools, it’s thick: 91 mm long and 186 g on our scale. It fits in a pocket, but it’s heavy for everyday carry, which is why ours lives in the glovebox. For a lighter, slimmer tool, see our best multitools guide.

Other Victorinox knives

The SwissChamp has almost every tool Victorinox puts in its 91 mm range, so it makes a handy yardstick for the rest. If you don’t need all 33 functions, the models below have fewer tools and fewer layers, so they’re slimmer in the hand. They’re ranked from the most tools to the fewest, with a link to each one on Amazon. These four come closest to the SwissChamp, with pliers, a saw or a magnifier on most of them:

The more basic models keep the blades, scissors or saw and the openers, but drop the pliers and most of the small tools:

Conclusion: Victorinox SwissChamp Swiss Army Knife

The Victorinox SwissChamp packs 33 functions into one 91 mm Swiss Army knife, and it has handled every small job we’ve given it for more than five years: cutting branches with the saw, small repairs with the screwdrivers and pliers, and reading a map with the magnifier. A little rust and some dirt in the housing are all it shows for it. It’s thick, 186 g and the blades don’t lock, but at $160 it’s a tool you buy once and keep in the glovebox for good.