The venerable Swiss Army Knife (SAK for short) is a jack-of-all-trades everyday carry tool that enjoys an irreplaceable status in people’s loadouts, even if they do not consider themselves part of the everyday carry community, thanks to the SAK’s hallmark mix of valuable features and tools in a compact size. With over a century of experience making quality tools and knives, Victorinox and Wenger (the sole two authorized makers of the Swiss Army Knife since the 1890s, and the latter acquired by Victorinox in 2005) have hundreds of SAKs for you to choose from.
Victorinox created the original SAK to meet an Army officer’s knife requirement in the Swiss military. Their practicality means they’ve become a preferred multi-tool for decades now. They’ve also become instantly recognizable even to someone unfamiliar with everyday carry. They carry a SAK because MacGyver had one on TV, and then there’s the fabled green SAK pulled out of a safe deposit bank vault by Jason Bourne.
With all the options available, we’ll focus on what makes for a good, compact SAK for everyday carry: a competent knife, one or more screwdrivers, a can or bottle opener, and other essentials like a pair of scissors, tweezers, or even a toothpick. Armed with that knowledge, you can research further on your own and decide what your first (or next) Swiss Army Knife should be.
This post was last updated on 12/26/2023.
Our Favorites
The Best Overall Swiss Army Knife: Pioneer X Alox [Buy]
The Best Budget Swiss Army Knife: Classic SD Transparent [Buy]
The Best Swiss Army Knife for the Outdoors: Ranger Boatsman MW Grip [Buy]
The Best Travel Swiss Army Knife: Jetsetter [Buy]
The Best Keychain Swiss Army Knife: Midnite Manager [Buy]
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The Best Overall Swiss Army Knife :hsc_emoji_trophy:
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The Best Budget Swiss Army Knife
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The Best Swiss Army Knife for the Outdoors
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The Best Travel Swiss Army Knife
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The Best Keychain Swiss Army Knife
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Pioneer X Alox
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Classic SD Transparent
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Ranger Boatsman MW Grip
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Jetsetter
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Midnite Manager
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Pros
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Cons
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Bottom Line
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The stand-out feature of this SAK is the inclusion of spring-loaded scissors in along with a full-sized blade and other useful everyday features. This lets you use the proper tool when cutting string or other small items without using the knife when it would be too awkward.
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The Classic SD is the perfect keychain SAK companion tool for everyday carry. It packs a small non-locking knife, a nail file that doubles as a compact flathead screwdriver, spring-loaded scissors, a toothpick, and tweezers.
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With its full-size ergonomic handle and grip inlays, the Ranger Boatsman MW Grip is the best SAK to bring if you foresee wet conditions.
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The Jetsetter is made for those times by foregoing a knife but still including drivers, bottle openers, and a pair of spring-loaded scissors.
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The Midnite Manager lets you integrate a compact LED flashlight into your everyday carry without the bulk of a full-size torch in your pockets. It’s also an excellent backup light and tool to have on hand, especially if you attach it to your keys (assuming you don’t forget your keys at home, too).
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SPECIFICATIONS
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SPECIFICATIONS
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SPECIFICATIONS
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SPECIFICATIONS
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SPECIFICATIONS
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Size
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Size
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93mm
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58mm
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130mm
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58mm
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58mm
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Number of tools
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Number of tools
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9
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7
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22
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7
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10
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Scale Material
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Scale Material
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Scale Material
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Scale Material
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Scale Material
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Alox
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ABS/cellidor
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Polyamide
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ABS/cellidor
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ABS/cellidor
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Scroll to see the full table
The Best Swiss Army Pocket Knives
The Best Overall Swiss Army Knife: Pioneer X Alox
Alox Swiss Army Knives are some of the most beautiful and practical tools in their collection, with an upgrade to aluminum scales subjected to anodic oxidation, even though it’s a common mistake to refer to it as aluminum oxide. What’s not a mistake is choosing the Pioneer X Alox for your everyday carry. The stand-out feature of this SAK is the inclusion of spring-loaded scissors along with a full-sized blade and other useful everyday features. This lets you use the proper tool when cutting string or other small items without using the knife when it would be too awkward.
The Best Budget Swiss Army Knife: Classic SD Transparent
The Classic SD is the perfect keychain SAK companion tool for everyday carry. It packs a small non-locking knife, a nail file that doubles as a compact flathead screwdriver, spring-loaded scissors, a toothpick, and tweezers. Unlike the standard Cellidor version of the Classic SD Swiss Army Knife, this one features a transparent body available in different colors for the same price, making it more unique.
The Best Swiss Army Knife for the Outdoors: Ranger Boatsman MW Grip
With its full-size ergonomic handle and grip inlays, the Ranger Boatsman MW Grip is the best SAK to bring if you foresee wet conditions. It was made with sailors and captains of small boats in mind, with a shackle opener and marlin spike built in to help you set sail to far-off destinations.
The Best Travel Swiss Army Knife: Jetsetter
Sometimes, you can’t carry a knife, like when you’re about to board a plane. Other times, you may have a more giant everyday carry knife and don’t want to double up. The Jetsetter is made for those times by foregoing a knife but still including drivers, bottle openers, and a pair of spring-loaded scissors. Be aware, though, from personal experience, I have found that some countries like Japan do not allow even scissors on planes, but this should be good everywhere else.
The Best Keychain Swiss Army Knife: Midnite Manager
The Midnite Manager lets you integrate a compact LED flashlight into your everyday carry without the bulk of a full-size torch in your pockets. It’s also an excellent backup light and tool to have on hand, especially if you attach it to your keys (assuming you don’t forget your keys at home, too). Along with the light, the Midnite Manager also has a convenient Phillips crosshead screwdriver with a magnetic tip that helps you turn and manipulate small fasteners without giving you a headache.
Our other recommendations
Victorinox Cadet Alox: The Cadet Alox keeps it simple while providing a 3.3” knife that’s big enough for most everyday carry tasks. And with both a can and bottle opener, it can also find some use in short tours to the great outdoors.
Victorinox Nail Clip 580: Many SAKs include a nail file, but the Nail Clip 580 is the top dog for personal grooming. It includes a full-size nail clipper, a nail file, a knife, and spring-loaded scissors. It’s the perfect travel companion so long as you put it in checked luggage before you travel.
Victorinox Tinker Small: We mentioned MacGyver using a Swiss Army Knife, and if you want to carry the one he used the most in that television show, the Tinker Small is the one for you. While we can’t promise it will get you out of a bind in some villain’s evil lair in time to save the world, it packs 12 useful functions in a compact 3.3” shape, including a reamer, a punch, and a Philips screwdriver alongside a sharp knife.
Victorinox Swiss Card Classic: The Swiss Card is an entirely different tool, providing small and compact tools in a roughly credit-card-shaped design. Think of it as a travel toolbox of essentials that can free up space in your travel bag. It does come with a fixed-blade knife, so keep that in mind with any airline or travel requirements before you head out the door. You can also remove the knife entirely, making this tool TSA-friendly.
Victorinox Swiss Champ: If you’re looking for a toolbox replacement that you could bring in your bag (or your pockets if you want), the Swiss Champ is it. It has a rich feature set of 31 tools, including pliers, eliminating the one downside of carrying a SAK over a plier-style multi-tool.
Victorinox Wine Master: The Victorinox Wine Master elevates the wine and bottle opener experience on some other SAKs by providing a beautiful wood handle and a larger knife for cheese and food pairings. The corkscrew also comes with extra leverage, making it more suitable to use with bottles, where it is important to ensure you don’t break the cork.
Victorinox Classic SD Brilliant Damast: The Brilliant Damast edition of the Victorinox Classic SD elevates the SAK experience with Damasteel scales layered 333 times to make a unique design on the knife. It also comes with a cross and shield charm, making the tool uniquely your everyday carry SAK.
Victorinox Cyber Tool L: The Cyber Tool L is unique because it features a toolset that makes it great for fixing and maintaining small tech items. It has a precision screwdriver, a bit set, and a ballpoint pen to make notes.
Victorinox Pruning Knife M: A rarer single-blade knife from Victorinox that’s part of their horticulture line. It’s a unique alternative to a traditional folding pocket knife and a rare appearance of a hawkbill blade from the brand.
How to Choose a Swiss Army Pocket Knife
Because of all the tools available for Swiss Army Knives, there are a lot of models to choose from. Aside from the knife, which features in all but the most travel-friendly models of the SAK, there’s also usually a bottle opener and screwdrivers. The best bet is to start with the size and form factor you like and then look for a specific model with the features that you’ll find most beneficial for your everyday carry. If you cut through cordage regularly, you might want something with a serrated edge. If you open wine bottles, the standard bottle or can opener won’t do, and you should find a model with a corkscrew.
Size and Weight
It’s best to start with the size and weight you find most appropriate for your everyday carry. It can be tempting to carry a giant Swiss Army knife with dozens of tools, but you must understand that doing so will weigh you down. If you end up leaving your SAK at home, it’s not doing you any good. That’s why it’s good to start with something you’re more likely to carry in the first place.
Tools
With that being said, be on the lookout for the following tools the next time you’re looking for a SAK:
- Knife: The bladed edge is still the bread and butter of the SAK experience, so get the length you need for your everyday carry. While most Swiss Army Knives have non-locking blades, some lock as an exception for people who demand more reliability from their SAK for rough use.
- Screwdrivers: SAKs tend to have flathead and Phillips cross-type screwdriver heads. More specialized SAKs have precision heads, hex heads, and support for other fasteners.
- Bottle opener: Great for opening soda and beer bottles away from home.
- Can opener: This can be confused for a bottle opener by anyone unfamiliar, but the pointed section lets your piece through the sealed lip ring of a can to get at the preserved foods inside.
- Tweezers: Great for picking up small items and for first aid use when dealing with splinters in your skin.
- Toothpick: Unlike the wooden ones you’ll find at restaurants, the SAK sometimes comes with a plastic toothpick that slots into the handle scale, which is reusable and washable after use.
- Corkscrew: A dedicated tool for opening wine bottles. One model in particular has a lever for particularly tricky or delicate bottles.
- Wire stripper: Used to remove the insulation from wire for electrical and technical jobs.
- Reamer: A dedicated tool for punching through rigid material like cloth.
- Saw blade: A fully-serrated blade for cutting through wood.
- Nail file: For personal grooming.
- Marlinspike/Shackle Opener: A tool for manipulating tie-downs for sailing.
- Scissors: Spring-loaded scissors offer more precise cutting than the blades on a SAK in certain situations.
Handle
The basic Swiss Army Knife features a plastic polymer that Victorinox calls Cellidor. It’s tough and dependable, and people have relied on it for decades. Victorinox also offers Alox handle scales, which are aluminum scales with anodic oxidation. It’s a common misconception to call it aluminum oxide, which it is not.
Both Victorinox and Wenger also make the handles with a more ergonomic shape, especially for their tools geared towards outdoor use.
Limited edition wood, Damascus steel, and sterling silver scales also exist. These are put on special SAKs that have an extra touch of class.
Durability
The Swiss Army Knife’s durability derives from its traditional knife shape. Durability is essential because you want to be able to rely on your tool in all situations, especially in an emergency. A basic SAK has fewer moving parts than a butterfly or plier-style multi-tool. The ergonomics of the knife are also more traditional, so a SAK is an excellent option for anyone who frequently uses their knife on their multi-tool.
Safety Features
All of the tools on a Swiss Army Knife require a nail nick opening, and there’s a bias towards closure that helps ensure the tools don’t flip out and poke you in your pocket. Some models of the Swiss Army Knife feature a locking blade, but usually, it features a non-locking slip joint mechanism.
Maintenance and Care
Like every knife, the Swiss Army Knife requires some maintenance and care. The most important one is to keep your Swiss Army Knife sharp. You can use a whetstone, but a pull-through knife sharpener might be your best choice unless it is a large blade. Oiling the Swiss Army Knife will keep the tools smooth. Frequent oiling will also help prevent rust development on your SAK. But if your SAK gets wet, fully dry it out by opening up all the tools and drying it on a towel. Otherwise, water can be left in small spaces behind a tool and cause rust to build up over time.
Legal Considerations
You must do your own research about what’s legal to carry in your jurisdiction or area. With that being said, a Swiss Army Knife is almost universally thought of as non-threatening, and it tends not to draw unwanted attention like a fully-serrated automatic tactical knife in all-black. Most SAKs feature a manual nail-nick opening that does not lock, and their length usually makes them the most everyday carry-friendly knives you can bring daily.
Versatility and Uses
A Swiss Army Knife is the king of versatility, with most SAK models helping you through the day with more than just the essential knife function. With a Swiss Army Knife, you can do your grooming for the day with a nail file and nail cutter. You can use the knife to open letters at the office when you’re away from home. If you need to cut out a design on paper, the spring-loaded scissors come into play. A quick eyeglass adjustment lets the screwdriver come to life. When you forget a full-size flashlight on your way to your car, the keychain LED function on some SAKs is a good backup. And once you’re at home and ready to relax, you can use the bottle opener to crack open a cold one at the end of the day.
Environmental Considerations
The most sustainable part about a Swiss Army Knife is that it can be a “buy it for life” tool. Once you find your everyday carry SAK, you don’t have to waste time, money, and resources trying to find your perfect tool because you already have it. In terms of sustainability, Victorinox has increased the amount of recycled materials used in their production, making it more environmentally friendly to carry an SAK today.
Best Swiss Army Pocket Knife FAQs
Why are Swiss Army knives red?
The red on a Swiss Army Knife comes from its origin as a practical tool for Switzerland’s military forces. Red and white are prominently featured on the flag; thus, the signature look of the namesake Swiss Army Knife.
Are Swiss Army knives worth the money?
There’s a Swiss Army Knife for every budget, and each one is worth the money. It’s hard to beat the practicality of a Swiss Army Knife compared to other multi-tools.
What’s the difference between the Swiss Army and Victorinox?
Victorinox is an original designer and manufacturer of the Swiss Army Knife. While their knives are still used by the Swiss Army, the Swiss military and government do not design or produce the knives.
Can I pack a Swiss Army Knife in my checked luggage?
You should check your local laws and airline regulations. Generally speaking, so long as the knife has no prohibited battery, it should be safe to put in your checked luggage. Any SAK with a blade will pose a problem for carry-on use.
How we picked
Decades of experience and deep connections in the everyday carry industry give us a unique viewpoint on the market to inform our product recommendations. We have the depth of information for thousands of products that have come before and an extensive eye on the market to see what’s new and trending for each piece of gear. The result is a buying guide that we feel is informative and useful for EDCers of every trade, industry, and budget.
What is Everyday Carry?
Everyday Carry is both the concept of what people carry in their pockets and the process of picking out gear that thoughtfully considers what one wants or needs in their daily life. It encompasses everything from style to preparedness to utility, meaning an entire industry full of valuable tools and essentials to choose from.
Why you should trust us
Our team has decades of combined experience in all aspects of everyday men’s essentials, from wallets to pens to bags and everything in between, and we know where to find great gear ideas that you may not come across at your local stores or when shopping online. Our expertise in the industry and familiarity with design, materials, and usability help you make more informed choices when it comes to picking up your next piece of gear.
