The Care and Feeding of the Swiss Army Knife

Image Gallery PHOTO BY DOUG RICHMOND

In MOTHER NO. 41, author/mechanic Doug Richmond ("The Homesteader's Toolbox", pages 82?84) gave us some expert advice on how to buy hand tools. Now Doug's back . . . this time to tell us all about:

I'll admit I laughed long and loud the first time I saw a Swiss army knife. To me (and mind you, I've been using pocketknives ever since I was old enough to wear pants with pockets) the very sight of all those gadgets protruding from a single handle was just too much! Besides which, the blades were made of stainless steel, and "everybody knew" that stainless?because of its inability to take and hold a proper edge—was suitable only for household cutlery. And, besides that. . . the knife in question had a chintzy-looking red handle that made me think it'd been made especially for the punchboard premium trade.

Well, the passage of time has proven me wrong on all counts. Because today, the Swiss army knife is probably the most popular folding knife in these United States . . . and deservedly so. It is, after all, more than just a pocketknife: It's a pocket-sized assortment of tools!

MANY MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM

Swiss army knives come in many models, with various combinations and quantities of attachments. The simplest versions have as few as five accessories and weigh only a couple of ounces . . . while the grand deluxe models may sport up to seventeen fold?out tools and weigh more than a quarter pound!

My favorite Swiss army knife is the relatively simple Camper model, which has two blades, a corkscrew, a can opener, a bottle opener, and a "punch" (actually a single?blade reamer). It also features a lanyard loop, but I've never used this accessory (nor have I seen anyone else use it). All-up weight: a smidgen over two ounces, or roughly half the heft of a super deluxe model.

Another?and very similar Swiss army knife?comes with a Phillips screwdriver in place of the corkscrew . . . a substitution I dislike for two reasons. First, unless the Phillips is used with adequate pressure in clean screws of the proper size, the tip will unavoidably be damaged. Second, it's impossible ?for all practical purposes?to repair a damaged Phillips bit by regrinding (as is customarily done with ordinary screwdrivers). Let's just say, then, that I much prefer a corkscrew which works to a Phillips that doesn't (or that soon won't)!

HOW TO BUY A GENUINE S.A.K.

You'll find that Swiss army knives-even of identical design-vary considerably in price. For example: Four years ago my friendly local hardware dealer was selling Camper?style Swiss army knives for $11.40 each. That seemed a bit much at the time, so I stopped by the Sierra Designs store on my next trip into town and bought the identical model for a more reasonable $7.75. (The selfsame knife is currently available for $70.75 postpaid from L. L. Bean, Inc., Freeport, Maine 04033. Specify the "Camper model Swiss army knife, stock no. 6219-C".?THE EDITORS.) The moral: It pays to shop around.