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Knife chat: Victorinox 108mm German Army Knife and Safari derivatives

Victorinox German Army Knife and Safari Hunter

108mm Victorinox German Army Knife and slightly better equipped Safari Hunter

Three Points of the Compass has written before about his old British Army Knife found languishing at the back of a drawer. Another knife provided to the armed forces offers a different tool set and is possibly of more practical use to a hiker, backpacker or those drawn to bush-crafting. This is the 108mm long Victorinox German Army Knife. It is especially suited to those who use a small wood stove to heat water or cook with on trail. Note that I am not referring here to the larger and heavier Victorinox model supplied to the German Army that replaced it in 2003.

Original 108mm Victorinox German Army Knife and the one-handed opening 111mm version that replaced it in 2003

Original 108mm Victorinox German Army Knife above and the 126.1g, one-handed opening, 111mm version that replaced it in 2003 below

The original 108mm German Army Knife, and the Safari series derived from them, have a number of special features not found elsewhere within the Victorinox stable that make them both interesting and practical. It is a peculiar series and Victorinox did not elaborate on the design much beyond those mentioned here. Sadly, the company has now discontinued the 108mm series but most of the quite small range can still be found on the second hand market.

Victorinox German Army Knife- second generation, with nail file

Victorinox German Army Knife (GAK)- with olive green nylon scales. 108mm two layer knife featuring a large blade, combination tool- with woodsaw, can opener and flat screwdriver. This is the second generation with a nail file on the combo tool. Back tools are corkscrew and awl/reamer

The German Army Knife carries the German Eagle on one scale. The civilian version had a blank space where a name could be inserted

The German Army Knife carries the German Eagle on one scale. The civilian Trooper version above has a blank space where a name could be inserted

The 84.9g German Army Knife, or GAK, was produced in its millions, by both Victorinox and other manufacturers. The specifications for the army knife were laid out by the German military in the 1970s and Victorinox was initially awarded the contract. There were many other manufacturers of the knife over its lifespan however and some twenty other makes have been identified.

Some people have rated the versions of German Army Knife made by Klaas, Adler and Aitor as being almost of comparable quality. Other makes of the knife have received scathing reviews. If you have any doubts, simply look for the Victorinox version, with Victorinox tang stamp, these are of uniformly high quality though some may have had a hard life before finding their way on to the second-hand market.

Unfortunately there have also been some cheap, fake knock-offs produced since production of the originals ceased and whereas the construction and material quality of the original and authentic produce is pretty high across most of the authentic suppliers, the cheaper fakes are of dubious quality- caveat emptor!

Victorinox Trooper (civilian version of GAK) – olive green nylon scales. Two layer knife. (Victorinox designation: 0.87 70.04). Large blade, combo tool- woodsaw, can opener, screwdriver. Back tools- corkscrew, awl/reamer. Note that there is no nail file on this civilian version. Red scaled civilian versions of the original German Army Knife are more common

So popular was the German Army Knife that a civilian version was later released by Victorinox. With the same olive drab nylon scheme (what Victorinox termed a ‘military’ handle) but no German Eagle on the scales, this was known as the Trooper. I have no idea why but my one comes in just a tad heavier than the actual GAK on which it is based, weighing 87.1g, including 1.4g saw guard. Another variant has ‘NATO’ on one nylon scale and is known as the Nato Trooper. Also released with red nylon scales, the knife was then called the Safari or Safari Trooper. You will frequently see these names interchanged or combined with no heed as to scale colour. These were all two layer knives. Such was their success that Victorinox tweaked the features and released one and three layer 108mm variants. Some of these are shown below.

Specifications

The 108mm German Army Knife was the first released by Victorinox with textured nylon scales, these are not only robust but also provide good grip. The use of nylon scales was an unusual step for Victorinox and the first time that they had used this material. The size of handle is good in the hand and not at all fiddly, it can be held with confidence and in comfort. One specification made by the army was that all tools open in the same direction, away from the lanyard hole, creating another Victorinox oddity however they all feel very natural to use in this manner. No key ring or shackle was fitted by the manufacturer on any of these knives other than on a few of the uncommon Fireman model.

Heavy duty folding blade with lots of belly found on the original 108mm German Army Knife

Heavy duty folding blade, with good usable length, found on the original 108mm German Army Knife

All of the 108mm variants have an 84mm long spear blade. This is a good size blade with lots of belly and a 75mm cutting edge. Victorinox advertised this as a ‘double thickness jumbo size’ blade

The peculiar Victorinox combination tool that appeared on the German Army Knife and Safari derivative

The peculiar Victorinox combination tool and saw guard that appeared on the German Army Knife and Safari derivative

The combo-tool is a combination of an efficient woodsaw with a flat screwdriver tip and can opener/bottle opener at the end. The woodsaw, that cuts on the ‘pull’ stroke, was frequently covered with a removable, light (1.4g), folded tin blade guard that protects the hand when opening cans/bottles etc. A nail file was added circa 1985 to the combo-tool, this created a second-generation German Army Knife (GAK 2). This file can also be used for striking matches.

Combination tool with and without nailfile

Mini Victorinox flat tip screwdriver stores easily and neatly on a corkscrew

The five turn corkscrew is longer than is normal with most Victorinox knives. A corkscrew is largely superfluous these days, especially with the growing prevalence of screw-top bottles of wine. A corkscrew was included on the original Victorinox Officer’s Knife in 1897. I find a corkscrew of more use these days for loosening knots in cordage. Beside that, it is a handy place to store one of the micro Victorinox screwdrivers that are so useful for tightening the screws on my glasses.

Long awl/reamer found on German Army Knife

The German Army Knife has a 50mm awl/reamer with a wickedly sharp 40mm edge. This is longer than the awls found on most other Victorinox knives and will puncture cordura, trail shoes and boots for repair or leather belts with ease. Opening centrally on the handle it can be grasped and twisted into whatever it is puncturing with little danger to the person holding it. The only thing that would make it better, and I do wish it had one, is a sewing eye.

Different manufacturers, different finishes, varying quality. Mil-Tec made original knives ‘back in the day’ but more recently have switched to poorer quality reproductions.

A further variant on the Safari Trooper is a three layer knife that has a clip-point blade added between spear blade and combo-tool. This was made with olive green scales for the Mauser company (around 240,000 units) and had the weapon manufacturer’s name on the additional blade and side of scale. A similar and very rare (4972 units) version of this extended version was also produced for the Walther company which had black scales.

The two-layer 77.4g Safari Pathfinder is a simplified version of the civilian equivalent to the second generation German Army Knife. As with the first generation GAK, there is no nail file (or match striker) on the combo-tool. However the back tools are excluded. There is no awl/reamer or corkscrew. So it makes for a good, compact tool that retains considerable functionality.

108mm Victorinox Safari Pathfinder (8750)- red nylon scales. Two layer knife. (designation: 0.87 50). Large blade, combo tool- woodsaw, can opener, screwdriver. There are no tools in the scales, as usual with military knives and their derivatives

108mm Victorinox Safari Pathfinder- red nylon scales. Two layer knife. (designation: 0. 8750). Large blade, combo tool- woodsaw, can opener, screwdriver and no back tools. There are no tools in the scales, as is usual with military knives and their derivatives

Victorinox Hunter showing gutting blade, part opened below main blade. Note that the saw is folded away here

A heavier option is the three layer 112.3g Safari Hunter that adds another blade to the Safari Trooper. This is a special curved gutting blade, equally useful for slicing vegetables and fruit in the hand. The rounded tip to the gutting blade (69mm cutting edge) makes it safer to use where there is a risk of stabbing someone, perhaps cutting off seatbelts, pack strap or clothing in the event of accident or trauma etc.

The gutting blade on the Safari Hunter was also made available with a serrated edge on the uncommon (2380 units) Fireman version. This featured crossed fireman’s axes behind the Swiss Cross logo on the scale. The fully serrated blade on this variant was intended for emergency cutting of seat belts etc. This ’emergency’ blade was also fitted to other larger knives later produced by Victorinox.

1978 safari trooper poster, also showing the stag handled model

The Hunter was alternatively available with real Stag antler scales (0.8780.66), later replaced by imitation antler (0.8780.06). I have never been a fan of these scales and have not sought one out. The real stag handled versions are quite uncommon, probably less than a thousand units, and may have been a trial or premium offering before the company switched to large volume production with imitation material.

The 1978 advertisement shown here illustrates just some of the range of 108mm knives on general sale to the public at that time. Presumably the less well-equipped Solo and Pathfinder didn’t find much favour with the hunting or ‘sportsmen’ fraternity.

108mm Victorinox Safari Hunter (8780)- red nylon scales. Three layer knife. (designation: 0.87 80). Large blade, gutting blade, combo tool- woodsaw, can opener, screwdriver, no nail file. Back tools- corkscrew, awl

108mm Victorinox Safari Hunter (designation: 0.8780)- red nylon scales. Three layer knife. Large blade, gutting blade, combo tool- woodsaw, can opener, screwdriver, no nail file. Back tools- corkscrew, awl/reamer

If the 112.3g Hunter is amongst the heaviest of Safari options, then the single layer 50.4g Solo is the lightest and simplest variant in the 108mm range. You couldn’t get any simpler. It just has the large single blade. If this is all you require, a blade, and no extras that make it into a multi-tool, then this is a comfortable, well sized option. This size of knife fits well in my hands and provides a blade of usable size with no great weight penalty. There was also a 52.5g Solo Plus variant (US designation- 53843) that had a corkscrew as a back tool (no awl). This last knife was originally called the Adventurer (0.8710).

Extremely rare (fifty units) was the two-layer Swiss shArK released in February 2011. This combines the tools of the Solo Plus with an extra blade- a serrated edge blade with rounded tip. The odd name is etched onto the main blade. Three Points of the Compass doubts he will ever see an example of this 81.3g knife, which is shame as it looks a great combination. Though it would be even better if the corkscrew were exchanged for the reamer.

Victorinox Solo- red nylon scales. One layer knife. large blade, no back tools

108mm Victorinox Solo- red nylon scales. One layer knife with large blade and no back tools

So, in summary, the Victorinox 108mm range is a small yet interesting range of knives and provides just enough tools to be useful in the backcountry. No scissors, which is a game changer for many, and the knives often include a corkscrew, which is of decreasing practical use these days. However these knives remain a favourite of Three Points of the Compass if seldom actually taken on trail. I much prefer one of the smaller 58mm range from Victorinox or a Leatherman keychain tool, especially for longer hikes.

Some of the interesting ranger of 108mm knives from Victorinox

Some of the interesting range of 108mm knives from Victorinox. With either one, two or three layers. Top to bottom: Safari Solo, Safari Hunter, Safari Pathfinder, Safari Trooper, German Army Knife second generation

Many genuine Victorinox versions of the original 108mm German Army Knife and some of the latter variants are still available at reasonable prices second hand and are worth snapping up while you still can. Be aware that some of the more uncommon variants may be more difficult to track down and a premium price may be asked.

Victorinox German Army Knife and Safari derivatives

Gear talk: A few grams here, a few grams there… in search of the perfect pen- again!

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Three Points of the Compass implores anyone venturing out on to a significant hike over multiple days to document it. If only for your own use. Scribbled notes, how you feel, the people you meet, weather, the sweat on a climb, the shivers on a ridge, the ache in the feet. Anything. Believe me, in the years to come you will read those scribbled notes and many of those recorded moments will come flooding back. That said- you need something to write on and something to write with.

Fisher Stowaway Space pen in the hand

While I still ring the changes on which notebook I take with me on a hike. In 2015 I thought I had found my solution as regards a pen. The Fisher Stowaway was a great, lightweight little solution with a huge ink reservoir. My only issue with it was the cost. It is not outrageously expensive but not a cost I want to be shelling out too frequently. I am not one for losing things on trail, I am pretty careful and methodical. However, when I undertook a five-month hike in 2018 I lost only one item of gear the whole trip. That was my Fisher Stowaway pen, twice. I took a couple of zero days a thousand miles in to my hike, exploring the beautiful city of Chester with just a notebook and pen, the latter came adrift somewhere. I cursed and ordered another to be picked up later in the hike. A hundred miles after receiving that one, I lost it again. I won’t buy another. They are too pricey to keep replacing. This rankles with me and strange as it may seem to those who do not fret over such things, I was determined to find the solution.

Roaming the streets of Chester on a rest day, I walked unencumbered by pack and simply carried a notebook and pen. The latter was lost. The only piece of kit lost on a two thousand mile hike

Over the last couple of months I have been looking again at what lightweight, reliable options there are, pen-wise, for use on trail. I could simply use a nasty little throwaway bic pen, which have broken, smudged or leaked on me too many times, or a pencil. I have many great little mechanical pencils and one of the terrific Koh-i-Noor options would be fine, but it is a pen I am after.

17.3g Victorinox Scribe, with pen extended

I wasn’t exhaustive in my investigations by any means. Three Points of the Compass is a big fan of the 58mm series of knives produced by Victorinox over the years and I first considered whether to rely exclusively on one of the Swiss Army Knives that include a pen in their toolset, or even just the pen, removed from the scales, as my main writing implement.

Victorinox Scribe with minuscule pen removed

Victorinox Scribe with minuscule 0.8g pen removed

I frequently carry a 32,5g Midnite Manager from Victorinox on day hikes or of a few days, and they are great for keeping notes then; piggy-backing on the back of other tools I want with me such as blade and scissors. But the ink reservoir is tiny. It will never last the thickness of a moderate notebook. There are a number of 58mm Victorinox knives with pens, mostly in the Signature and Manager series. Probably the lightest of 58mm SAK with a pen is the Victorinox Scribe. Because it eshews scissors, only sporting a small blade, nailfile with screwdriver tip and tweezers (or toothpick) accompanying the retractable pen. This little knife comes in at just 17.3g. It is actually quite comfortable in the hand to write with. By opening the nailfile, it rests in the hand well.

Victorinox Scribe, a very basic toolset that includes a small pen

Pen from Victorinox SwissCard, this larger option from Victorinox weighs 1.2g

The pens in the 91mm range of knives and SwissCards are longer but still just as thin. There is a larger amount of ink in these but really not a great deal. If using just the Victorinox pen removed from the knife, they are great for just a few scribbled notes but I find them, quite literally, a pain to use for any extended time as their narrow width makes them uncomfortable to hold for longer note taking sessions- the end of a day write-up for example. All of these are pens are pressurised though and write quite well. Which is why I actually include one of the smaller 0.8g spare pens in my ditty bag. If I lose (again) my main pen, or it goes dry on me, I think a less than one gram spare is acceptable if probably superfluous addition. Do note that the Victorinox pens only come with blue ink, always have and it looks like they always will. I prefer black ink and blue is always going to remain a less favoured option for me.

The Victorinox 2019 SwissCard Swiss Spirit comes with a handy set of tools that includes a pen

The 26.8g Victorinox 2019 SwissCard Swiss Spirit comes with a handy set of tools that includes a pen

The True Utility telescopic pen is a lovely robust piece of kit, but the ink reservoir in the pen is tiny. One of the replacement refills is shown next to the pen

I then looked at the most minimalist pens I could find. I keep a True Utility telescopic pen on my keyring. Reasonably priced, great for note-taking but surprisingly heavy. Now 8.2g may not sound a great deal but containing such a tiny ink reservoir, I do not think this great keychain pen is suited to backpacking.

True, it does telescope out to a decent length, but the slippery tapering barrel is not particularly comfortable to write with for longer periods. Also that cap in which it is posted, if not attached to anything it is very easy to mislay. I had the same problem with the Inka pens I used to use while backpacking a decade ago. A pen to keep confined to my Every Day Carry I believe.

Even if not suited to backpacking, the True Utility telescopic pen makes a great EDC item, here on my keychain next to a cut down Blackwing 602 pencil

The Ohto Minimo is probably the smallest retractable ball point pen on the market

2.7g Ohto Minimo pen

Next up was the cheap-n-cheerful, aptly named, Ohto Minimo ball point pen. This has a 0.5mm line width, is tiny and also comes with a thin little plastic card with pen sleeve that can be slotted into or stuck to just about anything. The clear plastic card is a little larger than most western business cards or credit cards so needs to be trimmed before it will fit a wallet. The work of just a few seconds with a pair of scissors. Refills for the pen are easily available but as the body of this pen is only 3.7mm thick, I again found it too thin to write with for extended periods. It’s weight though is incredible- less than 3g!

I wasn’t getting far in my meagre examination of miniscule pens. Rather than splash out on yet another, I decided to review where I was. I want a lightweight pen, I want black ink, I want reliability, I want affordability and I want it to last a reasonable write length. This all bought me back to my original Fisher Spacepen. Fisher do a pretty good range of pens but it was only the minimalist Stowaway that was ticking all the boxes. How about simply using a refill, by itself? The large ink capacity means that the body is thicker than the tiny little pens I had been looking at. I experimented for a couple of weeks using one to write with every day at work and home but still found the body too slim and a pain to hold for any length of time. Also the smooth body meant it would slip in my grip meaning I had to grasp it more tightly, making it more uncomfortable for extended periods.

Fisher Spacepen refills are easily available, in different ink colours and line thickness

Fisher Spacepen refill with shrink-wrap sleeve- weight: 3.7g

Some time ago I bought some electricians shrink tubing for wrapping the tops of my shepherds hook tent stakes, the bright red colour increasing visibility in long grass. What if I tried shrinking some of this around the refill body? Five minutes later I had my answer- result! It is easy to do this, cut a length of shrink-wrap, slide over the pen and gently run a hairdryer over it while turning the pen.

The pen is now very slightly wider- some 6.5mm. And doesn’t slip in my grip. I originally tried shrinking a length along the whole body, while this worked, I wondered if I could shave off another gram by trimming it to the essential.

Reducing the amount of shrink-wrap on the Fisher refill makes very little difference to the end-weight, this weighs 3.6g

A bare and unencumbered Fisher Spacepen refill weighs 3.4g, shrink-wrapping its length increases this to 3.7g, shortening the shrink-wrapping to a minimum had the negligible effect of reducing it to 3.6g, so barely worth it.

At least for the foreseeable future, that is it for me. For multi-day hikes I have a reliable pen at a decent weight that I can write with for reasonably extended periods though it shall never be as comfortable as a ‘proper’ barrelled pen. In addition, cos I’m a belt’n’braces guy, I have a little Victorinox refill in my ditty bag. For shorter hikes I can favour one of the Victorinox knife options that includes a pen, or if carrying a knife other than a Victorinox (it has been known), take one of the Victorinox pen refills.

It is of course possible to keep a recorded account of a hike on your phone- either as film, audio or in digital note form. However there is genuinely something tactile and pleasant in a dog eared, stained notebook, complete with bits stuffed into the flaps and hurried notes on bus and train times, who it is you have to meet when, resupply lists and phone numbers. I ask, write it down rather than relying on the digital- analogue rules in this format.

A range of lightweight pen options for backpacking

Knife chat: Victorinox Classic too small- how about the Ambassador?

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The Victorinox Classic is well named, it is exactly that- a classic. Reputed to be the most purchased knife in history, it combines the trinity of most useful tools. Blade, scissors and nail file. If you have the SD version of the Classic, then you also enjoy the handy little 2.5mm flat ScrewDriver tip to the nailfile instead of the nail cleaner. Away from the lovely thin Alox scaled versions, the more usual Cellidor scaled Classics also come with tweezers and toothpick.

Just 58mm in length and around 21g, the Classic is small, light and ideal for hiking. So useful is it that I EDC a little white scaled Classic SD, given to me as a present, on my work keys. This will handle most day-to-day tasks. However, Three Points of the Compass feels that there are other 58mm Victorinox knives that offer greater functionality with very little weight penalty.

Victorinox’s 74mm Ambassador with the ‘holy trinity’ of tools shown- scissors, blade and nailfile

Looking beyond the little 58mm knives, some might feel that it would be even handier to have just a little larger blade, and just a little larger pair of scissors. If that is you, then Victorinox have you covered with the Ambassador. Shown above, this knife is from the, very limited in range, single layer 74mm models that Victorinox have released.

Blades of 58mm Classic and 74mm Ambassador compared. For just a little longer knife you get a lot more capable blade

Surprisingly, the nailfile on the Ambassador is smaller than that on the Classic, though it is still a capable tool

Found with or without a keyring, the Ambassador doesn’t have the wide range of variants that the Classic has offered. I don’t really know why there aren’t just a few similar alternatives. Is a pen provided as with the Signature, or a little LED light in the scale as with the Swiss Lite? Sorry, no. There is a fairly uncommon alox scaled version called the Lady Victoria and that is about it.

The Ambassador is a little longer than the Classic when closed, 74mm instead of 58mm, and a little heavier- mine weighs 34.6g. For that you get a knife that is more comfortable in the hand, particularly for those with larger hands. It is also quite a thin knife, just 9mm. More importantly, the drop point blade now provides 46mm of cutting length over the Classic’s 33mm. The scissors are noticeably beefier than those found on it’s baby cousin too, though still small. The scissors on the Ambassador have cutting blades around fifty per cent longer. Scale tweezers and toothpick are the same in both knives and are interchangeable. Perhaps surprisingly the nailfile on the Ambassador is actually smaller than that on the Classic. It only comes with a nail cleaner tip, there is no SD version. But the nail cleaner tip will handle many little Phillips screws.

74mm Ambassador from the first collector’s series. Toothpick and handy tweezers removed from scales

Victorinox have released limited edition sets of the Ambassador with special scales, though nowhere near as many as the Classic has come with. My example shown here, with yellow and purple abstract pattern on one of the white scales, comes from the first Ambassador collection released. Beside the coloured scales of the various collections, the scarce RocKnife series released from 1988 are heavier on trail (having actual stone scales) and deliver no additional functionality, they don’t even have the scale tools, though they are pretty.

74mm Victorinox Ambassador

The Ambassador features:

Pen blade
Nail file with nail cleaner tip
Scissors
Toothpick
Tweezers
Some models also feature a keyring

The Victorinox Ambassador doesn’t get a lot of attention, but if you feel a Classic isn’t quite large enough for your backpacking adventures, or even your EDC, but you still like the simple toolset, then why not have a glance at this very slightly larger offering. It may be just what you are looking for.

The scissors on the Ambassador are beefier and a vast improvement on the useful but much smaller scissors on the Classic

Knife chat: Victorinox Mate and Vagabond- are these the perfect multi-tools on trail?

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Three Points of the Compass has previously looked at both the Rally series, which builds on the well-known Classic, and the amazingly compact, if over burdened, MiniChamp. There is also an alternative that falls between these camps. Not often found these days in the UK, however I note examples frequently turn up in the US on eBay. This is the remarkable Victorinox Vagabond.

Victorinox Mate, surprisingly compact. Sadly, now difficult to find

Victorinox Mate

Tweezers and toothpick are located in the scales on both the Victorinox Mate and later Vagabond

The forerunner of the Vagabond was the Victorinox Mate. Built on the familiar small 58mm frame. The Mate has few variations. It has red cellidor scales with useful tweezers and useless toothpick (I have never been a fan of these). It has the small drop point pen blade, nail file with nail cleaner tip and scissors found on the Classic knives, also the effective combo-tool as found on the Rover that combines 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip with a cap lifter. There is no wire-bender notch on this. These knives also come with the unusual ‘cut & picker’ blade with scraper (sometimes called an orange peeler). Perhaps the most useful aspect to these knives however is the addition of another blade. This is a sharp little Wharncliffe blade, usually referred to as an Emergency blade. All this in a 34.4g four layer tool weighing more than the simpler 20.8g Classic but less than a 45.2g MiniChamp. This knife enjoyed a brief production run- appearing in 1995 and probably discontinued within two years.

The Mate features:

Pen blade
Emergency blade
Cut and picker blade
Nail file with nail cleaner tip
Combination tool with cap lifter and 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip
Scissors
Toothpick
Tweezers
Keyring

Victorinox Vagabond (left) and Mate (right) with tools opened

Victorinox Vagabond

Vagabond and Mate from Victorinox, two handy little multi-tools. Both discontinued but available on the second-hand market

If the Mate led the way, the Vagabond certainly pointed in the right direction. The Mate evolved into the Vagabond around 1997 with a couple of refinements to the toolset that add slightly to functionality with zero deficit. The 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip switched to the end of the nail file while a surprisingly effective little Phillips tip was added to the combo-tool. A wire bender was now also added but I cannot say that this has ever been of any use to me. Some people particularly like the little nail cleaner found on Victorinox knives, and lets face it, hands and nails get pretty grubby on trail, however Three Points of the Compass has found that the little flat point screwdriver tip is almost equally as effective with clearing gunk out. The cap lifter is effective but I wish it were a combination cap lifter/can opener, now that would be useful. Weight of the now discontinued Vagabond rises imperceptibly to 34.6g.

Combination tools compared. The little Phillips will handle a wide range of screws, even the small screws found on mobile phones

The Vagabond features:

Pen blade
Emergency blade
Cut and picker blade
Nail file with 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip
Combination tool with cap lifter, magnetic Phillips screwdriver tip and wire bender
Scissors
Toothpick
Tweezers
Keyring

Shapes and size of the two blades found on both Mate and Vagabond

The Vagabond would be a great choice as a small lightweight multi-tool to take on an extended hike. Less so for just a day hike. Is the ‘orange peeler’ blade superfluous? I am not sure. It is for the individual to look at what is required for personal circumstance. At least the useless ruler and coke spoon, sorry, cuticle pusher, as found on the MiniChamp are excluded. Victorinox have produced combinations of tools within both their small 58mm range that I favour, and their larger offerings, that should meet the needs of just about any hiker.

Why would an extra blade be of any use on trail? It can be useful to include such a thing exactly as Victorinox have termed the Warncliffe blade, as an ’emergency’ blade to be bought into use in the event of the main blade becoming damaged or just blunt. I think it more useful to keep a second blade purely for food preparation, using the main blade for anything else- opening packages, cutting tape, trimming skin etc. The narrow pointed Warncliffe blade is great for fine work, so possibly keep that for any possible surgical procedures…

Knife chat: My annual pilgrimage to Victorinox

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Victorinox’s Flagship London store

The iconic red handled Swiss Army Knife makes a suitable display the height of three floors

Each year, Three Points of the Compass makes a pilgrimage to Victorinox’s Flagship store in New Bond Street, London. This was the first flagship store that Victorinox opened in Europe. While it displays and sells watches, travel gear and fragrances, mostly on show as soon as you walk in the front door, it is the lower floor that attracts me. This is where over 400 models of Victorinox knives and some 650 household and chef knives are displayed.

As you descend the stairs, you are immediately presented with the repair table where customers can drop off their battered and damaged possession to be expertly repaired by the on-site craftsman.

Kitchen and household ware do not necessarily draw me, it is the central cased knife displays and wall mounted models that draw me to them.

Repair work was underway

Some of the 400 or so pocket knives that are on display

I always have a small shopping list pre-prepared. To wander into such a shop without such discipline invites disaster. In London for a small planned walk later with a couple of friends from work (more on that in a future blog) I had an hour to spare in the morning to indulge in drooling over various knife models and variants that will never make their way in to my meagre collection. I am afraid not being in possession of deeper pockets has its disadvantages (or advantages as Mrs Three Points of the Compass might feel).

Victorinox released a number of models with walnut scales in August 2019, the Classic SD was one I was on the look out for

Victorinox released a number of models with walnut scales in August 2019, the diminutive Classic SD Wood (0.6221.63) was one I was on the look out for. Being a natural product, every knife is slightly different

While Three Points of the Compass does have representatives from the various lengths of knife that Victorinox has and does produce, it is mostly the smaller knives, especially the 58mm range, that has attracted me over the years. There were a handful of 2019 releases that I had in mind for this visit.

Each year, Victorinox releases a small range of their knives with special alox scales, 2019 offer was 'Champagne'

Each year, Victorinox releases a small range of their knives with special alox scales, 2019’s offer was ‘Champagne’

Swiss Card and 58mm ranges

As a subscriber to the Victorinox newsletter, I had been sent the offer of a free Victorinox chopping board. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I picked up mine from the downstairs till, the helpful lady who proffered this to me, also followed in my wake as I made my way round the store selecting my small number of purchases. She spread the walnut scaled knives across the counter so that I could select the one that was ‘just right’. I won’t relay here how much my choices cost but an applied discount made a welcome reduction.

A couple of my purchases will feature in some 2020 blogs where I take a closer look at some particular tool sets in the handy smaller knives that Victorinox offer the backpacker. But more on those next year.

My small haul from my 2019 visit to the New Bond Street store

It’s not all knives you know…

Knife chat: A top five of 58mm Victorinox knives- my number one choice

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Adding utility to the classic: The ‘Wanderer’ series and Manager derivatives

My previous post focused on the excellent Classic series of 58mm knives from Victorinox and the derivatives that were based around that classic combination of blade, nail file and scissors. It was one of these variants, the Signature Lite, that emerged as my second choice of 58mm Swiss Army Knife for taking hiking. The addition of scissors was a welcome improvement over my third choice, the Talisman, which only includes a combination-tool.

Obviously, my ideal would include both scissors and combo-tool but would be a far simpler affair than the over-burdened MiniChamp which was my fourth choice. Needless to say, Victorinox comes up trumps with yet another series of knives that does just that. I show below just five of a more extensive range. These exclude some of the more obscure models and any seen below would make an excellent companion on the trail. However, it is the final one shown that is my number one choice from the 58mm Victorinox knife range for taking on a hike of any length from a single day to many months. I am not sure if ‘Wanderer‘ is an actual official term for this series of 58mm multi tools from Victorinox. But I’ve seen it used by others, so adopt its use here

Rambler

The 58mm long Rambler from Victorinox contains most of the tools that any hiker is likely to require on trail including both flat and Phillips head screwdrivers

The basic model in the ‘wanderer’ series is the Rambler. This replaced a slightly older model that featured a flat head screwdriver instead. The Rambler has been a popular inclusion on tens of thousands of keychains, belonging to those who have understood the benefits of this great little knife, for decades. As testament to this, at the time of writing (2019) this 29.8g tool is still in production. Despite the difference in cost, I don’t really understand why the Classic sells more units while this is available as the Rambler has so much more utility.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)/wire stripper
Nail file, with flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
Toothpick
Tweezers

Rogue

The 58mm long Rogue builds on the more basic toolset found in the Classic

A slightly older model than the Rambler was the Rogue. This has a magnetised flat screwdriver tip to the combo-tool while the nail file has a nail cleaner tip. I say magnetised, mine has lost this and I must get round to re-magnetising it someday. Note that any of the tools on these small knives will only handle light to medium duty and abuse will break or damage them. My 29.4g example now has a twisted tip to the combo-tool as a result of too heavy a task. But still, needs must at times. Mine is the pre-1997 model which lacks a wire-stripper on the combo-tool. No loss there I feel.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/2.5mm flat screwdriver (originally with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with nail cleaner tip
Scissors
Keyring
Toothpick
Tweezers

Manager

The Manager series from Victorinox is actually a separate series but the toolset is so similar that I have lumped them together. In essence, the primary difference is the replacement of the toothpick in the Wanderer series with a pressurised ballpoint pen in the scale instead. Though I do wish that Victorinox produced a black ink option instead of the ubiquitous blue in their Signature series.

The 58mm Manager comes with retractable ballpoint pen and tweezers in the scales. When purchased a toothpick is provided by Victorinox for those oddballs who prefer to swap this out with the useful tweezers

Replacing the retractable ball point pen is an easy task. If on a long hike, simply slip a spare into the ditty bag, each pressurised pen cartridge only weighs 0.9g

Replacing the retractable ball point pen is an easy task. If on a long hike, you could also simply slip a spare into the ditty bag, each pressurised pen cartridge only weighs 0.9g

As I have stated in previous posts, I am not a fan of the toothpick and am more than happy for it to be excluded or replaced with something more useful. The Manager does just that. At the expense of a thicker scale on one side, resulting in a slightly thicker tool, the toothpick on the Rambler is swapped out for a much more useful ballpoint pen. A set of tweezers is provided in the other scale.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with 2.5mm flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
Tweezers (toothpick is provided in the box when purchased)
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen

While the Manager is a great tool, Victorinox have also produced a further variant that refines still further the scale tools. Tweezers (or toothpick) are excluded so that an LED can be fitted in the Midnite Manager. This is at the expense of the tool becoming marginally wider.

The earlier red LEDs, shown here in Midnight Manager, were later replaced with brighter white LEDs, also shown here in a Midnight Manager. White headtorches are carried by most hikers and Three Points of the Compass feels the small red LED is of more use in conjunction with the main white light

Dim red LEDs, shown here in a early version Midnite Manager on left, were later replaced with brighter white LEDs, shown here in a later version of the Midnite Manager on right. White headtorches are carried by most hikers and Three Points of the Compass feels the small red LED is often of more use in conjunction with the main white light carried on trail, though discerning colours on a map can be a little more difficult

Midnite Manager (white LED)

Victorinox Midnight Manager. In addition to what is probably the best selection of tools, this knife comes with pen and white LED

Victorinox Midnite Manager. In addition to what is probably the best selection of tools in the 58mm range, this is the second version of this tool that comes with pen and white LED. The light is especially useful when scribbling notes in a darkened tent

Over the past few posts, I have looked at a number of the handy little multi tools produced by Victorinox in their 58mm range over the decades. Some have been quite simple little knives, others have a quite amazing array of tools crammed between their scales. It is important to consider exactly what it is you require from one of these tools when considering whether to take one on trail. Hopefully those I have shown may provide an idea of what is available and what may suit you best. As to me, I have already shown four great choices, all of which have accompanied me on hikes in the past. But Three Points of the Compass feels that a sweet spot was reached with the Midnite Manager.

The second generation of the Midnite Manager, shown here, is a cracking bit of kit. My 32.5g tool has blue translucent scales and you can see the small replaceable battery fitted in the scale for the LED.

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with 2.5mm flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
White LED
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen

Midnite Manager (red LED)

The small Midnight Manager multi-tool from Victorinox contains one of the most useful set of tools, including a pen and small LED light. This is the earlier version that has a red light, operated by pressing the shield on the scale

The small Midnite Manager multi-tool from Victorinox contains one of the most useful set of tools- including a pen and small LED light in the scales. This is the first generation that has a red light, operated by pressing the shield on the scale

The latest versions (since around 2011) of the Midnite Manager have been sold with a white LED installed. This is the second generation version shown above. However, for reasons stated earlier, I prefer the older first generation of the Midnite Manger with red LED which is more useful around the tent, bothy or hostel etc. It has exactly the same tools as the second generation.

The 32g Midnite Manager with red LED is my number one choice of 58mm Victorinox knife for taking on a hike, especially one of any great length where there is more chance that any tools may be required for repair etc. It is now a discontinued model but can still be found on the second hand market. It is not burdened down with ‘interesting’ but unrequired tools. Instead, it has a fairly small range, packed into just two layers, that will tackle most tasks a hiker would expect to encounter. Note that this knife also has the desired layout that permits both blade and scissors to be opened away from the keyring, enabling it to be used more easily while still attached. If the earlier version with red LED cannot be sourced, then the current model with white LED is still a great option.

Now, if I could only find this tool with a wharncliffe blade…

Pen blade
Combination cap lifter/Phillips screwdriver (with magnetised tip)
Nail file, with 2.5mm flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip
Scissors
Keyring
Red LED
Blue ink retractable ballpoint pen

Model	Length	Width (at widest point)	Height	Weight
Rambler	58mm	19.40	10.5mm	29.8g
Rogue	58mm	19.80mm	10.5mm	29.4g
Manager	58mm	19.80mm	12.35mm	31.1g
Midnite Manager (white LED)	58mm	19.80mm	13.60mm	32.5g
Midnite Manager (red LED)	58mm	19.80mm	13.60mm	32.0g

Victorinox Midnight Manager clipped to my Gossamer Gear Mariposa. Three Points of the Compass on the South Downs Way, winter 2018

The familiar little red Swiss Army Knife- Victorinox Midnite Manager with red LED clipped to the shoulder strap of my Mariposa pack. Three Points of the Compass on the South Downs Way, winter 2018

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Midnite Manager with red LED, my number one choice, is far right

Knife chat: A top five of 58mm Victorinox knives- my number two choice

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The ‘Classic’ Series and derivatives

The Victorinox Classic is available with an immense range of scales. Here, the effective if small scissors are shown on the 'A Trip to London' Classic SD from the 2018 Limited Edition range

The Victorinox Classic Swiss Army Knife is available with an immense range of scales designs. Here, the effective if small scissors are shown on the ‘A Trip to London’ Classic SD from the 2018 Limited Edition range

Classic and Classic SD

All of the knives mentioned in this particular blog are from the small 58mm Classic and variants range produced by Victorinox. All are two layer models, all carry the same basic toolset. These are blade, nailfile and scissors. Most differences in the models shown here relate to inclusion or not of a flat ‘SD’ screwdriver tip to the nailfile, the scale material and the additional tools in the scales. There are a lot more variants than those shown here however the knives illustrated do give a good idea on the major alternatives.

Victorinox’s Classic is their best seller, with just reason as it contains a sweet little range of basic tools. There are also hundreds, if not thousands of scale designs but that is of limited interest to me on trail. Despite claims being made that this knife dates to the 1930s, this is incorrect to a degree. Elements of the knife- blade, scissors, nailfile and scale tools, certainly did appear on other knives earlier, but it is not until the 1970s that the ‘Classic’ begins to appear in catalogues.

If the basic Classic set of tools comprising blade, nailfile and scissors is all you want for hiking, take a look at those shown below and rather than simply snap up the first Classic you see, consider if there is a variant that you might prefer. For example, the 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip on the nailfile included in the Classic SD, introduced around 1987, is probably going to be more useful than the nail cleaning tip in the Classic. Three Points of the Compass has his preference amongst the Classic derivatives and it is the final one listed below.

The Victorinox 58mm Classic was a development of the earlier Bijou that lacked a keyring. A further variant on both Bijou and Classic was the addition of a flat 2.5mm ‘SD’ screwdriver tip to the nailfile. Clockwise from top left: Bijou SD, Bijou, Classic, Classic SD. All of these knives come with tweezers and toothpick in the red cellidor scales.

Classic SD knife fitted with a Wharncliffe, or Emergency blade. This blade is similar to a Sheepsfoot profile but the curve is more gradual, starting nearer the handle. The seldom seen 58mm Victorinox knives that have this alternative blade fitted allow for good precision work

Classic SD Emergency

When I covered my fourth choice of 58mm Victorinox for hiking in a previous blog, that knife, the MiniChamp had two ‘proper’ blades. One of those was the Emergency or ‘wharncliffe’ blade. This shape of blade is great for precision work and it is only found on the 58mm series. Away from the MiniChamp it is a far less common and rarely encountered blade. Some Victorinox knives were manufactured with this ’emergency’ blade instead of the standard pen blade and are worth snapping up if you come across an example. Three Points of the Compass is rather fond of his old Classic SD Emergency blade and has found it useful for detailed or precision work.

Victorinox 58mm Classic SD Alox

Classic SD Alox

While the Victorinox Classic is a simple, two layer knife and not all bulky in the hand, there is an even slimmer alternative. This is where the red plastic ‘Cellidor’ scales are replaced with Aluminium Oxide, or Alox, scales. The textured scales on the Classic SD Alox are comfortable to hold but can sometimes be a bit slippery in wetter weather. Despite being metal rather than plastic, there is little weight penalty with the alox variants. Respective weights are shown below.

Alox scales already exist in a variety of colours and a new limited edition colour is introduced each year. The coloured alternatives do wear quite easily though. Because alox scales are so thin, they do not permit the inclusion of any scale tools such as toothpick, tweezers, pen or LED light.

Classic (above) and Classic Alox (below). The differences in their respective thickness is apparent

Classic SD (above) and Classic SD Alox (below). The differences in their respective thickness is apparent

Tomo

An interesting diversion from tradition was made by Victorinox in 2011 when it released the Tomo designed by Abitax Tokyo. While based on the 58mm Classic and carrying the same toolset- pen blade, nailfile with nail cleaning tip and a pair of scissors, these were enclosed in a radically different set of scales. The scale design did not allow for a pair of tweezers and toothpick so it is difficult to see what advantage this knife offers to the hiker, other than not looking like a knife, which may be important to you. There is no SD version of this knife.

Victorinox 58mm Tomo. This has exactly the same tools as the traditional Victorinox Classic but no tweezers or toothpick. It is a less threatening tool to many people due to its shape and not looking like a knife

If you rock up at a bothy after dark, there is a good chance it already has occupants. The use of a small discrete light, if only at first, would be appreciated by sleeping hikers. Maol Bhuidhe bothy, Cape Wrath Trail, August 2018

If you rock up at a bothy after dark, there is a good chance it already has occupants. The use of a small discrete light, such as the one in a Victorinox SwissLite, would be appreciated by sleeping hikers. Approaching Maol Bhuidhe bothy, Cape Wrath Trail, August 2018

First introduced in 1986, the SwissLite has the Classic toolset with tweezers, but differs by having an LED light in the cellidor scales. Holding down the Victorinox shield on the scale operates the LED

SwissLite

The SwissLite is simply a Classic where the toothpick has been replaced by a small LED embedded in one of the scales. First appearing in the late 1980s, LEDs in these knives were initially red, replaced by white LEDs from around 2010. Most hikers will be carrying a headtorch or similar with them on trail, so a fairly feeble white LED is of limited use. However I like a small red LED in the tent, bothy or hostel, or when studying a map at night, as night vision is preserved and the light disturbs other occupants less. Not only that, but a battery will last far longer with a red light. A replacement CR1025 3V battery weighs just 0.6g but I have never had to change mine. Usually, Three Points of the Compass includes a mini Photon Freedom with red LED with his hiking gear. Any knife that includes such a red light, such as an early version SwissLite, could replace this. The light in the knife is activated when pressing and holding the shield on the scale. The inclusion of an LED is especially useful for late night note writing as it shines directly on to a page when writing.

Signature series

The Signature series from Victorinox is actually a separate series from the Classic range, but because it only differs due to the replacement of a particular scale tool, I have included a couple of these variants here with the Classic series.

Victorinox Signature has small pen blade, nailfile with 2.5mm flat screwdriver tip, scissors, tweezers and retractable ballpoint pen

The Signature does exactly what I prefer in any Victorinox knife, replaces the useless toothpick with something more useful- a slim retractable pressurised ball point pen. This has blue ink but I live in hope that a black ink version becomes available eventually. A set of tweezers are located in the other scale. If this little knife and its toolset suits you, you could consider instead, the plastic SwissCard which has very similar contents but a marginally more effective pair of scissors.

The Victorinox Signature carries a similar toolset to the very different SwissCard produced by the same company

The Victorinox Signature carries a similar toolset to the very different SwissCard Classic produced by the same company

Victorinox Signature Lite with red LED. The light is operated by pressing down the shield on the scale

The Signature almost has it. For some people it will provide the perfect set of tools. But for Three Points of the Compass, looking at the range of small 58mm knives available from Victorinox that are based on the Classic toolset, there is another alternative that I prefer. This is the SwissLite version of the Signature, the Signature Lite red LED where the tweezers are replaced with an LED light. As discussed above, while a white LED may be great for sorting out your keys at the front door, I feel it is less useful on trail where you will have a more powerful headtorch or similar, so I prefer the pre-2010 Signature Lite which has a red LED. Admittedly, the white light variant is far brighter than the red, but that is a choice for you.

Victorinox Signature Lite. The best of the 58mm knives based on the Classic

Victorinox Signature Lite. Probably the best of the 58mm knives based on the Classic design

Model	Length	Width (at widest point)	Height	Weight
Bijou	58mm	17.05mm	9.40mm	20.5g
Bijou SD	58mm	17.05mm	9.00mm	20.2g
Classic	58mm	17.30mm	9.00mm	20.8g
Classic SD	58mm	17.30mm	9.00mm	21.1g
Classic Alox	58mm	17.30mm	6.40mm	16.9g
Classic SD Emergency	58mm	17.20mm	9.00mm	20.9g
Tomo	58mm	19.00mm	8.95mm	22.1g
SwissLite	58mm	17.30mm	10.90mm	22.7g
Signature	58mm	17.30mm	10.00mm	21.9g
Signature Lite	58mm	17.30mm	12.45mm	23.3g

Signature Lite with white LED. Useful for writing with in the dark, if anything, the white LED is too bright for this task

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Signature Lite, with red LED, at number two, is fourth from left

Top five Victorinox 58mm knives. The Signature Lite with red LED, at number two, is second from the right