Definitely the sharpest tool in the box (Victorinox Cybertool Lite Swiss Army Knife)

Member Name: spudzy123

Product:	Victorinox Cybertool Lite Swiss Army Knife
Date:	25/09/09 (394 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: + all day usability and very handy

Disadvantages: - how much?

Looking back over the years I must have bought quite a few cheap penknives and multi-tools that have ended up in the bin after a short amount of time, I think the last one that I bought was about £10.99 and was made of stainless steel, and although it looked pretty good, it just fell apart when using the pliers.

The trouble with these types of gadgets is that you generally get what you pay for which can mean splashing out big bucks for something decent enough that will last. In my eyes this means that you will meet a crossroads leading you to either a 'Leatherman' multi tool or a 'Victorinox' Swiss Army Knife. This is easily solved depending upon your budget because if you are looking for something between £10.99 and £69.99 then you will be in the Victorinox Swiss Army knife range, whereas if you have £69.99 onwards then you will be in Leatherman territory. (If you are really wealthy, you could always try a giant Wenger Swiss army knife for a whopping £499, but you probably wouldn't get this one in your pocket though)

All that is left now is to justify shelling out around £44 on this particular model that has more useful tools on it than you can shake a stick at. I managed to get around this by working out this simple calculation:

£44 = 4 X useless multi tools at £10.99 each or £44 = 1 X fantastic Victorinox Swiss Army knife that will probably last forever.

Well that wasn't too difficult now was it?

Now that you have justified the price tag and splashed out on one of these little beauties, you will either be sat there gently caressing it in your palm whilst lightly applying oil to its parts, or working your way through the house dismantling everything in sight and attempting to put it back together again; I am more of a dismantler type of person which can get me into a few tight spots with the old DIY, especially when my wife knowingly says to me "are you sure that you know what you are doing?", when what she really means is "You have no idea what you are doing".

These Swiss Army knives are built to last and I just keep mine in my pocket with my keys and loose change. They are guaranteed for life against any defects in workmanship and material so there's no point in being too precious about it because you will never end up using it to its full advantage, which is why a week never passes without me pulling it out of my trousers. Pulling the knife out of my trousers that is.

In no particular order, the knife is equipped with a magnifying glass, tweezers, white LED light, corkscrew, large blade, small blade, can opener and small screwdriver (3mm), bottle opener and screwdriver (6mm) with wire stripper, reamer punch and sewing eye, wrench with 4mm and 5mm female hex drive - 4mm posidrive 0 & 1 bits - 4mm slotted bit - Phillips 2 bit - 4mm hex bit - torx 8 bit - torx 10 bit - torx 15 bit, pressurised ballpoint pen which can be used to set DIP switches, stainless steel pin, mini screwdriver 1.5mm, pliers, wire cutters, wire crimping tool, hook and parcel carrier, key ring, toothpick and scissors.

I have tried at every opportunity to use every tool on the unit, albeit not necessarily for the intended purpose, and I have been more than impressed with how well built this thing really is. At first I was a little worried about how the screwdrivers would react to a bit of extra leverage that would have caused any of my previous products to fall apart; but no, this thing really does work as a useful tool.

Both knives and scissors are still surprisingly quite sharp and shiny after lots of use and misuse, and the casing seems to be holding up well too with no cracks and just a few minor scuffs on it. I have found in the past that due to its neat rounded edges, it can easily slip out of your pocket when reclining, therefore it is probably best attached to your keys or one of those belt pouches available for around £10.

Overall I have to say that I have been more than happy with the Victorinox Swiss army knife that has been used more as a tool rather than a gadget. It has given me endless hours of use on anything from whittling away at a piece of wood to working on larger projects in the home and at work, and I really don't know how I managed all that time without one of these. There are many other different versions available starting at just £10.99 for the basic model; it's just a matter of browsing the specifications and choosing the right blend which best suits your abilities. Having said that, it's always best to have a few extra things onboard just in case, as you never know when that reamer punch and sewing eye will be required.

If you do decide to get your mitts on one of these handy Victorinox Swiss army knives, then remember to avoid the temptation of showing it off to your mates or work colleagues, because if they are anything like mine then you will be forever asked the question "can I borrow your knife" or "can I borrow your screwdriver" or "can I borrow your corkscrew", personally I don't mind lending mine to friends, but I do draw the line at "can I borrow your toothpick".

Summary: Compact all in one multi tool with great reliability