- Joined
- Feb 25, 2001
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- 6,675
I’m not really quite sure how to say this, so pardon me if I ramble a bit. I feel I just need to opine a bit about my last month of carrying the SwissChamp.
Let me start off by saying that I’m a traditional knife collector, and have been one for a long, long time. I tend to judge old knives on a very specific set of criteria, based on my experiences of what works, and what I find to be artistic and beautiful. I always have a few favorites around, that get rotated in and out of my pockets. Some knives stay in my pocket longer than others. The ones that tend to stay are aesthetically pleasing, and present themselves as interesting curiosities.
But here’s where it all gets weird and confusing. I started off carrying the SwissChamp, just to get used to the size of the knife for a summer vacation project with my daughter. The SwissChamp was meant to be just a bit of gimmicky fun. Nothing serious. I was going to use it for a week or so, to make sure that it was feasible to dedicate to various outdoor tasks and more common knife duties, and figure out how to comfortably carry such a heavy and bulky little item.
Over the next few weeks, there was a definite evolution in my view toward the SwissChamp. I used it and compared it to my more “serious knives”. It compared favorably in terms of cutting efficiency, due to the wonderfully thin grinds on both spear blades. But it was obviously not as comfortable as many of my other knives. There were a few other nitpicks as well, concerning the lack of a more straight edged secondary blade, and the softness of the steel. But it did okay. It always made the cut, it sharpened up quite easily, and it proved to be wonderfully stainless. It wasn’t a great knife, but it was very useful knife. Certainly good enough for some summer fun.
Then the transformation occurred. I gradually began to use the other SwissChamp tools. This was just for fun at first, but I quickly became impressed by how many projects I was able to accomplish, without the need to search out more serious tools. I didn’t even realize how often I needed some of the tools, and how I usually must have ignored the small duties of life, because I didn’t have an immediate fix.
Suddenly, as my family came to me with tasks to be accomplished, I was able to solve problems on the spot, instead of just giving them the old, “Okay. I’ll look into it later.”, and summarily forgetting the matters entirely. It was as if my opportunities to accomplish more in life had been revealed to me, a veil of ignorance and laziness had been lifted.
What’s interesting about all of this is the fact that I’m not a “handy” guy. I don’t instinctively know how to fix a car engine or how to install a new bathtub. I couldn’t build a set of steps for my back porch if my life depended on it. I’m not the man you want when you need your kitchen floor replaced, or some 2X4’s cut down to size on a table saw. I’ve tried to be handy in the past. I’ve purchased numerous Leatherman tools in the past, in hopes of increasing my handiness quotient, but to no avail. I’m just not that guy.
But I am smart in my own way. I have a highly analytical mind. I crave detail. I love to research. I’m a hobbyist, and love to assemble and tinker with small things. I enjoy reasoning my way through concepts, and seeing them through to fruition. I enjoy taking things apart to see how they work, and improving upon them. Examination is my stock in trade.
Well I have to say, The SwissChamp is wonderful for a man like me!!! Where modern multitools have failed to be of value to me, the SwissChamp has thrived. Brute force not being a requirement for the tasks I choose to take on, Victorinox’s finesse-oriented tools are like magic in my hands. The knife blades make the cut. The fish scaler is absurdly handy as a small ruler and pickle plucker. The magnifier allows my failing eyes to see minute details. The corkscrew screwdriver means that eyeglass bows are always tight. I won’t even go into how versatile the Victorinox scissors are. And while the pliers may not be heavy duty, they are perfect for holding small electronics while soldering, and wrestling fishing hooks from bluegill. Even the file positively excels at keeping my nails well-manicured at all times. The inline Phillips screwdriver manages to keep the drawer knobs from spinning, and hangs simple fixtures with aplomb.
I really don’t view the SwissChamp as a multitool at all. Multitools are called to duty, whenever something needs to be repaired and whatever tasks handy men distract themselves with. But the SwissChamp is simply an invaluable aid to life. A cap lifter and can opener is always at my disposal. The little screws on my bicycle shifters are always adjusted in tune. Small dowels have met their match with the wood saw. The SwissChamp allows to me to manipulate the physical world in such a way as to assure a reasonable amount of order, and increase my understanding of how the natural world works. The SwissChamp satisfies my curiosities, and helps me to wade my way from day to day, and remain a gentleman while doing so.
The SwissChamp isn’t a multitool to me, or a knife. The SwissChamp is more like a personal research assistant, an extra hand when I need one. It’s a friendly companion throughout my day, always willing to provide input and insight into whatever fate befalls me. At this point in time, I can’t imagine life without the SwissChamp, or how I survived the quagmire of life’s uncertainties previously. It’s become a part of my lifestyle, as no other multitool or knife ever has before. It’s a reassuring friend in my pocket, and a technical instrument in my hand.
I stand before you, a man convinced. The SwissChamp is incredibly worthy. My only goal now is to use my summer vacation wisely. Demonstrate my SwissChamp to my daughter, encourage her to use her own SwissChamp, and hope that she comes to value it’s companionship as I have of late.
