A Month of the SwissChamp

tinfoil hat timmy said:
how is the steel working out?
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I ran a couple of knives over it just to see what it was all about. In the admittedly softer steeled knives I usually carry it seems like it'll be great for keeping a working edge tuned up during the day. I've only had it a few days so time will tell, but I think it was a worthwhile investment.
 
I don't mean to resurrect this thread, but it has always been one of my favorite threads on BF. I recently started carrying a SAK daily (compact) in addition to my primary knife and they have become invaluable tools. I have added an original Yeoman which is one of my treasured SAKs and a custom modded bladeless model (3 layer) that has the pliers (which are more handy than I initially imagined). I just tracked down a BNIB Swiss Champ with the original magnifier (grey housing) and I cannot wait for it to be delivered. Also ordered custom green micarta plus scales and a custom leather sheath. I am excited to get it and start carrying it. The SAK is used more than my primary knife on a daily basis.
 
Buzzbait said:
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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.

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I can't believe you're not a handy guy. When I began reading your opine I was thinking to myself "this guy sounds handy".
 
What a great post. I'm new here so I've been looking around and found this thread. I was hooked and read them all even though I needed to get moving. I love my Swiss Champ. I carry it mostly on the weekends. I would carry it to work but I would miss my large pliers that I use daily. I carry a Gerber Dual Force and it saves many trips back to the shop for tools. I am a Maintenance Technician. I have many SAK knives. My most recent purchase was plus scales on Ebay for my old Tinker Deluxe. I paid $1 for it at a yard sale and now its value has went up. The Swiss Champ can do most everything. I carry mine in a belt sheath. I hope we get an update from Buzzbait soon. God bless.
 
I have to keep this thread alive. After reading such a wonderful thread on BF, and in my opinion, being one of the Top 10 threads on BF of all time, I ordered by Swiss Champ as I posted in June of 2024. It has been a glorious mulitool. I carried the Swiss Champ on a regular basis for nearly a year. I will post pictures soon and hope to keep this thread alive for a long time. I would love to hear an update from Buzzbait on if he has continued to carry the Swiss Champ or the evolution of his carry since his last post.
 
Humint said:
I have to keep this thread alive. After reading such a wonderful thread on BF, and in my opinion, being one of the Top 10 threads on BF of all time, I ordered by Swiss Champ as I posted in June of 2024. It has been a glorious mulitool. I carried the Swiss Champ on a regular basis for nearly a year. I will post pictures soon and hope to keep this thread alive for a long time. I would love to hear an update from Buzzbait on if he has continued to carry the Swiss Champ or the evolution of his carry since his last post.
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Do a search for him on the Traditional Forum. He's been active there lately. Always has something interesting to contribute.
 
Humint said:
I have to keep this thread alive. After reading such a wonderful thread on BF, and in my opinion, being one of the Top 10 threads on BF of all time, I ordered by Swiss Champ as I posted in June of 2024. It has been a glorious mulitool. I carried the Swiss Champ on a regular basis for nearly a year. I will post pictures soon and hope to keep this thread alive for a long time. I would love to hear an update from Buzzbait on if he has continued to carry the Swiss Champ or the evolution of his carry since his last post.
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Hey there!!! I'm still a big fan of the SwissChamp, but my daily carry has evolved a bit.

I carried the SwissChamp daily for a couple years, along with my daughter, and we had a thousand awesome shared experiences, learning about the world through the lens of our Swisschamps. I did slowly move through the various vintages of Swisschamps, and eventually arrived at the most modern version, with custom red micarta covers. It's an awesome, amazing knife.

G7TbshSh.jpg



Then my daughter's late teenage years kicked in, and she didn't adventure with me as much. With less total outdoor time, and forced to go outdoors by myself, I eventually distilled my tool needs down a bit; the tools that I needed, without the tools to teach and help my daughter. I made my own custom alox SAK that I call The Woodchipper; everything I need for bushcrafting, and a cap lifter for the end of the day. Paired with a Vic SwissCard in my wallet, I got pretty much everything offered by the SwissChamp, with a little less lump in my pocket.

The Woodchipper carried in an old leather pouch that I made maybe 15 or 20 years ago. I'd crafted the pouch to my father-in-law, and he used to it every day until he finally passed on. The pouch eventually came back to me, and I started using it daily. I think that my change from SwissChamp to Woodchipper was greatly driven by my need to remember him, and carry his old pouch. The Woodchipper was the perfect knife to meet that highly emotional goal.


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The Woodchipper was then my only carry for years, until very recently, within the last couple months. To be honest, I just needed to change things up again. I can go a few years with just one knife, but eventually need some variety in my life. So I went a number of years with the SwissChamp, and then The Woodchipper.

Now I'm playing around with some of my old knife collection again. My daughter just left for college, and I'm a bit lonely, and missing my time hanging out on the traditionals forum, which isn't nearly as fun if your carrying the same SAK everyday. So I'm reacquainting myself with some of my old knives. I can get by mostly with just a scout pattern. My current favorite is an old WW2 army issue Camillus. Much like a Vic Pioneer, but with the keenness of a thinly ground carbon steel blade, and some gorgeous bone covers. Not as practical as a VIC, but absurdly beautiful in a different way.

SIV32Bwh.jpg


So as you can see, I still love the SwissChamp, but mostly carry other knives now. Not that the SwissChamp stopped meeting my daily carry needs, but my emotional needs have changed. My father-in-law dying, and my daughter leaving for college, sort of left holes in my heart that needed to be filled. Being an avid knife collector now for over 30 years, it's probably not surprising that my knife carry evolved to meet these changes in my life.

I head to the Adirondacks on Friday, for three weeks of vacation. I'll be spending some time at my family cabin, but a lot of time camping as well. I packed my bags yesterday, and included both the SwissChamp and The Woodchipper. I expect them both to see a great deal of use and carry time.
 
Buzzbait said:
Hey there!!! I'm still a big fan of the SwissChamp, but my daily carry has evolved a bit.

I carried the SwissChamp daily for a couple years, along with my daughter, and we had a thousand awesome shared experiences, learning about the world through the lens of our Swisschamps. I did slowly move through the various vintages of Swisschamps, and eventually arrived at the most modern version, with custom red micarta covers. It's an awesome, amazing knife.

G7TbshSh.jpg



Then my daughter's late teenage years kicked in, and she didn't adventure with me as much. With less total outdoor time, and forced to go outdoors by myself, I eventually distilled my tool needs down a bit; the tools that I needed, without the tools to teach and help my daughter. I made my own custom alox SAK that I call The Woodchipper; everything I need for bushcrafting, and a cap lifter for the end of the day. Paired with a Vic SwissCard in my wallet, I got pretty much everything offered by the SwissChamp, with a little less lump in my pocket.

The Woodchipper carried in an old leather pouch that I made maybe 15 or 20 years ago. I'd crafted the pouch to my father-in-law, and he used to it every day until he finally passed on. The pouch eventually came back to me, and I started using it daily. I think that my change from SwissChamp to Woodchipper was greatly driven by my need to remember him, and carry his old pouch. The Woodchipper was the perfect knife to meet that highly emotional goal.


HkfQR8Oh.jpg


The Woodchipper was then my only carry for years, until very recently, within the last couple months. To be honest, I just needed to change things up again. I can go a few years with just one knife, but eventually need some variety in my life. So I went a number of years with the SwissChamp, and then The Woodchipper.

Now I'm playing around with some of my old knife collection again. My daughter just left for college, and I'm a bit lonely, and missing my time hanging out on the traditionals forum, which isn't nearly as fun if your carrying the same SAK everyday. So I'm reacquainting myself with some of my old knives. I can get by mostly with just a scout pattern. My current favorite is an old WW2 army issue Camillus. Much like a Vic Pioneer, but with the keenness of a thinly ground carbon steel blade, and some gorgeous bone covers. Not as practical as a VIC, but absurdly beautiful in a different way.

SIV32Bwh.jpg


So as you can see, I still love the SwissChamp, but mostly carry other knives now. Not that the SwissChamp stopped meeting my daily carry needs, but my emotional needs have changed. My father-in-law dying, and my daughter leaving for college, sort of left holes in my heart that needed to be filled. Being an avid knife collector now for over 30 years, it's probably not surprising that my knife carry evolved to meet these changes in my life.

I head to the Adirondacks on Friday, for three weeks of vacation. I'll be spending some time at my family cabin, but a lot of time camping as well. I packed my bags yesterday, and included both the SwissChamp and The Woodchipper. I expect them both to see a great deal of use and carry time.
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Buzz, enjoy your time away!!
 
I sadly don't have a Swisschamp, but I feel the same way about my SwissTool X.

So useful. (One of my favorite features is the file.. works perfectly for filing my nails down.
 
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