opinions on the Cadet Swiss Army Knife.

M

mg357

Joined
May 31, 2012
Messages
281
I am currently trying to save up some money to purchase a Cadet Swiss Army knife. If anyone here on the forum has one of these Patricular Swiss Army Knives and would be willing to share there experiences and opinions of the of the Cadet Swiss Army Knife i would appreciate it very much.
 
I have a cadet but seldom carry it. IMO the nail file is useless and I'd rather have an awl like the soldier. The Cadet is similar to the soldier but thinner and with a keyring attachment.
victorinox_cadet.jpg

00998856000
 
I carry mine often. It's flat and thin. I use the nail file, and think this would be the perfect SAK if it had scissors. But in all, it's a good knife in a small package, with a few tools thrown in.
 
They are really nice,I think they run about $23 w/free s&h ?? ,I have several still missing the green one!,I sharpened the nail file point just like an awl and rebuffed w/green compound looks like it came that way :)
 
Well worth owning one, easy on the pocket, you'll hardly know it's there, useful tool selection.
 
I like mine, I use all the tools, the smaller flat/can opener works on most philips head screws.
(the black one)
IMG_2357.jpg
 
The Cadet is very popular around here because it's ultra-lightweight and very slim but still has a couple tools. I personally prefer other models.

For less money you could get a Spartan or a Tinker ($15-18), with two blades, tweezers and toothpick (which you don't get with the Cadet), drivers, awl and your choice of corkscrew or phillips driver and to be honest they're not so much heavier or bulkier than the Cadet.

Just my two cents.
 
Last edited:
I've been EDCing a Cadet for several months now. Great tool selection. The nail file is good for lots of things besides filing nails, such as prying and probing. I use it as often as the knife blade. The point could easily be modified into a tiny screwdriver.
 
I just sharpened my Grandpa's Cadet for him the other day while he told me how he liked it. As an engineer and a man whom is really rough on his tools, it has seemed to hold up very well after years of constant abuse by him. Every time I see him using it, it is always in some strange fashion that makes me cringe (he gave me an old recruit a month ago with the main pen blade badly chipped and the small pen missing about .25" from the tip because he was prying with it!!). So far, he has told me that it is really good for what he has been using it for, but he wishes that there was another there were a few modifications. <--this is where I will stop since that part is all his personal preference.

I think that it is a very good choice, but it is not my personal cup of tea. I would say that a pioneer or any similar model, if you are specifically looking for alox, will do better since the nail file seems like a waste. For a very general EDC, it will easily get the job done.

What made you so keen on the Cadet, btw? I ask merely out of curiosity, I would just like to help you get the most satisfaction for your dollar!! Do you have a price point?
 
I had to edc it for a few days recently, fell in love with ti all over again, the nail file is useful for me, my kids get into all sorts of stuff :D and it really is a great edc size and functional wise for in the city, town, vacation (law friendly almost everywhere), hike or small overnight stay, and so pretty, feels good i the hand, I cold go on a while.

I also use it as my running knife, and in those crazy moments when I think about selling them all off, I think that as long as I had the cadet I would be okay, and I think I'm right.

IMAG0250.JPG

IMAG0140.JPG

IMAG0143.JPG


Eveyone should have one IMO, but I'm weird, I hardly ever try to cut down a tree or kill a zombie with my edc
 
This is my review on victorinox.com


Strong and elegant small Swiss

Strong, thin and lightweight companion on your way.
Handsome also for women with a nailfile.
Yes, I recommend this product.
 
It's a good little knife, but I prefer a Small Tinker or Sportsman. The Sportsman adds the toothpick, tweezers, awl, and corkscrew, but is a tad thicker because it has plastic scales instead of aluminum.

The Small Tinker adds the toothpick, tweezers, awl, and #2 Phillips; and replaces the nail file with a small blade.

It is worth noting that the nail file can also be used to file any other soft material, such as plastic or aluminum. The sloppy way many plastic things are molded these days, there's flashing left at the seam of the mold. This little file takes care of that. The tip is also pointy enough for light-duty prying without risking breaking off a blade tip; and it is about the right size for a #1 phillips screw.

All of these models are great little tools, and the Cadet packs a nice little tool set into a very slim package.

I probably don't have to tell you this, but keep the blade sharp, since you don't have a spare.
 
I really enjoy the regular cadet. It's one of my most carried EDC knives because it's so lightweight, slim, unobtrusive, I like the aesthetics of it, it sharpens easily to a very sharp edge and it doesn't scare people. I do find the other colors quite pricey for what they are, but I could not resist getting an orange one from the new 2012 Limited edition by Swissbianco. Hence, check out this thread:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...orinox-Orange-2012-Limited-Edition-Alox-Cadet

I mostly use the blade, the other tools don't see a lot of use in my case. I just like the looks and the feeling of this little knife. Go get one, the regular ones are rather cheap.
 
I EDC the Pioneer, but it's a very similar blade. As others have said before me, it has the awl in place of the nail file.

I love mine. Whatever other knife you carry, a good SAK should be a staple of your EDC rotation. Heck, some days I cary just my Pioneer :thumbup:
 
Galeocerdoshark said:
I really enjoy the regular cadet. It's one of my most carried EDC knives because it's so lightweight, slim, unobtrusive, I like the aesthetics of it, it sharpens easily to a very sharp edge and it doesn't scare people.
Click to expand...



I agree totally. I read this thread before I left the house for the day. So it inspired me to carry my Cadet today. I enjoy having the nail file on mine, by the way. You don't have to be a woman to need to care for your nails. While I also enjoy the Sportsman or the Executive, among other models, having a smaller Alox model is the reason that The Cadet ranks among my faves. It's small yet useful. Tough, yet elegant. I like the cellidor models, mind you. But the Alox models just shout "quality" a little louder than the cellidor models.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top