Shopping Cart (Go to Amazon.Com)Victorinox Swiss Army Explorer Pocket Knife (Black) Reviews & Coupon
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From Victorinox
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(28 customer reviews) |
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
32 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
Only the best! - From Victorinox
By A. Chopra
In 1895, Karl Elsener thought of manufacturing quality Swiss Army Knives (SAK) to be used by Swiss Army, as he was irritated to see the Swiss using a German multipurpose knives during the military operations. What makes Victorinox stand apart from other (so called) manufacturers of SAKs are that it was formed by none other than Elsener himself. For almost a centuary, only two manufacturers ruled the SAK market they were: Victorinox, and Wenger. In April 2005, Wenger was acquired by Victorinox. Now the Victorinox has monopoly in supplying SAK to Swiss Army, and to the retail civilian market.
I am currently using the Victorinox Forester, and the Explorer, but my favorite is the Explorer, as it is comes very handy in your everyday's work. The most used features by me are: Philips screwdriver, scissors, magnifying glass, and of course the large blade.
I am using Swiss Army knives since last 5 years. I tried Wenger (before it was acquired by Victorinox), and I was surprised to see the difference in quality. No doubt, Victorinox came out as the winner here. Exceptional high quality and attention to detail makes them the world's best Swiss Army Knife manufacturer. Don't even think of buying the cheap (made in China) SAK, you will just waste your money. So, the Victorinox is your best bet!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
The Perfect Everyday Tool Set
By Smaug
I've had my Explorer now for about 23 years. My mom's boyfriend at the time was going to treat my brother and I each to any Swiss Army Knife of our choosing. My brother foolishly chose the Swisschamp. I say foolishly because it is too thick to pocket carry, and too thick for a comfortable grip. One gives up ergonomics for the ultimate tool set.
I, in my infinite wisdom, chose the explorer. Even then, before the internet took off, I knew I didn't want one that was too thick, because I wanted the option of pocket carry. That is not without qualifications. This knife is 4 layers thick, so it does look a bit goofy if pocket carried in dress pants. But in jeans, carpenter's pants, or cargo pants, it is fine.
The tool set is ideal for the typical urban or suburban person with an indoor desk job. Here are my thoughts on each tool.
- Knife blades: Some folks use this as the all-around blade, and use the small blade as a sharp back-up. Others, save this one as a "clean blade" for food prep, and use the small blade as the general purpose utility blade.
- Can opener: Works smashingly well for opening cans. Better than the can openers on any other Swiss Army-type knife. More importantly for everyday use, is the small flat head screwdriver on the tip. Not only does it fit small flat head screws, but it can also be pressed into service as a #2 Phillips. (not important on this knife, since it already has a dedicated inline Phillips)
- Bottle opener: Works very well. It will usually open a beer bottle cap in one try, and if not, two tries. I use the large flat screwdriver tip much more often, both for screws and as a little pry bar. The wire stripper toward the base is NOT useless. One simply has to cut a ring around the outside of the insulation of the wire with a knife blade first. Then, bend the wire over a bit, put it in this slot, hold the end with one's thumb, and pull. A wonderful tool.
- Inline Phillips: (as opposed to a T-handle Phillips on the back of many Victorinox SAKs) Great tool. The fact that it is inline means that it is loads more useful than a T-handle version, because if the screw is right up against something, one can still use the inline Phillips. It also has a stop at 90 degrees, for extra torque.
- Magnifier: A great tool, when needed. Some have pointed out that it can be used to start fires on a sunny day. Others like it as a tool to read small print. It even works well to really get a good look at that splinter or thorn tip that is buried in my finger before proceeding to "operate" with the tweezers.
- Scissors: Wonderful. Probably the most-used tool on my Explorer. I use mine to de-tag new clothing, snip threads, and cutting out newspaper and magazine articles. You will likely find a load of other uses for it.
- Reamer w/sewing eye: Very useful. I've used mine to punch and widen new holes on my leather belts and as an awl to start the hole where I will drill a hole in wood. The edge is sharp too, so it can be used as a general scraping and poking tool. Victorinox's reamer is much better than Wenger's. It's sharper on the tip, and it is sharpened on the side.
- Corkscrew: This is another implement that some folks consider useless, as they don't drink wine, or they always seem to have a real corkscrew at hand when drinking wine. However, if one keeps an open mind, then one will realize that it is an EXCELLENT substitute for a marlin spike to help untie knots.
- Hook: This is a tool that my pre-1991 Explorer doesn't have. However, my Super Tinker has it, so I will comment. Some folks consider this useless, as Victorinox calls it a "parcel hook." We don't really wrap parcels with twine any more, so it is useless for that. However, keep in mind that it is just a general purpose hook, that can be used to pull wires, strings, etc. from tight places, where one's fingers cannot fit it. Just remember you have it, and it will come in handy one day.
- Keyring: Not really for attaching to one's keys, as this knife would overwhelm the keys and make it too clunky. I consider this as more of a lanyard ring. To those who find this knife too thick for pocket carry, a short lanyard comes in handy to pull it out of a belt pouch. Or, if one is out in the field, where fashion is secondary, fit a long lanyard, which can be attached to one's belt or belt loop.
All that said, I would recommend you go for the new Explorer Plus, as opposed to this original model. The Plus model adds a straight pin, an eyeglass screwdriver for the corkscrew, and a pressurized ballpoint pen for the scales. These implements are well worth the extra ten bucks or so. The straight pin, especially, is useful when paired with the tweezers for removing those tricky splinters. The ballpoint pen works really well, and has saved me a trip on foot more times than I can count. (on another knife, since my old Explorer doesn't have it) I don't use the eyeglass screwdriver often, as I don't wear glasses. However, it also has the side effect of smoothing out the profile of the corkscrew; it makes the knife more comfortable overall to grip, especially when using tools that hinge on that side of the knife.
If you are a whittler, camper, etc. you may want to give up the inline phillips and magnifier for a saw, and get the Fieldmaster or something.
Just so you know, I have probably 20 other Swiss Army Knives, and this one is my overall favorite, just edging out the Super Tinker. I also have a Tinker, Compact, Sportsman, Adventurer, '61 Soldier, '07 Soldier, Electrician, Classic, Minichamp, Rambler, Recruit, CyberTool 34, Hiker, Spartan Lite, Wenger EvoGrip S16, Spartan, and many others I can't recall right now.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
Simply the best
By Long Island Larry
This is my second Swiss Army Explorer; I lost the first one on a trip last summer. While it is true that there are Swiss Army knives with a greater number of tools than the Explorer, at a certain point, they tend to become unwieldy and somewhat expensive. At a price point of under $30.00, the Explorer combines great utility, economy and compactness. The only tool I have never used on the Explorer is the hook; in fact, I have never quite figured out what its purpose actually is.
Product Description
This pocketable knife has 16 amazing tools that help you conquer the obstacles to new discovery. 6. cap lifter 7. - screwdriver 8. wire stripper 9. reamer, punch 10. key ring 11. tweezers 12. toothpick 13. scissors 14. multi-purpose hook (parcel carrier) 15. Phillips screwdriver 16. magnifying glass. 3-1/2 Long when closed. Size: 91 mm | 3 1/2 inch.
Product Details
- Brand: Victorinox
Features
- 3-1/2 Long when closed
- 16 Tools
- Size: 91 mm | 3 1/2 inch
