Customer Reviews
First Rate 
2008-04-05
I've taken this knife on a number of trips through the White Mountains. Compact, sharp and versatile. Just the the right mix for the trail. M.
Best Swiss Army Knife Model!!! 2008-03-11
I have had many Swiss Army knives in the past (both Victorinox and Wenger) but I couldn't decide which one best fit me. Some where to big for the pocket and some felt too cheap (plastic handles). So I was looking for a new one to try and seen the Alox handle ones. I read some other peoples reviews on them and decide to get one. (I picked the Soldier since it was the knife actually used by the Swiss Army.) Let me just say WOW! This is the knife I was looking for. What a difference to the regular plastic handle ones.
Pros:
-Solid feel and excellent grip (grooves in the handle)
-Handles won't scratch or break off like the plastic handle ones
-Tool are made thicker than the plastic handle one (big plus in my book)
-Snaps in and out without any wiggle
-Thin and light enough to carry in the pocket without being felt
-Just the right amount of tools (and necessary ones too)
-Made by Victorinox (Wenger I felt is not as good quality as Victorinox)
Cons:
-Reamer tool (wish it was a smaller knife or phillips screwdriver but hey Macgyver seemed to make pretty good use it)
Overall I would say if you were going to only have one Swiss Army knife, this is the model I would definately recommend getting. It's the only model knife Victorinox makes that doesn't have their company logo shield on it. Instead its the army shield. Like I said earlier it's the model the Swiss Army uses so it must be good.
Just the right thing to get you out of a pintch 2007-11-30
A reliable tool to get you out a tough spot. I'm on my second knife of this model. The first lasted 12 years, i believe this knife will be with me just as long. Not too heavy and not to thick, an easy carry. All though others have more options, this has been the greatest all around beneficial knife for me.
The Perfect Midsize Swiss Army Knife 2007-11-21
First let me admit that I've loved Swiss Army Knives (SAKs) since my grandpa first brought me one from Switzerland when I was about 10. I've been through about 2 dozen of them. Some, I've lost, some, I've given away. One weakness in the design of SAKs is the plastic handle. If you drop the knife, chances are the handle will crack, fall off, whatever. This is not an issue with the "Silver Alox" (aluminum) handle versions like this one. These handles don't fall off, and they don't break. Also, Victorinox isn't trying to kid anyone by putting that ridiculous little keyring on this one. This is a real pocketknife. Compared to similar size SAKs, this one is not only more durable because of the handle material, but the blade is made from thicker stock. Losing the small blad in favor of an awl is a fair trade. After all, many people break their SAK blades by trying to pry with them. The awl is kind of a multipurpose tool. You can use it to punch holes in things, pry (a bit), dig around in things, widen (ream) holes, and many other things. Sometimes, I do miss the small blade though. That small blade was the one I would always keep sharp, no matter what. The large blade is used for heavier work, and the small one for light duty work that required a razor's edge. I also miss the toothpick sometimes. However, if you're only going to have one pocketknife, it has to be either this one or the Classic. This one for the more heavy duty type of person, the Classic for the more "business casual" type of person.
The can opener works brilliantly. The small screwdriver tip at the end of the can opener was a stroke of genius. The bottle opener works brilliantly as well, and the large screwdriver is as useful as the bottle opener. The "wire stripper" is all but useless. To use it, one has to first cut a ring around the insulation of the wire in question. The problem is that if you're doing it on the appropriate size wire, you're likely to cut yourself while cutting the ring. After one cuts the ring around the wire, one fits the wire into the groove, bends it over 90° while holding onto the piece of insulation to be stripped off, and pulls. It works, but it's clumsy.
I've been carrying mine daily now for a couple months. It's time to get a small classic size one, but with more tools, back into my daily knife rotation. This one is starting to feel heavy at my office job. But I do revel in the glory of always having a tough knife to open boxes with and a bottle opener to open a nice import beer. Heheheh.
Oh, a bit of history. This is the soldier model. Most SAKs have 'Victorinox Switzerland Stainless' on one side of the main blade and 'Officer Suisse' on the other. Those are "Officer's Knives" in other words: not as tough. This one doesn't have the 'Officer Suisse' on the other side. This is the SAK that started it all. Mine has '97' on the other side of the main blade, which was probably the year it was manufactured.
One Tough Soldier 2007-11-10
Heavier duty than the average SAK (swiss army knife) - the Soldier is an excellent every day carry tool. The Alox (aluminum) handles are very rugged, and the tools are slightly thicker than the regular swiss army knife models. This is the knife that is issued to Swiss soldiers. If you only get one SAK, this should be the one.
Great all around pocket knife 2008-07-11
I have had this knife for about 2 years. I work in the IT field and I required a knife that I can use to open computer boxes up quickly and not worry about it getting dull and useless. I find it very useful because of it's durability and the texture of the handle. I have dropped the knife and used it as a dart and even used it to cut the metal binding straps. (ones that server components get shipped in.
I highly recommend this product due to the fact it's less than $20 and one tough device...
Best pocket knife in the world! 2008-06-29
One of these fine knives has been carried in my pocket for most of the last twenty+ years. I'm on my second one, having lost the first a couple of years ago.
They hold an edge well and can be used for everything from working on my Harley to cutting up vegetables and opening cans for dinner.
I often grab this from my pocket before looking for any other knife in the kitchen.
The reamer is useful if you are, like me, a chronic dieter who needs to adjust his belt periodically. This knife is the handiest tool you can own and is virtually indestructible. Just keep it sharp and oil the hinges and it will provide years of loyal service.
BEAUTIFUL 2008-06-09
I ALMOST DID NOT USE THIS KNIFE! FIT/FINISH IS SUPERB. THOUGHT ABOUT JUST SHELVING IT AS A COLLECTIBLE! JUST A VERY GOOD KNIFE. I HOPE TSA DOESN'T GET THIS ONE TOO!
The real classic - indispensable 2008-05-27
This is a great pocket knife. It doesn't have any parts that can get lost, the blade holds an edge, I haven't found a screw yet that it won't turn. It's lightweight and indestructible. I've taken to ordering several at a time so I won't have to be without one when it is inevitably misplaced. Hopefully someone else finds the lost ones and keeps using them, because there's really no way for it to wear out. I spent about a month without mine recently and actually felt incomplete. It's a great product and you should buy it.
Most rugged Swiss Army Knife 
2008-04-14
I'm a fan of Swiss Army Knives in general and the Soldier is my favorite. Just the basic tools in a very slim package, the Soldier is the knife still issued to soldiers in the Swiss army. Hence the emblem on the side is not the standard Victorinox company logo, rather the national crest of Switzerland.
The main blade I would guess is 50% thicker than the blade on 'regular' SAK models. The knurled aluminum grips have a great non-slip feel to them.
