Victorinox Huntsman: the Swiss Army Knife with scissors and a saw

Scissors and a saw. Victorinox's pitch for the Huntsman is the Officer's-style knife plus scissors and a wood saw [1]. Owners use the saw on tree limbs and the scissors often [4].

It covers kitchen and camp jobs. Corkscrew, can opener and bottle opener sit alongside the blades [1]. One owner cut bread and opened wine with it on a weekend [5].

It's light for 15 functions. At 3.4 oz [1] it weighs well under half of a Wave+ (8.5 oz per Leatherman, see our Wave+ page).

It survives abuse. A trades worker who carries one daily says it fell eight stories onto concrete and only needed new plastic scales [2].

It's cheap to keep going. Victorinox sells spare parts and offers product support for Swiss Army Knives [6][7], and the lifetime warranty covers the knife [1].

The scales are the weak point. Owners say the plastic scales are the main dislike and the part that breaks [2][5].

No locking blades. Victorinox lists the blades as non-locking and not one-hand opening [1]. That's slower to deploy and less secure for hard cuts.

No pliers. If you need to grip a hot pot handle, pull a fishhook or bend wire, you'll want a plier-based tool.

The saw is small. A 3.6 in knife's saw is for limbs and dowels, not firewood rounds. [1][2][4]

Check local knife laws. Blade-length rules vary. Airports don't allow it in carry-on.

• Campers and picnickers who want scissors, a saw and a corkscrew in one [1][4].
• People starting with Swiss Army Knives who want a do-most model [4].
• Anyone who prefers a light, slim knife over a plier tool [1].

• People who need pliers. Get the Leatherman Wave+ or the camp-focused Leatherman Signal.
• People who want a locking blade for hard use. The Leatherman Skeletool has a locking blade and pliers at 5 oz [9].
• Keychain minimalists. The WESN MT weighs 11 g [10].

Firewood prep. The saw handles twigs and small limbs [4], which is what you'll mostly find for a small fire. Use a real saw for anything thicker than your wrist.

Cactus spines. The tweezers are a practical bonus in the Mojave. They're small, so pack a dedicated pair too if you'll be around cholla.

Dust and sand. Grit in the joints makes tools stiff. Victorinox publishes a cleaning guide: warm water, open and close the tools, dry and oil the joints [8].

Heat. The red ABS/Cellidor scales [1] are plastic. Don't leave it on a dashboard in summer sun or next to a stove.

Food. The scissors open packets and the blade slices cheese and bread, as one owner found [5].

• A daily carrier in the trades says an eight-story fall onto concrete only required new plastic scales [2].
• A first-time buyer uses the saw on tree limbs, the scissors often and the corkscrew for wine [4].
• A weekend user cut bread and opened wine with it and says the only dislike is how weak the scales are [5].