Tonight’s Monday Night Knife Fight comes to you as part of our everyman/everywoman series – which we run whenever we remember to do so. With Mother’s Day coming up fast, we thought it apropos. This MNKF isn’t about a gozillion dollar handcrafted blade, written by one of our badasses. Nope, this one is a look at the SwissCard, from Victorinox, by someone who is a Plain Jane (well, she’s far from plain) end user who wants to tell you about it. Enjoy. Meanwhile we shall begin seducing her into sordid and sultry alliterative lexiphanicism. Mad Duo
Grunts: lexiphanicistic.
US Elite Gear has new items on Winter Clearance – GTF on over there and check it out.
MNKF: Any way You Slice It, Go SwissCard
Sharon Durand
BLUF: I’m not a knife person, but I’m well aware of their value.
Knives are useful, even a necessity, for both work and defense, but I’ll admit some of them intimidate me. Even the seemingly innocuous ones. The idea of cutting myself makes my skin crawl. I believe I’d rather be shot than stabbed, given the choice, though neither prospect is terribly appealing.
Borderline aichmophobia aside, a knife should be part of your everyone’s everyday carry (EDC). If I still have your attention after my ridiculous but honest disclaimer, allow me to introduce for your consideration my EDC; the SwissCard, by Victorinox.
Wait, what? Swiss…Card? Yes indeed. A few years back I was in the habit of carrying a Swiss Army knife on my keychain. Then one night while shopping at Target, I came across the SwissCard. It’s not just a pocketknife, it’s a compact multi-tool with scissors, tweezers, toothpick, nail file, pressurized ballpoint pen, and stainless steel pin. All that functionality is stored in a surprisingly durable plastic credit card-esque holder that also doubles as a small ruler up to three inches. It easily fits in a wallet, pocket, or purse.
They even have one that’s effectively a multi-tool with a provision for nail care. Take my money!
In terms of protection, with a blade less than three inches in length (2.3 inches to be exact), you’d most certainly get laughed at in a knife fight — right up until you opened an artery. You wouldn’t have to be a typical Breach-Bang-Clear reader ninja type to do some damage, though. The blade itself is surprisingly sharp, and holds a great edge. Mine has retained its sharpness after fifteen-plus years of use, even without sharpening.
Perhaps more importantly, for all you frequent travelers out there – like me – you’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that the SwissCard clears TSA Pre-Check security for domestic air travel. Really. How many knives out there can say that? Having this knife as a form of self-defense on the airplane is certainly better than nothing.
For more everyday practical purposes, I frequently use the blade on the “why is this so damn hard to open?” packages that kids’ toys come in. You now the ones. They always needs to be opened RIGHT NOW. I also use it for such pedestrian things as stray strings on clothing or those pesky tags that clothing companies insist on putting in the most itchy and uncomfortable places.
On a more serious note, I read an Amazon review that said the knife cut through a seatbelt to free a young boy when the belt became tangled and dangerously tight. If true, it shows the utilitarian advantages not just of the SwissCard, but of most all edged tools.
Pros:
- Multi-use tool. I use not only the blade but the scissors, tweezers, and toothpick almost daily. There are also other versions that have different tools like a LED light, magnifying glass, and Phillips screwdrivers.
- Durable Construction. Mine is well over fifteen years old yet you’d never know it by looking at it. And the ballpoint pen? Somehow it still works. What is this sorcery?!
- Compact and discreet. It will fit in credit card slots in wallets or in pockets. No one will realize you’re carrying a potentially lethal (again, ninja types!) weapon in what looks like a thicker credit card.
- Clears TSA Pre-Check Security for domestic travel.
- Price. At around $30 on Amazon, you get a lot of functionality for your money in one compact card!
Cons:
- The 2.3” blade is not intended for heavy-duty use or self-defense.
- Not manly (or womanly for the knife-loving ladies out there) enough!
Overall, the Victorinox SwissCard suits my basic EDC needs. The $25 I paid for it at Target was small price to pay for the value it has brought me over the years of use.
US Elite Gear is a member of JTF Awesome
I highly recommend it for anyone who doesn’t want to carry a larger knife or multi-tool but still wants the functionality for everyday life.
SPECS:
- .2” x 3.2”
- 0.9 ounces
- Comes in transparent black, red, blue, and ice blue
-Sharon Durand
Mad Duo, Breach-Bang& CLEAR!
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About the Author
Sharon Durand is an avid outdoorswoman who is #tacticalbyassociation. An auditor by day, wife and mother by night, she’s fairly certain her husband married her for either her fried chicken or her skill with an HK USP .45…perhaps both. Sharon prefers a Winchester lever gun to most any AR and uses her 6′ 3″ Wonder Woman tall girl powers mostly for good.
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