Victorinox Pioneer Swiss Army Pocket Knife Review

Founded in 1884, Victorinox is a knife manufacturer out of Switzerland that is the sole supplier of multi-purpose knives to the Swiss army. Which is what most of us know them from, Swiss Army Knives. It is definitely what I know them from, having been issued a Victorinox pocket knife when I started my tour of duty with the Royal Dutch Military Police, some time ago now.

And let me tell you, that little Victorinox knife served me well. Especially when guarding some completely deserted cross road in the middle of a forest, fighting blazing colds, waiting day and night for that one moment when a tank commander decided to have his battle tanks cross the street. We than needed to make sure no civilians were crushed by them. Being a corporal I was the highest ranking guy out there most of the time, which gave a little wiggle room. So at one point we decided that it would be a good idea to bring a small stove with us, a few cans of sausages and make the best of it. And we did.

This pocket knife review is about the tool that helped make that happen, the Victorinox Pioneer. It is a compact multi-tool for hiking, camping, or around-the-house use, and apparently also stuck-in-a-forest-MP’s . The build quality is every bit as good as you might expect from a Swiss knife. Victorinox is so convinced of its build quality that they give a lifetime warranty.

The Pioneer is enclosed in a stylish ribbed silver Alox housing that provides a good deal of grip. It measures 3.5 inches overall and weighs a mere 3.2 ounces. The blade is nice and big for a pocket knife as it comes in at 2.5 inches. Its very sharp out of the box, ready to be used.

Going over the tools you’ll find a very effective can opener. Don’t be fooled, this little thing will open about any can regular with ease. To proof that I opened a can of Tuna Fish, which took me just 59 seconds and really no effort at all. Check out this amazing feat on the video below.

On the tip of the can opener you’ll find a small screwdriver, good for tightening everyday screws around the house. On the other end there’s a bottle opener, with large screwdriver on the tip and a wire stripper at the bottom. Opposite to that sits the Reamer. Now most people don’t know what a reamer is for, but simply put, it is a tool for making holes. One use case could be to make a hole in a branch or pole to run paracord through so you can more securely strap a knife to it to make a spear. This opposed to just wrapping the cord around the branch or pole, something I see a lot of guys do, which doesn’t firmly hold the knife in place at all.

The Pioneer comes with a small, yet strong keyring and it has an engraving panel on back. The panel is nice, but not to big. So don’t think of engraving a poem on there, not even a haiku. A first name or phone number will be about it if you’re planning on keeping it readable.

If you like the Victorinox Pioneer and you would want one yourself you could follow this link to it on Amazon to check it out for yourself. It is an affiliate link, so if you decide to use it I will get a small commission. In case you do, let me just thank you ahead already. I really appreciate that, Thank you.

That’s all for now, thanks for reading this far. I’d love to hear what your ideas are on what pocket knife and tool you would choose for an urban setting, and especially why, so please leave your comments below.

Till next time, Kain.