Victorinox SwissTool
Weight: 10 oz
Length: 4.5"
MSRP: $109
Built on a platform long heralded as the knife of the Swiss Army, the Victorinox SwissTool does not disappoint. Chock full of features, this stainless steel multi-tool has found a way to impress me just about every time I use it. This burly multi-tool has been built stout for a long life of abuse which also adds a bit to it's heft however when really in a pickle would you rather have a flimsy piece of gear or one you had little fear of breaking? For me it is definitely the latter. Victorinox built this thing for adventure as heralded by John Houston and Tyler Fish during their successful unassisted expedition to the North Pole in 2009. After learning about the expedition I was able to catch up with John and Tyler and really pick their brains about not only the amazing trip but also about their feelings about the Victorinox multi-tool. From the way John and Tyler described it you would think it was a piece of gear that life it self relied upon…and for them it did. From repairing their sleds to daily tasks both of these phenomenal adventurers were unwavering in their adoration of this tool. Oh yeah and they were so impressed by the swisstool that they approached Victorinox about the multi-tool for the expedition, not the other way around! 
Below is a list of the features on the Swisstool RS all of which work well. I especially liked the hard wire cutter and the stout pliers (I experienced no lateral flex when really torquing them). I do wish this version came with the metal cutter…but having the seatbelt/webbing cutter is pretty nice.
- Pliers
- Screwdriver (2mm)
- Screwdriver (3mm)
- Wire cutter (for wire up to a hardness of 40 hrc)
- Screwdriver (5mm)
- Bottle opener
- Screwdriver (7.5 mm)
- Large blade
- Scissors
- Seatbelt cutter
- Wood saw
- Reamer/punch
- Phillips screwdriver
- Chisel/scraper
- Strong crate opener
- Wire bender
- Wire stripper
- Wire scraper
- Wire crimper
- Can opener
- Ruler (9 inches)
- Ruler (230mm)
- Hard wire cutter
- Lanyard hole
Of the larger multitools on the market this one is pretty sweet and there are little differences that make it stand out. For instance the handles have one side of each that is slightly larger than the other side. 
And the handles are actually back cut so when you have it working as pliers the handles fit nicely in your hands. Unfortunately the polished stainless steel is so slick I often felt as though I might loose my grip when using them, but this never happened and may just be my mind playing trick on me with visions of sliced fingers. All in all I think the Swisstool is a great multitool if you don't mind a bit of heft.
