It is hard not to love the Swiss Army Knife. The adoration is alike among men and women. And this is why it makes an excellent gift item for the feminine gender. The quality, functionality along with the brand name has always been there. Add style and design to it and it becomes a timeless gift for her, something that will last a long time, along with the memory of the person who gifted it.
How Swiss Army Knife can be a unique gift
Shopping for a gift is hard, isn’t it? And if it is for a lady, it is harder. You just don’t know what she wants. And you want to give her something unique, something she will always remember you by. A chocolate box or a box of perfume feels like a safe choice. But they are so old fashioned. And probably everybody else is also thinking of the same gift. There is just no uniqueness anymore.
If you also feel the same, have a look at the Swiss Army knife line of products that Victorinox produces. I guarantee you will find something for that special woman in your life, be it your girlfriend, wife, sister, mother, or daughter. If you want to surprise her with a unique gift that probably nobody else has gifted her before, look no further than a Swiss Army Knife.
Gone are the days when people considered knives as a bad omen and used to avoid giving or taking them as gifts. People are more practical now and know the value of a functional tool. And SAKs are not just knives, they are multi-tools. Something that is well-known all over the world and can make your life so much easier.
Great gifts are the ones that last, and the quality of the Swiss Army Knives ensures that they last for decades. I have some SAKs which are more than ten years old and still going strong. And the more time they last, the more memories you will have with them.
When you get such a gift that lasts that long, it will be hard to forget the person who gave you that gift. A SAK is the perfect thinking man’s gift to a woman. At least, it is much more practical than a box of chocolates, isn’t it?
What to look for in a Swiss Army Knife meant as a gift to a woman?
Now that you are convinced that a Swiss Army Knife (SAK) can be a perfect gift to a woman, don’t just go and pick up any SAK. Especially, if you want to gift it to a lady, you need to consider a few things.
How The SAK looks
Well, you guessed it already. How the SAK looks is important, especially if you want her to carry it always. She should be comfortable enough to attach it to her keyring, or put in in her bag or purse. Most of all, she should not feel embarrassed to take it out in front of her friends and peers. If you gift her a SAK that does not look good, be assured, she will never carry at along.
How useful the tools in the SAK are
Find out what tools in a SAK can be useful to her. If you know her lifestyle, you already have some ideas. Tools like scissors and tweezers always find a place in a women’s makeup box. Equally important are nail clippers and nail file. A bottle opener is also important to some women.
Again, some women may want to always have a knife with them to be used in the kitchen. My wife used to ask for my daily carry SAK while traveling to cut fruits and other things. So I gifted a ‘good looking’ SAK to her which has a medium size knife (more on this later).
Which SAK to choose?
Victorinox has a wide range of SAKs meant for every occasion to choose from. In fact, the collection is so large that it often becomes confusing to select one. However, if you know what you are looking for, it won’t be difficult to find one that fits the basic criteria discussed above.
You might already know that red is the most used color in SAK scales. While it looks good and shiny, it is somewhat very common very traditional. You will want to get a color that is not red or a model which is not a typical SAK design. Fortunately, Victorinox does make SAKs with interesting colors and designs.
Here are some models which I have personally used and also gifted some of them to near and dear ones (all women, of course). From the feedback that I have received, they love these nifty little tools and carry them always. In fact, these have become such a part of their daily life that they sometimes wonder how they lived without them.
Swiss Army Knife Classic
I can go on and on telling you how useful the Swiss Army Knife Classic is. In fact, this model is the most popular SAK among all. Reason? it is small, cheap, functional and durable. You can carry it in your keyring or in your pocket effortlessly. And it has the tools for which you will find some use almost every alternate day.
So what does it have? Well, apart from a small knife, it has just the things that will find a place in a women’s makeup box. Following are the tools you will find in the SAK Classic:
- Knife
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Nail file
It also has a toothpick, like most SAKs with plastic scales have.
All the tools are tiny but functional. The best way to carry the Classic is to attach it to your keyring.
But the thing that makes the Vic Classic such an interesting gift for women is the scales.
This is the model that you can find in a myriad of different colors, including red, blue, yellow, orange, green, purple and pink.
What is more, you will also find it with different patterns and designs on the scales. You can even find this model with wooden scales.
These are called Limited Edition designs, and each design is available only for a certain period. But Victorinox keeps releasing new designer patterns every year.
This somewhat ensures that you always get a design that nobody else you know already has. So your gift will be unique in that sense.
As the scale design changes every year and Victorinox only manufactures a limited number of SAKs for each pattern, you may not get the exact design you are looking for one year from now.
However, most online stores will probably have some older stock from previous years which will give you more choices.
Whatever be the case, be assured that you will always find an interesting design that she will like and be proud of. You can check out all the Limited Edition designs here.
Are other SAKs also available in other colors and in designer patterns? Yes, some of the other popular models also have Limited Edition versions. But these are very rare and it is difficult to get them. You may have to wait for years for Victorinox to come out with a limited edition of any other SAK. But the Classic is an exception. It is the most widely available SAK in the market.
In fact, the Swiss Army Knife Classic is the first SAK that I gave to my wife way back. Since then, she has always carried it in her keyring.
To know more about the SAK Classic in detail, read this:
Swiss Army Knife Classic – The best Keychain Multi-Tool of All Time
Victorinox Pioneer X Alox
The Pioneer X Alox is a thing of beauty. If you haven’t seen one before, I bet you will admire it at first glance. It looks almost like a piece of jewel. It is also available in many colors. But the ones I really like are the Gold and Silver.
I came around this model while looking for a medium-size SAK for my wife. I usually carry a Victorinox Super Tinker as an EDC tool. During traveling (in trains or buses), my wife often asks for the SAK. She mainly needs it to slice an apple, or cut open a pack of snacks. When I asked which tools she usually uses, she said that she needs the knife and the scissors, and maybe sometimes the bottle opener.
Though she already has the SAK Classic, it is too small for these medium-duty tasks. I thought of getting a medium-sized SAK like the Super Tinker for her. However, she doesn’t need the Philips screwdriver or the multi-purpose hook. So I was looking for something a bit slimmer but good looking.
The Pioneer X Alox turned out to be a perfect choice. In fact, she likes it so much, she sometimes even refuses to give it to me when my Super Tinker is not near at hand.
The Alox scales really make the SAK look and feel premium. It is evident as soon as you pick it up in your hands. Victorinox always had impeccable build quality, and their Alox models feel even better built. All the tools are sharp and shiny and complement the shiny look of the Alox scales.
SAK Pioneer X has the following tools:
- Knife
- Scissors
- Reamer
- Bottle Opener
- Can Opener
Of course, both the bottle and can openers have screwdrivers of different sizes integrated into the tool. However, I don’t think my wife will ever need to use them. Those kinds of ‘boring’ tasks are reserved for me and I usually have plenty of tools to handle such stuff 🙂
Note that the Alox scales are a bit thinner than the more common plastic/Cellidor scales. Also, the scales do not house the toothpick and the tweezers. However, the looks more than compensate for this minor loss. And if you also have a SAK Classic in your keyring, you already have those missing tools with you.
There are other SAKs with Alox scales too (including the SAK Classic), but I found the Pioneer X Alox to have the best combination of tools in a slim design, and the tools are of the right size for everyday tasks. Here is a list of the Alox models that Victorinox currently produces. I am sure you will find one you like.
SwissCard Classic
I still remember myself once trying to fit the SAK Classic in my wallet. Well, I could manage it somehow, but not without making the wallet look weird. And it was equally difficult to carry that odd-looking wallet in the back pocket of my trousers comfortably.
It is just not possible to sit with something hard sticking out of your wallet in your hip pocket. The individual tools in the SAK Classic are very thin and flat, but the form factor along with the scales is not thin or flat enough to be kept in a wallet.
At that time I wondered whether I could have all the tools arranged in a flat form factor. Well, probably Victorinox also thought of the same thing. That is why they have the SwissCard line of products.
I got the SwissCard Classic for my sister who doesn’t like the look of the SAK Classic but wants the tools anyway. She thinks the SAK Classic doesn’t look good in her keychain and wanted something small that she can carry in her wallet. After some research, The SwissCard appeared to be the best choice.
Once I got hold of the SwissCard, I liked it so much that I got another one for myself. It looks good, and all the tools are sharp and work as expected, just like a SAK Classic. If you want a card-sized tool that actually works and also looks good in your wallet, go for the SwissCard.
It is an (almost) flat piece of plastic with all the tools of the SAK Classic tucked inside in various chambers. The size is almost the same as a credit card, and the thickness is similar to four or five credit cards stacked together.
The SwissCard Classic has all the tools of the SAK Classic, and a few more:
- Knife
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Nail file
- Ballpoint pen
- Needle
- Toothpick
The ballpoint pen and the needle may not be a necessity but do come handy. I have seen my sister using the needle as a sim ejector tool for her smartphone. Excellent, isn’t it?
The SwissCard has three variants. Apart from the Classic, there is SwissCard Quattro and the SwissCard Lite. The Quattro is cheaper and does not have the scissors. The Lite is dearer and has a few extra tools.
However, as a women’s gift, I think the SwissCard Classic gives the best value for money. All of them look good, choose whichever best fits the requirement.
SwissTool Spirit
Want something for the do-it-yourself lady in the house? Or for that outdoor adventurer type who always likes to be prepared? Then you would like to gift her a full-size multi-tool. Well, Victorinox got you covered.
Get the SwissTool Spirit. It is just right for the lady who is not afraid to carry a heavy multi-tool with her. She doesn’t care about the weight or the size, as long as it has the tools she needs to get the job done. And it looks good enough in her hands.
But why The SwissTool Spirit, and not something else like the ever-popular Leatherman Wave or its good looking brother the Leatherman Charge TTi? Well, just for one reason: the Victorinox Spirit is arguably the most elegant looking full-size multi-tool on the planet. It is something that even a fashion-conscious woman may want to own. If you think that other full-size multi-tools look too manly, I can safely say that the SwissTool Spirit has a truly unisex design.
It has (almost) all the tools that you may want in a full-size multi-tool, and still manages to look elegant at the same time. The weight and size is quite acceptable, it feels awesome in the hand, and the performance is top-notch. It feels and works as sophisticated as a multi-tool can ever be.
The SwissTool Spirit has the same built quality as the other bigger Swiss Army Knives that Victorinox produces. But being a multi-tool you also get a set of pliers. And if you really want to make her fully prepared, you can get the SwissTool Spirit Plus model which adds a separate screwdriver and a set of extra bits. All of these can be neatly tucked inside a leather pouch which can be clipped into the waist belt. If she likes multi-tools, she will love this complete package.
Do note that the SwissTool Spirit has an all-steel construction. Hence it does not have any plastic scales to house a toothpick or tweezers. But this tool is meant for bigger tasks, the tasks that only a full-size multi-tool can handle. And it does the heavy lifting easily, sometimes better than other comparable multi-tools of similar size. I have been using this tool for years, and not even once has it failed me.
To know more about the SwissTool Spirit, have a look at the following article:
Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X – Is it the Right Multi-Tool for You?
Final Thoughts
I hope by now you have got some idea about the different gift options that Victorinox Swiss Army Knives and multi-tools can give you. Just choose the one that best suits the purpose (and the lady, of course) and you will be remembered fondly for decades for gifting the most awesome and useful tool.
I see my wife using her Swiss Army Knife every now and then for something or the other. It has almost become a part of her life. I always feel empowered when I have a SAK with me, and now I know that she also feels the same way. I hope you get the perfect SAK gift for the women in your life.
