Swiza Swiss Pocket Knives

[kennethsime]

I grew up with a Victorinox from Age 6 on, and have never been without one. First I had a Sportsman, nowadays I like the Spartan best for EDC.

Call it brand loyalty, but I never carried a Wegner. I always thought the tools were kind of like "bizarro" Victorinox.

Recently I found out about Swiza Swiss knives. It seems the old Wegner CEO has taken up with Swiza to design a new line of Swiss pocket knives.

What draws my attention is:
1) the offset handle design, and negative blade angle, and more importantly
2) the remote-release liner lock on the main blade. You just press the logo on the side to release!
3) On top of this, they come in green (or walnut wood). Doesn't hurt to look at!

So, has anyone tried a Swiza? How do you like it compared to your Victorinox or Wegner knives?

[JD Spydo]

I just got through looking at some of the SWIZA pocket knives on their website. It kind of appears to me that they are trying to be an alternative to Victorinox and other traditional Swiss Army Knives>> I wish them well. However as good of luck as I've had with all the VICTORINOX products that I've owned over the years I would find it hard to believe that SWIZA has surpassed VICTORINOX.

Now there is a high end, high quality SWISS company that makes pocket knives that I believe truly compete with Spyderco and Benchmade. I'm speaking of KLOTZLI. Their Carbon Fiber handles are the best I've ever seen and their blades hold an edge really nicely. If you really like SWIZA I do urge you to check into the KLOTZLI line of fine folder pocket knives.

There is only about 3 dealers here in the USA that even sell KLOTZLI knives. Now I'm sure that this new SWIZA brand would be decent and probably well above any of your 3rd World Rip-Mart specials. But for now my favorite Swiss knives are VICTORINOX and KLOTZLI.

[bearrowland]

Swiza is a company owned and operated by Peter Hug, former CEO of Wenger. He's trying to offer an alternative to the Vic, but has to play hop scotch around trademarks and patents. I've not handled one, but a friend of mine has and loves his. The company had been around a few years, so I think it's a good quality product.

[bearrowland]

I've got to try a Klotzli!

[James Y]

I've thought about getting a Klotzli Swiss Border Guard knife for some time, but for now, funds are tight regarding any potential knife purchases...

Jim

[VashHash]

I've thought about getting a Klotzli Swiss Border Guard knife for some time, but for now, funds are tight regarding any potential knife purchases...

Jim

Wish they made that knife in an XL version. Very good looking knife.

[wrdwrght]

Growing up, I ignorantly thought Wenger a pretender, and bought only Victorinox.

FWIW, keen-observer Trond Ole (https://www.sakhome.com/) seems to think highly of Swiza and that it is well-guided by Wenger’s former head.

[JD Spydo]

I've got to try a Klotzli!

Oh you would love a KLOTZLI folder. I've handled 3 of them and the Carbon Fiber handles are rock solid. The only gripe I've got against KLOTZLI is that they use a lot of what we knife purists believe are antiquated blade steels. Many of their premium models are made with ATS-34 and 440C. But their designs are so intriguing I'm going to try to look past that. They do have a new fixed blade model that has M390 so maybe they are finally responding to what the end line users desire.

I'm going to the local Bass Pro shop this weekend and I'll see if they have any of these "SWIZA" folders. They've always kept a large selection of Victorinox SAKs. I was told by one of my hunting buddies that Bass Pro and Cabelas both stock this brand.

[bearrowland]

Let us know what you think of them JD! I've got the itch to check out a Klotzli now

[Evil D]

Their scissors design looks really interesting, am I seeing correctly that it's two fill size scissor blades? I guess you just squeeze them together for the cutting action? That is a really awesome idea..



I don't carry Victorinox knives very often but I think their multitools are the best in the world. If I could only own and carry one knife/tool it would be a Spirit. I'd let go of every Spyderco I own before I go without it. I know that's a bold thing to say but the ways I've used this tool and the value it has in my day to day can't be understated.

[bearrowland]

I think that's the awl and a file out the front David, but I might be wrong. I agree with you on the Spirit. It's a fantastic multitool. I don't own one, but my son has one and has lent it to me. I have the full sized Swisstool, which is a fantastic piece of craftsmanship, but the Spirit is every bit as capable and a lot easier to carry.

[Evil D]

I think that's the awl and a file out the front David, but I might be wrong. I agree with you on the Spirit. It's a fantastic multitool. I don't own one, but my son has one and has lent it to me. I have the full sized Swisstool, which is a fantastic piece of craftsmanship, but the Spirit is every bit as capable and a lot easier to carry.

I thought that but see the opposing finger dips on the outsides of the two blades? Really looks like scissors. The tool I was looking at didn't list that it had a file.


I debated on which tool to get years ago and went with the Spirit mainly because if weight. I was coming from a really heavy SOG and the weight was getting old. I was worried the Spirit being smaller meant it wouldn't handle hard work as well but I've beat it to death and it hasn't failed me yet. I'm going on 10 years of EDC with it.




Yep, it's a full size pair of scissors. Really interesting idea, though it looks like they may not work all that well.

Skip to 20:45
https://youtu.be/YzETQ1sXPT0

[bearrowland]

You're right! That's definitely different!
Given the choice again, I would go with the Spirit just on weight alone. It's every bit as capable as its big brother, and a real looker too.

[Halfneck]

I debated on which tool to get years ago and went with the Spirit mainly because if weight. I was coming from a really heavy SOG and the weight was getting old. I was worried the Spirit being smaller meant it wouldn't handle hard work as well but I've beat it to death and it hasn't failed me yet. I'm going on 10 years of EDC with it.

I carried a SOG Multi-Tool while in the Army that I had customized. Sadly I left it in my truckbox for a loooonnnggg time and it was a heap of rust. I'd heard good things about the Victorinox Multi-Tools so I decided to get one. Silly as it seems I would rather have scissors on my Multi-Tool than a blade. I also like having a Saw. Victorinox Spirit X had me covered.

Shortly after getting it we were on a family trip in the Smoky Mountains. At a gas station I saw a young man with the inner cover of his back car door off trying to cut something so I went to see if he needed any help. The power window had gone out with the window down and he couldn't get it back up. It was late Fall and the window was right next to his young daughter's car seat. Guy had a crappy looking wire cutter that wasn't doing a thing to the braided wire cable. Went and got the Vic Spirit thinking this will probably screw it up, but it's worth trying. Took a couple of attempts, but I was able to cut through the cable and he got the window up. Looked at the wire cutter edge and their was no damage. Impressed the **** out of me.