It's been 125 years since Victorinox patented its Swiss Army Knife, that was designed for troops to open canned food and aid in disassembling a rifle. It quickly became the first name in multitools—and the best-looking. Since then, its updated editions and reinvented designs have passed through many pants pockets. The one constant? The principle that a few simple elements can serve most any function.
To commemorate the knife’s quasquicentennial, Victorinox released Replica 1987 Limited Edition, a recreation of the first-ever officers' knife, forged over a century ago. Only 9,999 replicas were produced, hand-assembled with exact precision. And—sorry to have gotten you hyped—it’s already sold out. But its functionality lives on in every knife Victorinox produces, all of which evolved from that very first design. Just look at the Huntsman, a small but effective multitool that has a gadget for your every need, be it cutting, sawing, snipping, catching, clawing, picking, or pushing.
These knives prove you can do great things with judicious application of the right tools. To celebrate this anniversary of innovation, we’re highlighting some lesser-known uses for every tool on the Huntsman. Here are seven everyday reasons to bust out your Swiss Army Knife—enough to keep you busy for another 125 years.
1. Use the awl/reamer to:
Add a hole in your belt.
These are pandemic-y times, meaning everyone is constantly gaining or losing 15 lbs from being stuck at home or finally getting back to the gym. If you find the need to add a hole to your belt, simply use the awl/reamer to poke a hole in the material, moving it around carefully to expand its size. Trim the excess leather by using the sharp side of the awl like a knife. Lastly, for that "just got back from the tailor" look, you’ll want to use the small hole in the awl, aka its sewing eye. Thread it like you would a needle and give the raw leather edge a finished trim.
2. Use the multipurpose hook to:
Haul a heavy load with ease.
Sure, you’re strong. But what good is that when the bags you’'e carrying concentrate all of their weight on their thin straps? Spare your fingers the blood-flow woes and rest grocery bags on the knife's hook, moving the labor from your digits to your biceps.
3. Use the large blade to:
Beautify the neighborhood.
The blades of a Swiss Army Knife have infinite uses—but once you notice all the plants in need of rescue, that's all you’ll notice for a while. With just your multitool on you, your walk around the block can turn into a landscaping session of digging up weeds coming up through the pavement and pruning wilting flowers and tree twigs at the park. Turn on a podcast and get to beautifying. Just make sure you're not free-range gardening anywhere you shouldn't be.
4. Use the scissors to:
Wrap a gift on the go.
Scientists recently proved sharper blades (and slower movements) are what curl a ribbon, and the Swiss Army Knife is both sharp and small enough to do the job without the unwieldy length of regular hand scissors. Late to a birthday party (again)? Grab the ribbon and go. You can put the finishing touches on the box holding an I.N.O.X. Professional Diver Titanium Limited Edition Watch in the car.
5. Use the key ring to:
Stay secure while camping.
If your tent has a double-zipper door, loop both onto the metal key ring. Once they're in place, the key ring serves as a lock, ensuring no intruders can breach your sleep zone without cutting their way in. If your tent door happens to have a single-zipper, tie a string onto the key ring and attach a makeshift weight or something that makes noise before putting the ring's other end through the zipper-pull. You'll be woken up in the case of unwelcome entrances. Nobody gets the drop on you, see?
6. Use the tweezers to:
Save your omelet from impending doom.
Ever try to start your day off with a plate of eggs, but those pesky shell fragments have something else in mind? Save the bad mood for the traffic (where it's warranted) and whip out your Swiss Army Knife tweezers. They'll help locate and extract any unwelcome crunch from your omelet with exact precision way faster than the half-shell scoop or finger-pincher methods.
7. Use the toothpick to:
Rip a sweet guitar solo.
So you brought your ax to the family reunion and wrote a cheesy song with your cousins, but forgot your pick? Don't worry your soft little thumb pads about it. Flip the toothpick around to its extraction handle for a resilient yet sturdy strumming tool. Just remember to wash it before your next poppy seed bagel.
