Mobile Toolbox for Daily Life: Victorinox Swiss Army Companion Review

One of my favorite shows when I was growing up was MacGyver. Even as a teenager busy with school, work, and chasing girls, I made time for that show every week. Over the course of seven seasons, he used several different Swiss Army knife models, including the Spartan and the Tinker.

I’d already had a Swiss Army knife for a few years before that TV show started, but it was because of MacGyver’s adventures that I started seeking out more of them. The Tinker was a particular favorite. It worked well enough when we were building forts and whittling sticks.

Today, I spend about as much time in urban areas as I do out on the trail, and my needs have evolved. Nowadays, as an adult, the Companion model Swiss Army knife has proved perfect for days when I’m walking sidewalks rather than dirt paths.

In short: The Victorinox Swiss Army Companion has an impressive 16 tools on board, and is an ideal EDC option for city and suburban life. It’s not perfect in every regard — you’ll need your own Phillips-head screwdriver — but for most folks not disarming ticking time bombs à la MacGyver, it’s plenty capable.

Victorinox Swiss Army Companion Review

In the knife world, there are few products more ubiquitous than Swiss Army knives. The classic red handle is instantly recognizable. Sure, there are tons of counterfeits out there as well, but that speaks to the popularity of the Swiss Army knife. Victorinox wasn’t the first company to put together a folding knife with additional tools, but the brand has certainly had a tremendous impact on the industry.

The thing to remember is that different jobs require different tools. If you’re hanging drywall, you probably won’t need a basin wrench. So when you’re shopping for a Swiss Army knife, you have to consider where and how you’ll use it the most.

The Companion stands as one of the most conventionally useful Swiss Army knife models. It’s like a home handyman’s toolbox. It has a little bit of everything. While the Huntsman might be an ideal Swiss Army knife for wilderness adventures, the Companion is perfect for those who tend to stick to sidewalks.

I’ve had the Companion for almost 6 weeks now. I’ve been using it for a variety of tasks around the house. It isn’t without its flaws, but I’ve mostly been impressed.

Companion Tools

All told, there are 16 tools squirreled away inside the Companion’s handle.

• Large knife blade
• Corkscrew
• Box opener
• Small screwdriver
• Bottle opener
• Large screwdriver
• Wire stripper
• Reamer/Punch/Awl
• Scissors
• Multipurpose hook
• Tweezers
• Toothpick
• Pressurized ballpoint pen
• Nail file
• Nail cleaner
• Key ring

Most of these are pretty standard for Swiss Army knives. The knife blade is sharp and keeps a decent edge if you don’t abuse the heck out of it. By that, I mean stick to cutting things that you’d normally cut with a knife, like cordage, cardboard, or carrots. Torture testing, like trying to hammer the blade through a cinder block, isn’t likely to end well.

I’ve always been happy with the scissors Victorinox installs in these knives. They’re sharp and work very well. Find a loose thread on your shirt just after you pull up to your date’s building? A quick snip and you’re good to go.

The ballpoint pen is a new-to-me tool on a Swiss Army knife. It’s an interesting choice, and I was eager to check it out. The same thing goes for the box opener tool. Victorinox has added it to its onboard tools for a few different Swiss Army knives, and I was curious to see if it works better than a knife blade.

Fresh out of the box, all of the tools opened and closed exactly as they should. No hesitations, no difficulties at all. Everything was polished, clean, and ready for work.

Materials and Design

The Companion is 3.6 inches long when closed. The knife blade is the longest tool. When it’s opened, you’re looking at about 6.25 inches in total length. My scale said it weighs 2.9 ounces, which is the same as what’s listed on the Victorinox website.

Victorinox doesn’t use an exceptionally high-end steel for these knives. It’s a proprietary steel that works well enough for day-to-day tasks.

In recent years, Victorinox has offered several of its models in a range of color and print options. This knife appears to only be available in the traditional red, though. I’d love to see it in a deep purple or a bright blue. 

Companion Performance

During the last several weeks, I’ve been carrying the Companion as my primary EDC more often than not. It’s small and easy to toss into a pocket, the hallmark for a great EDC knife. If you’re not comfortable carrying it, what’s the point of calling it an EDC?

The knife blade is about 2.75 inches long. That’s a good blade length for most common knife duties. I used it for slicing pieces from an apple, cutting up some cordage for a few projects, and cutting pieces of cardboard for my granddaughter’s play food collection.

My only complaint about Swiss Army knife blades is that I don’t like a mirror polish on my knives. I’d love to see them come out with an option for a stonewashed finish, even if it came at a bit of a premium.

The scissors came in handy for cutting tags off of a few new outfits for the same granddaughter. She’s our only grandchild thus far, so yeah, she’s a little spoiled. What’s nice about the Companion’s scissors is that they’re small enough to get into tight spaces, like the cuff on a size 4T hoodie. Using a knife blade, you run the risk of accidentally cutting the garment (and thus earning the wrath of your spouse).

There is no Phillips head screwdriver on the Companion. Well, that’s not entirely true. The tip of the box opener tool has a very small slotted screwdriver head that could potentially fit some Phillips screws. However, in my experience, these never work all that well. As someone who doesn’t drink wine, I’d gladly swap the corkscrew for a Phillips screwdriver.

The Companion is comfortable in hand and easy to use. Honestly, it’s precisely what you expect when you pick up a Swiss Army knife.

The Box Opener

I’ve seen this tool listed for a few different Swiss Army knives, but this is the first time I’ve had one in hand for testing. It’s shaped somewhat like the can opener that’s been a longtime standard on Swiss Army Knives. We get a lot of packages delivered to our house, so I had several opportunities to play with this box opener.

Honestly? I’m really not that impressed with it. I understand the appeal of having a dedicated tool for opening packages, given how many people shop from home these days. But this one just doesn’t work that well. It’s kind of awkward and ends up tearing more than actually cutting anything. All things being equal, if I wanted a tool that I could devote specifically to opening packages, I’d rather have a secondary knife blade.

How About the Pen?

This was an interesting addition to the Companion. The pressurized ink pen is secured at the end of the handle, very similar to the traditional toothpick and tweezers, which are also present and accounted for. The pen is about 2.75 inches and is very thin. Basically, it’s just a short tube of ink with a ballpoint tip. Initially, I thought it was perhaps a stylus, as I had once a cellphone with a built-in stylus that was similar to this pen.

Given the size of the tube, I have to assume you’re not going to get a ton of writing done with this pen. But then again, one would hardly choose this tool for writing their memoirs. This is more for jotting a quick note to remind yourself of your parking location, something along those lines.

It’s very thin, and thus pretty awkward. It’ll do the job for a short note, but anything beyond that will be an exercise in frustration. Still, it’s a neat inclusion for a Swiss Army knife.

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

The Companion is a great EDC selection for those whose days are spent around urban and suburban landscapes rather than out in the backcountry. While it’ll certainly handle many of the routine knife jobs found outdoors, the mix of onboard tools is definitely better suited for indoor roles.

Swiss Army knives are so common and familiar that you might find they’re acceptable even in areas that routinely forbid knives as weapons. I wouldn’t suggest testing TSA, of course, but I bet the Companion would pass muster in many workplaces.

The Victorinox Swiss Army Companion runs about $48, which is a great price for a tool that is this well-made. With minimal care, this is the type of knife you could easily use for a couple of decades and then pass down to the next generation.