Swiss Memory USB knife review

5 July 2004 19:14 GMT / By Stuart Miles

It was only a matter of time before Swiss Army Knife went all techno on us. The latest model therefore includes a USB memory stick. But has going techno taken out the simple outdoor use of the pocket knife, we take a look and find out.

Coming in two available models - a 64Mb and 128Mb the penknife is small, compact and adorned in the classic red Victorinox colours. This time around the Swiss logo doubles up as a push button to activate a built-in very bright LED, presumably for finding the USB slot behind the back of the computer when foraging dark uncharted depths of under your desk.

For the scriber there is a built in Biro that slides out where you usually find the toothpick. Inside, the majority of the space has been taken up by the 2.0 USB memory stick. A nice touch is that the stick can be taken out, again presumably so you can upgrade at a later date as the technology changes. It’s also nice to see that VICTORINOX has opted for USB2.0 and this certainly makes the transferring of files quick and easy. Aside from the memory the penknife is tooled with a knife, a pair of scissors, a flatheaded screwdriver and a nail file. Disappointingly although understandable there is no “tool for getting small boys out of horse’s hooves” nor is their a corkscrew for the wine connoisseur - so your old knife’s not entirely redundant.

Verdict

For the person who likes to always have that trusty pen knife with them for everything from opening parcels to trimming your nails this unit will certainly kill two birds with one stone, the added benefit of being able to carry your files around with you is great and the fact that it's USB2.0 means that file transfer is fast.

Of course it's not all smelling of roses, and you will pay a hefty premium for the privilege of having the extra features. Another thing to bear in mind is whether you travel on planes a lot, as this will be confiscated by security faster than you can say “I've got a knife in my pocket”.

Victorinox do offer an “Air Travel Version” minus the knives, but that sort of defeats the object really. It's great for the kudos and wow factor, but perhaps really only suitable for the Boy Scout doing his technology badge.

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Review Recap

Made by: Victorinox
Price as reviewed: £55
The good: Penknife, strong, what you would expect from the VICTORINOX brand
The bad: You will have to declare it if you travel on planes, no corkscrew or bottle opener tool
Quick verdict: For the person who wants a pen knife and memory stick rolled into one, be be wary this unit is unsuitable for air travel
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