The Uses of a Swiss Army Knife

Originally created for the Swiss Army, Swiss Army knives have been available to the public for more than a century. In addition to knife blades, screwdrivers and fingernail files, these multi-tools can be ordered with any number of accessories, such as a magnifying glass or LED light, a saw or chisel, or even a corkscrew. The key to keeping the size and cost manageable is to only order the tools that will be most useful.

  1. Cutting and Slicing

    • Cut paper, fingernails, shoelaces or twine with the scissor accessory. Cut or slice food, sharpen pencils or cut through rope and duct tape with one of the knife blades or the seatbelt cutter. Use the saw to cut smaller pieces of wood. Use the fingernail file to smooth fingernail edges, or file the rough edges off any piece of wood and certain metals. Use the chisel to cut ridges into wood.

    Opening Things

    • Pry off can lids with the can opener, and release bottle tops with the bottle opener. Puncture bottles and other items with the awl. Use one of the knife blades, the chisel or the flathead screwdriver to pry open a variety of canisters in the absence of a bottle or can opener attachment.

    Screws

    • A variety of screwdriver bits are available, including flathead and Phillips. You can select the bits you want when you order your Swiss Army knife. Use them to tighten and loosen screws in any situation.

    Wires and Wiring

    • The can opener and bottle opener have wire strippers. You can also carefully use any one of the knife blades to strip the cover off wiring. Use a knife blade, the scissors or the pliers/wire cutter tool to cut wire into whatever lengths are needed. Place a connector over spliced wires and flatten the connector with the crimping tool.

    Other Tools and Uses

    • There's a corkscrew for opening wine bottles, a hook for grabbing or hanging items and a pin for pinning things together, or for clearing aerosol nozzles. Use the tweezers to remove splinters or pluck eyebrows. Other tools with limited uses include a toothpick, a tiny magnifying glass, a keyring and a tiny spatula.