The Victorinox Pioneer is one of the nicest looking knives that Victorinox has ever produced. It is comprised of two layers of tools sandwiched in between two slabs of textured aluminum and then riveted together. The design is simple and effective and therefore it may come as no surprise that this is the civilian version of the Victorinox Soldier knife that was used from the 1960s to 2008 when its larger successor replaced it. Its base tool set is a blade, awl, can opener/ small flat screwdriver, and the bottle opener/large flat screwdriver. The notch at the base of the bottle opener can be used to strip wires according to Victorinox. It can be found online for around $30.
Out of the box, the knife is pretty much perfect. Each tool is almost mirror polished and the alox handle scales are nicely textured. Every one of the tools is held in place by its backspring which provides a reassuring snap when opened or closed. It is important to note that this knife is a traditional slip joint Swiss Army Knife. While the blade and tools are held open by the springs there is really no locking mechanism. Therefore, care needs to be taken to avoid inadvertent closing of them. One of the nice things about the Pioneer is the heft of the tool. It feels dense for its size which provides a sense of quality without being heavy at all. It is precisely made and it is one of those pocket tools that feels like it will never let you down.
In terms of functionality, this tool does exactly what you would think it should do. It slices well, opens cans and bottles, turns screws, and can punch or drill holes. The blade was nice and sharp out of the box. Victorinox steel does tend to be a bit soft so one can expect the blade to dull fairly quickly over time depending on use. Now, the benefit is that it can be honed or sharpened back to that original edge easily without much skill or trouble. Another upside to that steel though is that it is remarkably corrosion resistant. Rust does not seem to be a major problem at all and that makes it a fairly maintenance free knife. The can opener manages to open cans quite well. Obviously, it does not compete with a regular household can opener in terms of speed but that is not its intended competition anyway. It is there for when it is needed and does its job. The same exact thing applies to the Pioneer’s ability to open bottles. In terms of turning screws, the 3mm can opener screw driver can handle small flat head screws and can even take care of Philips screws in a pinch. The larger one on the bottle opener feels more robust and can handle larger flat head screws. It can also snap into position at 90 degrees for more leverage.
While this knife is compact, it is quite easy to hold on to. The textured alox scales provide a nice grip without being harsh or uncomfortable. They also wear much better than the traditional red plastic scales found on other models. This is also a strength of the plain silver model over the color anodized ones. On top of all of that, the scales look really nice and the red Victorinox shield is a nice accent. It feels special and reliable and those traits will probably want to make you carry it often.
The Victorinox Pioneer is among one of our personal favorites. It is simple, compact, robust, and effective. There is not much more to look for, if you want a basic Victorinox that is easy to carry in the pocket every day. The price is also reasonable at about $30. In addition to serving well on its own, it also makes a great companion to a larger knife like a Spyderco Para Military 2. As such, it earns high praise and we would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a compact knife with a few capable tools.
The Pioneer X
The Pioneer X builds on Victorinox’s excellent 93mm Alox platform with the addition of scissors. A long desired option and popular choice for modified Swiss Army Knives, Victorinox’s scissors are a worthy and useful addition to this tool. While the scissors do add additional thickness and weight, they do bring some additional versatility. They’re well suited for making delicate cuts such as removing tags from new clothing, cutting paper, trimming stray threads, taking care of hangnails, and pretty much any other application where more control is desired. This added capability does come at a price increase of as much as $10-$15 in some cases. We tend to carry a Victorinox alongside a larger knife like the Spyderco Manix 2, so the Pioneer X is our favorite of the two models due to the extra versatility it adds without being overly bulky.
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