Victorinox Swiss Army WorkChamp XL Pocket Knife

I was hesitant to pick this up but I was looking for something to take the place of a fixed blade knife and multi-tool combination. Heavy work is done with a hatchet. The primary focus for the tool was 1)Good blade size and shape with lock. 2)Good saw size and tooth design with lock. 3)Wood & Metal file with lock. 4)Basic but usable pliers (not looking to replace vise grips). 5)Usable scissors. 6)Basic implements such as screw drivers, pry point, etc. More was simply a "bonus" so long as it it did not detract from the feel of the tool. Outside the lack of locks on the saw and file this is hands down one of the best multi-tools I have ever used. The feel is surprisingly very good and better than a leatherman style (I have "large" US hands). I am by no means some expert but I have been using this for a projects around the house (some heavy work with breaking out stucco etc) and doing some wood craft on the porch tinkering for when I go camping. At this time I am a convert. This knife plus a decent hatchet and you have everything set. Also outside crazy work this will do anything a fixed blade will do. I dont plan to stand on the blade sticking out of a tree. Ill make a stake, drive it, and stand on it as you should. I baton with the hatchet or, as you should even with fixed blade, crack with blade then split with a wedge made with the blade. This knife does it. I only wish they had 4 implements in the scales as you can get small fire steels for them (and they surprisingly work very well) and a pen/pencil comes in more handy than you might think. Been considering buying another one as they seem difficult to obtain. This is the new version which uses liner locks which ONLY lock the blade and the large flat screw driver/pry blade (and yes it has no issues prying). Nothing else locks. I have used leatherman style multi-tools for a long time and will continue for things that need concentration on a more heavy duty plier implement but frankly, in my opinion, for most home projects and without question for camping this is a far better choice.

Very nice knife/multitool.Pros- It has a beefy locking blade.- Nice selection of tools.- It can be carried in a pocket: front or cargo.- It has most of the tools you are likely to need.- It is fairly easy to handle. I'm not a big guy and I have no problems.Cons (at least for me)- Pliers are more suited for splinter pulling and model pulling.- The bottle opener/prybar is not as large as the Trekker model.- Nail nick on the main blade should be on the opposite side IMHO.- The spring action on the phillips bits is very strong and can snap back quickly.- (At least for some) it is quite a hand full.Overall- I like this tool very much.- I would recommend considering how you plan to use it before buying.Alternatives- Swiss Champ: is a good choice if you want to carry it loose in your pocket or on in a pouch.- Champion Plus: if you can live without the pliers. Otherwise, same as the Champ.- Spirit: better tool selection, same weight, smaller blade & file & saw.Personal OpinionIn my case, the Swiss Champ was really not an option. I already on a Champion Plus -- which I love by the way. Getting a Champ would have been redundant. I wanted a bigger file and saw. The Work Champ fit the bill.I also own a Spirit (great tool), a new Leatherman Wave (another great tool) and a number of other tools; including many Vics. This is a nice addition that I will add to my daily cycle. It is not for everyone. For one thing, I wear jeans, cargos, and carpenter pants every day. This allows me to suspend this bad boy from a carabiner attached to my belt loop. (This makes it easier to pocket carry it.) I would not do this with dress pants.Also, some people may find it a bit heavy and bulky. This is not a problem for me, but neither is a Cybertool 41. Most people would be better served with a 4 layer model (like the Huntsman) or smaller model for every day carry. Most days I can get by very nicely with a Huntsman or Ranger. On the other days, it is nice to have this multitool in my collection.

It is one of the few models to have a #1 Phillips, though it should be noted that its home is beneath the scissors, so it takes a few seconds to deploy. Both the #1 and #2 Phillips' are in-line too, (rather than T-handle on the back) so they can get into recesses most times.The file is quite sharp, as is the saw. In everyday suburban life, the file is more useful than the saw, but I have used the saw a few times to cut some plastic part down to size. It is thick and too heavy for pants pocket carry, so DO plan to buy a belt pouch along with the knife.It would be nice if Victorinox would give this model the heavy-duty locking flat screwdriver from the military models, instead of the medium duty one supplied on this and the rest of their line.The pliers should be thought of more as a heavy-duty tweezers; they can never be used for loosening a nut or something, but they're quite a lot stronger than the tweezers.The can opener works fine, as always with Victorinox, but I find myself using this implement more for the small screwdriver tip it has. I wish they'd just drop the can opener pretensions and give us a better mini-screwdriver. :)Can you see the little gray micro screwdriver next to the corkscrew in the picture? This is just the right size for eyeglasses and some screw bars on higher-end watch bracelets.In short, this is a good alternative to a Leatherman plier-based multi-tool for those who value easy access to a big tool set instead of a heavy-duty needlenose pliers. I use screwdrivers more than pliers these days, so I usually go with a Swiss army knife instead of a plier-based multi-tool.Last but not least, Victorinox quality is hard to beat. One side effect of that is that everything is really polished well, and on the screwdriver tips, this is not A Good Thing. They slip out of slots a bit easier than the ground Leatherman ones.None of those little nitpicks are enough for me to deduct a start from this fine multi-tool.