A pocket knife is a very useful tool. A timeless classic like a Swiss Army knife has been used as a pocket knife for many decades. But you might be thinking whether these are suitable for kids.
Victorinox, the maker of the Swiss Army Knife has designed specific SAKs just for kids taking safety into consideration. But can children have Swiss Army Knives?
Depending on the age and maturity level, a kid can handle a Swiss Army Knife if he or she is taught how to use it responsibly. With proper training and awareness, a Swiss Army Knife can be used by a kid just like any other pocket knife provided the country or the city law allows it.
Are these special SAKs that Victorinox makes different from normal Swiss Army Knives? Well, in a way, they are. But apart from these special SAKs, there are also some other options in the large variety of Swiss Army Knives that Victorinox produces that can be an excellent pocket carry tool for kids and teenagers.
At what age can a child have a Swiss Army Knife?
A child can have its first Swiss Army Knife at the age of 4. This SAK would be one specially created just as a toy for toddlers. At around 10, a child can have an actual SAK that can be used for getting simple works done. Teenagers can have different SAKs suitable for camping or bush-crafting.
Be it a camping trip, scouting, or bush-crafting, these outdoor activities leave a lasting impression in a kid’s memory. If the kid needs a pocket knife, it is important to look for the best one available in the market that is just right for him or her.
Here are some of the best Swiss Army Knives from Victorinox meant for children of different age groups. One of these could just be the first SAK for your kid.
| SAK Model | Suitability as per Age |
|---|---|
| Victorinox Pocket Knife Toy | Suitable for toddlers (4+ years) |
| My First Victorinox | Suitable for kids above 10 years |
| My First Victorinox H | Suitable for teenagers |
| Victorinox Junior 09 | Suitable for teenagers |
| Victorinox Tinker/Super Tinker | Suitable for teenagers |
By the way, in case you are looking for a general-purpose Swiss Army Knife for every-day-carry, I have also shortlisted the ultimate 3 pocketable SAKs that would be a perfect fit for any situation and environment. Interested in something more miniature? The most capable keychain Swiss Army Knives have also been identified from Victorinox’s enormous catalog.
Let’s now have a more detailed look at what Victorinox has to offer to the kids.
1. Victorinox Pocket Knife Toy
Yes, you read it right. This is a toy. And a very good one. Does your 4-year toddler think that daddy’s pocket knife is the best? Then you probably have found just the perfect gift item for your kid.
The Pocket Knife Toy mimics the design of an actual SAK. It has a knife, a bottle opener, a screwdriver, and wood saw, the usual tools you see in a SAK. But all are made of plastic!
These are of course just for show, something to keep the kid busy, as all the tools are blunt and pretty safe to play with.
But what is interesting is that it also has a fully functional plastic spoon and a fork. These can be of some real use, especially for a picnic. If your kid is not ready for a real SAK, this can just be the toy he needs to copy his/her parents.
Want more? It also has a magnifying glass and a carabiner. Think about the fun a kid will have while discovering the world with his or her own Swiss Army Knife.
| 1. Blade | 5. Fork |
| 2. Wood Saw | 6. Spoon |
| 3. Bottle opener | 7. Magnifying glass |
| 4. Screwdriver | 8. Carabiner |
One thing to note is that the Pocket Knife Tool is pretty big. It is bigger than a regular SAK (91mm).
I guess it is so just to make the spoon and the fork useful. Judging by the quality of the plastic, this toy should last a long time.
The only downside of the Victorinox Pocket Knife Toy is that the availability at Amazon is a bit scarce. It goes out of stock pretty often.
2. My First Victorinox
This is the Swiss Army Knife that you give to your 10-year-old kid.If you want more than a toy for your grown-up kid who is capable of handling a sharp knife, then look no further than this perfect first knife for a boy or girl.
In fact, My First Victorinox is a Swiss Army Knife that has just the right tools that a kid may need. True to its name, it is meant for first-time users. It is a real SAK, i.e. the tools are sharp and can be used to get things done.
From the outside, this model appears to be a normal two-layer SAK. However, Victorinox has made a significant change in the design of the blade in this SAK.
The tip of the blade is rounded instead of pointed to prevent accidental cuts.
Otherwise, the knife has a good length and is well suited for sharpening pencils as well as wood carving.
It also has a combination tool that can act as a bottle opener, can opener, screwdriver, and wire stripper (a rare tool, only found in some select SAKs).
Another thoughtful addition to the package is a strap or a lanyard that allows you to hang the SAK around the neck. This should prevent losing the SAK accidentally due to carelessness.
Want more options? It also comes with a chain that allows you to hang the SAK from a pocket.
Being a real SAK with translucent cellidor scales, it comes in three colors, red, blue, and pink.
| 1. Blade with a rounded tip | 5. Wire stripper |
| 2. Bottle Opener | 6. Toothpick |
| 3. Can Opener | 7. Tweezers |
| 4. Screwdriver |
Like any other SAK, it also has the scale tools, toothpick and tweezers. My First Victorinox has the potential to be the first Swiss Army Knife for a lot of kids.
My First Victorinox is a lesser-known SAK as it is marketed as a kid’s SAK. However, it is readily available on Amazon.
3. My First Victorinox H
If you think My First Victorinox is just too basic, have a look at this upgraded version My First Victorinox H. It has all the tools as its cousin, with a very important addition – wood saw.
Just like its cousin, My Victorinox H also has the lanyard strap and the chain to wear it around the neck or attach it to the pocket.
| 1. Blade with a rounded tip | 5. Screwdriver |
| 2. Wood saw | 6. Wire stripper |
| 3. Bottle Opener | 7. Toothpick |
| 4. Can Opener | 8. Tweezers |
The wood saw is sharp just as in a regular SAK. If you teach the kid how to use it, this tool can be a pretty useful tool for the boy scout or girl scout, during picnics in the woods, or in bush crafting. My First Victorinox H is available in Amazon in this listing.
4. Victorinox Junior 09
Want different tools than the above in your kid’s Swiss Army Knife? You probably need to have a look at the Victorinox Junior 9. Yes, this is another SAK that Victorinox makes that is specifically marketed as a kid’s knife. This has a different design and a different combination of tools in it compared to the above two models.
The first thing you will notice about this one is the design. If you are curious, yes, it has the Wenger design. Some may find the curved design of the body a little more grippy.
However, the important feature of this design is that the blade locks in its place.
So if you are looking for a locking blade in a kid’s knife from Victorinox, this is the one to go for. Of course, being a kid’s knife, the blade doesn’t have a point.
Another important difference between the above two models is that the Junior 09 has a nail file/nail cleaner, and a very useful Philips screwdriver.
It has the wood saw, but it loses the combo tool of the bottle opener/can opener.
| 1. Locking Blade with a rounded tip | 5. Philips Screwdriver |
| 2. Wood saw | 6. Toothpick |
| 3. Nail file | 7. Tweezers |
| 4. Nail cleaner |
The package also doesn’t include any lanyard or chain, like in the above two models.
I got the Victorinox Junior 09 pretty cheap from Amazon for my niece. The price keeps fluctuating but I haven’t seen it going out of listing yet.
Want to know more about how Wenger differs from Victorinox? Read this article.
5. Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Tinker/Super Tinker
If the above models don’t impress you, and your kid is matured enough, then he or she probably needs a mainstream Swiss Army knife. And what is a better model than the ever-popular Swiss Army Knife Tinker?
The Tinker is considered an ideal pocket knife by many and with good reason. It has all the tools that you will need for most daily tasks, yet it is quite slim and can be easily carried in a pocket.
Want some advice? Go for the Super Tinker. This upgraded model adds a very important tool to the already excellent toolset in the Tinker – scissors.
Don’t know about you, but I would have loved to have a Super Tinker in my pocket as a teenager, especially during field trips and scouting.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of other models of Swiss Army Knives that can serve the purpose very well as a kid’s pocket knife.
But the Super Tinker just has the best combination of tools for general usage.
| 1. Large blade | 7. Philips screwdriver |
| 2. Small blade | 8. Awl |
| 3. Bottle opener | 9. Multipurpose hook |
| 4. Can opener | 10. Scissors |
| 5. Wire stripper | 11. Toothpick |
| 6. Flathead screwdriver (2 sizes) | 12. Tweezers |
The popularity of the Victorinox Super Tinker is evident from the rating it gets in the Amazon listing.
A Bonus Model – Try Something Other Than Victorinox!
Now that we have covered all that Victorinox has to offer as a kid’s knife, let us look at a model by a Victorinox competitor. Yes, this is not a Swiss Army Knife, but in all essence, it is also a Swiss knife. Swiza, the Swiss company which made this one has won an award for its knife design in the recent past.
In case you are interested how a Swiza pocket knife stacks up against a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, have a look at this practical one-on-one between two comparable models from the two companies.
In fact, there are two models of pocket knives that Swiza markets as part of their Junior Collection – Swiza J02, and Swiza J06. The difference is that the J06 has some extra tools over the J02. Just like Victorinox, the knife blade in the Swiza Junior Collection has a rounded tip.
If you are ok with something that is not Victorinox, look different (better?), but has similar functionality, you should definitely have a look at what Swiza has to offer.
| 1. Locking Blade with a rounded tip |
| 2. Awl |
| 3. Philips screwdriver |
| 4. Tweezers |
| 5. Wood saw (in J06) |
| 6. Bottle Opener (in J06) |
| 7. Can Opener (in J06) |
| 8. Flathead Screwdrivers (in J06) |
Both the Swiza J02 and the Swiza J06 models are conveniently available on Amazon.
Wrapping up!
There you have it! These are some of the most suitable Victorinox SAKs that you can give to a kid.
SAKs have historically been handed down from father to son/daughter. However, having some prior experience using a SAK at a younger age does have some advantages. In addition to teaching them the proper use of a pocket knife, it also instills a sense of responsibility and maturity in kids.
With their iconic design, high standard of quality and functionality, and above all, longevity, Swiss Army Knives usually leave a lasting impression. I got my first Swiss Army Knife at the age of 21. It was a daily carry tool for me for 4 years until I upgraded to a newer model. I still love my first SAK, and I still regret not getting it much earlier. I do think I could have handled it just fine.
After all, SAKs are not weapons. These are tools that increase your efficiency, and at the same time make you more responsible and mature. And the earlier someone learns how to use it as a tool the better.
