The Two Swiss Army Knives You Should Own
In looking for the best overall pocket knife, I found two
A curious historical note: the term “penknife” comes from the fact that the style of pocket knife we associate with brands like Victorinox dates to when people had to cut feathers frequently to make quills for writing; the original use of the penknife was to make and tune pens. It implied the user had the skill and the need to write. As a result, the pen knife implied one was a professional of some sort, or at least a “man of letters”.
Everyone should own a pocket knife. They’re incredibly useful. Often, the big knife blade is actually the least useful part of the item, and Victorinox even makes a “knife” that lacks a knife, so you can take it on airplanes. I’ve given pocket knives as gifts to many of my friends and family and they always come to realize how useful the darn things are.
I love pen/pocket knives. I own a lot of them. I only use a few of them. As to why, there’s a story. This is a tale of four knives.
The first was a Swiss Army Knife I had was given to me when I was as a kid. I was a Boy Scout and I spent summers at a summer camp in the Adirondack Mountains. I learned to respect knives when I sliced off the last four or so millimeters of my left middle finger when I was about six or seven…
