My 10yr+ old keychain swiss army knife is finally falling apart. I'm thinking of replacing it with the same model:
http://www.amazon.ca/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-Pocket-Knife/dp/B00004YVB3/ref=sr_1_1
Any suggestions for something better? Has to be keychain-sized. Versatility per cubic cm is what I'm going for, I don't need a bigass knife for gutting deer carcasses, I usually use it for working on wiring, cutting hoses, opening electronics packages, and general DIYing.
It must have everything my current one does except the toothpick. A flash drive would be a plus.
Budget: $40.
Revised my best choice:
http://www.amazon.ca/Victorinox-0-6365-T-VICTORINOX-MANAGER-JELLY/dp/B000MLS7B6/ref=sr_1_6
This model is available with a flashlight, but I think I'd prefer one without. The tiny battery would just run out fast and then leak acid while my phone has a much more useful flashlight.
Edit: This one fits the bill, but it's a bit over budget and bigger than it needs to be:
http://www.amazon.ca/Leatherman-831214-Style-Keychain-Multi-Tool/dp/B004VPN8RW/ref=sr_1_3
Edit2: Oh my I really like this one, much better than the Leatherman Style Keychain:
http://www.amazon.ca/Gerber-30-000469-Dime-Mirco-Black/dp/B006M9NIDO/ref=pd_sim_200_2
OK think I'm gonna go with the Gerber Dime red & black, the all-black one is a little too tacticool for my tastes and the colored blades would probably only look nice for a month.
http://www.amazon.ca/Gerber-Dime-Red-Black/dp/B00H3QCHJ6/ref=sr_1_1
It's pretty basic, but I had been eying the Rally: http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Rally-Pocket-Knife/dp/B000FNI1V2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8
That's the same as the Victorinox Classic I have now, except it has a bottle opener instead of scissors (which I use too much to give up).
The Victorinox Manager has all the stuff from the Rally and the Classic except the toothpick (it has a pen instead).
I use the Rambler. Same form factor as a classic, except a tiny bit thicker, so it has a combo Phillips head screwdriver and bottle opener in it, in addition to the tools a classic has. I used to use Classics for every day carry, but this is my new go to.
I like the pen. Not sure I personally need the scissors. So many choices.
Interesting side note- SWAG has changed over time, apparently. I've got two of Classics here at my desk, one has "Cosworth/Intelligent Controls" on it, the other "Siemens".
They both have to be at least 15 years old.
I'm starting to have second thoughts about the size of the Dime...I'll see if I can find the dimensions of it and cut a piece of styrofoam to that size so I can get a feel for how clunky it is on a keychain.
You can send that back to Victorinox and they will rebuild it, I think for the cost of shipping. They come back like new.
Shipping might be more than the thing normally costs 
and I'd definitely prefer to upgrade to either the Victorinox Manager or the Gerber Dime.
A sharp blade, 1/2 serrated folding knife with a lock is about perfect. You don't really need a spork and scissors do you?
http://www.amazon.com/Small-Half-Serrated-Chain-Pocket-Knife/dp/B004YRCCKG
I do use the scissors a lot...also the screwdriver, file and tweezers (I'll admit the file and tweezers, while useful for cleaning up electrical connections and grabbing tiny things, have also proven useful for...impromptu personal care). I probably use the other bits combined at least as much as the knife blade.
Thought I'd update, I ended up going with the Victorinox Manager. The Gerber Dime is twice as big but not twice as useful - and didn't have the pen which would be handy for me, I often find myself without a pen.
In reply to GameboyRMH:
But can you price sentimentality? Send it back.
Appleseed wrote:
In reply to GameboyRMH:
But can you price sentimentality? Send it back.
I've been wrestling with whether to send my Cybretool in to be rebuilt... it certainly needs it, but at the same time I have the opposite of 'sentimentality' about it: it was a Christmas present from my ex-wife; were it not so insanely useful I'd have gotten rid of it long ago. :P
I am not sure how I missed this conversation but I'll chime in late.
For nearly 20 years now, I have carried a Swiss-Tech Utili-Key.
If I lost it today, I would buy another before the end of the day. Though the functions are shown in the picture, not shown is how much I have pried with this tool and generally abused its intended purposes. I find it to be very durable.
I do not like to carry around a lot of gear. I even have less than 4 keys on my key chain at any given time but I hate to be without this on my keychain.
I have given these as gifts and I used to buy one for everyone of my field employees in years past. They have always been a huge hit.
Appleseed wrote:
In reply to GameboyRMH:
But can you price sentimentality? Send it back.
Any sentimental value wasn't worth as much as even one additional function.
By the way, I carry one of these: http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=954
