Without the Deluxe Tinker I'd be just another slack-jawed mouth-breather calling for my drool-bucket to be changed. Eventually I hope to have my Deluxe Tinker implanted in my arm. How could I interact with the modern world without pliers and Phillips screwdriver? I have a subconscious urge to take it onto airliners -- that's how I lost my last one. The scissors confer critical cuticle care. The toothpick makes a fine map pointer. And ever since the plastic actuator broke off the top of my Braun coffee grinder, I have used the awl to press the tiny recessed button that turns on the motor and pulverizes the beans of rapid thought.

This wouldn't be my first choice for a picnic knife (no corkscrew) but nothing beats it for a day in the lab.

I used this tool for 2 years as a field computer support guy on a university campus. It was more useful than most of the other items in my kit. Pair this up with a small flashlight and perhaps a hemostat and you have a fantastic field service tool. I had a ratcheting screwdriver as well, which is nice due to the awkward philips driver on this thing.

It's been over 7 years since I left that job, and the knife works like new. I try to think up excuses to buy other knives, and it's hard when so many other knives fit in this category and are absolutely dominated by the SAK.

Some complain about the weight and bulk factor. This is not a very thin knife, and I dislike having to carry it around when I'm trying to travel light. I have some Haggar slacks that are very thin, and carrying a knife like this in those slacks just doesn't work well. With that said though, in many cases I'll put on heavier slacks or take a bag with me so I can bring this knife along. Sadly, I work at home now (boo hoo) so I don't find myself in the weird situations I used to.

If you carry the standard cell phone, keys, and wallet combo, adding this knife to the group may make you yearn for the man-purse (women get off easy). If you're like me and you dabble in photography too, you're lucky in that you can purchase a slightly oversized camera case that fits your cell phone as well and not look like an idiot.

-Tool breakdown-
Hook: Used for carrying paint-type cans with the thin metal handle. Perfect for this, much more comfortable.
Awl/punch: Used for drilling through many different materials, hard and soft. Used hole in awl as a pinhole lens when I couldn't find my glasses (try it if you're nearsighted).
Philips head: Useful for opening computers, but would be more useful if it ran lengthwise rather than perpendicular.

Main blade: Used for cutting bread in the field, spreading butter, cutting sausage, etc.
Can opener: Used to open cans many times.
Pliers: Used to unplug cables from electronic boards in tight situations. Used to flip dip-switches. Used to extract cassette tape from broken car tape player. Tape was inserted deep in the player on its broad side and I was able to grab it by the small ridge running down the narrow end of the tape. Used to extract a CD from a finicky Compaq CD drive.
Scissors: Used to clean up neckties and other clothing with loose threads. Used to trim bandages.
Small blade: Most-used blade for me. Used most often for opening those dumb plastic packages everything comes in now.
Bottle opener: Used for opening bottles of martinelli's. Flathead side used for many screws.

Toothpick: A lot of people say this one is useless, but I admit I've used it as a toothpick. It worked, so I won't say any more about it.
Tweezers: Used mostly for removing splinters. Makes quick work of the simple ones.

This is the smallest Victorinox knife of which I am aware will fit in my pants pocket and contains pliers. The pliers are extremely handy on many occasions. The only faults I find with the knife are the Philip's Head Screwdriver which is almost useless (protruding, as it does, at right angles to the bolster) and a the absence of a corkscrew. I would like to see the knife reconfigured with a useable Philip's Head Screwdriver extending out along the bolster axis like an ordinary blade and a corkscrew replacement for the existing Philip's Head Screwdriver. Other than that it is a fine knife.

I teach sculpture at a midwestern university. On the first day of class I tell students how important it is to carry a Victorinox Swiss Army Deluxe Tinker knife. I have carried one all of my professional life (35 years) and it is simply the most useful possession I own. It does things that are well beyond it's design intentions and when it breaks, the company stands behind it even if the fault was mine. I cannot recomment the Deluxe Tinker strongly enough. I feel naked without it, especially when I have to fly somewhere. How can I fix the plane if it breaks if I don't have my favorite tools!

Jeff Boshart, Professor

This was a Christmas gift to my grandson. I don't think I could have given him a better one. It has all of the functionality that he needs as a Scout.