I have the original Hercules (one Phillips screwdriver, awl with sewing hole). Great knife, very robust, and very high quality finish. Now, Mark, I'm over 80 years old, and I don't collapse from fatigue every time I have to tighten a screw. Yes, it is a big mmultitool, which allows it to have an 80mm long blade (locking) and a lot of other tools. But you kept on harping about "How heavy it is"... What, about 10 times? At 16min 55 sec, you plaintively moan about how you will fatigue your "joints and fingers", and how you are not yet 30, but the "weight" is a big issue for you. I call BS on that. It weighs only 177g, cf Leatherman Charge TT at 250g, and my phone weighs 225 g. I suggest that you stick to the Victorinox Classic, or go into some weight training. If you find 177g a problem at your age, you really have a problem.
"Yes, it dulls but it's very easy to sharpen." Out of curiosity, what knife steel DOESN'T dull with use? As far as I know EVERY knife steel including the "latest and greatest" super steel flavor of the month dulls with use. My CPM145, S30V and D2 blades (I don't have, want, or need any of the more "advanced" steels) all get dull. Truth to tell my advanced steel knives get the least amount of carry time. I'm fine with whatever it is Victorinox uses, 440A/7CR14, 440C/9CR/18, 420HC, 1.1446, 10xx, and 5160. I place a premium on being able to field sharpen. Also, even with the edge reprofiled to 10 degrees per side/20 degrees inclusive with no micro bevel, I don't get chipped or rolled edges. A strop (no polishing compound) or a butcher's steel (contrary to popular belief a butcher's steel when properly used does not remove any metal from the blade) is enough to restore a working edge. Ease of sharpening may leave a LOT to be desired, and require diamond plates or SiC stones to resharpen, as opposed to an Arkansas oil stone, a wet stone, or even a smooth river rock, and it may take upwards of an hour to resharpen the "super steel" instead of a couple minutes for the SAK.
I agree super steels that can rust or are brittle or you can’t sharpen in the field are useless. If a some of the worlds best military’s use them they must be very reliable. Also I think victorinox know exactly what steel is needed for a pocket knife. I myself find the victorinox steels more than good enough for what I need. Just my humble opinion
Thanks for this, I think this model might be illegal in the uk, but will stick with the Swiss Champ, (plus others), for now, looking forward to selecting your next excellent review ….Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I wish they had a 91mm knife with a longer inline philips like this one. They do have a 58mm knife with a pretty long inline philips but aside from the knife the other tools are terrible.
Hi Mark, I have a question. I recently heard that both the Hercules and Work Champ are no longer available! What a shame! I personally prefer the Hercules because it has one layer fewer than the Work Champ (the file is excluded). As I have little or no use for the fine outdoors, the saving in weight and size attracts me. So, the Hercules it is. It's almost like a Swiss Champ on steroids, with slightly fewer tools, but bigger ones. My personal favourite!
Yes, they have discontinued it and I think it was primarily because of its weight. And it’s expensive it’s just more expensive to make these larger knives. And people just aren’t willing to spend the money on. It will probably buy a Leatherman instead given the size.
Thx for the vid, now ive Seen what i searched. To Bad that Hook, nailfile and pen are Missing...oh and the eye...aso. Maybe i wanna the Champ... Im still not Sure. Greatz from Germany and Have a nice Day opo
Also the larger toolset, it's in between a Tinker Deluxe - which is Supertinker plus pliers - and a Handyman - Tinker Deluxe plus saw and file. Scores above both in that neither have inline Phillips SDs, this has 2. Tbh if I were going to carry something this large I'd just go one layer bigger (file) and get the Workchamp. But imo all Victorinox are good and everyone has different requirements in terms of toolsets I like my 111mm Soldier 08. If I'm carrying that - in the great outdoors camping or hiking - I also have a SD Classic in my First Aid kit, for the scissors and tweezers.
"If you're an older gentleman and you may have arthritis..." Women carry knives, too. I've carried my Spartan for 30+ years. Wouldn't go anywhere without it. It's invaluable. Now that I have arthritis in my hands, my SAK can opener is the only manual can opener I can use without pain.
@@markcoffman494 Thank you. I've got hercules :) There is a little blade play in a folding direction. I hope it won't be worse in the future. Any comment on that? Apart from that the SAK is great. It will be a bigger ranger brother :)
@@JM-sn5eb Victorinox produces thousands of these locking knives in a day and they have specifically designed the locking mechanism to have a little bit of distance away from the blade. This counteracts the need to make any kind of adjustment for the lock up of the knife whereas having this a little distance will guarantee that the knife will lock up every single time and it creates a barricade for the blade not go onto the hand. Victorinox themselves has told me that this is their specific design queue and that they have made this lock to be a strong as possible even though there’s a little bit of up-and-down play in the lock. It is supposed to be like that according to them and it creates less work for them while at the same time creating a lock that will not fail in every day use.
@@markcoffman494 wow! Thank you for such a comprehensive response. Because of your video and suggestion (outrider vs hercules) I got this one. I already love it :D Thank you once again.
Thanks for the review. I may get one of these. I do carry a Ranger Grip 79 every day and it doesnt bother me at all hanging on a swiss belt clip down the side of my pocket. What I do miss on this knife is the eye for one hand opening, but not a deal breaker for me. I like the 2 philips screwdrivers on this knife, a good reason for me to get one. Stay safe.
I have the 6 layer WORK CHAMP I LOVE THAT SIZE LOCKING BLADE FILE SAW TWO PHILIPS SIZERS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE EVERYTHING AND MORE I DO LIKE HERCULES TOO A TINY BIT LIGHTER BUT I DO LIKE IT TOO !
I only regret losing it. And the fact that the new versions of Hercules and Workchamp have lost the hole for the awl and changed the blade locking system.
You point out that you feel its weight already as it is, and yet you want more features in it, which adds even more weight! It's hard when you can't get lighter weight with more functions and remain completely satisfied!
The large size to weight ratio makes it carry and handle A LOT lighter than a leatherman. As a one full size knife with a saw package better for hiking and fishing as a rule and FAR more rustafree!
Way better (for me) than a multitool. I don't need pliers with a knife, I need a knife with pliers. Weightwise also OK compared to a multitool. It's not a little pocketknife, better use a belt pouch.
I agree all your opinnions. I own a special edition "Finlandia Scout". Because of the weight I don't carry it, but it is a great tool In the home office. I'll never sell it, its the beaty and the beast In the same frame. I have finally found my edc model: Huntsman, I never leave the house without it. Thanks For the Show! 👍
I so love my Hercules. It has all the tools I need wherever I am. Mine however, appears to be different from the one shown here. It has a slide lock on one side opposite the Victorinox logo. To carry hot but light objects, I pull out the pliers and use it opened up. It's kind of heavy at about 200 grams but I don't find it disturbing. The awl has a sewing hole which made it a lot better than the one shown here. Thank you. Greetings from the Philippines! 🇵🇭
This slide lock is an older locking mechanism that Victorinox put out in the late 1990s. It was then discontinued in the mid to thousands. I’m glad that you enjoy yours!
Sir, I understand your point of view for sure, I actually thought the same thing until I needed to sharpen my hand axe, remove burs from plastic and just having the ability to cut metal in half is a amazing option. Great review, thanks for you response.
I have 2 Hercules that I keep in rotation. I like the pliers and dual screw drivers. I used to carry the Super Tinker everywhere but the Herc's are more tuned to what my needs are. When I travel overseas, I do carry around a Champ Plus because of the blade length limits in some countries. And, I keep at least one Swiss Champion in my checked baggage inside of the pouch that also includes the blade sharpener.
If you are headed to a place it is legal to carry, that's the only way. I have been doing that since 9/11. Forgot about quite a few till I got that burned into my pre-flight routine.
This is by far the best Victorinox knife for electronics hobbyists because of the extra long phillips screwdriver. I'm really happy with mine because it's perfect for deeply recessed phillips screws. It's also an excellent knife for Bushcraft & Outdoors work, thanks to the long saw and locking blade. It's REALLY heavy though, 200gm. 7.1oz. The Leatherman Wave + weighs 241gm 8.5oz. Definitely not a comfortable pocket carry, needs a horizontal belt sheath 👍
I'm nursing along an aging Craftsman, which was discontinued. It's the Handyman with no corkscrew and a phillips #2 instead. The Hercules almost fits the bill, but no metal file/saw. Stepping up to 111mm is great for a better wood saw length. Workchamp would fix it, but it looks pretty big and heavy.
One HUGE flaw....It is not one handed open. Why would you make it a Trekker shape handle/scale and omit the one hand open thumb hole????? aside from that, if it was one hand open, I would have gotten it.
Along with a small ferro, and pair of nail clippers on a piece of 550 with a small carabiner on my belt loop. Pretty much serves all my needs. Modified Ontario RAT-1 folder as well.
Large screwdriver under the pliers would have been better as an in-line awl with sewing eye then you could replace the back awl with an all purpose hook. No need for two Phillips driver small one also works for #2 Phillips.
Thank you! Talked me right out of it, LOL! Seriously, this showed me that the 91mm Handyman is the better choice for me as a working knife. Less weight. I won’t miss the Philips drivers, the can opener tip does well enough for me there.
Too much coffee in the morning that’s what it is! Thank you for taking a look. I have a Lotta other Victorinox related videos and some historical perspective.
Man, Mark... do some training! Your hands look like you can use it. Then there will be no issue with the weight of that knife. Excuse me for being a bit rude on that side. Except from this point, I do like the video and go along with most of your thoughts. Personally, I do prefer the Locksmith from the 110 mm series; it has 4 layers, so besides the knife blade and the classical cap lifter/can opener there are the wood AND the metal file. This makes for a very capable tool in that size range, and for tools like scissors and the hook, one can just add something like an Explorer...
That's not exactly how the stripper works. No interaction with a blade necessary. Put wire in stripper. Pull the wire into the stripper as you pull it through the stripper. Works great and is sharper than it appears.
It seemed like you were having an issue with the weight. Yet in the end you were recommending the knife. The Phillips screwdrivers were nice. Does it have the eyeglass screwdriver that goes in the corkscrew. To the average person would you recommend this? I have a question is there a Vic or Weg that has the nail file fingernail cleaner, saw, blade, scissors, awl with sewing eye, Phillips and flat drivers, eyeglass driver, possibly pen, and hook. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks Mark
Without modifications or additions meaning as they come from the factory all the mentioned tools and keeping in mind that the metal saw/file doubles as the nail cleaner/file There are 2 91mm models 1. The Swiss Champ 2. The Cyber Tool L. The wood scale models are not Plus scales and do not have the ballpoint pen. In the 111mm you have 1. The Work Champ 2. The Work Champ XL Keep in mind that these would require Aftermarket Plus scales to add the ballpoint pen.
Tuve la hercules un tiempo la sentía un poco pesada en mi muslera nunca me fallo en las tareas pero si la sentía un poco corta para mi trabajo como paramedico y rescatosta, eventualmente la cambie a una swisstool que uso junto a la rescuetool
8:07 - See this is the thing I feel like alot of people in the whole edc community seems to forget sometimes, you dont set out to do a job like that with a swiss army knife. Like you said, if you are doing something like that you go get the real tool that will be 10x faster and much better to use. A multi tool is there for when you dont have anything else, and when something is better than nothing. A dinky pocket multi tool like this will never ever beat or make purpose built tools obsolete though. I dont know if this was your point, but I really feel its forgotten about when talking about the capabilities of these multi tools. Personally im in the camp where if im home, I dont use multi tools at all because I have all the tools under the sun there. If im not home, it is overwhelmingly likely that I will have my car with or near me, which also contains alot of often used tools without the need to carry them around. Then of course theres the whole thing where you'd actually plan ahead and take the things you need with you, like if you are camping you dont forget the damn tent right? So whats left for me is a tool that weighs as little as possible, isnt a huge brick in my pocket so I actually bother to take it with me and has some basic functionality that it can do fairly well. The moment a multitool becomes as big as the real tool or tacking on silly little functions that it can barely perform... It kinda lose its value to me. I mean, there is a reason you carry a "real" knife on top of this, right? Sorry for the rant, I just find it refreshing to see someone who doesnt pretend their pocket tool could build a house, disassemble a car and survive the zombie apocolypse. I love and carry these alot, but realistically the last time I used it for anything was 2 weeks ago to change batteries in a kids toy
12:56 - See in my head the most efficient way of doing that would probably be to just wrap the string around the entire tool itself and using that as a handle, would probably be more effective than any of the tiny little tools they put on there haha
Carried a 111mm Soldier for years. One mod I always do on these SAKs is using a diamond file to reprofile the main screwdriver/pry tool to create a crisp 90° edge - makes a good scraper, scoring tool, along with prying and the rest. This tool is highly underrated on any SAK and I think the way Vic beefed it up for the 111 models, along with this mod, really takes it to a whole other level.
All that complaining about the weight. Come on. Of course it's tiring to open 78 wine bottles with it or assemble a large shelf with 243 screws. But perhaps you should have picked the right tools in the first place.
I’m coming from my standpoint that you don’t have all the right tools for the right job. But you’re very good at pointing out some really good points. Thank you so much for the comments check out the other videos I have.
@@markcoffman494 I Thank you. I like your videos - always something new. Check out the channel of Felix Immler. Also always something new to learn. I was also exaggerating a bit... I own a Hercules and also 3 smaller Victorinox (got my first when I was 7). It depends on the situation which one I take with me. For mushroom hunting in fall you certainly don't need the heavy Hercules (which I carry on a belt pouch, not he pocket), but even for extended tours in the mountains I never came across 78 wine bottles (an I live in Europe...) or 243 screws.
@@markcoffman494 You don't, it's worthless.. But if you want to use it You use the knife independently to score the sheathing... Then you place the wire in the notch with your thumb pressing down on the wire and pull.....
This was one of the videos that sold me on getting a 111mm SAK. I got the workchamp tho, since I really wanted the metal file. So far, I have no complaints
The one model that stands out to me in the 111 mm model range is the locksmith. I have a hard time finding one. But if I had to get another 111 mm knife, it would be that one.
@@markcoffman494 I had the locksmith in mind too, mainly because of the fact that the blade can be opened one handed, but I really wanted the scissors and the pliers. Maybe I'll get one in the future, although I read that Victorinox is going to discontinue the locksmith, so it might be even harder to get.
Great video thanks. Great knife. I like it and the SAK Work Champ XLT. They are gòod for your EDC backpack & maybe best when working together with your regular SAK's that you already EDC in your pockets or on your belt. Then you can use a small SAK or a big SAK depending on what works best. I EDC my Swiss Champ XLT on my belt every day and love it for all the tools. But I also EDC the SAK Handyman hanging from my belt into the top part of my pocket. I like having plyers on to different tools so I can have one in each hand. Gives me the ability to tie knots with paracord super tight way better then by hand. Lucky I always carry in my EDC backpack the SAK Skipper that has a marlin spike for untying the super tight knots I tied🪢. If I plan to use my SAK a lot and worry the Swiss Champ XLT is going to be to big I EDC in my backpack the Champion Plus SAK and my CyberTool M SAK as both are about one inch thick and are a easier size to use. You can never be to prepared or have to many SAK's in my opinion. And yes I do EDC a Leatherman Rebar in my EDC back pack along with plenty of other preparedness stuff.