I’ve had a Swiss Army knife with me since I was a college student. I had to have one when I went off to college. I guess it was something about the “be prepared” feeling a Victorinox swiss army knife exudes. That knife is long since lost, but I foundly remember it. It was the Mechanic model.

These days I carry a pink classic on my key chain so that my keys are easy to spot when on my desk or in my purse. I also have a yellow one in my desk drawer just in case I can’t find my pink one. Or, maybe someone needs to borrow a little pocket knife in an emergency.

Anyhow, I wrote this goofy little poem one day when I was thinking entirely too long and hard about swiss army knives:

Kill a bear

Chop down a tree

My Swiss Army Knife

Is there for me

Clip your nail

Open a box

With my tried and true

Victorinox

Boy Scout pal

Officer’s friend

/>When you need a tool

It’s what you send

Up in space

Down on the ground

It’s in your pocket

And can be found

Always there

When times get rough

There’s never a job

That is too tough

Stainless steel

Red cellidor

When you need to cut

There’s nothing more

Open some wine

And pop a cap

If there’s a party

Drink in a snap

Plug it in

To USB

Transfer documents

So flawlessly

MP3

And a laser

Show your girl your knife

You’ll amaze her

Whatever else

Could possibly

Be the coolest thing

For us to see?

When it rings

I will not roam

I’ll just flip open

Swiss Army phone

Swiss army knives are perfect gifts for everyone on your shopping list. The Classic model is small and will fit on anyone’s keychain. It features a key ring, small blade, nail file with screwdriver tip, toothpick, tweezer and scissors. I find the scissors to be especially handy when I need to clip my nail or cut a little string off my clothes. The most popular colors for the Victorinox Classic include the red 53001, pink 53005 and black 53003 models. But you can get a classic in these colors as well: assorted rainbow tie dye colors, yellow, camo, blue green, white, grey, purple and with white flowers on them. The Classic even comes in sterling silver models which rival the finest pocket knives available at places like Tiffany.

Someone that fancies a larger model should definitely look at the 53501 Red Swiss Champ. That has been the most popular large knife Victorinox has ever made. It has a lot of stuff packed into it without it costing a fortune. It runs about $68 to $75 online. Those that want the Champ on steroids best take a look at the SwissChamp XLT.

There are several hundred models of swiss army knives to choose from. The best approach is to think about which features you must have and then pick a knife with those features. Some people can’t live without scissors, others really want pliers. A small pen really comes in handy on the Signature models. It’s up to your taste and budget which one you pick.