VICTORINOX WORK CHAMP

GETS JOBS DONE!

My friends still claim editing snow magazines is not actually work. But it is, and for 30+ years helping me do that job my constant companion has been a humble, or not so humble these days, variant of the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife.

I had the best ski specific one 30 years ago: with ice scraper, phillips & regular screwdriver, knife, corkscrew and bottle opener it pretty much covered my day from de-icing the windscreen pre-dawn to après postdusk. I loved it, but sadly it was lost or stolen years ago.

The replacement was a full spectrum had-it-all version I carried everywhere in my hand luggage until 2001's terrorist attacks ended that. Caught out with it at security in Buenos Aires on a flight down to the world's most southerly ski area, Cerro Castor in Ushuaia, I had the bright idea of paying the newstand kiosk guy just before security a few dollars to mind it, with the promise of more when I came back four days later. Miraculously that worked. But it mysteriously dissapeared later too - lost or stolen? You can't be too careful with something as downright useful as a Swiss Army Knife.

Flash forward to Verbier 2017 and the fantastic Tourist Office crew gave me a Verbier logo version for my 60th birthday present. The icing on the cake of a great day. If you have a big birthday coming up, Verbier is a great place to celebrate it.

But now it's 2023, and like a fine wine or over-ripe banana (take your pick), I have matured, and so has the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife range.

The latest Work Champ is awesome!

So many features, so useful: two phillips headdrivers will sort your loose binding problems and/or clean the ice out of your pin toes; two sizes of regular screwdriver heads handle most screws; an ingenious tiny screwdriver, that's hidden on the corkscrew, does the screws in sunglasses/devices, etc; the pliers are strong enough for twisting wire so handle boot buckle issues with ease; the metal file can quick-tune rock ravaged edges with three levels of coarseness; the saw will cut metal too; a sharp-as scraper knife will remove bits of base or shave cheese according to your need; scissors; a decent knife blade of course; cap and bottle openers; last but not least, and old school these days but still handy some places, a corkscrew.

So much utility in such a handy little tool!

It is great for at the snow or anywhere. I just love it, and take it everywhere now stowed in check-in baggage. It even comes in very handy for opening coconuts. —Owain Price

In stores and online: victorinox.com.au/work-champ