Victorinox Electrician Alox

One of the more unique knives that Victorinox manufactures, this Alox tool is a really nice knife.
Victorinox Alox knives:
Electrician - amzn.to/2H6Qmre
Pioneer - amzn.to/2SaZz8y
Pioneer X - amzn.to/3blbiZD
MiniChamp - amzn.to/2vddgur
Farmer - amzn.to/375zBqX
Hunter Pro - amzn.to/2S7ZJ0l
Cadet - amzn.to/2UuKVui
Classic - amzn.to/2UzOZJR
Jetsetter - amzn.to/2vhEvUU
Excelsior Secretary - amzn.to/38aD5tB
Bantam - amzn.to/2Som090
Money Clip - amzn.to/2OAUnZm
Farmer X - amzn.to/2JkqtZx
Swiss Army 1 - amzn.to/2HMgvj9
Swiss Army 7 / Harvester - amzn.to/3oWvlE...

[@justinthyme2666]

Im an electrician and this is my favorite pocketknife ever. I don’t really use it as an “electricians” tool, though, but just as a great all around edc tool. I carried one about 8 years before I became an electrician. You just can’t compete with actual electrician tools in our bags. Would use a deburring tool over a file most days, so no third layer necessary. Its the size of a big pen and dies a much better job in seconds. You’d want an actual screwdriver if using all day and wire strippers. I’d use the main blade and my thumb to strip wire before that little notch. That little awl is so useful in so many ways you can’t think up until you need it. I wouldn’t mind scissors, but I’ll take that sheep’s foot over a can opener on the pioneer x any day.

[@Eliel7230]

Great review, thanks for posting. I think you are right about the awl on this model.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

That large awl is incredibly handy for so many tasks ! But a third layer saw would definitely be a bonus 👍

[@4Thug2Life0]

Electrician here and I can say I’ve never had a point where I said damn I need my awl. Have I used it from time to time yes but that’s only bc it’s there. I agree lose the awl for something better

[@MattSmith14421]

I like how this dude dosnt hate on the victorinox steal

[@douglaselkins952]

Just ordered a Swiss Army 7 alox and I’m super excited to try out all of it’s cutting implements. Keep up the good work, Ben!

[@txtoolcrib]

Yes sir, thank you for watching.

[@greekveteran2715]

IMHO it is better than the Farmer,as long as we speak about outdoors and not Urban.

[@Pharto_Stinkus]

I love the standard cellidor SAKs, have many of them, my favorites being the Tinker (near perfect EDC IMO), and the Fieldmaster (my go to camping pocket knife). I was aware of the ALOX models, of course, but didn't carry them due to the fact that I find the tweezers so valuable (they get used regularly). However, I received a SAK swiss-card from the wife a few years ago, and it made me reconsider the ALOX models, since I now have a toothpick and tweezer in my wallet at all times. As a result, I now own, and carry quite a few of the ALOX models, including the Electrician you reviewed here. I love them for the same reasons you mention in this video, they are stronger and springier, with a bigger blade (not to mention, they are "classier"). As for the Electrician specifically, I tried to EDC it for electrical work (I'm a sparky by trade), but the lack of Philips made it a no-go for me. That's probably the second most used tool for an electrician, after a set of wire strippers. As it is, I use my Charge (or sometimes the wave, I have several of both) regularly on the jobsite (I've done whole jobs with nothing but my Charge and a cordless drill).

[@chrisfyfe9212]

I made a pouch for mine , with a welt backed up by two copper rivet/ burrs , this enables “ parking “ the knife with the skinning blade open . I also added a second snap to the pouch , so the flap can be snapped up out of the way . Sounds complicated , but’s actually quite simple !

[@TheGrenadier97]

The small blade reminds me of Brazilian "pica-fumo" knives. Seems very useful for a lot of things other than electrician duties.

[@txtoolcrib]

Extremely.

[@KAM1138a]

Yes, the file would be a great addition.

[@txtoolcrib]

I think so.

[@GeekfromYorkshire]

I have the Champ, Explorer, Compact, Manager , Alox Gardener / 7. For electrical work you need a narrow flat scewdriver to handle recessed small screws and an inline phillips for recessed screws. So something like a Cyber Tool has more of the screw sizes on a long length like a set of real screwdrivers.

[@knifecharlatan8912]

I might just call this something other than the electrician. A nice sheepsfoot or drawcut blade, if you will, is mighty handy for a wide assortment of things. To me, this is almost a Swiss army, American stockman hybrid. I dig it.

[@brawndothethirstmutilator9848]

If you grind the screwdriver into a chisel this model makes an exceptional little carving and whittling tool.

[@johnossendorf9979]

If the ALOX line had tweezers I would probably purchase a Farmer X but after 40 + years of carrying Victorinox Swiss Army knives with tweezers I don't want to be without them.

[@Eskimo8888]

Good combo with the Spirit Multi tool

[@grandsonandgrandfather]

I’ve had several of these knives over the years. I’ve had to replace them because the main blade was sharpened down too much, I’ve broken the awl/reamer so short it was no longer usable of they have been lost (one overboard). I use the reamer a lot, wood, plastic and even thin metal if I’m desperate. They are a great knife.

[@anonyymikana206]

You can use the notch in the wire stripper to rip off the jacket of the wire.

[@artgreen6915]

+1 for adding a file. For some reason they seem to like adding wood saws to a lot of models. They're nice teeth but most barely have adequate length to run back and forth. Meanwhile the file with medium and fine sides, metal saw on the edge, it rarely makes an appearance. Even if you've hewn something rough in wood, there can be splintery bits that are best smoothed off.

[@InfBerBat143]

no, you have to put the wire in the opening, bend it 90°, hold it in place a bit with your thumb and then pull hard/quickly towards the bend. most of the time it works without scratching the plastic first.

[@felinebline7154]

Its a masterpiece!

[@Hamachingo]

Hey Victorinox, can we please replace the can opener with this small blade for all the knives that don't have the shorter blade? Nobody needs a can opener in a 2-layer knife.

[@ImaginaryEvil]

I respectfully disagree, I may not use the can opener itself very often but the 2D Phillips screwdriver on the end is super useful

[@fish3977]

What you need the smol blade for? Also the blade in can opener can be pretty useful

[@cottontrent2201]

File and a Philips head screw driver

[@jeffslaven]

When it comes to alox, I have the basic Pioneer, and the Bantom. Would love to see your take on the Bantom, although I think they are getting harder to find. Its multi-tool is amazing. Minimalist perfection. It actually lives in my (Maxpedition) wallet.

[@txtoolcrib]

I’ll try to pick one up.

[@bowtiejoe2413]

I carry this kmjfe on weekends. Great kmife. I think the Alox Bantam is still available on Victorinox's website. The are also all over EBay

[@WilliamParmley]

Excellent review! I just bought one of these yesterday. Very nice knife! The awl is very well made, but I agree, not sure how often it will be used. Good for making pilot holes, I suppose. Looking forward to trying the electrician's blade on coax and similar cables.

[@thomaschainey3230]

Great video thanks ☺️. I think the Swiss Champ XL does have this electrician blade and the metal saw plus pliers but is very wide for the pocket and hand.

[@CircuitsAndStrings]

I looked into the Alox Pioneer, Cadet, and Electrician quite a bit before getting the Pioneer. I got that one because it is beefier than the Cadet and a little cheaper than the Electrician. I probably eventually get a Cadet. The Electrician is close enough to the Pioneer that I probably won’t get one unless I find a cool color for a good price.

[@txtoolcrib]

All of them seem to be very nice knives. Love the Alox tools.

[@oliverw1633]

also if they wanted to, i think they could actually quite easily make the knife layer wider so that the awl could be replaced by an in-line philips head.

[@davidoakley3256]

Yea, an unshielded screwdriver with a conductive handle on a tool for an electrician. No electrician is going to work without the proper screwdrivers available anyway. The 2 blades, a file, reamer awl on the back, and a saw for small pvc conduit. Would make a nice electricians tool.

[@adamargue68]

I use the awl to de burr HVAC copper tubing works great.

[@txtoolcrib]

Bet that is sized perfectly for that task. Thanks for sharing.

[@Pinki2019]

Another thing about the Electrician is it doesn't have the key ring. Some people find the key ring annoying on the Pioneer.

[@txtoolcrib]

You are correct, I should have mentioned that in the video.

[@erkkoanttila3770]

The awl is also a wood drill. Very handy.

[@txtoolcrib]

I use mine a lot for starting wood screws in wood that are not self starting. Sometimes those screws tend to walk all over the place before they actually penetrate the wood.

[@miklospinter]

The wire stripping that you show here and in other videos is a nice creative idea but it doesn't really work that well, and I don't even think that it was the intended way of using it. On some models, the bottle opener is so far away from the blade layer that this method doesn't make sense at all. What I do when I have to strip wires: I just cut into the isolation with the blade, then I place that cut on the wire stripper notch, hold it in place with my finger and then I pull the isolation off. The little notch works well for that. Anyway, your videos are good introductions for these tools :)

[@miklospinter]

In this video you can see a guy stripping different kinds of wires, with and without cutting into the isolation. The notch works pretty OK with this kind of use. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z16leniua6p7nZI

[@txtoolcrib]

I have seen some people instructing others on how do strip wires using this method. It always seemed to me it was more trouble that what it was worth. I think your way would be the most proficient. Thanks for your insight.

[@chrisfyfe4047]

I used to have the plus model ( saw) , sadly lost it , wish it had a lanyard ring ! The awl is actually very usefull for scribing and marking . In Europe it would be more usefull , as plastic boxes are mote common !

[@txtoolcrib]

Good insight. I'll try to remember that I have a scribe in my pocket.

[@mrrobvs]

They need a good "I open Amazon boxes and beer bottles" knife.

[@txtoolcrib]

Like an electricians blade without the cable cutter and the combo tool?

[@mrrobvs]

@@txtoolcrib perhaps. Or just like a bantam with an electricians blade on one end and a redesigned bottle opener that opens bottles more reliably and serves only this purpose

[@doejon9424]

I do prefer that smaller blade over the cap remover / small flathead tool. I just wish they would have added the lanyard hole with small split ring like with the Pioneer.

[@miklospinter]

Actually, it's not the only knife that has this blade. As you mentioned, there was a model with a saw (Electrician Plus), there is the Apprentice (large blade + E-blade) and the Electrician Solo, and there are some Alox special runs (usually 50 pieces worldwide) that have this (Electrican Duo, Electrician Duo Plus, Electrician's Mate), the Swiss Bianco Carver SWE... And it is included in some larger 91 mm models (some versions of the Swiss Champ like XAVT), and even on the 84 mm Electrician.

[@txtoolcrib]

I appreciate your insight, I wish I more knowledgeable about Victorinox knives. Thank you for your help.

[@rinosmajo]

blades with that shape are called sheepfoot ,nice reviews anyway 👍

[@txtoolcrib]

Rino Smajo what did I say? I’m aware that this is considered a sheepfoot design, I was trying to remember what Victorinox called the other function of this blade. I believe they refer to it as a scraper for insulation, or something to that effect. Thanks for the clarification though.

[@Pharto_Stinkus]

@@txtoolcrib Vic officially refers to the small sheepsfoot style blade as an "Electrician's blade".

[@JustinOrnellas]

This is my Favorite Victorinox tool set. I wish they made the Cadet size with these tools. the nail file and can opener are useless to me. The strait edge of the Awe is great for drilling holes

[@txtoolcrib]

I need to pick up a Cadet.

[@timsummers870]

4:11 You gotta give that wire stripper a little more love and it will tear off that plastic thing like you wouldn't believe.

[@txtoolcrib]

I'll work on it.

[@l.nassah6728]

I definitely like electrician but.. I'd like something more and was looking around and came across the electrician duo, which has that hawk beak style blade as a third blade. That's all. Then another electrician plus ans duo plus and one that I'd like is master electrician which has a range of tools I think are about enough for basic electrician. I would love you to check it out especially the duo because I'm over if your videos you mention that hawk bill design. As always wonderful in depth reviews. Appreciate it sir!

[@txtoolcrib]

Thank you sir.

[@apmikalogran]

Is this blade good for whittling?

[@galuyasdi]

Tbe awl blade serves as a deburring tool for electrical boxes, etc. A file and a saw would be a big improvement though.

[@shaftwood]

That awl is actually not an awl. It's a reamer. For deburring things like conduit.

[@txtoolcrib]

Bit small for that task isn’t it? Though I can see how it could be used in that fashion fairly effectively.

[@Pharto_Stinkus]

It IS officially listed as a reamer, and it does work as such, with practice. It IS a little small for the task. It also works very well as an awl.

[@Bloodroot78]

That's not an awl, it's a reamer for pipe edges.

[@johnelder4273]

I'm not an electrician but I do a lot of chores on out on our 12 acre property. I think they could elongate and narrow the cap lifter/flat head and replace the awl with a Phillip's head and it would be a much handier electricians tool. A non-conducting and gripper handle scale would also be a big plus.

[@MJFallout]

Have been on the fence on this knife for years, likewise have wanted to like this knife for so long ... But why is there no Philips driver option on something designed for electricians? Why do we get one driver, the bloody widest flathead, and none other? 'this the anti-Leatherman where we get TOO FEW flatheads? Still - after all this time - hardly can believe it.

[@inthemiddleof]

No real electrician ever using sak to do their job, like ever.

[@txtoolcrib]

Really, why is that? I know plenty of electricians that use a SAK. One of my best friends is a journeyman that always has his SAK on him.

[@inthemiddleof]

@@txtoolcrib because we make a lot money , contractors expect us to be efficient with our time and use professional tools that we are required to have, that includes wire strippers and full size screwdrivers. He can carry sak and use it as a knife, sure but nobody rely on it’s multi functionality to replace real tools.

[@txtoolcrib]

Well to each there own I suppose. I am a professional millwright and literally own a couple of hundred thousand dollars worth of tools. That doesn’t mean I don’t carry my Leatherman at all times.

[@inthemiddleof]

@@txtoolcrib that’s fine, I carry one in my backpack too. I was only disputing the image of professional relying on a multitool to do their job. Seems like we are on a same page.

[@txtoolcrib]

I take your point.

[@Adriano_Pereira_]

concordo com o vídeo! obrigado .

[@txtoolcrib]

Muito obrigado. Agradeço por dedicar um tempo para assistir.

[@bdpf1744]

Instead of the awl, they should have put an inline Philips screwdriver. That would have made the perfect Electrician knife. For 3 layers, add the pliers. For 4 layers, add the file.

[@anonjohnnyG]

need a sak alox with pliers

[@MJFallout]

lol yeah. And since Victorinox brings out about one new, innovative thing every five years, you can probably expect that around the year 2040. Hang in there.

[@greekveteran2715]

I edc it lately.Problem is,I miss the can opener which I use a lot,not only as a flat and philips screwdriver, it can pry open devices,pull out batteries and so much more out of it.. I could modify the awl to use it as such,has anyone done that?

[@txtoolcrib]

Can opener can be good for quite a few different functions.

[@Pinki2019]

@@txtoolcrib The can opener is pretty good as an orange peeler, too.

[@sakpan39]

I think that the awl is such a great tool, that i wouldn't try to mod it. I also have an Electrician, and I miss the philips driver. So I took my Dremel 3000 and removed some metal from the bottle opener and turned it into a 2d/small flat driver. It works nicely.

[@greekveteran2715]

@@sakpan39 You probably moded the cap lifter? Then again you loose that great prying tool that I use on my job,to lift heavy iron plates.What do you use the tip of the awl for? I can only see it as a wood working tool,or maybe open a hole on a pants belt in a pinch? For my needs,it would be more useful as small flat head,of course I would keep it's sharpened part!

[@sakpan39]

@@greekveteran2715 Oops, I meant the bottle opener! I edited my message. With the pointy awl, I can also open those annoying clam shell packages. I never used the bottle opener as heavy duty prying tool. But I think that the modded one should be fine. Γεια σου πατριώτη!

[@oscarsalesgirl296]

I’m not an electrician but it sounds like swiss army didnt even ask an actual electrician what he would need for this knife. Cheers thansk for the review

[@Mikes_Life]

When you’re stripping wire with the notch I like to leave the knife blade folder down on the wire after you rotate it around the sheath and use the whole knife to pull the insulated jacket off. I hope that makes sense, I can post a video showing the method if you’d like ?

[@txtoolcrib]

I think I know what you mean. I would love to see a video of how your method works though.

[@wis1024]

I'd say they would be better off making the electrician blade a straight sheepsfoot on this model for everyday people and just build a more complex tool for electricians.

[@Sumatra123]

I don't carry a knife like this because it has no pocket clip. One of these in my pants pocket stays horizontal on my thigh and becomes uncomfortable as I walk. I even considered trying to install a pocket clip on one of these somehow, but gave up, and found something else to carry that has a pocket clip.

[@txtoolcrib]

I can relate. I hate having things banging around in my pockets.

[@Pharto_Stinkus]

Pocket clip are often frowned upon in the trades, due to their propensity for getting caught on things and pulling the knife out of your pocket. I've lost more than one knife that way.

[@midwaymonster78]

if i was going to make this knife better for i would replace the main blade with a file and a saw in a 3rd layer for dry wall and put a Philips on the back side like the do in the tinker that would give you about everything you would need i a knife.

[@meeder78]

The blade steel always seems very soft to me on Swiss army knives. When sharpening you will notice that directly.

[@txtoolcrib]

That is one trait of SAKs. But they are easy to sharpen.

[@scottmcintosh2988]

A philips 2

[@cpt7486]

It also needs some kind of wire crimper .👍

[@txtoolcrib]

Agreed, but that would be tough to do in a non plier based tool.

[@meeder78]

@@txtoolcrib and crimpers on multitools should only be used in emergencies. For proper crimping the proper crimping tool should be used.

[@Mystninja]

It's not a victorinox with out a can opener. Lol

[@wis1024]

I'd say they would be better off making the electrician blade a straight sheepsfoot on this model for everyday people and just build a more complex tool for electricians.