Van Neistat's Custom Swiss Army Knife

About This Video

Van Neistat's EDC is a single tool: the Victorinox Swiss Champ. He once packed a Swiss Champ and nothing else on a trip through Europe. The scissors see the most use, cutting open sauce packets, food packages, string, cord, twine, and line. He washes the knife now and then so ketchup doesn't gum up the works.

The modifications tell the story. He replaced the stock pin with a needle, for obvious reasons. The hook, which the Victorinox manual describes as a device for carrying pastry boxes, Van uses to put a chain back on sprockets without getting his hands dirty and to re-bead a bike tire. He did the bike tire in Berlin. The saw cut foraging sticks yesterday. The file works steel and aluminum. He has used every tool in this thing at one point or another.

The opening line borrows from the Rifleman's Creed: "there are many like it but this one is mine." A mass-produced multi-tool becomes personal only through the inventory of what you've actually done with it, and Van's inventory runs from ketchup cleanup to Berlin bike repair. That range is the argument for the Swiss Champ as the tools-and-craft baseline. See also his custom pencil, where the same logic applies to a writing instrument, and the first 5 tools list for what else makes the cut. Related: Van Neistat's Tool Kits.

FAQ

What knife does Van Neistat carry every day?
The Victorinox Swiss Champ. He calls it his EDC, his everyday carry. He has customized his by replacing the stock pin with a needle and has used every tool in the knife at one time or another.

What does Van use the hook for on his Swiss Army knife?
Putting a chain back on sprockets without getting his hands dirty and re-beading a bike tire. The Victorinox manual says the hook is for carrying pastry boxes. Van found better uses in Berlin.

Transcript

this is my EDC my everyday carry there are many like it but this one is mine without me my Swiss champ is useless without my Swiss champ I am useless once packed a Swiss champ and only a Swiss champ on Europe trip I use the scissors most often usually to cut open sauce or food packages or string cord twine or line got to wash it now and then lest it gets gunked up with ketchup used the saw yesterday to cut foring sticks this file will cut steel and aluminum I've used every every tool in this thing at one time or another I've replaced the stock pin with a needle for obvious reasons this Hook is for putting a chain back on sprockets without getting your hands dirty or re beating a bike tire in Berlin the manual says it's for carrying pastry boxes too those classy Swiss soldiers God bless them

Products & Tools Mentioned

• Swiss Champ (Victorinox) essential