Victorinox Swiss Memory Knife

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

July 09, 2004

Product Requirements:
Works with Windows 98/SE/2000/ME/XP, MAC OS 9.x or above, Linux 2.4 or above, USB 1.1/2.0 interface

Now that pocket-sized memory is becoming so commonplace, it was only a matter of time before a company got the brilliant idea of adding it to an item of theirs that many people already carry. I think I would be safe in saying that quite a few of our Gadgeteer readers have a Swiss Army style knife in their pocket or purse. Well, perhaps now might be the time to upgrade to the Victorinox Swiss Memory Knife, available from Think Geek.

      

Measuring just 2.25" long x 0.25" wide x 0.75" thick and weighing only 1.1 ounces, this knife is only a bit thicker than the classic pocket version. This model really packs a punch though, as it not only has the typical blade, nail file with flat screwdriver end, ballpoint pen and scissors, it also has a detachable 64MB USB flash drive as well as a red LED light. Can't you just feel the Geek love? ♥

The pen, instead of completely sliding out as it does on other models, is pushed out when you slide the gray retractor on the side of the knife. While the pen can be completely removed, it is actually much easier to write with if you use the body of the knife as the barrel of the pen. Of course, you are not going to want to write your Magnum Opus in this manner, but it will do when you need to scribble your autograph. Extending the nail file while you are writing makes the "pen" a truly manageable length.

I do have to admit that I kind of miss the tweezers and tooth pick, though...

More than making up for their absence is the addition of the 64MB USB flash drive. While you can leave the drive in the knife at all times, it is also easily detachable for those hard to reach USB ports.

       

There is a small blinking LED on the card which indicates when read/write activity is occurring. A 39.5" male/female USB cable is also included for those who might want to leave the cable in place and not have to remove the drive from the knife. This is a thoughtful included convenience.

   

Lest you think that this is some cheesy unprotected flash drive, I can relieve you of that fear right now. This is a SwissBit drive, which uses SecureLOCK technology. In layman's terms, this means you have the option of protecting none, all, or just a portion of your data from prying eyes.

Plugging the knife into a USB drive creates a separate drive and allows a new drive window to appear...

   

If you do not want to bother with security, you can transfer items directly to this drive, without entering the Secure Lock portion.  I transferred a 32MB Money file to the disk to this unsecured area, and it took 37 seconds.

A better place to keep such a private file would of course be under password protection, so I decided to set that up. Clicking on the Secure Lock  icon revealed the set up screens...

The first step is to hit the Create Partition button.

Here you can determine how much of the disk will be private, and then you need to set a password and reminder. It is best to do to do this on a blank card, as any stored data is about to be erased.

Once the partition is formed, you will see this...

...meaning it is time to remove the card and then reinsert it.

This time, when the Secure Lock icon is clicked and the correct password is entered, you are taken to a blank drive window, just ready to be loaded with secret files...

Pretty cool, huh?

This way should you ever lose your knife you won't have to worry about the new owner discovering your recipe for cold fission. ☺

We are still not done, though - there is one more feature that we must discuss - the built in red LED spotlight, which is accessed by pressing the Victorinox shield on the top of the knife.

The resulting red LED light is perfect for sneaking through dark offices without ruining your night vision...cue the James Bond music now!

The Victorinox Swiss Memory Knife is a must have for those of you that carry a pocket knife and want a portable, password protected way to transfer files between computers. Christmas is still quite a ways away, but it is never too early for making plans. This knife and memory combo would make a fab stocking stuffer for your favorite Geek. If you are your favorite Geek, then there is no better time than the present.

The Victorinox Swiss Memory Knife is available at Think Geek and other retailers.

Price: $69.99
An Airport friendly version is also available for $64.99

Pros:
Excellent combination of quality pocket knife and protected USB 2.0 Flash Drive
Can enable protection for all, none or a portion of drive
LED light is a nice touch

Cons:
None