Fancy little "design it yourself" pocketknife

If you've ever purchased a Swiss army knife, you know the hardest part of choosing your knife is just figuring out which one fits your needs best.

Do you need this blade or that saw? A magnifying glass or a USB stick? Corkscrew or scissors?

Well, what if you didn't have to choose? Quirky is selling an interesting take on this idea with the Switch:

Switch is the ultimate modular pocketknife, with 17 different attachments so you can mix and match your most frequently used tools. Customize your Switch's width by swapping out the inner axles, or group your tools into different "themes" — home, office, outdoors, etc.

It's not dirt cheap, but then again, a quality Swiss army knife isn't either. I'd be interested to see one in person, the concept images are nice, but a real photo would be a bit more informative. Check it out here.

• [salsaman]

  No photography of the device anywhere on the site? CG renderings should tip you off that this thing is vapor.

• [DaveP]

  swiss army knives can be dirt cheap. shop around, people

• [cminus]

  I find this interesting, but have two questions before I commit to buying one:

  1. Does the US government go into conniptions if someone tries to bring a “pocketknife” with no blades through security? I’m more worried about courthouses than the TSA, although passing the TSA would be nice too. Because I would buy a pocket corkscrew/bottle opener/can opener/flashlight/pen that can get through security theater performances.

  2. Is it possible to run a keyring through the small axle? If the bladeless version could fit on a keyring, it would be a dream product come true.

  • [Anonymous]

    Last time I flew, even screw drivers were not allowed to be carried on to the plane (lost a couple good screwdrivers), so as ridiculous as it is, I don’t think a can opener / corkscrew would be allowed. Heck, even the flashlight sounds pretty dangerous. ;)

    • [cminus]

      The TSA’s own policies say that screwdrivers under seven inches in length are permitted, as are tools under seven inches in length other than those for which other restrictions are specified. So, on paper, this could go through security.

      On the other hand, the screeners are explicitly allowed to make up any rule they want on the spot (“Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) may determine that an item not on the Prohibited Items List is prohibited”), so I don’t know if I’d want to take the risk of running into a TSO who’s convinced that corkscrews are a threat to National Security.

• [Bobdotcom]

  I’d love one of these; I would also prefer to custom-order the pieces I want online, rather than having to purchase the entire kit. That would not only save money but would prevent me having a box of unused knife parts to have to store somewhere.

• [jackbird]

  The design is so obviously modular, I’ve always wondered why Victorinox doesn’t set up kiosks in upscale malls allowing you to fabricate a custom swiss army knife with exactly the tools you need on the spot.

• [Anonymous]

  Ordered mine last summer, and it was supposed to ship in September. Still not in production.

• [ericroded]

  Does it have the secret Swiss Army roach clip?

• [Anonymous]

  That is a really cool idea! I love it.
  Great concept. I am sure future iterations will be even cooler. Hope he sells a ton of them.
  I wish I could afford it.

• [Wally Ballou]

  Looks like the page is already getting hammered. I did manage to get a look at the tool via Google cache.

  My question would be about the long term durability of something that would repeatedly be assembled/disassembled. Knife blades are not something you want to feel suddenly wobbling about because there’s some wear and tear in the axle connections.

  By comparison, my Victorinox Deluxe Tinker (shameless plug, the real sweet spot of the SAK line) has remained solidly riveted together for 15+ years.

  • [Veldcath]

    I’ve got the Tinker too, but I must admit it hasn’t been used in ages. Now I wouldn’t trade my Gerber Multi-Plier 400…

• [fxq]

  No point in getting one while the TSA keeps stealing mine.

• [Anonymous]

  Keep in mind that Quirky hasn’t supplied any info about how production is coming along since mid-October. So, be prepared to wait awhile.

• [mteague]

  Great concept. I am sure future iterations will be even cooler.
  I hope he sells a ton.
  Wish I could afford it!

• [sapere_aude]

  That’s cool; though I wouldn’t trade my Swiss Army Knife for anything.

• [Anonymous]

  This is not in production, regardless of what it says on the site. The last info on it from Quirky was in December, at which point they said they would have prototypes by Jan 10th. That date is long gone, so there’s no telling what’s happening to it now.

• [Anonymous]

  I pre-ordered it when it was announced on 4/27/10, almost a year ago.

  Still no news on when I’ll receive it; they had manufacturing issues.

• [Nylund]

  All those choices and options would leave me continually wondering if I could have made a better combination. I prefer others to make the tough decisions for me. That way, I can blame someone other than myself. I am not alone in thinking that more choice leads to more unhappiness:

  http://www.biopsychiatry.com/happiness/choice.html

• [andyhavens]

  Is it just me, or is it kinda funny that you need to use a quarter to assemble your pocket knife? Shouldn’t one of the tools be explicitly able to help assemble itself?

• [graphicsman]

  they are almost easy enough to take apart yourself. I wonder if you can pick up a cheap knife at the airport if you aren’t getting on a plane?

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphicsman/5416472995/

• [cowtown]

  SOG multi-tools are also modular, though you’ll want some loc-tite for when you reassemble. One of the reasons I picked a SOG over a Leatherman. I’ll probably eventually trade out the scissors for the seatbelt/rope cutter.