Swiss Army Fixed-Blade Multitool? Victorinox Venture Pro Knife Review

For more than a century, Victorinox has been the staple utility tool for soldiers and civilians all over the world. For many, the Swiss Army knife was an introduction to not just not the knife world, but the outdoor world as well. The original multitool’s simple form factor remains iconic. Each model looked nearly identical, with different tools on board to address different activities and jobs.

In July, Victorinox launched its Venture and Venture Pro knives. Far from being the brand’s first full-tang fixed-blade knives, the Venture series was instead unique as Victorinox’s first attempt to address the ever-growing bushcraft crowd.

And with the Venture Pro, all the tenets were there: flat ground drop point blade, 90-degree spine, bow drill divot, and — in the case of the Venture Pro — a ferro rod.

But there’s more to the Venture Series than just being another knife on the market aimed at bushcraft aficionados. This is a larger form factor knife, made from Victorinox’s specially blended 14C28N stainless steel. Last I checked, all of the blades of my Swiss Army knives are still as sharp as razors. Even the ones I got as a kid.

That said, I wanted to see if the Venture was worthy of entering the bushcraft ring. If you’re wondering what the competition looks like, check out our list of Best Bushcraft Knives.

In short: I had Victorinox send me out the Venture Pro, because I wanted all the bells and whistles. For $115, I am not sure you can find a better all-in-one solution for outdoor adventure use. The bottom line is that with the Venture Pro, you can do everything you need to do in the outdoors, right out of the box.

Victorinox Venture Pro Fixed Blade: Review

Design and Features

The Victorinox Venture Pro is 9.50 inches of full-tang fun. Made from a singular piece of 14C28N stainless steel, this drop point blade is skin-piercing sharp.

Aside from the jimping on the blade, for increased control and wood filing, the edges of the spine remain unbroken. Opting not to break or sand the edges so they roll, gives a 90-degree edge that a ferro rod will love to rip down to throw a shower of sparks.

Victorinox referrs to the tail end of the Venture Pro as having a “protruding tang.” What this means is that the butt of the knife isn’t covered by the TPE handle scales. That allows you to use the butt of the knife to smash, scrape, or hammer.

Additionally, the protruding tang features a ¼-inch hex bit drive, so you can attach different bits and essentially convert the knife into a screwdriver, drill, Torx driver, etc.

Pro Tools

Victorinox offers two versions of this fixed-blade knife, the Venture and Venture Pro.

The standard Venture comes with a belt sheath. This sheath is modular and reminiscent of what comes with the Morakniv Kansbol. It includes drain holes that double as blow holes for firestarting.

The Pro version includes an upgrade, allowing the standard sheath to also carry a ferro rod, tweezers, and ballpoint pen. It also adds MOLLE and Tek-Lok adaptability.

First Impressions

Victorinox’s U.S. headquarters is about 20 minutes from my house, so the knife arrived overnight. This didn’t give me much time to read up and get an idea of what it was all about. Ultimately, that proved fantastic. The first two key aspects I noted after receiving the Venture Pro were how light and sharp it is.

I threw a paper towel holder into the air and sliced it like I was wielding a samurai sword. This is what the combination of a good size-to-weight balance and a finely honed edge can do for you.

But this shouldn’t be a surprise; every Victorinox Swiss Army Knife out there has scalpel-sharp blades that never seem to dull.

Folks might have trouble deciding if they need the standard Venture or the $40 extra Pro. All of the Pro’s features live inside the sheath, and there are no changes in the knife itself.

That said, the Pro makes carrying a Ferro rod really easy. And the ability to mount the sheath to MOLLE and Tek-Lok clips is also nice.

Overall, it’s the Pro’s ability to leave the sheath upgrade behind and just use the standard sheath. I like to have the option, but if you won’t require the added-carry extras, the standard Venture might be a perfect fit.

In the Field

I fast-tracked my first testing session because I was excited and wanted to test it out in the real world. I wanted to see if I could do everything at camp with this knife, sheath, and tool combo kit.

In testing, I used the Venture Pro with and without the Pro Sheath. For long-term carry, like the hike to camp, it’s fantastic. But when you get to camp and start prepping food and kindling, it’s much easier and more comfortable to use the standard sheath.

The way the standard sheath slides into the Pro sheath is really well thought-out, worthy of a design award, in my opinion.

The first time I used the ferro rod, I almost lit the world on fire. I threw such a shower of sparks that I think time slowed down so I could appreciate the impact. That owes to the Venture’s unbroken, 90-degree spine. That hard edge makes a world of difference. The ferro rod might be a little undersized for larger hands, but you won’t struggle to start a fire.

The tweezers are the same you’ll find on all the Victorinox folders we grew up with. However, the inclusion of a ballpoint pen is a bit of a head-scratcher. I actually thought it was a steel toothpick until I tasted the ink in my mouth. But honestly, I’d personally rather have a steel toothpick.

If I am writing a note out in the bush, it’s with a Sharpie or construction pencil. That said, some folks might appreciate a writing implement that snaps to the sheath.

Victorinox Venture Pro: Conclusion

Were I in the Scouts, and had someone handed me the Venture Pro when I was 11 or 12 years old, I would have walked into the woods and never come back. Aside from being a total package, the knife itself is incredibly precise, which makes it an easy-to-use option for almost anything.

I enjoyed going from kindling prep to food prep, without a hiccup in performance.

For you or the bushcrafter in your life, the Victorinox Venture Pro will level up the bushcraft game.