Victorinox Onefold Review: Reinventing the Wheel

Changing a century-old, world-renowned form factor that sells millions of knives a year is a bold move, but that is exactly what Victorinox did with its Refined line. These tools add two things missing from classic Swiss Army Knives: a locking blade and a pocket clip. There are three tools in this new line, the simplest being the Onefold, which is a folding knife with no other tools. 

Questions abound — who are these for, were the additions worthwhile, and are these tools good? I tested the Onefold to find out.

In short: Onefold is a surprising iteration on a tried-and-true formula. The result is a unique knife in the market that has a lot to offer, especially for people living in areas with restrictive knife laws. But its price is high for the materials it uses.  

Victorinox Onefold Review

Design

With frame cutouts, brushing, and textures, the Refined line is a huge change of pace from the world of Cellidor jelly bean scales. This knife looks and feels fancier. The blade shape is still classically Victorinox, with a thin stock and slicey grind.

The lock, which opens in the opposite direction of all other liner locks on the market, is weird — but the blade retains its half-stop position from the slipjoint designs Victorinox is known for. 

The clip works well, and the knife is quite light for a blade that takes a beating. The only thing that was completely untouched is the choice of steels — the Onefold, like all Refined line knives, still sports the good-but-not-great Victorinox “stainless steel.”

Familiar Steel on Simple Tasks

As with most knives, I tested the Onefold doing regular cutting chores around the house and working on projects in my woodworking shop. I found the knife to be truly superior in cutting tasks, as one would expect with a Victorinox.

It was also quite hardy, thanks to the aluminum frame and the very sturdy lock. If you avoided Swiss Army Knives (or SAKs) because they lacked a lock, the water is fine now.

My town has mandatory recycling and size-limited bins, so I do a lot of garbage processing. It’s a regular chore, and I often break down a half-dozen cardboard boxes at a time. 

In those chores, thanks to the thin blade stock and the slicey grind, the Onefold is like a plow through a fertile field. The steel, which is a comparatively poor edge holder, is quite easy to sharpen and, once touched up, goes right back to work.

I prefer a steel with higher edge retention, but as an alternative, Victorinox’s 1.4110 steel remains a good choice. This knife is perfect to use when you are learning how to sharpen. Its blade geometry, thin stock, and soft steel allow you to obtain noticeable results in only a few minutes. 

The knife also does well with food prep tasks like making sandwiches, slicing fruit, spreading peanut butter, and cutting cheese. Because the 1.4110 is so stain-resistant, I had no fear running the blade under the sink to clean it off.

Tougher Tests: Workshop Tool

In the past, I found that other Victorinox knives were only OK in my workshop. With harder woods like maple or oak, the blade dulled quickly and the lack of a lock, while never a finger-chopping issue, always reduced my confidence in the knife. 

The dulling issue remained, but for the first time, I felt like I could do really tough tasks without fear or hesitation. Scraping, marking, and twist-prying wood was no challenge for the Onefold (though I didn’t try to pull apart a maple slab).

It was primarily used when making cutting boards for Christmas gifts, so there was a lot of glue-scraping, and the knife did fine. The edge did not dull, and I never once worried about the blade collapsing into the handle.

Results

What I Liked

If you can have a 1.8-ounce, hard-use folder, this is it. The new features were all welcomed, even if they are not perfect. I like the lock’s rigidity quite a bit, but the belt-and-suspenders system of a lock and a half-stop made disengagement an act of true finger yoga. 

I also really loved the low-profile pocket clip. It allows the knife to slide in and out of your pocket with ease and still stays out of the way during cutting tasks. Lots of high-end knife makers could take note. I just wish it were attached to the handle with screws and not pins, which makes user replacement and servicing impossible.

The handle is a little busy compared to the minimal and clean lines of most Victorinox folders, but I think it makes the knife better in the hand and a smidge lighter. 

Drawbacks

My biggest hangup with the Onefold — and the entire Refined line — is its price. There are a lot of very good $56 folders on the market, many with better steel. I wish Victorinox used 14C28N for the Onefold, a steel found on some of its newer fixed blades. 

Also, some folks will complain about the lack of one-handed opening, but I am OK with it. Slowing down when using tools with a sharp edge is a good thing. Plus, the lack of a clacking sound when you open the knife makes the Onefold quite people-friendly.

It is a tradeoff, but one I am willing to make, especially since the Onefold isn’t the only knife I own. It also makes the knife better in places with legal restrictions.

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

This is an above-average knife with a few niggling issues and a price tag that is at least $15 too high. That said, it is as people-friendly as it comes, is quite light, and has amazing lockup. 

The steel is easily serviced, but that’s really damning it with faint praise, as it’s well below par in the market in terms of edge holding. If you want to learn to sharpen, it’s a good training-wheels steel. 

Buy this if you like sharpening and want a light, modern folder — or if you live in a locale with knife-phobic lawmakers.