Why does a Swiss Army Knife need that fancy hook? (5 photos)

Everyone is probably familiar with or has heard of the famous Swiss Army Knife. This is undoubtedly the knife that comes to mind for many when they hear the word “pocket knife.”





But have you ever wondered why the classic Victorinox Swiss knife has a hook-shaped tool? In fact, the hook leaves many people confused as to how it should be used and why it is needed.

At first glance, it may seem that this is the most useless device in a knife. But there must be a reason why Victorinox, the maker of the original Swiss Army Knife, includes a hook in most of their SAKs (Swiss Army Knife), right? Yes, this is actually a very versatile device.

What do Victorinox themselves say about the hook in their knife?



Officially, the utility hook in a Swiss Army Knife is designed to carry heavy plastic bags, boxes or bags wrapped with rope or thin cords that can dig into your fingers and palm. Therefore, a person can hang such a bag on a hook and carry it by the body of the knife, which acts as a handle. The hook is quite durable, and Victorinox claims that it is strong enough to hang loads up to 200 pounds (~90 kg).

However, in addition to its official purpose, this hook can be of great help in everyday life. Here's how else you can use it:





A tight knot is a situation where none of the other tools other than the hook in a Swiss Army Knife are more useful. It does an excellent job of unraveling the most stubborn knots, and it is much more convenient to pick up a tight knot with a crochet hook.

Zippers with broken tabs are also quite an unpleasant phenomenon. If this happens to you on a hike, you may be stuck for a while trying to figure it out. In this case, with a knife hook (as in the picture above) you can easily pick up and close or open the zipper.



The hook can also be used as a stand for a mobile phone, but of course it’s a kind of design.

Also, a Swiss knife hook can be useful in situations such as: opening tight cans, working with a bicycle chain, carrying loads, lifting hot objects or pots in nature, etc.



In general, the hook is so versatile that you can use it to hook anything, evenly, as well as use it using various unconventional methods. So we would say that this is a very multifunctional and incredibly useful device.

If you know any other ways to use this hook, then you can share this knowledge in the comments.