The Best Swiss Army Knife for EDC Just Got a Rare Steel Upgrade

The ever-dependable Farmer X Alox is the latest SAK to join Victorinox’s longstanding Damast Collection.

Published July 22, 2024

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There may be no such thing as a bad Swiss Army Knife, but within Victorinox’s vast catalog, examples like the Farmer X Alox shine brighter than the rest.

The medium pocket knife boasts 10 functions, including a wood saw and scissors, and its anodized-aluminum scales bring plenty of durability to the equation.

Now, the knife has received a rare upgrade, but you’ll have to act fast to get it.

That’s because the Farmer X Alox is the latest SAK to join Victorinox’s longstanding Damast Collection, celebrating the history and culture of Damascus steel with one limited-edition blade per year.

Victorinox Farmer X Alox Damasteel

$275 at Victorinox

Farmer X Alox Damast

Limited to just 7,000 pieces worldwide, the Farmer X Alox Damast represents the 15th addition to Victorinox’s Damast Collection, which previously introduced Damascus steel to SAKs like the Pioneer X Alox (2016) and Hunter Pro Alox (2020).

The new brown colorway is unique within the Alox family.

As with the regular Farmer X Alox, the new Damast version features a wood saw, scissors and eight other functions. However, its long blade is crafted from Hakkapella Damasteel — named after Finnish winter tires due to the pattern’s visual similarities.

The blade is made with 115 layers of steel and carries of a hardness grade of 60 HRC.

The blade is made with 115 layers of steel and carries of a hardness grade of 60 HRC. Typical SAKs have relatively soft steel, with an average of 56 HRC; that makes them easy to sharpen but quick to lose an edge.

The knife also comes in a new dark-brown colorway, unique within the greater family of anodized-aluminum pocket knives that Victorinox calls Alox.

The Farmer X Alox Damast measures 3.7 by 0.7 inches, with a width of 0.9 inches. It weighs 3.8 ounces.

Availability and pricing

Premium steel comes with a premium price tag. The new Farmer X Alox Damast, available now while supplies last, costs $275 — a $200 hike from your everyday Farmer X Alox.

That said, collectible SAK still represents good value. A limited-edition pocket knife from The James Brand, equipped with Damasteel, went for $1,349 and sold out quickly after its release.

Though that knife came with other upgrades, including a carbon-fiber handle and titanium frame lock, it lacked the multitool functionality found in the Farmer X.