Last year, at the 2007 IWA & Outdoor Classics trade show (a show for Hunting, Shooting, Optics, Clothing, Knives, Gifts, Security and Law Enforcement) they awarded the “2007 Knife of the Year” to the Victorinox Swiss Army Rescue Tool. Now going to a trade show where they give out an award for the best knife of the year may not seem that prestigious, but this little snippet about this tool may impress you more. From the Victorinox website:

The title of Knife of the Year 2007 was awarded to the Victorinox Rescue Tool during the IWA, the largest knife exhibition in the world. The IWA International Knife Award has become an international reference and quality label: the Rescue Tool was picked among 77 knives from 34 exhibitors coming from 9 countries. The Rescue Tool has been developed by Victorinox in close collaboration with rescue and safety services.

Considering the competition and that they worked closely with rescue and safety services makes this tool even more impressive to me. The Rescue tool can be operated with gloves (handy for firefighters) and has luminescent handles so you can see it in dim light. Here’s a full list of features:

• Window Breaker (removable)
• Strong Screwdriver/Crate Opener with:
• Bottle Opener
• Wire Stripper
• Reamer, Punch
• Seatbelt Cutter
• Key Ring
• Tweezers
• Toothpick
• Disc Saw for Shatterproof Glass (removable)
• Luminescent Handles
• Nylon Cord
• Nylon Pouch

Also on their website is a clip showing the Rescue Tool in action.

This would be a great gadget for the hiker/camper that gives a bit more functionality than your standard Swiss Army multi-tool. It’s not cheap at $90 (US), but like every Victorinox knife and multi-tool, it has a limited lifetime warranty.

[Victorinox via Ubergizmo]