The Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, also known simply as a Swiss Army Knife or a SAK, is such a useful tool that the term has become a metaphor for “thing that can do it all.”

And to be fair, there really is a lot you can do with one. No, really. We’ve written about it before. Just check out our previous article on “35 Cool Things You Can Do with Swiss Army Knife Tools.”

But there are also some things you should never do with one - or with any folding pocket knife, for that matter. These are among the top offenses. Don’t do them!

Throw It

Don’t throw your SAK. it’s not intended for that. At best nothing bad will happen, at worst you’ll break the pivot point or chip the blade. If you must throw a knife, use throwing knives. They’re not folders (and have no pivot to break) and are made from softer steel that is less likely to chip.

Baton with It

Batoning should be reserved for fixed blades only, and there are many who contend that knives should not be used as batons at all.

Either way, batoning with a folding knife is asking for damage to both the lock and the pivot mechanism. Do not do it, period.

Use It Around Saltwater Without Thoroughly Cleaning It Afterwards

Your Victorinox Swiss Army knife is made with a special stainless alloy that actually is resistant enough to use in marine environments - but not resistant enough to stand up to repeated exposure without being cleaned in between. If you do live by the shore or bring it on the beach or on a boat, make sure to rinse and dry it.

Use the Tip of the Knife to Pry

Prying with a fixed blade is dangerous enough, prying with a folder is doubly dangerous. Not only do you run the risk of snapping off the tip, but also of the blade folding on your hand as you pry, which is, as you likely don’t need us to tell you, bad for your fingers.

Use It As a Striking Tool

A Victorinox Swiss Army knife may very well be a tough tool, but it just isn’t a hammer. They’re made with soft synthetic scales (or, occasionally, aluminum) that just aren’t well-suited to striking. Leave that to the actual hammers of the world, or for heaven’s sake, carve a maul using your SAK and use that for its intended application.

Anything That Makes You Strain

Or, a better bit of advice: don’t use your Victorinox Swiss Army knife if it is not sharp. A dull knife is a dangerous knife because it will make you work harder. A sharp knife is a safe knife because you can cut what you need to with less effort. If you’re straining, you’re more likely to slip. Stop what you’re doing and reassess.

Use It As a Bait Knife (or for Other Gritty, Greasy Applications)

We might catch a bit of flak for saying this, but truthfully, these gritty, greasy, dirty jobs are best reserved for fixed blades. There’s a reason most if not all bait knives are fixed to begin with - just saying.

Here’s the thing about folders. They have moving parts. Here’s the thing about bait (and what not). It‘s dirty and greasy. All that junk will end up in your blade’s pivot mechanism sooner or later and ruin it.

This isn’t a hard or fast rule, but if you do use a folding knife for bait prep or for cleaning fish or game, do a very good job of cleaning it.

Stick It in the Ground

For some reason, some people think it looks cool to stick a knife in the ground, as though it is some declaration of exterior grit. Perhaps it does. It is also terrible for the knife.

Soil will wear out your blade’s edge faster than a marathon across sandpaper. That’s because soil has tiny bits of stone in it. They will wreak havoc on your edge. Also, the ground usually has moisture, so that’s two strikes.

It folds for a reason. So you can fold it and put it away. Let’s keep it that way.

Use a Lot of Oil on Pivot Points

A little bit of liquid lube can be a good thing, from time to time, but when it comes to folding knives, less is more. Oil will get in the pivot and attract dust and dirt, which will act as abrasives and make the mechanism gritty, rather than fluid.

You can use a little but make sure the knife is very clean when you do. A better alternative is to use compressed air to blast any dust out of the pivot.

Put It Away Wet

Once again, let us belabor that Swiss Army Knives are made with highly corrosion-resistant stainless alloys. At the same time, they are not rust proof. Therefore, never, under any conditions, put your SAK away wet. Always clean and dry it first.

Put It in the Dishwasher

This one is a rule that applies not only to a Victorinox Swiss Army knife, and in fact, not just to all folding knives, but to all knives - including kitchen knives.

“But wait,” you exclaim, “does this mean I can’t wash my kitchen knives in the dishwasher?!”

Yes. Yes it does.

The harsh detergents and extreme temperatures of the dishwasher will destroy whatever scale material your knife has, synthetic or otherwise. If you don’t believe us, try it, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

The long and short of it is this. Avoid the dishwasher like the plague and always wash all your knives by hand, and dry them, before storing.

Time for a New Victorinox Swiss Army Knife?

Have you committed one of these cardinal sins, resulting in the loss of or damage to your Victorinox Swiss Army knife?

Your secret is safe with us, for now, as long as you don’t repeat the offense. So get your new SAK here and leave the wiser!