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The Roxon KS2 Pocket Tool Compared to Victorinox Huntsman SAK and Reviewed

The Roxon KS2 and the Victorinox Huntsman are both quality pocket knife style multi-tools.  There are no pliers here and they have enough similarity in their tool sets for a comparison.  The Roxon has 13 featured tools (including the pocket clip) while the Huntsman has 14 tools (including the key ring).  Both have a large knife blade, scissors, screwdrivers, and a saw as the major tools.  The saw on the Huntsman is a signature item that distinguishes it from other 91 mm, 3 layer, Victorinox swiss army knives such as the Explorer.

Either of these tools is pretty nice for everyday carry. They are both compact, versatile, and useful tools that can be useful for a variety of tasks.  Despite their many similarities, there are some distinct differences. The KS2 is an original take on the pocket knife type multi-tool and it has many distinct features that are an improvement on the SAK design, but the SAK design is great, so it is hard to improve upon this.

Choosing between them could be hard, so you could alternate days if you wanted, but seriously, it comes down to the styling and the type of tools you consider the most important.  Price can also play an important factor in choosing as tool as the Roxon costs $30 USD, while the Huntsman comes in at $45 USD.

Front of the Roxon KS2 and the Victorinox Huntsman with camouflage scales.

Style and Appearance

The Huntsman has your classic Swiss army knife (SAK) styling that everyone recognizes.  SAKs can have a variety of different coloured scales on the sides that includes the classic red colour.  SAKs fit nicely in your pocket and have nicely rounded edges and contours so you don't get poked by a pointy corner.  This tool is comfortable to hold, the nail nicks make it easy to get the tools out, and it doesn't weigh too much. 

The Roxon is a boxy rectangle in shape that has a classy appearance due to the textured, black, G10 scales and the polished metal components. This is a chunkier feeling tool than the Huntsman because it is both shorter and heavier, but it has more steel in the frame and parts.  It is fairly comfortable to hold due to the rounded corners and beveled edges on the scales, so it doesn't jab you with something sharp in the frame. 

Fit and Finish

Both of these tools are well constructed and feel sturdy.  There is no flex or mismatched fitting of parts.  Everything is polished and the blades came sharp and there were no flaws in my tools.  Roxon did forget to put in my tweezers, but an email to their customer support had them send me a new pair in the mail (which took a month from China).  Customer support was polite and responsive and they processed my issue and shipped out a new tweezer in 24 hours.  The Victorinox has the advantage of many different scale colours, but the Roxon comes only in black.

Differences Between the Two

A number of the tools on the KS2 can be opened easily with one hand, with the saw and scissors being harder to open without a lot of fumbling.  There is a thumb stud for the knife to flip it open, and a little lever flips out the Phillips, awl, and bottle/can opener/small flathead.  All the tools other than the scissor and tweezer are locking tools too.  Liner locks for the knife and saw, while flipping the lever down unlocks the other tools.  

The SAK has no locking tools and no one-handed opening tools.  The saw is slightly larger on the SAK and it does have one of the best saws too.  The KS2 was designed around the knife and scissors.  The scissors are huge and very good, possibly much better than the SAK scissors which are some of the best in the multi-tool world.  I really like the big scissors as it is an important tool for urban living.  Both types of scissors cut paracord and paper really well.  

The SAK knife blade is a little longer and the ergonomics for holding it are a bit better than the KS2.  The KS2 has a deep carry pocket clip built in so it doesn't sink to the bottom of your pocket, while the SAK will need a after-market clip attachment to do this.  The SAK is slimmer and lighter than the KS2 as I previously mentioned.  

The Huntsman also has a larger flat screwdriver that is something that I wish the KS2 had.  The Roxon is like many Chinese multi-tools where they have a really nice Phillips screwdriver, but no larger flat head that could also double as a light duty prybar.  The Huntsman also has a nice corkscrew which can store either a small eyeglass screwdriver or one of the new Fire Ant ferro rod and tinder combinations.  If you need a nail file or Phillips screwdriver, you will need the Roxon.  The Phillips driver can also act as a base for an optional bit kit that you would need to carry along (would need a pouch to carry in this case).

Showing the top of the tools. KS2 on the left, Huntsman on the right.  You can see everything is nicely finished and fitted.

The bottom of the multi-tools.  You can see the scissors take up a huge amount of space on the Roxon as they are a key feature.

Specifications for the Victorinox Huntsman
Length: About 91 mm (3.58 inches)
Height: About 27 mm (1.06 inches)
Width: About 21 mm (0.83 inches)
Weight: Approximately 97 grams (3.4 ounces)

Specifications for the ROXON KS2
420 stainless steel for the body, 5Cr15Mov steel for the knife blade, G10 handle
Length: 86.5 mm (3.40 inches)
Height: 25 mm (.98 inches)
Width: 20 mm (0.79 inches)
Weight: Approximately 125 grams (4.4 ounces)

Huntsman Roxon KS2
Large Blade Large Blade
Small Blade -
Scissors Large Scissors
Can Opener Can Opener
Small Flat Screwdriver Small Flat Screwdriver
Bottle Opener Bottle Opener
Wire Stripper Notch -
Large Flat Screwdriver Phillips Screwdriver
Reamer/Punch Reamer/Punch
Sewing Awl Sewing Awl
Wood Saw Wood Saw
Tweezers Tweezers
Multi-Purpose Hook -
- 1 Inch Ruler
- Nail File
Key Ring Pocket Clip
Optional Fire Ant Ferro Rod/Tinder Optional Extended Bit set (optional)

SAK with the Fire Ant fire starter on the corkscrew.

The very different blades on the two tools.  You have the classic spear point flat grind on the SAK.  The Roxon has more of a saber grind drop point.  Both are very sharp and the SAK has slightly better blade steel.

There really isn't any comparison between the two scissors other than they are both effective and sharp.  The KS2 has a heavier duty scissor and both are spring loaded.

The SAK saw is better, but the KS2 will work quite well despite being shorter.

The other tools on each of the multi-tools.  The larger flat head on the SAK is nice to have.  If you use the awl though, the locking awl on the KS2 is better than the awl on the SAK tha comes out on the bottom where the corkscrew is.

The SAK has a toothpick and tweezer as scale tools.  The Roxon has tweezers on the end of the handle for the scissor.
Conclusion

These are both really good tools for every day carry.  If you were actually camping / hiking a lot, I would probably choose the Huntsman, while I would choose the KS2 for city / urban daily life.  However, having said that, my standard pocket carry is a Victorinox ALOX Farmer SAK.  I like the Farmer's ALOX scales, slightly larger knife, slightly heavier-built tools like the screwdriver, and slimmer thickness from the scales.

When I’m not carrying the ALOX I carry the ROXON, especially when I figure scissors are going to be useful.  I would carry the Huntsman if I needed a pocket tool for the woods though.  The Huntsman can also be kitted out with the Fire Ant fire starter as an emergency survival tool.

In the end, personal preference is one of the most important thing for these pocket tools or many multi-tools in general.  As long as the tools are sturdy, affordable, and versatile, you can pick what you want within reason.  The KS2 would not be legal to carry in Britain as it has a locking blade, but other factors you want to take into account would be your primary uses for the tool.  Scissors and a knife for cutting are the most important for urban / daily use.  In the outdoors, your knife and saw would be more important. Lucky for us that these two tools have the bases covered for both uses as they each have scissors, saw, and knife.


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My Tokyo Guidebook Now In Print and Ebook