Not just a gimmick

[AimlessWanderer]

Many people here seem to give the Swiss knives that take batteries a scornful view. While I too have taken the view at times that electronics don't belong on a pocket knife, I've found myself carrying the Voyager Lite a fair bit recently.



For those who might not be familiar with it, the Voyager Lite is similar in construction to the Explorer, but with a light instead of the mag glass, a nail file on the hook, a stopwatch, timer and alarm clock on the front scale, and the full range of plus tools on the rear.

As many here are already aware, I spend most of my time indoors these days, and face far fewer daily challenges for my pocket tools to overcome than I used to. I face different challenges instead, many of which a pocket tool can't help with. Yet the Voyager Lite has been a very useful tool all the same.

The Clock:
I like pocket watches, always have, and up until a few years ago, a wrist watch was a snag hazard which could create far more problems than it solves, both in engineering and marine environments. It therefore doesn't feel odd for me to have to put my hand in my pocket to find out what time it is. This "pocket watch" not only teels me the time, but unlike my others, I can also set a timer to remind me when to check the food in the oven, or make a phone call, or whatever other reminder I may need. The alarm clock isn't loud enough to wake me should I fall asleep, but is enough to remind me it's time to take medication for example.

The Light:
Yes, the light is fairly low level, and you're not going to be carrying out search and rescue missions with it, but as a domestic tool, it's perfectly capable. It's sufficient for finding the keyhole when returning from the shop at night, or finding your dropped keys, or the pen that rolled under the sofa. A few nights ago, the light in the hallway dimmed then went "boom", blowing the fluorescent bulb completely off it's screw fitting, tripping the breaker, and plunging the house into darkness. The Voyager Lite safely navigated me around the house to find a brighter torch to go down into the cellar and reset the breaker. If I didn't have a brighter torch handy, or the batteries were flat, I could probably have coped with just this light on its own. What more do you want from a pocket knife?

Everything Else:
I've used the inline Phillips to tighten saucepan handles and the knobs on saucepan lids, the knife and openers for opening various things in the kitchen, and scissors for nail trimming, sachet opening, thread cutting, and a myriad of other things. The pen has crossed off things on the shopping list when I've gone grocery shopping without a pen, and i've described before how the parcel hook and a short lanyard makes life easier in lifting shopping bags in and out of the boot of the taxi, and stopping them spewing their contents in transit. The plus tools have all done what they were designed to as well. In my current lifestyle, I don't need a woodsaw or metal file, or any other implements that this knife doesn't have with any regularity, and there's very few days when the Voyager Lite doesn't have what I need.

In short, the electronic elements on this knife are no less useful to the right person in the right setting, than any other implement, on any other knife. The Voyager Lite is a tool which I've nearly sold in the past, and nearly broken up for parts, but I'm glad I did neither.

It's a great pocket knife, and while I'll certainly drift between that and all my others, its here to stay, and will be used as intended. 

[Aloha]

Nice write up and great seeing you around.  I have been recently looking at the Spartan Lite.  This looks like a nice set of added features over the Spartan lite     

[Reinier]

Excellent review Al!
I like your writing style.

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice write up and great seeing you around.  I have been recently looking at the Spartan Lite.  This looks like a nice set of added features over the Spartan lite     

Thanks mate 

The Spartan Lite would be a non-starter for me, purely because I don't carry Swiss knives that don't have scissors. In fact the only scissorless Swissie that gets any use at all here, is the Tourist which was my first ever Victorinox knife. Within a week of getting it, I regretted not getting one with scissors, and have heeded that lesson ever since, but this knife still sees regular use residing in my cutlery drawer in the kitchen. It opens cans and other packaging, and still has a beneficial existance, but never makes it to the pocket.

[AimlessWanderer]

Excellent review Al!
I like your writing style.

Thanks Reinier 

[Greg Jones]

Nice write up, I enjoy first hand thoughts 

[Fast Bill]

The Voyager Lite is a funny old combination but I tend to agree that it has a lot going for it. Ok the torch is rather a poor relation these days but as you say it is better than no torch. Good review 

[Rapidray]

Nice write up for sure. I have thought of getting one with the light, but I was looking at the cybertool light setup 

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks guys 

Ok the torch is rather a poor relation these days but as you say it is better than no torch.

I have thought of getting one with the light, but I was looking at the cybertool light setup 

I think there's been different versions of the  light, but this one is quite useful. If I stand at the top of my stairs, there's easily enough light thrown to read a newspaper headline on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. If you're just wanting to put some garbage out, or walk round the house in darkness, there's more than enough light in my opinion.

The downsides are battery life, the batteries not being rechargeable, and the fact that the light can easily be turned on accidentally - either momentarily or fully switched on. In a tight fix such as if you've run the batteries flat, so long as you're going from a light area to a dark one, you can get "some" light by switching the clock battery for a depleted light battery. The clock has enough capacitance to keep the time in memory for a while too. Certainly long enough to do a battery change, and maybe a few seconds longer for a brief illumination job.

[Rapidray]

Thanks guys 

Ok the torch is rather a poor relation these days but as you say it is better than no torch.

I have thought of getting one with the light, but I was looking at the cybertool light setup 

I think there's been different versions of the  light, but this one is quite useful. If I stand at the top of my stairs, there's easily enough light thrown to read a newspaper headline on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. If you're just wanting to put some garbage out, or walk round the house in darkness, there's more than enough light in my opinion.

The downsides are battery life, the batteries not being rechargeable, and the fact that the light can easily be turned on accidentally - either momentarily or fully switched on. In a tight fix such as if you've run the batteries flat, so long as you're going from a light area to a dark one, you can get "some" light by switching the clock battery for a depleted light battery. The clock has enough capacitance to keep the time in memory for a while too. Certainly long enough to do a battery change, and maybe a few seconds longer for a brief illumination job.

Oh, I didn’t know or even think about it being turned on accidentally - that is nice to know and to watch for! 

[Sparky415]

Nice one Al 

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Cheers Tony 

[Don Pablo]

Excellent review Al!
I like your writing style.

I agree. It was a very enjoyable read!
Now I want an electronic SAK.

[AimlessWanderer]

Excellent review Al!
I like your writing style.

I agree. It was a very enjoyable read!
Now I want an electronic SAK.

Thanks Pabs 

I'm not sure which versions are still made  Possibly the one that adds thermometer and altimeter into the mix too, but can't remember the name of that one. Traveller Lite?

[Smashie]

Yes it’s the Traveller Lite. I’ve carried this many times when ahem travelling.

The light is perfectly adequate as Al has said as long as you don’t expect a multi lumen monster.

[AimlessWanderer]

Yes it’s the Traveller Lite. I’ve carried this many times when ahem travelling.

The light is perfectly adequate as Al has said as long as you don’t expect a multi lumen monster.

Cheers Mark