Victorinox's 17th annual Damast release is the Evoke Wood Damast Limited Edition — a 115-layer Gysinge Damasteel single-blade lockback with sustainably sourced plane tree wood scales and a level of craftsmanship that is genuinely unusual for a brand best known for tiny toolbox pockets.
Say "Swiss Army Knife" and most people picture a compact multi-tool with a dozen implements tucked into a red plastic handle. That is the empire Victorinox built, and it is a very good empire. But every so often, the brand puts the multi-tool playbook down and makes a knife that is just a knife. The Evoke Wood Damast Limited Edition 2026 is exactly that, and it is the most visually striking single-blade folder Victorinox has ever produced.
The Evoke is a single-blade lockback. No saw, no scissors, no awl. Just a 3.875-inch drop point and a back lock that gives you proper cutting confidence rather than the wobbly nail-pull deployment of a classic SAK. Opened up, it measures 9.19 inches overall — full-size territory, and arguably on the larger side for many EDC users.
The blade is the star, forged from 115-layer Gysinge Damasteel. For the uninitiated, this is the high-end Swedish-made stuff that real Damascus enthusiasts get excited about. Hardened to 60 HRC, it sits in the sweet spot where it will hold an edge through real work without becoming a sharpening nightmare. The acid-etched pattern is genuinely wild — like a topographic map melted into a blade.
The plane tree wood scales are sustainably sourced and grain-matched per knife, meaning no two of the 7,000 are identical. The hidden detail is the steel liners peeking through the wood scales' contoured cutouts, which carry their own swirling Damasteel pattern. It is a subtle bit of visual continuity that collectors will absolutely appreciate.
At 6.28 ounces, this is not a lightweight knife. The lockback mechanism, removable thumb stud, and lanyard hole all signal a tool that is meant to be used, although the $465 price tag and limited edition status mean most of these will probably live in presentation boxes rather than pockets. Each knife ships in a presentation box with a certificate of authenticity, and the edition number is burned directly into the wood scale.
The bottom line: The Victorinox Evoke Wood Damast Limited Edition is available now at $465, with only 7,000 numbered units worldwide. Previous Damast releases tend to disappear quickly, and this year's drop is arguably the prettiest of the series. If you are a Victorinox collector or a Damascus enthusiast who appreciates traditional craft in a modern package, this is the release worth tracking down.