"Note the winner was the only one not to bring a knife."

But he apparently had a Victorinix multi-tool, which I believe does include a blade. I would think that to be perfectly adequate, rendering a large bladed, SERE style, macho cutting tool unnecessary.

I like blades that are tough and small, like a DR PSK Mk 5, as well as a good multi-tool (either Skeletool or Wave).

This isn't strictly survival related, but on Tuesday (Election Day in the USA), as part of the election staff, I will be roaming between 9 or 10 polling places, troubleshooting and dealing with issues, which often include equipment breakdowns and malfunction. I will be packing both my Skeletool and my Wave, equipped with Bit Kit and a small adjustable wrench. It is always good to have versatile tools handy to deal with unpredictability.
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Geezer in Chief