The Victorinox emergency blade is found on some of the
smaller 2 1/4" (58 mm) Swiss Army knives such as the MiniChamp.
This tool is also called the letter opener.
The emergency blade is a second small blade that is a
little narrower than the regular blade. It has a slight curvature
which makes
it "ride" better when opening letters. It's also a very effective
tool for minor surgery such as removing a splinter or a piece
of broken glass-- the tip is well designed for that kind of work,
and does a much better job than the regular small blade.
Uses: The emergency blade is sometimes just the perfect tool
for some tasks where the regular small blade simply won't fit. We'd
love to see it on a wider range of Swiss Army knives!
HINT: Many people find that having a second blade is extremely
useful-- you can keep one blade very sharp, and one blade less sharp (and then use
the duller blade for tasks that would take the edge off the "good" blade).