My father taught me that when you have the right tool for the right job, everything goes easily. In my humble opinion, the pipe knife is the better tool.
Aerator spike? Check.
Tamper end? Check.
What separates the Czech tool from the pipe knife is the substitution of a real (dull) blade for the dottle spoon. The pipe knife's blade does everything the dottle spoons does, but the dottle spoon can't give me a good quick ream of the bowl after a smoke. The dottle spoon is nice, don't get me wrong, but it's just too dull. It's a spoon. I sharpen the blade of my pipe knife occasionally. It's stainless steel so it never gets too sharp, but I get it sharp enough to cut through the loose cake----to get the bowl's cake that optimal dime's width.
I wouldn't bring my pipe knife to a fight. I'd get laughed off the field. "You call that a knife?"
I will bring my pipe knife to my desk every day. When it gets a little dull on it's scraping edge, I hone it, with the same stone I use for my pocket knife; just enough to gently scape away the tar and solidified ash.
Who sharpens a spoon? It's a contradiction in terms.
I don't have a fancy pipe knife, though I would love to have one. Mine is a bare-boned affair that cost me about 9 bucks. About triple or quadruple what a Czech tool costs, but an investment well made in my opinion. Whenever I misplaces my Czech tools, I wouldn't worry about it much. I had alternatives. If I ever lost my pipe knife, I'd have to buy a new one ASAP.
That's the difference between a tool you like and a tool you rely on. YMMV.
