Swiss Army Knives

[Shane6377]

I searched for a thread dedicated to Swiss Army Knives but couldn't find one.

We all have them... here's the place to show off your collection.


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[Shane6377]

Victorinox Classic SD
Victorinox 84mm Recruit
Victorinox 91mm Super Tinker

I have a few more but will have to round them up for pics later.

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[ifirefight]

What timing! I just got this for My Father in Law. We gave them out to all the people in our wedding party 25 years ago. Well, he lost his a while back and was bummed out, so I got one just like it for him for his birthday in a few weeks.




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[Dave455]

Ahh, Swiss Army Knives!

A peculiar fascination of mine since early years, and in an age when so many mass produced knives have blades so badly ground that they are almost un sharpenable, they offer a decently ground blade at a reasonable price.

I’ve tended to shy away from the versions with too many tools, the most useable knife is the one you have with you. Probably a simple two layer.

My personal favourites have always been the alox handled models. Slightly more heft and a more durable handle.

This one is an 80’s vintage Farmer, in the brighter red alox favoured then, though it looks darker in the picture. A favourite then and ever since.

 

[Dave455]

I wasn’t going to post too many rarities here, but we’re among friends, so what the hell!

 

[Ton ton]

I love Swiss army knives but I gave my last one away. So now I can buy another one.

 

[JR 42]

I like the alox handles, but you lose the toothpick and tweezers, which are half the reason to carry a SAK (the other half is the saw and the multipurpose can/ bottle opener, IMO of course). I need to pick up another Waiter- I like the thin ones.

 

[Shane6377]

Ahh, Swiss Army Knives!



A peculiar fascination of mine since early years, and in an age when so many mass produced knives have blades so badly ground that they are almost un sharpenable, they offer a decently ground blade at a reasonable price.



I’ve tended to shy away from the versions with too many tools, the most useable knife is the one you have with you. Probably a simple two layer.



My personal favourites have always been the alox handled models. Slightly more heft and a more durable handle.



This one is an 80’s vintage Farmer, in the brighter red alox favoured then, though it looks darker in the picture. A favourite then and ever since.

Nice knife Dave. I've been looking for a Farmer in olive green but they are hard to come by.


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[Farmall450]

I have a nice aluminium farmer...somewhere

 

[slowtwitch73]

Nice knife Dave. I've been looking for a Farmer in olive green but they are hard to come by.


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There's a few on Ebay......

 

[slowtwitch73]

I have scads of swiss army knives.. they seldom see the light of day. I throw them in toolboxes, first aid kits, backpacks, gloveboxes, etc for emergencies.
They were the pajamas decades ago.. seems Leatherman really stole their thunder.

 

[MikeF2316]

Mine is blue! It was given to me about 25 years ago, with some company's logo on it, but that's long since worn off, although the Victorinox emblem is still there.

Plus I have a similar red knife (but with saw blade instead of scissors) given to me in the early 70's by my father, and carried by me up until I got the blue one.

And a third one, also given to me by my father, 2" fat with my name engraved in it. Much too heavy to carry around.

 

[MattT]

I like the alox handles, but you lose the toothpick and tweezers, which are half the reason to carry a SAK (the other half is the saw and the multipurpose can/ bottle opener, IMO of course). I need to pick up another Waiter- I like the thin ones.

Still carry one of the keychain mini ones primarily for the tweezers. Only other thing I use it for is deburring copper tube.

They were the pajamas decades ago.. seems Leatherman really stole their thunder.

Victorinox stole it back, and then some, with the Swisstool. It's a SAK with pliers and hammer

 

[Farmall450]

I have scads of swiss army knives.. they seldom see the light of day. I throw them in toolboxes, first aid kits, backpacks, gloveboxes, etc for emergencies.
They were the pajamas decades ago.. seems Leatherman really stole their thunder.

Same here. I'd be lost without my trusty Leatherman (clip type), just far more useful than a swiss army knife.

 

[Dave455]

Nice knife Dave. I've been looking for a Farmer in olive green but they are hard to come by.

Yes, I don’t think they made many. Maybe one special run? I’ve never seen one, but I know they are out there!

Could you manage with a different green? There are quite a few around with other shades of green alox. I have the dark ‘forest green’ which is quite nice.

Alternatively, could you manage without the saw and go for a “Pioneer”. Olive green was their “Limited” colour in 2017, but they were not that limited, so there are plenty around. One is shown below. If I’m carrying mine in a trouser/pant pocket I prefer the two layer knives like the Pioneer.

I must admit I do like the colour. The paler shades seem to suit the alox very well. I much prefer the paler red of the original farmer to the darker shade that came later.

For practical purposes it’s hard to beat the silver. If you do get any scrapes or scratches they don’t show up as a different colour. The silver knife below is my daily user at present. It does everything I want, nothing I don’t, and takes a superb edge with minimal work.

 

[Shane6377]

Yes, I don’t think they made many. Maybe one special run? I’ve never seen one, but I know they are out there!

Could you manage with a different green? There are quite a few around with other shades of green alox. I have the dark ‘forest green’ which is quite nice.

Alternatively, could you manage without the saw and go for a “Pioneer”. Olive green was their “Limited” colour in 2017, but they were not that limited, so there are plenty around. One is shown below. If I’m carrying mine in a trouser/pant pocket I prefer the two layer knives like the Pioneer.

I must admit I do like the colour. The paler shades seem to suit the alox very well. I much prefer the paler red of the original farmer to the brighter shade that came later.

For practical purposes it’s hard to beat the silver. If you do get any scrapes or scratches they don’t show up as a different colour. The silver knife below is my daily user at present. It does everything I want, nothing I don’t, and takes a superb edge with minimal work.

It's mostly because I like the olive green color. Other models would be fine. I've actually thought about getting an olive green Cadet and trying to mod it by adding scissors. But I'm not one to have things for show so I would use it and it would get beat up.

You're absolutely right about the practicality of silver alox. Best bang for the buck for heavy users.


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[Dave455]

It's mostly because I like the olive green color. Other models would be fine. I've actually thought about getting an olive green Cadet and trying to mod it by adding scissors. But I'm not one to have things for show so I would use it and it would get beat up.

You're absolutely right about the practicality of silver alox. Best bang for the buck for heavy users.

For olive green I would definitely go out and pick up a 2017 Pioneer or Cadet ASAP! At the mo they are relatively common but prices will start to creep up as they get rarer.

Not sure about modding a Cadet to add scissors. You would need scissors to suit that size of knife (84mm?) and I would need to think if those are even available. The blades on the Cadet are also thin.

If you like silver, and want scissors, I would go out and get a Pioneer X. Basically the farmer, but with scissors instead of a saw, or a Pioneer with scissors, if you prefer. These are often available in colours. I have a red one!

 

[mr.lemons]

Sak Ambassador. Slightly larger version of the Classic. Surprisingly functional for a small knife.

 

[neophyte]

I have scads of swiss army knives.. they seldom see the light of day. I throw them in toolboxes, first aid kits, backpacks, gloveboxes, etc for emergencies.
They were the pajamas decades ago.. seems Leatherman really stole their thunder.

The individual accessory blades on Victorinox knives are usually better designed and better made then those on Leatherman knives.
For other things it’s a toss up.

The Leatherman file/saw, with the dismond grit is probably better in general than the file/saw on Victorinox knives.
The pliers with replaceable jaws on those Leatherman knives that have the feature, are also better for people who use the cutters often.
Leathetman also uses arguably better steel alloys for their blades.

In most other cases the Victorinox blades are far better thought out and made than those on Leatherman knoves.
Also, the ergonomics on some leatherman knives just completely ****.

 

[swissguy]

Being Swiss, I have some
The brown ones were issued to soldiers 2nd WW. The silver ones somewhere in the 70 to 80. These are just the ones within reach, there are some more.

 

[jdepiero]

very nice swissguy!

 

[MikeinNorthWales]

Being Swiss, I have some

The brown ones were issued to soldiers 2nd WW. The silver ones somewhere in the 70 to 80. These are just the ones within reach, there are some more.

Being Swiss, are they simply "Army Knives"? Or do you actually call them Swiss Army Knives. I've always wondered about that. And do they just call it "food" in China...

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[Shane6377]

Being Swiss, I have some

The brown ones were issued to soldiers 2nd WW. The silver ones somewhere in the 70 to 80. These are just the ones within reach, there are some more.

Very nice collection. You've got some gems there!


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[slowtwitch73]

Here's what I could find. Mostly Victorinox, couple Wegners, three different logos.

 

[BMack37]

I always carry the SAK Manager. The pen is a game changer, soo small and light and all the tools on it are pretty much perfect.

 

[mr.lemons]

I always carry the SAK Manager.

Me too.

 

[GCS]

Ahh, Swiss Army Knives!


I’ve tended to shy away from the versions with too many tools, the most useable knife is the one you have with you. Probably a simple two layer.

My personal favourites have always been the alox handled models. Slightly more heft and a more durable handle.

For practical purposes it’s hard to beat the silver. If you do get any scrapes or scratches they don’t show up as a different colour. The silver knife below is my daily user at present. It does everything I want, nothing I don’t, and takes a superb edge with minimal work.

Also a big fan of the Alox Pioneer. Been carrying one since 1985. Had one issued in the military.

I have question on the Victoinox crest. My military issued knife didn’t have one. Had Victorinox stamped on one side of the blade, and year same as my current Pioneer. My current Pioneer has a different crest than yours pictured. Mine is like the Wergner crest.

European vs USA?

Thanks for any info.

 

[Citation]

I used to have this Wenger knife

I really wish they still made that model. My "LL Bean" equivalent replacement was a Victorinox that just wasn't as good.

Currently I carry a mini Victorinox that has a pen.

 

[jives]

Have carried a Victorinox SAK Classic for probably 35 years know. It is my EDC. Go through one about every 4-5 years. Even use the toothpick and tweezers. Knife blade is surprisingly useful. More useful, easier to use, and fits in my pocket much better than my Leatherman mini.

Had a Wenger once. Hated the scissor mechanism. Thought the rest of the knife lacked Victorinox quality.

 

[Shane6377]

The SAK toothpicks work really well for cleaning out the charge ports on phones and tablets. It doesn't damage anything and helps get a good connection when charging devices. Just another handy use.


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[Dave455]

I have question on the Victoinox crest. My military issued knife didn’t have one. Had Victorinox stamped on one side of the blade, and year same as my current Pioneer. My current Pioneer has a different crest than yours pictured. Mine is like the Wergner crest.

European vs USA?

Thanks for any info.

The knife you pictured isn’t a “Pioneer” but rather a “Soldier”, though one has to be careful as the names can change with the intended market! I don’t think the knives do.

That’s the knife that was actually issued to the Swiss Army for many years, and as far as I can tell remained unchanged, including the crest shown.

The “Pioneer” has a key ring, but lacks the date on the blade. For many years the “Pioneer” also had red scales, making it a somewhat different knife to the Soldier.

In recent years, Victorinox switched the “Pioneer” to silver alox scales, so it’s almost the same as the old “Soldier” now, but with a different crest.

Some pictures. In the first picture are 3 “Soldiers” all with no key ring and a dated blade. Dates are ‘95, ‘98 and ‘08. The latter was, I think, the last year they made the ‘Soldier”. No variations here, other than the crest colour, which gets darker.

I don’t have a “Pioneer” of similar age to compare, but the “Farmer” is the same knife with an additional saw. In the second picture (L to R) are a “Farmer” bought new by me in about 1985 (light coloured scales, and the crest used at that time on the alox models except “Soldier”) The “Pioneer” of the same era looked identical.

Next a modernish “Farmer” in silver, and another modernish one in the slightly harder to find red. (The red scales are darker, and the crest is the modern one). Finally the 2018 Limited Edition “Pioneer” in a different red again.

The 80’s knife is the nicest. I prefer the classic colour, the liners are brass and the blade grind is faultless.

The modern knives are very close, but lack the brass liners.

The 2018 knife is not quite as good. The blade is not so finely ground, and the “whetted edge” to use a Sheffield term, is asymmetric.

 

[Citation]

Have carried a Victorinox SAK Classic for probably 35 years know. It is my EDC. Go through one about every 4-5 years. Even use the toothpick and tweezers. Knife blade is surprisingly useful. More useful, easier to use, and fits in my pocket much better than my Leatherman mini.

Had a Wenger once. Hated the scissor mechanism. Thought the rest of the knife lacked Victorinox quality.

Funny, the serrated edge on the scissors were one of the things I preferred. That and things like the flat phillips and the can opener shape. Not that the can opener was used much. The flat phillips was a lot nicer than the T handled phillips on the replacement Victorinox. Still, if I could put the micro scissors and pen from my mini swiss army knife onto my Leatherman squirt I would be all done.

 

[slowtwitch73]

I've always found the magnifying glass one of the more useful features. Great for starting a fire in a pinch.

Would be fun if they offered a custom knife building app. Choose your tools, color etc...

 

[Monte]

the simple version with just one blade

and the complex version:

 

[swissguy]

Being Swiss, are they simply "Army Knives"? Or do you actually call them Swiss Army Knives. I've always wondered about that. And do they just call it "food" in China...

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We call knifes issued by the Army "Army Knife" The rest, with cork screws, toothpics etc. are just called Pocket Knife ( Sackmesser)

 

[swissguy]

Very nice collection. You've got some gems there!
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Thanks! There I found 2 more.
The blue on was custom made as a gift for guys visiting from Langley. I kept 2 of 13 made
The other one is a commerative edition with gold inlays for Switzerlands 700th birthday.

 

[Shane6377]

Thanks! There I found 2 more.

The blue on was custom made as a gift for guys visiting from Langley. I kept 2 of 13 made

The other one is a commerative edition with gold inlays for Switzerlands 700th birthday.

Very nice! Is the blue one a Vic and the gold inlay a Wenger?

I don't have a very big collection but have always preferred my Vic's to Wenger.


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[swissguy]

Very nice! Is the blue one a Vic and the gold inlay a Wenger?

I don't have a very big collection but have always preferred my Vic's to Wenger.

Correct! The blue one was made somewhere around 1981 for a CIA delegation visiting us. Victorinox back then requested a minimum of 13 to be made
I don't really collect them. They are just around

 

[swissguy]

I was driving a armoured black Oldsmobile in the mid 80ies. One summer night the AC didn't work. Blown fuse. Had no spare fuse. heat was unbearable because of the armour. Used my little Wenger as a spare fuse. Not a good idea but it worked! (Hi, Ambassador Whittlesey!) Blade was red hot and had a spot welded out. But the temperature was somehow cool.

 

[Shane6377]

I don't really collect them. They are just around

Ha. Me too. I call it a collection but mine are all users.



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