Has Victorinox "lost their way"?

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EngrSorenson said:
No, I don't- I was eying one, but then I noticed the Trekker and Hunter models. I've been debating between those two. ETA: now looking at the Forester vs the Hunter.
I like alox models, and I have a couple now, but I find I actually miss having the scale tools and the back tools (at the very least, the corkscrew, which is tremendously helpful getting knots out of fishing line).

But I don't know why I'm bothering, Victorinox doesn't even say hi to me anymore. :p
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What you need is a swisschamp.
 
I was actually thinking about posting this very thread in regards to that very video, how funny --- all that aside, he puts out some topic discussions for sure. Victorinox started and survived 100 years through recessions of multiple countries, highly doubt they will let their swiss army knife go to sh#t
 
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Whatever you say... Listen to some more YouTube morons. Maybe DBK or one of the other jackasses will tell you what size boots to wear. I'd hate to have to figure things like that out by myself.
 
ShaiHulud said:
Let's hope it doesn't get to the point where they start shipping out knives with loose fitting scales and play in their tools
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They already do ship out SAKs with loose tools. It's hit or miss. I have purchased a couple of brand new SAKs with play in some of the tools. I have bought used ones on ebay of the same models with no play at all. So it's quality control issue. There are other QC issues I've come across as well. Some of them are mentioned sporadically around the internet. One example would be how the nail file on the classic sd scratches the knife.
 
Guy McVer said:
They already do ship out SAKs with loose tools. It's hit or miss. I have purchased a couple of brand new SAKs with play in some of the tools. I have bought used ones on ebay of the same models with no play at all. So it's quality control issue. There are other QC issues I've come across as well. Some of them are mentioned sporadically around the internet. One example would be how the nail file on the classic sd scratches the knife.
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I see
I had a bantam with a loose bottle opener, first time ever experiencing a loose tool from victorinox
 
My goodness gents, don't ever buy a traditional knife like a stockman... Blade rub happens it you cram that many little pieces of steel into a tight space.
 
Wild Willie said:
My goodness gents, don't ever buy a traditional knife like a stockman... Blade rub happens it you cram that many little pieces of steel into a tight space.
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I bought 2 small stockmans from case. Terrible terrible.. one knife had valleys of blade play, the second knife was misaligned so poorly that the third stuck out of the handle
This happened to both in the same way.
I
 
We're all well aware that Case let's a stinker out on occasion.

That being said, the past couple I've purchased have been without anything to complain about, but I'm just some dude on the Internet without a YouTube channel, so don't take me at my word.
 
Wild Willie said:
My goodness gents, don't ever buy a traditional knife like a stockman... Blade rub happens it you cram that many little pieces of steel into a tight space.
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It's another QC issue. It doesn't happen on every single classic, and from what I can tell it's a relatively new problem that didn't happen on older production runs of the classic. If you have one that does it, then you'd definitely know because the scratching on the knife from the file's texture rubbing against it is quite severe. I've had two myself that did it (both were factory new), while all the other classics I've had in my hands didn't have the same problem. It's another example of how victorinox appears to be gradually slipping.
 
315 said:
I haven’t watched the video yet but have watched several of his in the past, even made some purchases of a few items he profiled. I’m a fan of the Victorinox SAK’s just the way they are. I do wish they’d make some past models but that’s only because I missed the boat when they did. Instead of discontinuing a bunch of their 84mm knives I wish they’d increase production and add some new models. In a 2 layer I actually prefer 84mm for pocket carry. But I’m just one lone consumer so I know in the end they go with what the numbers tell them. Regarding marketing strategies, it’s a weird new world we live in with social media and the ability to track people’s internet searches. In just the last 30 years look at all the new gizmo knives and tools that have been introduced. I couldn’t even imagine trying to market a design that is decades old to try and keep up with the newest, shiny gizmo that we get distracted by.
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True, slipjoint designs are over 100 years old, and to keep them relevant in an industry where locking knives are an established mainstay, and preferred cannot be accomplished by accident or pure dumb luck
 
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Wild Willie said:
It's still old news to the real steel snobs, and it can't be sharpened on traditional stones that are probably what most Vic users have available.

I'm well aware of how economy of scale works, and that victorinox is bigger than buck. Buck however, tries to target the edged tool enthusiasts. Their tooling and heat treatment protocol have already been dialed in, and associated costs have likely been out of mind for some time.
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Diamond sharpeners are getting cheaper. Many super steels may be bought for under $50 per pound (1.4110 is about $1/lb.). I used Buck S-30-V as an example of a market place upcharge.
For what Victorinox charges for designer scales and blades shaped like mountain ranges, I think they could offer serious steels at similar or even reasonable prices. I have watched the Buck heat process. It is not a state secret. The extra cost for making high end blades is the laser cutting, water jetting, or Electro Discharge Machining the blanks. The added material cost is lbs per blade X $ per lb.
I have many Swiss Army Knives and many super steel knives. I wouldn’t mind a combination of both.
 
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tiguy7 said:
Diamond sharpeners are getting cheaper. Many super steels may be bought for under $50 per pound (1.4110 is about $1/lb.). I used Buck S-30-V as an example of an market place upcharge.
For what Victorinox charges for designer scales and blades shaped like mountain ranges, I think they could offer serious steels at similar or even reasonable prices. I have watched the Buck heat process. It is not a state secret. The extra cost for making high end blades is the laser cutting, water jetting, or Electro Discharge Machining the blanks. The added material cost is lbs per blade X $ per lb.
I have many Swiss Army Knives and many super steel knives. I wouldn’t mind a combination of both.
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I understand the desire to have the best of both worlds. Just seems like if you're willing to throw the money at it, a craftsman here or elsewhere could knock one together for you. I've seen some of your shared custom jobs, and they're friggin awesome.

I still carry a CRK or Buck along with whatever SAK is in my pocket, the locking folders see the most knife-y sort of use. That way there's a fresh, easily sharpened edge on hand should one be required.

Guy McVer said:
It's another QC issue. It doesn't happen on every single classic, and from what I can tell it's a relatively new problem that didn't happen on older production runs of the classic. If you have one that does it, then you'd definitely know because the scratching on the knife from the file's texture rubbing against it is quite severe. I've had two myself that did it (both were factory new), while all the other classics I've had in my hands didn't have the same problem. It's another example of how victorinox appears to be gradually slipping.
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I've seen the problem addressed in the past. I don't carry a classic as I prefer the rambler, haven't personally noticed anything on the examples carried by my kids or the Ms. WW. Outside of that, every victorinox knife that's gone through my hands has been without a major flaw... At least until I start using them, and I don't count my abusive tendencies against any company.
 
jackknife said:
Maybe, maybe not. I don't think there are ebbs and flows in the sales of SAK's, like there is in the knife nut world, where they all are going to buy the next 'big' thing'. They want the latest super steel of the month and any minor deign change in a lock that makes a bit different and therefor "better". I don't think, aside from the obsessive fan boys on this forum, that SAK buyers are repeat buyers as long as they have one.

My father in law, Bill, was a perfect example. Bill had a beat up old Wenger SAK, and he took it on his canoe trips, camping trips, and day to day. He never bought another knife because he had his SAK. Like a lot of themes from his generation, he had that one pocket knife, and unless it was broken, lost, or stolen, he didn't need to go buy another one. Bill was a meteorologist for the U.S. weather service and specialized in hurricane study. He went on expeditions to study weather phenomenon all over the world and that SAK most likely had 500,000 miles on it. Even after he retired to a little house on the intercostal waterway to indulge his passion for sailing, his SAK was in his pocket. he did after 30 years or so wear it out, so he bought a new Victorinox. That one was with him till the end. That was it, two SAK's in the course of his life. All the camping and traveling Bill did, he knew he needed a pocket knife, so he bought one. One. Not exactly a repeat buyer to count on.

I think the bulk of SAK buyers are like that. They need a pocket knife, so they go into a sports store, look around, and there is all the nice shiny red handle SAK's hanging on the peg. So they pick one. They now have a 'knife'. They are content. Being on this forum it's easy to get a veery perverted view of knives, and the knife world. But we, the forum members, make up maybe about 1% of the knife buying public. We are the obsessed, the fan boys that the rest of society thinks is 'weird' and they are right. Hell, most of urban society doesn't even carry a knife anymore. And they make dinner using the 3.99 made in China kitchen knife from the utility isle at the supermarket because they don't care about knives. They use Bic pens, drive Toyota Corolla or Honda Civics, and get by just fine.
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Carrying a knife has been criminalized and demonized by a lot of ah. "Wokers" to the point where they affiliated a lot of knife carrying as weapons, whether or not it was the thought behind the design at all
 
Guy McVer said:
One example would be how the nail file on the classic sd scratches the knife.
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That’s not a QC problem. That’s a problem inherent with almost any multi blade pocket knife. You’d just aghast to see the blade rub on GECs 5 times the cost! Then by virtue of including an abrasive file on thin stock, it’s only going to be worse.

Complaints like that are so small that the mere mention of it leads me to believe there’s just not enough real problems.
 
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