This place is dying,so Swiza vs Victorinox

bt93 said:
I'm curious as to how well the Swiza holds its edge compared to Vic. I'm guessing it would be better than Vic given that it's 440c.
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Truthfully, I couldn't tell a difference. Probably because both are supposedly the same hardness.
 
They're trying to do something that just doesn't need to be done, Saks are modern enough looking with alox and their new interpretation of " the wheel ' just won't take off.
 
Hickory n steel said:
They're trying to do something that just doesn't need to be done, Saks are modern enough looking with alox and their new interpretation of " the wheel ' just won't take off.
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I'm betting they're doing alright in Europe where the company is better known because of their watches. I don't expect them to really compete with Victorinox for awhile, but I bet they'll do well enough for Swiza to stay with producing knives. I do see them as a legitimate alternative to Vic. Remember at one time you had Victorinox and Wenger. Now there's just Victorinox. Don't be surprised if Swiza puts up a good fight for a contract with the Swiss Army next time one comes up. Doubt they'd win it , but then again Switzerland had traditionally split contracts with Wenger and Victorinox, so it's possible a contract 5-10 years from now could be split between Vic and Swiza, assuming Swiza chooses that route for their sales.
 
Does anyone know what the difference is between the D03 PostAuto and the regular D03 other then the price?
 
DavidZ said:
Does anyone know what the difference is between the D03 PostAuto and the regular D03 other then the price?
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I think PostAuto is some transportation or bus company in Europe. I googled it and went to the website and it was all in German or Swiss, whatever language is spoken there. So apparently the knife is dedicated to riding a bus or something.
 
DavidZ said:
Does anyone know what the difference is between the D03 PostAuto and the regular D03 other then the price?
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Just the grip color. Yellow with PostAuto logo. PostAuto is a Swiss public transportation system (busses) carrying passengers and mail.
 
bt93 said:
I think PostAuto is some transportation or bus company in Europe. I googled it and went to the website and it was all in German or Swiss, whatever language is spoken there. So apparently the knife is dedicated to riding a bus or something.
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Thanks bt93 and leghog for the information.
 
I handled one quite a bit at Blade show, and I like it for what it is. I probably have 50 or so Victorinox and have carried one over 30 years now. One thing I did not see mentioned in this thread is the Swiza is a liner lock on main blade, depress the shield to release. Also, the grips are comfy in hand, and ergos would be better on hard work. They were not selling at Blade show, but I plan to order one soon. They were out of the color I wanted in June. The absence of a toothpick will be noticed, as it is on my alox pioneer. I carry a swisscard by Victorinox for that.
 
Thought I would try one out so I purchased a Swiza D03 an a big outdoor retailer, carried it a couple of days and then tossed it in my knife box and went back to my Victorinox Climber. Just wasn't impressed with the knife, in my opinion the tools (can opener and bottle opener) did not work as well as the Vic's tools. The blade was ok.
 
Old thread, but worth re-visiting IMO. Comparing my Victorinox Huntsman and Hiker with my Swiza D02. I still prefer Victorinox, but I'm glad to have the D02 just to know what it's like.

Victorinox:
- Feels more high-quality.
- Cheaper to buy.

Swiza:
- Rubberized handles offer better grip.
- Locking mechanism, basically a liner-lock but you can also press a button on the side.
 
jackknife said:
Why buy the imitator when you can buy the real one?

I think that's going to kill the Swiza in the long run, that you can buy the Victorinox. What real advantage is there to having a Swiza over the Victorinox? The whole idea of trying to compete with such an established industry giant that has a century and more of market recognition, massive infrastructure, and known quality is foolish. Even Wenger couldn't do it in the long run.

I expect Swiza to be gone in a year or two.
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I don't have a swiza but there are a few advantages:
  1. The steel - Victorinox fans can say all they want but at the end of the day the steel sucks. IIRC the Swizas use 440C, which is a great steel
  2. Ergos - SAK ergos are bad and the slight curve goes a long way, also the forward blade angle on the swiza imo makes it better
  3. Can be seen either way: the swizas lock, the Vics do not (well not all of them at least)
  4. purely subjective but the blade looks way better
Also swiza is a longstanding company that certainly won't be gone in a year.

Victorinox uses a really old design that, while it works, is old. If I grab an SAK it's my modern Böker rather than any of the Vics I have.
That all said I definetly won't be buying a swiza as there (imo) are better options out there.
 
SV-97 said:
I don't have a swiza but there are a few advantages:
  1. The steel - Victorinox fans can say all they want but at the end of the day the steel sucks. IIRC the Swizas use 440C, which is a great steel
  2. Ergos - SAK ergos are bad and the slight curve goes a long way, also the forward blade angle on the swiza imo makes it better
  3. Can be seen either way: the swizas lock, the Vics do not (well not all of them at least)
  4. purely subjective but the blade looks way better
Also swiza is a longstanding company that certainly won't be gone in a year.

Victorinox uses a really old design that, while it works, is old. If I grab an SAK it's my modern Böker rather than any of the Vics I have.
That all said I definetly won't be buying a swiza as there (imo) are better options out there.
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Unfortunately, all your observations are subjective.

1. As for the steel 'sucks' uncounted millions and millions of people each year are more than satisfied by the SAK steel. This has been beat to death, but get up in the morning and start out with a sharp SAK, and by the end of the day it will still be cutting, unless pushed to very far length. I've been carrying Vicotorinox SAK's since 1969, and have yet to have one go dull on me in the middle of what ever job I was doing. When they do need to be sharpened, it's a matter of a very brief few minutes on the bottom of a coffee mug and a minute on the back of a belt to have to ready again. For many more years than you have been on this planet SAK's by Victorinox have been getting done for the great unwashed non knife nut majority of the worlds population. Yes, 440c would be a step up, but is it worth it or will it even be noticed by the majority of SAK users? Most likely not.

2. Ergos are a very personal thing. The SAK handle is a very strait equal ended grip for a reason. No matter how you grasp it, no matter what tool you are using on what end of the knife, it feels the same. A very equal grip. Even with back tools. The curve of the swiza is actually in the way in some grips to use the smaller screw driver or the tools.

3. No lock. This means wider acceptance one in countries where you can't have a locking blade knife. I actually like a non locking knife. I've witnessed two very bad accidents in my life involving young guys who had a lot of faith in their locking knives. In one case surgery was needed to reattach some tendons and the other was a very neat amputaion of the right index finger at the middle joint when his Buck 110 lock gave away while being abused because he said "It's a Buck knife, it'll take it." Tragicly wrong. I'd rather have a knife that I know will hurt me if I'm stupid than have a knife that I may get a little careless and think I may get away with it because the blade locks. I carry a non locking slip joint all the time. If I need a non folding knife I'll carry an old fashioned thing called a sheath knife. A small fixed blade blade beats any folding so called prybar.

4. Looks don't count for anything. How's it work? The blade on the swiza is too wide for curving cuts or cuts in tight areas. Very subjective.

Bottom line; Victorinox has been the biggest knife company on earth with world wide recognition right up there with Bic and Coca Cola. Must be a darn good reason. To me the swiza is a solution to a non existent problem.
 
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jackknife said:
Unfortunately, all your observations are subjective.

1. As for the steel 'sucks' uncounted millions and millions of people each year are more than satisfied by the SAK steel. This has been beat to death, but get up in the morning and start out with a sharp SAK, and by the end of the day it will still be cutting, unless pushed to very far length. I've been carrying Vicotorinox SAK's since 1969, and have yet to have one go dull on me in the middle of what ever job I was doing. When they do need to be sharpened, it's a matter of a very brief few minutes on the bottom of a coffee mug and a minute on the back of a belt to have to ready again. For many more years than you have been on this planet SAK's by Victorinox have been getting done for the great unwashed non knife nut majority of the worlds population. Yes, 440c would be a step up, but is it worth it or will it even be noticed by the majority of SAK users? Most likely not.

2. Ergos are a very personal thing. The SAK handle is a very strait equal ended grip for a reason. No matter how you grasp it, no matter what tool you are using on what end of the knife, it feels the same. A very equal grip. Even with back tools. The curve of the swiza is actually in the way in some grips to use the smaller screw driver or the tools.

3. No lock. This means wider acceptance one in countries where you can't have a locking blade knife. I actually like a non locking knife. I've witnessed two very bad accidents in my life involving young guys who had a lot of faith in their locking knives. In one case surgery was needed to reattach some tendons and the other was a very neat amputaion of the right index finger at the middle joint when his Buck 110 lock gave away while being abused because he said "It's a Buck knife, it'll take it." Tragicly wrong. I'd rather have a knife that I know will hurt me if I'm stupid than have a knife that I may get a little careless and think I may get away with it because the blade locks. I carry a non locking slip joint all the time. If I need a non folding knife I'll carry an old fashioned thing called a sheath knife. A small fixed blade blade beats any folding so called prybar.

4. Looks don't count for anything. How's it work? The blade on the swiza is too wide for curving cuts or cuts in tight areas. Very subjective.

Bottom line; Victorinox has been the biggest knife company on earth with world wide recognition right up there with Bic and Coca Cola. Must be a darn good reason. To me the swiza is a solution to a non existent problem.
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  1. Yes there are lots of people that have been using vics/their steel for a very long time but people were also using brass blades for very long and though "wow this is way nicer than a rock". Technology changes and metallurgy is technology in the end, IMO it's time for an update. The SAK I used a work for some time still has chips in the blade from cutting through (thin but stiff) plastic.
  2. & 3. I'll put these together because I too only carry slipjoint knives but for an SAK I'd really want a lock because with the handle as is they don't feel safe to me. If I had to explain why I'd say that's because of the nearly square cross section(on the ones I have, 2 and 3 layers; probably better on the thinner alox models) paired with the straight handle; this makes it rather easy to twist. I use a grip that gives a lot of control but it's really far forward and makes it rather easy to slip forward(pictured below). The handle is great when using the pen blade though, I really loved it there and it was great even when having a longer session.
As for the curve making it worse when using a as a screwdriver: yes and no. I agree that it makes it worse, but not much and it already is so bad that I never use them anyway.
4. Definetly very subjective yes. I like the wider blades because it allows for a thinner grind (with same stock-thickness) and use the tip for tight spaces.
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.I have 10 knives Swiza and are excellent knives, strong, very ergonomic, opening of the easy blade and the blocking of effective blade. His(her,its) shape allows a better handling and a better position to cut something from a plate for example. This knife can wash itself in wash dishes(crockery)! The platinums(decks) of Swiza are in inox contrary in Victorinox the platinums(decks) of which are aluminum. I like very much Victorinox, I possess 150 approximately because I collect them but I admit that Swiza has many advantages, the finish is exemplary, the look is innovative. Swiza (knives) was created by former(old) frames(executives) of Wenger and is made in the same region as Wenger: Swiss Jura ( Delémont).Ils thus have a real know how to make!
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43E09E32-855A-47C0-AE37-6289541980C1.jpeg I am in the process of moving a ZDP-189 blade from a G-SAKEI knife to a skeletonized custom Ti Waiter with added saw. I am all over better blades.
 
I have several of the Swiza knives. I really like them. They are different from the Victorinox and Wenger. However, they are not as “refined” to me. The fit and finish needs work.

There are a lot of positives for them, though.
 
I bought a Swiza DO4 when they first came out. It hasn't replaced any of my Vics.
 
Daniel said:
I have several of the Swiza knives. I really like them. They are different from the Victorinox and Wenger. However, they are not as “refined” to me. The fit and finish needs work.

There are a lot of positives for them, though.
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Yes there are many positive points:
look
liner lock
platinum in stainless
steel
finishes
wash machine

negative points:
awl fragile
limited choice/Victorinox
no ring
Globally the finish of Swiza is clearly better than knives Victorinox (91 mm), the steel also, the handling is better also but Swiza is more expensive generally. The mark(brand) is recent and will not make shadow for Victorinox very implanted all over the world. Swiza is better sold in Europe than in the United States.
 
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