3 Alox Vic's

cgmblade

cgmblade

Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
1,358
EDIT: I was wrong: 2 vics & a Wenger. oops!

I was prompted by another recent thread to buy a black alox Pioneer. I received it today and was immediately struck by its similarity to the old style Soldier.

The biggest difference, at least on the ones I have, is the lanyard/key rings as can be seen in the pictures below. The handle on the Soldier is also slightly thicker (maybe 0.5mm) than the Pioneer. Also the distal taper of the Pioneer appears to be ever so slightly more abrupt than on the Soldier.

Otherwise the knives are the same. The same length closed 3.5". Blade length 2.75" and the same tools.

The Cadet is the little brother of the Soldier and Pioneer. Overall the tools are a little smaller and the main blade is 2.5" and the closed length is 3.25". The Cadet is considerably slimmer than the other two at approx 8mm compared to 11.5mm for the Soldier, which makes the Cadet an excellent choice for those who want a slim, easy carry knife that still has a lot of utility.

I apologize for the poor picture quality. It's raining here so I had to take the pics w/ indoor lighting.

3vics_a1.jpg


3vics_a2.jpg


3vics_a3.jpg


3vics_a4.jpg


These are all great knives. I just got the Pioneer, but I've had the Soldier and Cadet for quite awhile and I've found that I tend to carry the Cadet far more often. I love the slim profile and combined with the multi-function tools it's hard to beat as a small edc knife.
 
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The pioneer is made to the exact specifications as the soldier. Yours is different because it is made by Wenger, but the black pioneer is Victorinox. The Victorinox soldier is the same. If you get a chance, check out the old red alox pioneers with the big white cross. those are nasty. A little hard to find, but great knives. Old red alox is going for a lot these days, some pieces going for over $500. Check out the secret order over at knifeforums. There is a lot of great discussion.
 
Not quite exact...The Soldiers blade is stamped with the date a slightly thicker, and the Vic Soldier has no key ring or bail, and the Pioneer does.
 
jackman2 said:
The pioneer is made to the exact specifications as the soldier. Yours is different because it is made by Wenger, but the black pioneer is Victorinox. The Victorinox soldier is the same. If you get a chance, check out the old red alox pioneers with the big white cross. those are nasty. A little hard to find, but great knives. Old red alox is going for a lot these days, some pieces going for over $500. Check out the secret order over at knifeforums. There is a lot of great discussion.
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What years of manufacture are "old" for red alox Pioneers?
 
Yep, my Soldier is Wenger. :o I've had it for years. How could I not have realized that, sorry. Still a great knife. I'll check out the old red one. Thanks.
 
Nice alox! I have a black Pioneer on order also.

jackman2 said:
The pioneer is made to the exact specifications as the soldier. Yours is different because it is made by Wenger, but the black pioneer is Victorinox. The Victorinox soldier is the same. If you get a chance, check out the old red alox pioneers with the big white cross. those are nasty. A little hard to find, but great knives. Old red alox is going for a lot these days, some pieces going for over $500. Check out the secret order over at knifeforums. There is a lot of great discussion.
Click to expand...

My first (or second) Vic, most carried anyway. About 30 years old.

IMG_4232-1-1.jpg


IMG_4238-1.jpg
 
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Congratulations with your new Pioneer. Those alox SAK's are great for EDC and outdoor usage. Very useful tools and very sturdy. I took my Victorinox Soldier on camping and hiking trips for many years and although it has some scratches and the red color on the emblem is fading away, it is still an excellent knife.
 
grapesofbaath said:
I love those pics. There's nothing more beautiful to me than a well-worn knife.
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Your gonna hate my Woodsman then... same vintage as the above soldier, but... well, not beaten. :) My all time favorite SAK, that and the Safari Pathfinder. Will post pictures later on...
 
Thanks guys. It's been several years since I've carried it now, that's why it's still in pretty good shape. I used it a lot when I did carry it. After a career change, I didn't use it as much. Just got my black Pioneer and it's in my pocket today. Someday, I hope to have the paint worn off.
 
jackman2 said:
If you get a chance, check out the old red alox pioneers with the big white cross. those are nasty. A little hard to find, but great knives. Old red alox is going for a lot these days, some pieces going for over $500. Check out the secret order over at knifeforums. There is a lot of great discussion.
Click to expand...

Wow, was able to find a near mint red alox farmer with a big white cross and with brass spacers. Was thinking of carrying it, now I guess I'll just keep it for my daughter down the road.
 
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