Alox Minichamp

J

James Y

Joined
Feb 18, 1999
Messages
6,504
I recently purchased one, and am liking it a lot. In years past, I had decided not to get one, because it has some tools I felt were worthless (such as the cuticle pusher). That said, I’ve even found a use for that; as a light-duty cereal (and other boxed foods) box opener. For things like that, the cuticle pusher’s shape is very useful. I’ve also memorized/gotten used to the number of implements (8 of them) and their locations, and am now able access them fairly intuitively.

Since 1999, I’ve carried the same Executive model, and for now, I’m giving that a rest. Is the Alox Minichamp better? I wouldn’t ever say that. They’re just different. I much prefer the Executive’s size. But I wanted to try something different for a while. The only things I miss on the Alox Minichamp are the toothpick and tweezers. But if I’m also carrying my Spartan, I have those, too.

If Victorinox ever came out with an Alox Executive, I would be all over it.

Jim
 
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Agree. Executive is my main knife. Not likely to see Alox as they discontinued the 74s.
 
Venice said:
Agree. Executive is my main knife. Not likely to see Alox as they discontinued the 74s.
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I was a bit shocked when I read that. It seems like there’s a lot of people happy with the 74 mm offerings.
 
I think a lot of “SAK people/knife people” love the 74mm models, but I don’t think they’re very popular with the general public as, say, the Classic-sized models are. They just aren’t available everywhere like the Classic is, and the other 58mm models seem easier to find than the 74mm. Even if both 74mm and 58mm models were offered at big box stores side by side, I think the Classic and other 58mm models would still outsell the Executive.

Jim
 
James Y said:
I think a lot of “SAK people/knife people” love the 74mm models, but I don’t think they’re very popular with the general public as, say, the Classic-sized models are. They just aren’t available everywhere like the Classic is, and the other 58mm models seem easier to find than the 74mm. Even if both 74mm and 58mm models were offered at big box stores side by side, I think the Classic and other 58mm models would still outsell the Executive.

Jim
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Jim, you've hit on the exact reason I never had or even tried an executive before someone literally gave me one in 2018. I just had never seen one in person anywhere, at any store that carried SAK's. They were like some elusive model that only existed in print, but like Bigfoot, is not seen in the wild.

On the other hand, classics and even ramblers are seen all over. Classics can be bought at the big box stores like Walmart and Target, for all of 11.95. Heck, not that many years ago, I bought classic's for all the non knife carrying members of my family for Christmas stocking stuffers as I was tired of hearing, "Hey Carl, lemme see your knife for a minute" as they set about something that would have been not good for the knife. Then they were all of 8.95 each at Walmart.

The executive is like three times the price of a classic, not available most places, and a wee bit too heavy for a keyring. The executive was never pushed like the 58,,'s on the public. The classics are even given away with company logos on them, which is how my wife then myself got them in 1995 or so.

I feel the 74mm's were the unheralded gems of the SAK world for real world daily use. But they never got a chance because Victorinox just didn't seem to really care about them.

And I agree about the 58 and 74 if sold side by side, the 58's would still outsell the 74's. The non knife person looking for a little keychain size knife, is not going to spend 30 some dollars when for less than half that, can get a classic in a color of choice, and forget its even there until needed. Now they have all kinds of art work on them, with animal prints, all the colors of the rainbow.
 
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