Has anyone ever had a defective Swiss Army Knife?

View attachment 358871I must have 25-30 SAKs, Vic and Wenger, no problems... ever. These have been accumulated throughout my life spanning the past 30 years, they have consistently been without manufacturing flaws. That's really impressive! I carry a deluxe tinker at work and whatever flavor I choose the rest of the time. One of my favorites is a Vic huntsman that my dog, Bear(a newf/lab mix), chewed up 15 years ago. Though he left teeth impressions on the covers and bent a liner the knife still works fine. There is a little rub on the bent liner, but considering Bear was a 95 pound chewing machine, I would say the knife survived well.
 
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pinnah said:
Heh. Par for the course for my experience.

Not a big fan of their Alox either. I find it really holds a nasty wire edge. And does off the chart pulls on some of the blade/tools count?

One word here: branding.

Ok, make two: deep branding.

Or four: really successful deep branding.
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Branding?
 
hi-512-2.jpg


Some reading here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_brand_language
 
But what has branding got to do with the OP's question?

Victorinox consistently delivers. That is not a product of branding, it is that of good investment in, product development, QC and its workforce.

The strength of this brand is defined by its quality... not the other way round.
 
They have done a great job at branding. However this hasn't come from a long history of issues in production. I am still yet to find a knife from victorinox that I don't like. Although some are more pocketable than others their knife products are fantastic. The steel is easy to sharpen, holds the edge well, bends but doesn't break easily. Then there is the whole other side of things.. where they are still some of the most affordable quality knives out there and the factory where they are made is runs some of the most sustainable processes in the world (the carbon footprint of each product is close to nothing due to their recycling processes, including all the steel). They may not be the BEST out there but holly molly they do are definitely proud about what they do and in my humble opinion they have alot to be proud of.
 
I have had many Vic SAK's through the years, fisherman, 2 farmers ( lost one ), 2 directors ( one lost ), 2 rucksacks ( one stolen ) a florist knife, probably 4-5 classics, and a ranger, all have had consistent fit, finish, pull, etc. only flaw ever was on my ranger, the small screwdriver on the backside either missed heat treatment or was poorly done, first time I used it to tighten a screw on a pair of glasses it twisted, but the rest of the knife is fine. As for branding, brand recognition does not equal a quality product, just try to find a decent 2x4 at Home Depot good luck. I would say Vic does a fantastic job a QC when you think about how much consistent product they put out in the market.

Pete
 
comoha said:
I do have to deburr the saws though when getting a new SAK. The saws always have metal flake burrs hanging off the cutting edges.
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I've not had this problem, so far as I can remember anyway. The three SAKs I have with saws date from 1982-1992, so maybe they were better then - or maybe I just forgot! :D

HFinn said:
I wonder what they would be like if the blades were made of top notch materials. Now they are a bit soft, or what is your experience? Anyway they are easy to sharpen.
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I find the blades OK for what they are, come sharp, and have reasonable edge retention.

pinnah said:
I've destroyed maybe 8 or 10 Classics. Most last less than 2 years before the scales fall off. Key ring carry is hard, admittedly.
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They are small knives with thin blades, and as you say key-ring carry is hard, particularly on the scales. My Classics aren't on my key-chain, and they do see light use.

jackknife said:
Victorinox is so reliable to me, that it's my go-to knife when I have to fly someplace. If I don't send a knife ahead, I'll just pull the rental car in at the very first Walmart or Target and buy a Vic classic or recruit. When I leave, I'll just gift it to someone. I'll only do this with Victorinox because they are so consistent in their QA that I know that no matter where I go, the next Vic out of a store will be just like the last Vic. Near perfect fit and finish, sharp out of the box, and ready to go. We're flying to Medford Oregon on the 1st of July for a week of river rafting, hiking, sight seeing at Crater Lake and the giant redwoods, and I'm flying knife less. So I guess I'll be stopping at the 'mart or target again, and some lucky Oregonite will get a very mildly used SAK.

SAK, for when you buy blind, but want a good knife.
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Good point Carl, that proven dependability is an important point. I often use SAKs in much the same way, and hadn't really thought much about it. It's not just that you know you're going to get something that isn't going to fall apart, it's going to be sharp out of the box too. Unfortunately, there's not many other knife brands you can say that for (kinda odd).

kamagong said:
A scale on my mom's Classic fell off within a couple of weeks. Does that count?

- Christian
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I reckon it does count Christian. What do you reckon the problem was?

scruffuk said:
Victorinox consistently delivers. That is not a product of branding, it is that of good investment in, product development, QC and its workforce.

The strength of this brand is defined by its quality... not the other way round.
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Well put Thom :thumbup:

edmundo.gurza said:
Then there is the whole other side of things.. where they are still some of the most affordable quality knives out there and the factory where they are made is runs some of the most sustainable processes in the world (the carbon footprint of each product is close to nothing due to their recycling processes, including all the steel).
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I didn't know about that :thumbup:

I have to plead 'Guilty' when it comes to taking SAKs for granted, but you know you really CAN take them for granted. It almost seems too easy to carry a SAK, and I do like my carbon steel, they may have been around a long time, but SAKs seem almost space-age! But to ask the question again, how can they be so consistently reliable when others can't, it isn't as if the Swiss work force work for peanuts? I'd love to know more about their QC because it seems to be absolutely outstanding.
 
Jack Black said:
I reckon it does count Christian. What do you reckon the problem was?
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Not sure. Manner of construction probably. The scales aren't pinned and it popped right off. My mom kept it on her keychain. As you and Pinnah have noted keychain carry seems to be hard on a knife.

- Christian
 
They make a great and boringly consistent product. Between fit, finish, price, consistency, usefulness, and value they probably make the best knife in the world.

I was watching survivorman the other day and in the Amazon episode, one of the natives had a Swiss Army Knife of some type. They didn't have much but he had that knife and was cleaning game with it.
 
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this is a very good video about how they are made. I feel like we give them for granted but there was a time, not that long ago where only sailers or intense travellers used to carry them. That is exactly because of how reliable they can be, you can stuff them in a bagpack for years and they will look just like when you put it there, you can carry it in your pocket and beat the living $# out of it (as long as you have the right tool for the job, just like in anything.. you wouldn't try to cut a 2x4 with a case peanut).

After a few months of looking at carbon steel blades and some other pocket knives. I spoke with my grandfather and asked him about his pocket knife. All he had to tell me about my search was "keep it simple, get something at a good price that even if you forget about it will last you for ever". He used to carry a small barlow and he said although he loved it, he wouldn't choose it again.. mostly because he always had to have it in the back of his mind so it wouldn't rust or pit. The Vic he bought later and had on the glovebox of the car was used more often and just tossed back into the car.. and it always just took the beating even without much care.

I love beautiful scales but when it comes to simplicity and getting the job done I keep going back to my Vic soldier (outdoors) or the waiter (for more social events).

[video=youtube;rHhn6gNLHxc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHhn6gNLHxc[/video]

Jack Black said:
I've not had this problem, so far as I can remember anyway. The three SAKs I have with saws date from 1982-1992, so maybe they were better then - or maybe I just forgot! :D



I find the blades OK for what they are, come sharp, and have reasonable edge retention.



They are small knives with thin blades, and as you say key-ring carry is hard, particularly on the scales. My Classics aren't on my key-chain, and they do see light use.



Good point Carl, that proven dependability is an important point. I often use SAKs in much the same way, and hadn't really thought much about it. It's not just that you know you're going to get something that isn't going to fall apart, it's going to be sharp out of the box too. Unfortunately, there's not many other knife brands you can say that for (kinda odd).



I reckon it does count Christian. What do you reckon the problem was?



Well put Thom :thumbup:



I didn't know about that :thumbup:

I have to plead 'Guilty' when it comes to taking SAKs for granted, but you know you really CAN take them for granted. It almost seems too easy to carry a SAK, and I do like my carbon steel, they may have been around a long time, but SAKs seem almost space-age! But to ask the question again, how can they be so consistently reliable when others can't, it isn't as if the Swiss work force work for peanuts? I'd love to know more about their QC because it seems to be absolutely outstanding.
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I've had and used my fieldmaster for over 20 years--all sorts of tasks, using all the tools at one time or another, and I never had a problem. Branding can be a powerful thing, but if the tool does not preform then the branding would not work in terms of this particular product. Granted, a SAK can't do everything, but given its design parameters it is a great little tool. Within reasonable limits it can be invaluable.
 
I've owned a few SAK (all Victorinox) over the years, from my first knife ever (an old Spartan) to a Classic and Ambassador on my keyring to a OHT that I gave away to my cousin for his b'day, and never found anything I considered a flaw.
My experience is that they provide very good quality (great for their price), and amazing consistency. I don't think it's just a matter of QC, but also something in their production line (maybe tooling).
Aside from the branding thing (which is undoubtful - they started as army knives and ended up as an icon, practically creating a market of their own), I think SAK managed to establish a "comparison point" that has few rivals in the world of cutlery, with their combination of quality and consistency.
Along with a few others (Opinel's, possibly Mora's), they're tools that you can buy blind with no fear...and even in our blooming world of traditional cutlery, it's not something you find easily.
Obviously, SAK's are not flawless nor perfection, but they are quite something.

Fausto
:cool:
 
pmew said:
I have a traveller, camper, waiter and recruit. Only issue I've ever had is that the clock on the traveller didn't work after I changed the battery. Might have been something I did though...

Paul
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Buy a new battery, clean the battery contacts with rubbing alcohol and be careful not to handle the battery with your bare fingers while installing it in place. Hold the battery in a piece of tissue paper, etc. after cleaning. Sometimes, the oil from your fingers/skin is enough to mess up the battery contacts.
 
So which other of the big name traditional manufacturers could do with taking a leaf or two from the Victorinox/Wenger book?

Case - I've only got a Peanut, but out of all those popular manufactures, I see their quality questioned most.

Queen - Again I only have one example, it has an overspun pin and a terribly weak spring. But again I do see this questions over their quality form time to time.

GEC - Two of my own examples, one very dull the other so so. General F&F good though. But really, they seem a little hit and miss. Edge sharpness and poorly ground kicks are the most common complaints I see.

Is it fair to say they should be able to deliver the same standard Victorinox do?

I think to a large extent simplicity of construction is not a justifiable 'excuse' because work force and quality management and control should prevent the end customer ever finding mistakes.

Not that I am saying X is better thanks Y, I am just recognising a widely established benchmark.

I'd be interested to here your thoughts on where other manufacturers might be unable to meet such demands or standards, and why you think it might be?
 
This thread makes me cry on the inside.

I beleive it was my 13th birthday when I got it, a Vic Huntsman.

A perfect knife.

It rode in the pocket well, was sharp as a razor, could be brought to that sharpness with minimal effort.

And the tools.


For such a nicely sized knofe, it had so many tools!

I carried that SAK everywhere.

The tools were always used, mainly the screwdriver and knife blade. The scissors as well.

It was perfectly made, absolutely no F&F problems.

I loved that little red toolbox with all of my knife nut heart.



....could you imagine the despair I had in my mind the day I lost it?
 
scruffuk said:
So which other of the big name traditional manufacturers could do with taking a leaf or two from the Victorinox/Wenger book?

Case - I've only got a Peanut, but out of all those popular manufactures, I see their quality questioned most.

Queen - Again I only have one example, it has an overspun pin and a terribly weak spring. But again I do see this questions over their quality form time to time.

GEC - Two of my own examples, one very dull the other so so. General F&F good though. But really, they seem a little hit and miss. Edge sharpness and poorly ground kicks are the most common complaints I see.

Is it fair to say they should be able to deliver the same standard Victorinox do?

I think to a large extent simplicity of construction is not a justifiable 'excuse' because work force and quality management and control should prevent the end customer ever finding mistakes.

Not that I am saying X is better thanks Y, I am just recognising a widely established benchmark.

I'd be interested to here your thoughts on where other manufacturers might be unable to meet such demands or standards, and why you think it might be?
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I agree.. I understand that maybe the technology may not be there but even then it is just a matter of the standard of the control that is being set right before the item leaves. As you can see in the video many of the victorinox knives are made by a largely automated process but the company has kept a considerably large amount of people on payroll to supervise and assemble the output from these machines.. plus putting the human touch to it.

I am not against automation at all.. I don't think that every blade has to be hand forged for it to be of quality. However to me the most important part is that every step is strictly supervised and that the QC standards are high. They have enven gone a step further and recycle any metal scraps or any items that don't match the standards. Kudos to victorinox for being a company that keep striving for perfection within their niche and then keeps working at making things better.
 
scruffuk said:
So which other of the big name traditional manufacturers could do with taking a leaf or two from the Victorinox/Wenger book?
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In terms of Quality Control, I don't think there are any manufacturers who COULDN'T learn from Victorinox. Based upon the many examples we see on this forum, it's clearly something that many manufacturers neglect. If it amounts to just checking the finished product for obvious flaws, QC should cost very little, certainly a lot less than damaging your reputation and potentially losing customers, yet it appears to be given low priority. Old George Wostenholm used to inspect every one of the knives that bore his name personally, and his rigorous inspection methods (coupled with ruthless underpayment) may have been hard on the 'little mesters' (essentially sub-contracted cutlers) making the knives, but it's also one of the reasons that Wostenholm knives from that period have a level of quality which is still so highly prized today.
 
I don't remember all the intricacies of Victorinox production, but if I recall correctly there is little if any of the human element remaining in the manufacturing and assembling processes.

Thus, we're talking about mass-precision-produced, machine-assembled knives that receive the best of Swiss engineering throughout, with all the tolerances that makes possible.

I'm not sure there's another equivalent...? Nor another knife company with the economy of scale (a mostly-cornered market, and lotsa cash flow) that could compete?

Rough Rider in China, maybe (as far as machine-produced), though I'm just guessing.

To answer the OP's question: no, I've not had a noticeably defective SAK out-of-the-box (or -clamshell, as the case may be), although the corkscrew on my Climber bent while I using it for its intended purpose-- removing a crumbling cork from a bottle of Principato Blanco (RIP). Reading the above, perhaps this was a heat-treat failure? I hadn't thought of that. The corkscrew's now a little "off," all the more noticeable on a piece where everything else fits so -- yes!-- precisely. I'll probably end up sending it in because it bugs me.

~ P.
 
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