Has anyone ever had a defective Swiss Army Knife?

[sturzi]

I think that Victorinox, and indeed the Swiss in general, do take an enormous amount of pride in what they manufacture.

I'm very flattered, but I wouldn't be so sure about that

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.

~ P.

I agree, the level of automation is what makes it possible. For a smaller company with more handmade steps it's just not possible, If you would throw out anything with the slightest flaw you would never make a profit. I'm not saying a high quality handmade product isn't possible, just not at the consistent Victorinox level. We're just human after all

As for defects, I only had one on a Swiss Tool Spirit. Both pivot pins on the plier side were spun 50% off-center, leaving sharp edges on the pins and big dents on the flats. But of course it was immediately replaced the next day.

 

[Jack Black]

the corkscrew on my Climber bent while I using it for its intended purpose

The corkscrew on my Mauser is slightly bent, but it's opened thousands of bottles of wine, and I had taken to using it like a waiter's friend (ie levering out the cork), which is what caused it to bend, just a few years ago. The knife was certainly in great nick when new, and for the most part still is

 

[edmundo.gurza]

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.

Above you can see one of the many videos available of victorinox's production line. I don't think it is a "closed" manufacturing process

 

[pertinux]

I agree, the level of automation is what makes it possible.

Ah, there's the word I was searching for-- automation, automated. Thanks.

The corkscrew on my Mauser is slightly bent, but it's opened thousands of bottles of wine, and I had taken to using it like a waiter's friend (ie levering out the cork)....

I think I might have been doing that as well?

"... thousands"?

~ P.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

You can't make GEC, Case, Queen, and etc knives the way Victorinox does and expect the uniqueness that those brands have in the end result.

 

[Jack Black]

"... thousands"?

Had the knife since 1982, including a period when I lived in France, and I was a wine lecturer at one time. Until fairly recently it was rare that I didn't drink wine with at least one meal each day.

Now I just go for the screw-tops! Hic!

 

[edmundo.gurza]

You can't make GEC, Case, Queen, and etc knives the way Victorinox does and expect the uniqueness that those brands have in the end result.

Case is sort of close to the amount of automation.. but you are definitely right about GEC and Queen they are more hands on.. however they could very easily automate some of the steps that are key to fit the knife and still have a very unique hand finished knife.

 

[Jack Black]

You can't make GEC, Case, Queen, and etc knives the way Victorinox does and expect the uniqueness that those brands have in the end result.

I think that's true, with automation, artistry is lost. But automation and quality control are two entirely seperate things and don't necessarily go together. There are automated knife factories that regularly turn out shoddy or defective products, and, shall we say 'artisan cutlers' D) with good QC.

Not that I consider Case 'artisan cutlers'! Much as I like their knives, I think it's laughable for Case to call them 'handmade'. The video on the Case website, shows a very automated process.

 

[jujigatame]

Aside from the odd burr on an edge I've never had any kind of complaint with a Vic or Wenger knife/multitool.

 

[zippofan]

I've never had trouble with either Victorinox or Wenger SAK's, nor have my sons, wife or Scouts. Even their watches are near perfect, and I'm pretty picky about that.

I did have a Victorinox titanium DiveMaster 500 I had to sell because the second hand didn't always line up with the dial marks, but there wasn't anything wrong with the watch per se. I have much cheaper watches that hit every second mark, so an expensive diver with that problem wasn't acceptable. I filpped it and got what I paid, which is unusual with nearly every watch brand except Rolex.

 

[Faiaoga]

I am also very impressed by the quality of Victorinox products, and I am particularly pleased with the customer service. In the past year, I inquired of Victorinox concerning a small part (tiny screwdriver that fits inside the corkscrew). I received prompt and personal responses from the USA dealer and the Swiss factory; the part was sent to me after a few weeks "no charge". I asked for one, but was sent two of the items.

 

[pinnah]

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.

IMO, better to say that branding (marketing) and quality need to be understood at the same time.

Victorinox had and outright monopoly for a good long time, a cozy deal with the Swiss government/military for a long time and reestablished a monopoly with their purchase of Wegner (2005ish). Through all of this, they've been able to parlay the brand of "Swiss Army Knife) into the status of a globally recognized "generic trademark", like Kleenex or Band-Aid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genericized_trademark

Imagine if Rough Riders came with soft stainless blades with a tendency to roll or burr when rubbed against soft kittens, scales that fell off or cracked and blades/tools with widely varying pulls? IMO, on the face of it, the Victorinox isn't a "boringly consistent" knife as Woodrow put it (not that you're wrong, Woodrow) but a consistently middle to bottom of the pack knife that is perceived as being good: a) by merit of the basic utility of camper pattern, b) the near universal dominance they achieved in the 1970s backpacking revolution and c) the global brand recognition they've achieved since then.

OK, what follows here is from a former kid who carried Ulster campers when he was in Scouts and who knew a snotty rich kid who carried an SAK. Call it sour grapes...

World War II changed America's approach to outdoor recreation. US soldiers came back carrying all sort of things used in theatre that were common in Europe. European skis and ski boots changed American skiing. (John B. Allen's book, Skisport to Skiing is a great read). Small camp stoves like the Svea and Trangia helped bring about low impact camping. Crampons and ice axes enable mountaineering to flourish. The European style rucksack laid the ground for the emergence of the internal frame backpack. One of the post WWII imports was the Swiss Army Knife. European hiking boots dominated all hiking and climbing shops (until Merrill).

In the 1970s, the term "Boy Scout Knife" still had near "generic trademark" status. It meant a 4 blade camper made by Ulster, Camillus and many others. But the US knife market started to teeter while the SAK (ahem) soldiered on unnoticed and unchallenged in the backpacking and climbing stores all the way through the 80s. Towards the end of the "Boy Scout Knife", you could see the writing on the wall when Camillus starting making scout knives with red plastic scales. Buck tried a similar thing making the "Swiss Buck" knives. Ugg.

IMO, the global game was won by the 80s. Schrade and Camillus were staggering and Buck and Case turned away from the camper, hiker and scout crowds, conceding them to Victorinox/Wegner. Only Leatherman could challenge SAK after that.

 

[Jack Black]

That's a very interesting post Pinnah, and a good read, but I don't really think it has much to do with the question posed in the OP. It may be that all the SAK owners here have been suckered into buying them in some way, but what I was asking related to people's experiences of defective or faulty SAKs, and it seems that few posters have any.

 

[kamagong]

OK, what follows here is from a former kid who carried Ulster campers when he was in Scouts and who knew a snotty rich kid who carried an SAK. Call it sour grapes...

Thanks for the history lesson Pinnah. If it makes you feel any better you win and you can tell 'lil snotty I said that. I'm very fond of my bone-handled Camillus; SAKs leave me feeling meh.

- Christian

 

[Jack Black]

Thanks for the history lesson Pinnah. If it makes you feel any better you win and you can tell 'lil snotty I said that. I'm very fond of my bone-handled Camillus; SAKs leave me feeling meh.

- Christian

LOL! I like my old clasp knives

 

[Dan57]

Victorinox had and outright monopoly for a good long time, a cozy deal with the Swiss government/military for a long time and reestablished a monopoly with their purchase of Wegner (2005ish).

I wouldn't call it a monopoly. They won the majority of the market through pure merit, not because they used underhanded business practices to stifle competition.

Imagine if Rough Riders came with soft stainless blades with a tendency to roll or burr when rubbed against soft kittens, scales that fell off or cracked and blades/tools with widely varying pulls?

I think you may be the only one here with such negative experiences with Victorinox.

 

[kamagong]

LOL! I like my old clasp knives

You don't say? I've learned to appreciate them too, though I do have my eyes open for a British Admiralty 301 stag clasp knife. That'd be wicked.

- Christian

 

[winchester73]

How were the SAKs made for Scharde in Germany before they went under? Were they any good? Made in Germany I would think so.

 

[jazub]

Never an issue with a Victorinox here. Great tools. I have a SAK in every travel bag, an assortment of alox and cellidor for pocket carry, and a Spirit X in the glovebox. Victorinox ruuuuuulles

 

[pinnah]

That's a very interesting post Pinnah, and a good read, but I don't really think it has much to do with the question posed in the OP. It may be that all the SAK owners here have been suckered into buying them in some way, but what I was asking related to people's experiences of defective or faulty SAKs, and it seems that few posters have any.

Jack, I think it's related to what constitutes a fault.

Would a GEC be considered faulty if a blade was a nail breaker?

Would a Buck be considered faulty if the edge rolled easily?

Would a Case be considered faulty if the scales fell off in short order?

Would a Leatherman be considered faulty if they had removable tools that became loose and fell out with routine use?

IMO, that these aren't widely seen as faults of Victorinox is a result of the branding success. A disconnect here is that I think these are design and material faults and not manufacturing faults. Consistent, yes. Good? Shrug.

The merit of the basic utility of the camper pattern is the core of the popularity, IMO. And to their credit, Victorinox and Wegner continued to aggressively modernize the options while the US makers did not. In this respect, they've earned their position. But I also don't think they're particularly traditional. Better to compare them to Leatherman at this point.

Last thing... We see the modern non-traditional aspect of the Victorinox played out every time we discuss the possibilty of somebody like GEC bringing out a camper. People remain fixated on the classic 4 blade combo instead of considering different tool options, which was the non-traditional path to success for Victorinox.