Has anyone ever had a defective Swiss Army Knife?

Henry Beige said:
My scissors all have broken springs. But I guess that's a consumable item rather than a defect.
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Wenger solved that problem with the backspring powere scissors. I just can't understand why Victorinox hasn't picked up and retained that innovation.
 
leghog said:
Wenger solved that problem with the backspring powere scissors. I just can't understand why Victorinox hasn't picked up and retained that innovation.
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Wenger scissors are absolute garbage. they have silly serrations, are a pain to clean and worst of all they can never cut straight due to the dumb bobbing-head spring design.
For rope and such they are good (stronger, self-sharpening), but for regular edc tasks such as paper or fingernails they are just useless. This is why I carry a Vic Compact instead of a Wenger Commander...

Vic scissor spring rarely breaks and if it does, a new one is only a few cents and takes 10 seconds to replace...
 
The only problem I have had is with their scissors. Sometimes the little spring gets messed up easily. Also, after use, the scissors lose their sharpness and because they are so small, and cheap, I just replace the knife.
 
I've had a few broken scissor springs on Vic's but you can buy them on line for a buck and there easy to install.
 
I find the scissors useless, so I don't buy any with scissors. I also don't buy anything but alox hafted models, the plastic has no appeal to me whatsoever. My only wish, not a complaint, is that the colored alox would not rub off so easily. I've carried an OD green Cadet for a total of about a month, and had it on a keyring for about a week of that, and it's already showing lots of bare spots. I expected the anodizing to be a little more rugged than that, but some people actually like the "salt and pepper" look of the wear pattern. I guess carrying a silver alox is the easy answer, as the wear doesn't show.
 
The reason "Alox" wears so quickly is that it is a diecast aluminum which is rather soft. I believe Victorinox also uses a type 1 or type 2 processes (this is how they get all the colors) which not nearly as durable as the type 3 process (usually only black) we get on things like flashlights.
 
I heard a rumor a long time ago. Just a rumor mind you…

Once upon a time, there was an employee at Victorinox that let some defective SAK's through. He was taken into the mountains and tossed into a bottomless chasm as a sacrifice to the Swiss mountain gods. The rest of the employees got the memo.

Just a rumor mind you!

:D
 
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Any SAK with a defect might be more valuable as a rarity. Kind of like the upside-down biplane stamp. ;)
 
As already mentioned, broken Victorinox scissor springs are easily replaced. And even Wenger scissor springs are not indestructible. A friend of mine still carries an old Swissbuck (made by Wenger), that has the Wenger scissors, and its spring long ago crapped out. And there is no way to replace/fix it. Plus, the 'self-sharpening' scissors are dull. It's the only part on the knife that wore out, except that one of the scales fell off long ago.

I only use the SAK scissors for light, precision cutting, and have never had a problem other than a spring on a Classic broke. I easily replaced it using a pair of needle-nose pliers. While it took me longer than 10 seconds, it was still easy enough.

Jim
 
I meant Traveller (Commanders don't have scissors). And yes I also have an Evo S14 with spring that is half-stuck.

10 seconds is on my special jig ( wood base, short thick nail and small hammer). It usually works like a charm... although sometimes it can be a bit stubborn to place back in...
 
Never even heard of a defect on a SAK. Unless you count the Tinker I have now with the shield on the wrong side. I really don't count that as a defect, though.
 
Where can you buy a replacement scissors spring? the one on my wife's is broken.
 
scattershot said:
Never even heard of a defect on a SAK. Unless you count the Tinker I have now with the shield on the wrong side. I really don't count that as a defect, though.
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Not defect. They are sometimes put on reverse to make extra room for advertising. It might have served or might have been designed as an advertising knife.
 
Corwyn_bv said:
Not defect. They are sometimes put on reverse to make extra room for advertising. It might have served or might have been designed as an advertising knife.
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I've got a blue Huntsman like that. Shield is on the pile side and a tech company logo is on the mark side.
 
Corwyn_bv said:
leghog said:
Henry Beige said:
My scissors all have broken springs. But I guess that's a consumable item rather than a defect.
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Wenger solved that problem with the backspring powere scissors. I just can't understand why Victorinox hasn't picked up and retained that innovation.
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Wenger scissors are absolute garbage.
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Yet, as I stated, the later Wenger development of backspring power for the scissors is much better than the Victorinox leaf spring. Victorinox should continue it.

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black mamba said:
I find the scissors useless, so I don't buy any with scissors. I also don't buy anything but alox hafted models, the plastic has no appeal to me whatsoever. My only wish, not a complaint, is that the colored alox would not rub off so easily. I've carried an OD green Cadet for a total of about a month, and had it on a keyring for about a week of that, and it's already showing lots of bare spots. I expected the anodizing to be a little more rugged than that, but some people actually like the "salt and pepper" look of the wear pattern. I guess carrying a silver alox is the easy answer, as the wear doesn't show.
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Absolutely concur:thumbup: Can't see the point of scissors on a pocket-knife/tool anyway....:rolleyes::confused: Some years back I was thinking about the coloured Alox (Green is so kool) but I heard it dropped off as it were so I lost interest. The basic Alox knives are great bargains, my Farmers have never given problems or arrived with defects that need tinkering with (Ah! part of the 'fun' of Traditionals some will try and tell me, uh uh! just crap QC).
 
I like SAKs. They are good knives and you don't pay much for a lot of them. However, when they are held up as some shining star of quality, I cough. Why, you ask?

Some of the most common "issues" folks have with many other traditional pocket knives aren't visible due to the design of the SAK. Since no one can see that feature, no one has problems with them. It isn't "Quality". It's the feature does not exist.

►For instance, the springs are concealed so you can't have an issue where the springs aren't even with the frame. You also are never going to complain about gaps between the springs. Not possible, because you can't see them.

►Or, when the blades are open, you can't see the joint between the blade and the spring. So no one is ever going to complain about how close the actual match-up is.

►And the cover fills the entire handle, so there are no joints between the covers and the frame or between the covers and the non-existent bolsters. Therefore, no one is ever going to complain about gaps.

►I've got a Tinker with blade rub. No big deal to me, but it's there. Hard to see because of the finish on the stainless blades.

My point is that it's not entirely fair to hold up SAKs as the star of quality control compared to some company like Case. Part of that "quality control" is that they don't have to control it because the design does not let you see how precise the fit actually is.
 
Blimey, what a blast from the past!!! :eek:

Good points Frank :thumbup:

Hmmm.... What's this, a Victorinox knife with 'Wenger' scissors?! :eek: ;)

bmc-23903e.jpg
 
No problems at all. This one was a gift from my wife and was carried on my duty belt for 26 yrs. It's a bit worn from use, but otherwise still works very well.


Now that I'm retired, it's still very handy around the house.

I bought a SAK climber for my middle son on the day he was born and engraved the main blade with his name and date. He's now an adult and I hope it will serve him as well as mine has.

O
 
knarfeng said:
I like SAKs. They are good knives and you don't pay much for a lot of them. However, when they are held up as some shining star of quality, I cough. Why, you ask?

Some of the most common "issues" folks have with many other traditional pocket knives aren't visible due to the design of the SAK. Since no one can see that feature, no one has problems with them. It isn't "Quality". It's the feature does not exist.

►For instance, the springs are concealed so you can't have an issue where the springs aren't even with the frame. You also are never going to complain about gaps between the springs. Not possible, because you can't see them.

►Or, when the blades are open, you can't see the joint between the blade and the spring. So no one is ever going to complain about how close the actual match-up is.
...
My point is that it's not entirely fair to hold up SAKs as the star of quality control compared to some company like Case. Part of that "quality control" is that they don't have to control it because the design does not let you see how precise the fit actually is.
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Frank, I don't think your first two points (in bold above) apply to "full-size" Alox models, do they?

I'm happy this thread has been revived. I've never seen it before, and find it quite interesting.

- GT
 
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