Old SAK???

[Col Defender]

Here's a link to what appears to be quite an old SAK. I've kind of gotten the bug to collect SAK's just for fun (not as any kind of money maker) and am looking for advice on this particular knife, or others of similar vintage. Basically I have no idea of what I am doing here but might bid on it since it is up in a few hours. (Not a whole lot to lose here.)


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Vtg-VIC...877?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item43b94ded8d

Can anyone tell me how I can research the age of the knife, what the "87" might mean and so forth. I do know about the SAKWIKI catalog but don't think it will be much help on this knife. Are there other online resources I should consult either now or later even after I buy the knife - if I do.

As you can tell I am operating out of ignorance but that said it is still fun.

Thanks everyone!

 

[SAKsRCool]

87 is the year that the blade was made and probably the year that the knife was assembled. It's a Pioneer/Sturdy Boy and most of the time they didn't come with a year stamped blade if I'm not mistaken. Typically only the issue Soldier models had year stamped blades and if there were extra blades left over after filling the military contract, Vic would use them in their other alox knives.

 

[znapschatz]

This appears to be a well used Victorinox Pioneer, the civilian version of the SAK that is issued to Swiss army recruits but with a 1987 date stamp. Normally, a Soldier blade has a stamp with year of manufacture while the Pioneer does not. OTOH, the Pioneer has a keychain attachment as shown in the photos, and the Soldier does not. Otherwise, the two are identical. Sometimes overrun milspec blades are used, which seems to be the case with this sample.

As I was typing this, someone beat me to the post. Such is life on the interwebs .

 

[Col Defender]

Thanks guys! Obviously it is not as old as I was thinking - just in really poor shape...and I'm not sure how much if any I could clean up the handle - bits of it appear to be gone. And I cannot see the "87" in any of the pictures.

(Oops - hard to see but I believe I found it on the blade, close to the handle.)

 

[powernoodle]

I bought this one. Is it "worth" $17 shipped? Eh, no. But just for the fun of it I'm going to throw it in a bucket of solvent, give it a scrub-a-dub and maybe hit the blades and drivers with a dremel. One can only buy so many new SAKs, and then you have to branch out into cr@p like this to keep yourself entertained. :thumbup:

Edit: Colonel, I hope you weren't bidding on it!