Ooold family heritage Swisschamp…real or what?!?

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pietje

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Ooold Swisschamp…real or what?!?

I recently received a old SAK from a family member. It looks and feels like the real-deal Victorinox Swisschamp. I can’t find any marking or Swiss-cross on it. Only ‘’STAINLESS’’ on the main blade. The story also checks out to be a genuine Victorinox. Maybe somebody here has more info about its authenticity even it’s year of manufacture.

The knife came from my oldest ant. During WW2 she lived in Switzerland for a few years. The knife can also been from her late husband, my uncle. He was frequent traveler being a photographer of the Holland America Line shipping company.

I got the knife all blunt, dirty and rusty. But after a quick clean and some WD40 is runs fine again. The knife is used and has some damage I never seen before on any Victorinox. I looks like the frame has bended from being in a vice or something like that (although this does not show in the pics).

I would like to know more about this family heritage.
I can make better daylight pics on request.









NO marking on this side of the main blade:


‘’STAINLESS’’ on this side of the main blade:






 
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Nope that's not a victorinox. Its one of the many knockoffs, though it's hard to say which exactly, most come from china. Victorinox had a huge problem with the fake competition which is why they always stamped the blade as official swiss made.

None of those tools were ever Vic variations and are quite definitely faked. That one also copies the corkscrew driver that was introduced in 1983, so this was probably made sometime within the last 20 yrs but hard to say when. The 'stainless steel' stamp is classic china fake though, they all have it.
 
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Its a relatively new knife. The little screwdriver that srcews into the corkscrew was not with mine that I bought about ten years ago on sale at a Walmart. The tools are otherwise the same and in the same places.

The "rusty" part is confusing. The metal is all stainless. It would take a lot to get it to corrode.

ED: Yours has an extra tool on the back.

And "STAINLESS" is a dead giveaway. :(

But did I buy a pre-1983 in Virginia in 2004? It has all the markings one could ask for.
 
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Syph007 said:
Nope that's not a victorinox. Its one of the many knockoffs, though it's hard to say which exactly, most come from china. Victorinox had a huge problem with the fake competition which is why they always stamped the blade as official swiss made.

None of those tools were ever Vic variations and are quite definitely faked. That one also copies the corkscrew driver that was introduced in 1983, so this was probably made sometime within the last 20 yrs but hard to say when. The 'stainless steel' stamp is classic china fake though, they all have it.
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Thanks for your input 007!

That’s right, I had my question about its authenticity. All my other Vic’s have writing on the main- blade. The brand name, stainless / rostfrei, Swiss made, officier Suisse,Switserland and so on.

I handled quite a few Victorinox, old and new. And this ‘’SAK” handles just like them. That distinguish double-click, tool integration in frame, shape of the individual tools and all that. After a good comparison between this knife, a new Vic and a 15+ years older model….it does look fake. I also have to agree on you with the tools variation on the rear side.

Not to question/discussed your words but only that stamp ‘’STAINLESS’’ makes it a knockoff? Did Victorinox ever made OEM products?


Thomas Linton said:
Its a relatively new knife. The little screwdriver that srcews into the corkscrew was not with min that I bought about ten years ago on sale at a Walmarts. The tools are otherwise the same and in the same places.

The "rusty" part is confusing. The metal is all stainless. It would take a lot to get it to corrode.
Click to expand...

That lil corkscrew driver is optional with some models. And…hahaha, the plastic broke when I tried to fit it in a original Vic’s corkscrew.

The knife did show some oxidation but was easely cleaned. Stainless is different than rust-proof, it stains less. My stainless Leatherman also shows signs of surface oxidation. And if you take your Victorinox into the ocean it will do that also.
 
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Yes it is very fake. I really wanted to believe it was the real deal because of the family history. Maybe that blinded my observations me from the truth. I’ll keep it anyway for that reason.
 
pietje said:
Not to question/discussed your words but only that stamp ‘’STAINLESS’’ makes it a knockoff? Did Victorinox ever made OEM products?
Click to expand...

The stamp of "stainless" doesn't make it a knock-off, the fact that it's a knock-off makes it a knock-off. The stamp is just a clearer indication of that. As far as I know, and I may be wrong, neither Victorinox or Wenger ever made SAKs for other companies to be branded otherwise, or to stay unbranded. Aside from company editions of knives, a SAK made by Victorinox was stamped as such, especially one of the generation shown. Given the rampant piracy of popular SAK models, it stands to reason that all of their genuine products would have the appropriate markings of Swiss manufacture. Again, I could be wrong, but I'm fairly sure that's the case.



pietje said:
The knife did show some oxidation but was easely cleaned. Stainless is different than rust-proof, it stains less. My stainless Leatherman also shows signs of surface oxidation. And if you take your Victorinox into the ocean it will do that also.
Click to expand...

Your Leatherman uses a very different steel than what Victorinox uses. LM multis rust pretty easily, however I have yet to see any Victorinox or Wenger tool show any kind of corrosion, spotting, or pitting after many many years of changing environments. While stainless steel can still corrode (with one exception), in regular practice it's extremely unlikely that a real SAK would rust.

Just my thoughts, since knock-off SAKs likely use cheaper steel without any real attention to details like rostfrei-ness.
 
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