Questions about my latest two knife acquisitions, (a Victorinox and a Wusthof)... Some help, please...

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

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Aug 4, 2013
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While doing some perusing out and about this morning, I came across two knives that I wound up purchasing for my collection. Both seem totally unused, with the Victorinox being in what may be it's original box, (but I don't know that for sure).

The Wusthof looks to be a direct copy of a Swiss Army knife, and it too seems to be totally unused. But, it had no box, and the split keyring thingy is missing, (which I didn't feel to be a deal breaker at all).

So, for you folks that are much more knowledgeable about "Swiss Army Style Knives" than me, (which is likely most of you), could you help me by answering a few questions...

Does the Victorinox seem to be the correct knife for the box I received with it?
Also, what vintage would you say it's from, (like maybe 70's, 80's, 90's?).

The biggest mystery for me is the Wusthof rendition of a Wenger or Victorinox Swiss Army knife.
Is it actually a Wusthof made product, or could it have been made by Wenger or Victorinox under Wusthof contract?
Also, what vintage would you guess it is?

While both caught my eye, it was the Wusthof that intrigued me the most, so I made an offer to the seller and just figured if he accepted, fine... And if not, that would have been fine too. He obviously did accept my offer, and now that I am home with them and really seeing how so very mint they are, I'm real glad that he did accept the deal :)




Here are a few more pics of the box and it's contents.
The end of the box likely had a model name printed onto it, but the removal of a price tag, or some other tape/sticker, caused most of that to get pulled off.
I am guessing maybe 'Tinker'?... If so, would the top maroon colored sleeve's 'Swiss Army Officer's Knife' make the match up not correct?





 
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I am numbered among the dummies when it comes to Swiss Army/swiss Army type knives.

Nice haul. :)

EDIT:
Do the blades in the "Tinker" box knife match the blades on the current Tinker? (not "Super Tinker" which has an extra blade or two.) and is it the proper size for a Tinker?
 
afishhunter said:
I am numbered among the dummies when it comes to Swiss Army/swiss Army type knives.

Nice haul. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks, buddy! 😊
The Wusthof screams out being a Wenger or Victorinox... But, maybe Wusthof did attempt making their own varsions, I dunno.
But, if it was of their own making, they sure did a great job in matching the quality of those other two makers of the Swiss Army Knives.
The tang is stamped Germany, but that may or may not prove that they themselves made it.
If it didn't have the Wusthof markings, I would have immediately guessed it as being a Swiss made product, (a Victorinox or the old Wenger).
 
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I THINK but not 100% certain that "officers knife" is just Victorinox nomenclature to differentiate from the issued knife. The actual military contact knives are actually different from most "swiss army knives" In that case the box would still be correct if it says "tinker" on the side. Personally I like the tinker the best as its not too big and thick, but carries the most useful tools. I like the corkscrew being replaced by the Phillips screwdriver. The German knife I'm completely ignorant of unfortunately.
 
afishhunter said:
I am numbered among the dummies when it comes to Swiss Army/swiss Army type knives.

Nice haul. :)

EDIT:
Do the blades in the "Tinker" box knife match the blades on the current Tinker? (not "Super Tinker" which has an extra blade or two.) and is it the proper size for a Tinker?
Click to expand...
It does seem to be the Tinker... The only difference I see from the current day rendition, is that mine does not have the attachment point for a split keyring that the new ones have. Other than that, it seems to be a pure basic Tinker 👍

I was reading the paperwork that came with it, it stating that there were 40 different models available at the time of the paperwork's printing.
Well, I just searched to see what the current number is for available versions...

"Today, the "Officers' Knife" is available in over 100 different models."

Um, yeah, that number has grown! 😆

I also did a search for the Wusthof, but VERY SLIM pick'ins with that one.
I did find two that had been sold in the past, and although the price was not shown, both described the knife as being quite rare...
I'm starting to believe that may be true. I like adding unique things into my collection, so that would indeed make this Wusthof a score for my collection.
Even so, I'll keep seeking out any info about it, since that's a big part of my collecting hobby, the learning about these cool "objects" 👍😊👍
 
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Misplaced Hillbilly said:
I THINK but not 100% certain that "officers knife" is just Victorinox nomenclature to differentiate from the issued knife. The actual military contact knives are actually different from most "swiss army knives" In that case the box would still be correct if it says "tinker" on the side. Personally I like the tinker the best as its not too big and thick, but carries the most useful tools. I like the corkscrew being replaced by the Phillips screwdriver. The German knife I'm completely ignorant of unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Thank you! 👍😊👍
 
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
It does seem to be the Tinker... The only difference I see from the current day rendition, is that mine does not have the attachment point for a split ring that the new ones have. Other than that, it seems to be a pure basic Tinker 👍

I was reading the paperwork that came with it, it stating that there were 40 different models available at the time of the paperwork's printing.
Well, I just searched to see what the current number is for available versions...

"Today, the "Officers' Knife" is available in over 100 different models."

Um, yeah, that number has grown! 😆

I also did a search for the Wusthof, but VERY SLIM pick'ins with that one.
I did find two that were had been sold in the passed, and although the price sold for was not shown, both described the knife as being quite rare...
I'm starting to believe that may be true. I like adding unique things into my collection, so that would indeed make this Wusthof a score for my collection.
Even so, I'll keep seeking out any info about it, since that's a big part of my collecting hobby, the learning about these cool "objects" 👍😊👍
Click to expand...
Here's a link to the Tinker page of the SAKWiki website, a site that I find very informative:
https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Tinker

And here's a link to the SAKWiki.com page for Victorinox tang stamps. You might find helpful info there regarding the date of manufacture of your knife:
https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Victorinox+Tang+Stamp+Guide

- GT
 
I suspect the Wusthof is a contract knife by a German company. I have a couple Swiss army "style" knives marked Puma and another Imperial both with Germany on tang. Both are identical to Victorinox models ( btw Wenger knives are smaller than Vics, so not likely a Wenger).
Rich
 
Thanks for the input, guys 👍

That web page on the Tinker has me 99% sure that my Victorinox is indeed a basic Tinker.
The only minor doubt would be that my specimen does not have the built in attachment loop that would allow for the Tinker model's key ring. I may have missed it on that site, but I didn't see any mention of a Tinker not having that feature.
I still think a Tinker is what it is, maybe just an early version without the keyring attachment feature... Dunno.

As for the Wusthoff, I too think it's likely a Swiss made product made under contract for them. If not, then it would be the best copy I have ever seen of one! 😆

I know that thread posts with few pics may seem a wee bit boring, so I am including this pic here of a Wenger knife I have, (made under Victorinox ownership). It was purchased by my daughter as a bring back gift for me when she was on a trip over there in Switzerland.

 
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It is not uncommon for folks to remove the loop ring attachment and knob (I do), if it's going to be a pocket carry. I've carried a Vic Tinker model for over 30 years and have about 60 vintage Vics and Wengers and a few SAK-a-likes from Germany, Japan, Spain, China (ugh), Czech Republic, etc.
A very, very commonly copied style as it is so well known, liked and the most sold knife brand on Earth (literally).
Rich
 
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Rich S said:
It is not uncommon for folks to remove the loop ring attachment (I do), if it's going to be a pocket carry. I've carried a Vic Tinker model for over 30 years and have about 60 vintage Vics and Wengers and a few SAK-a-likes from Germany, Japan, Spain, Italy, etc.
A very, very commonly copied style as it is so well known, liked and the most sold knife brand on Earth (literally).
Rich
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I realize that the Wusthof does not have it's keyring, but it does have the little built in loop protruding from it's frame.

On the other hand, the Victorinox not only has no keyring, it also does not have the built in protruding loop to even attach a keyring. I even went so far as to closely inspecting it to see if maybe someone had filed it off... But, no, it clearly left the factory without having a keyring loop.

So, a Tinker? I really do believe so, but... one without the keyring feature.
 
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Check Sakwiki site for all you want to know about Vics and Wengers. Also that auction site for zillions of SAK copies.
Rich
 
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Okay, my Victorinox is a small Tinker, not the slightly larger standard one.
And, it seems that not all the small Tinkers came with the built in keyring loop. So, it does seem that the knife and it's packaging are all legit.
I'll keep trying to uncover more info about the Wusthof knife, and if I find out anthing more about it, I will make sure to put that info up here for posterity 👍😊👍

Thanks again for your input, guys! 😊
 
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Apparently the Wusthof, (Dreizack), knife that I picked up today, is indeed of their own manufacture.
The following link gives a little bit of info about this knife. I did know that Wusthof, (Dreizack), was a top quality German Cutlery firm, so it's not all too surprising that they could make a quality rendition of the Swiss Army Knives. But, with Victorinox having that market so well cornered, I am surprised that they would have even attempted to encroach into that territory. Well, this rendition is certainly still a cool version to have in my collection 👍

Dreizack

Review of the German made Dreizack pocket knife
swissarmyknights.com swissarmyknights.com
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy -

Great info on the Wusthof. I was not aware they ever made a SAK-a-like. Great find. :)

About the Tinker lacking a knob. As I said above it is very easy to remove. I use to be more careful, but at 77 and having done several previous Tinkers, now I just do it. My Tinker is a user (well used), so I'm not concerned with "pretty" anymore. Look at the end were the awl is (knob1.jpg), that is where the knob was sloppily filed off. Then at Knob2.jpg, that is with the screwdriver extended about 30 degrees. The little piece sticking up is what is left of the knob. If you see that on your Tinker, it had a knob at some time. Lots of serious modders can make it look like the knob was never there. Would be interested to know as I've a dozen or so Tinkers (lg and small), but never seen one made without the knob for the ring.





EDIT:
I am a Knight, but never thought to check the archives (me bad).
Then I found this line for the 84 mm (small) Tinker:
"A no-keyring and no toothpick & tweezers edition was produced"
Thanks. Please excuse the pocket lint.
Rich
 
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Rich S said:
PocketKnifeJimmy -

Great info on the Wusthof. I was not aware they ever made a SAK-a-like. Great find. :)

About the Tinker lacking a knob. As I said above it is very easy to remove. I use to be more careful, but at 77 and having done several previous Tinkers, now I just do it. My Tinker is a user (well used), so I'm not concerned with "pretty" anymore. Look at the end were the awl is (knob1.jpg), that is where the knob was sloppily filed off. Then at Knob2.jpg, that is with the screwdriver extended about 30 degrees. The little piece sticking up is what is left of the knob. If you see that on your Tinker, it had a knob at some time. Lots of serious modders can make it look like the knob was never there. Would be interested to know as I've a dozen or so Tinkers (lg and small), but never seen one made without the knob for the ring.





I am a Knight, but never thought to check the archives (me bad).
Thanks. Please excuse the pocket lint.
Rich
Click to expand...
Your photo was just what I needed, much thanks, buddy!
Now I am positive that my specimen is in pure unaltered factory condition, no keyring loop was ever a part of my knife.
Again, as a collector of all sorts of gadgets, I like when I have something that may somehow not be the norm, or that isn't as common 👍



I certainly did not get hurt on these two knives, my only paying $15 for each of them.

I especially find the Wusthof/Dreizack knife to be a very cool addition to my collection, especially in it's mint condition.

Yup, definitely feeling that it was a good thirty dollars spent 👍

Btw, if you're interested in another discussion concerning the lack of some keyring attachments on SAKs, this old thread had discussed it as well...

Curious about my Small Tinker

I purchased a Small Tinker from the auction site and have noticed two peculiar things about it: 1. It's lacking a keychain attachment. 2. There's no half-stop on the cap lifter/screwdriver. I view #1 as a good thing since key chain attachment points are often uncomfortable when using the...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
I especially find the Wusthof/Dreizack knife to be a very cool addition to my collection, especially in it's mint condition.
Click to expand...
What tools does your Wusthof/Dreizack SAK-clone have? Is it identical to the small Tinker, or are there some differences?

- GT
 
5K Qs said:
What tools does your Wusthof/Dreizack SAK-clone have? Is it identical to the small Tinker, or are there some differences?

- GT
Click to expand...
It's more close to being like a SAK Spartan. But, it's not a pure copy of any SAK model.

The following link has it's description, and it's better than I would be able to do...

Dreizack

Review of the German made Dreizack pocket knife
swissarmyknights.com swissarmyknights.com
 
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