SAK Classic. . .Cheap?

O

okBookGuy

Joined
Dec 29, 2005
Messages
145
Hello friends. It has been a while since I posted. But I got a question and I knew you guys would set
me straight. My wife lost her authentic classic sak to the San Francisco TSP.
I thought I could pick her one up on problem and WalMart. So I did. But the second I held it,
I got this horrible feeling that something was wrong. It seemed light to me. And maybe the red scales
were a little too bright (not the right material????)

Anyway. here's my question: Is a classic a classic a classic? Or, are there some cheaper ones (made in china?)
and you got to be aware of whom you're buying them from??

I keep an executive on my key ring and she keeps a classic on her key ring. The look and feel of this new
classic just doesn't "seem" like the old one she had.

What do you say? Thanks alot my friends!
 
I just bought a pink classic for my mother and she beats the piss out of it every day. And as far as where they are made, to my knowlede each and every vic is made in switzerland.
 
If its a classic, its a classic. The true swiss knives have the crossbow on the tang, if it has that it was manufactured in Switzerland. Vic or Wenger only manufacture in Switzerland. (I'm assuming you bought a Victorinox classic... Wenger makes one as well, its different, maybe that could account for the differences?)
 
There are several chinese versions of different SAKs especially the classics, one way to tell is to make sure the cross looks right.
Here's what a real Victorinox looks like (I prefer Vic over Wenger)
http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Sw...=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1275182671&sr=8-12

A real Wegner
http://www.amazon.com/Wenger-16940-...=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1275182711&sr=8-33

How to spot a fake.
http://myauthenticsguys.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-spot-fake-swiss-army-knife.html

The fakes i've seen most commonly have a gold circle/swirl with a cross in it and are cheaply made.
 
I believe that wenger is the only one with a crossbow on the tang. None of my vics have it but all 3 of my wengers do. But I agree that if u picked up the wenger version of the classic it my account for the differences. Good thought on that jthomas
 
jlee3228 said:
I believe that wenger is the only one with a crossbow on the tang. None of my vics have it but all 3 of my wengers do. But I agree that if u picked up the wenger version of the classic it my account for the differences. Good thought on that jthomas
Click to expand...

I'm looking at a Vic Deluxe Tinker with it.
 
If it says "Victorinox" or "Wenger" on it, and you got it from Walmart, you can be 99.99% sure it's authentic. If it has neither of those names on it, you can be 99.99% sure it's not.

I've seen tons of SAK copies over the years, some good, some junk. But I can't recall ever seeing a counterfeit SAK. It's possible you got a copy at Walmart. But extremely unlikely you got a counterfeit there.

The crossbow stamp isn't a consistent indicator of authenticity. It's use has varied over the years.
 
Could definately be they change slightly over the years, type in NTSA over at the Bay and you can buy 4-10 of them for 10 to 30 dollars
 
i've always thought the Ruby translucent scales looked cheap on the Victorinox SAKs, could that be it?

i picked up a handful of Classic sized SAKs from Knives and More in OKC a couple years ago out of a box that looked like it came from TSA confiscations

i'd look for a Rambler. IMO the Phillips and bottle opener are well worth a little extra thickness
 
Vic only has one grade of knife.

There are knock offs. But I think Walmart sells the real deal.
 
Victorinox Crossbow / Crossbow and cross stamps were used in 80's to 90's and sometimes in late 90's they stopped using it. Now you only have: Victorinox Switzerland Stainless Rostefrei

Out of my 20 SAK's only my oldest SAK's 2nd gen Spartan and 1st or 2nd Gen Bantam have crossbow tangs.
 
If the packaging says Victorinox or Wenger and you got it from Wmart it is the real deal.

I have been buying Victorinox SAKs for many years, and they still feel the same in hand as comparable models from years ago.

I agree with another post in that the Wenger line sometimes feels a little lighter than Victorinox.
 
The sak classic is one of knifedoms most under rated knives.

For years I watched my better half abuse the living piss out of hers. So eventually I had to put one on my keyring just to try out. I became a convert to the little thing. It really will do 98% of what you have to do with a pocket knife in the real world.
 
thejamppa said:
Victorinox Crossbow / Crossbow and cross stamps were used in 80's to 90's and sometimes in late 90's they stopped using it. Now you only have: Victorinox Switzerland Stainless Rostefrei
Click to expand...

ah so thats it then. i should have known better than to argue before i checked my info.:foot:
 
The new Victorinox's just say "Swiss made", which unfortunately can mean a whole lot of different things.
 
jackknife said:
The sak classic is one of knifedoms most under rated knives.

For years I watched my better half abuse the living piss out of hers. So eventually I had to put one on my keyring just to try out. I became a convert to the little thing. It really will do 98% of what you have to do with a pocket knife in the real world.
Click to expand...

Its great to hear from you Jack Knife. I'd love to read one of your great stories and feature the classic!!!!

I confirmed the box said Victorinox, the shield and cross are on one scale.
I got it at Walmart. So I guess this is the real deal.

I had to ask though, bc it seemed so much "lighter" than my wife's former one. It seemed lighter to her as well????! But, I figure I must just be "seeing" things.

Jackknife, you once told me that Chuck Yeager carried the executive. I've got one on my keyring. Its a neat deal to be able to just pick up the ring and know I've got everything in my hand that I'm likely to need while I'm out.

Thank you guys for all your help on this one!!
 
knarfeng said:
Vic only has one grade of knife.

There are knock offs. But I think Walmart sells the real deal.
Click to expand...

That is not entirely true. Victorinox produces a Nylon scaled with printed on logo line with matte scales that have bit of texture. I can find very little info about these. They go by different names such as "ecoline", "economy", "Nylon" or "Matte".

I don't think the executive comes this way but I have a Hunstman with the economy scales.
 
cave dave said:
That is not entirely true. Victorinox produces a Nylon scaled with printed on logo line with matte scales that have bit of texture. I can find very little info about these. They go by different names such as "ecoline", "economy", "Nylon" or "Matte".

I don't think the executive comes this way but I have a Hunstman with the economy scales.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. Thanks for that. I've seen the Nylon scales. Never heard them called economy. But I think the rest of the knife is the same "quality" no matter what the scales.
 
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