SAK - Victorinox Tinker

Victorinox makes an unbelievable number of different models.
I'd like to know if there are any alox models other than the ones commonly found.

Paul

 

the solo alox has the sides the size of the soldier. nice. the alox bantam is 84mm and is very thin (too thin for me) I wonder which one the 2 bladed apprentice is like. does anyone know?

 

UnknownVT thanks for making a bunch of very interesting posts about SAKs. The Tinker is one of my favourites, particularly the 84mm version. It is the smallest SAK which has all the tools that I use. I find that I use the blade, can opener, Philips head, flatblade
screwdriver and tweezers a lot. I never find myself really needing any other tool. Although the alox ones look better and have slightly better blades, I like having the Philips head and the tweezers in the standard versions.

 

I have the Solo, Settler, Apprentice, and Harvester. I also have the Electrician that has been sold in the U.S. for quite a few years. I'm not sure how it differs from the Electrician Plus. They are all 91mm long. I don't notice any differences in the width of the scales. Here are the dimensions, by my measure:

Solo, Settler, Apprentice - 8mm (scales + one backspring)

Electrician - 11mm (scales + two equal width backsprings + one spacer)

Harvester - 13mm (scales + three varying width backsprings + two spacers)

Several U.S. retailers have the Alox models in stock now. If anyone notices when the 84mm Tinker becomes available, I would appreciate finding out. I have the 91mm Tinker, and it is a favorite for weekend carry. Great knife.

 

Thanks for the info Tarsier. I'm looking for a 2 bladed, single layer vik to carry with my LM juice. The apprentice or the settler should fit the bill.

 

I've never dealt with this seller ([email protected]) but he has a good selection on ebay. http://www.stores.ebay.com/davemacksstore/plistings/list/all/dept9/index.html

 

Back in 1977 a friend gave me a Vic Tinker (if that's what it was called then) because I was always looking for a toothpick. It took me nine years to lose the toothpick plus one more year to lose the knife.
The rounded edges of the Vic's screw drivers drove me crazy which my friend knew about so he gave me a Leatherman plus a Vic Classic when I lost the Tinker. I still carry the Leatherman and the Vic Classic even though I've had to replace the Classic twice.

 

Tango Sierra,
Those rounded screwdrivers drive me crazy too. It's easy to square them off - you only need about 5 minutes and a sharpening stone. Whenever I get a new SAK, the first (and only) things that I do to it is to square off the screwdrivers and file the tweezers down to a smaller point.

 

I ordered a Victorinox Compact from him last Tuesday morning, paid with PayPal, and received my knife on Friday. I think his prices are fair, and shipping is very reasonable ($1.75). The knife was brand new, factory packaged, and shipped in a padded envelope.


Dave

 

I've bought about 10 Tinkers over the years to give to my kids. I wondered why the ones I ordered from the Aafes (Army & Air Force Exchange System) were always the 84mm version. Know I know it is because they buy them directly from the Swiss (in Switzerland) distributor and ship them to the service member in the US. They even make us pay duty on them if the Gov'nmt requires. When I've bought one in the US it has been the 91 mm version.

I have an 84 mm version NIB awaiting my grandson to reach 8 yrs old and join the Cub Scouts. If it is valuable to someone who has an equally new 91 mm that wants to trade, I could, or not, no biggie to me.

Bruce Woodbury

 

Vincent
Both my newer 84mm tinker and tourist do have a sewing eye in the reamer/punch.

 

Both purchased this year (last month)in the US via the new distribution.

 

Yes, the 84mm Tinker I got from Switzerland, through the Army PX system does have an eye in the punch (or is it a punch in the eye!).