Swiss Army Knife = Toast?

[JCKT]

Pretty epic to many of you it seems. To me, it seems like a lie. I just do not believe it. Not with the technology I saw them using on a video documentary. You guys ever worked on plastics extrusion? Heat treating and tempering steels? How about everything used making the lubes used around the place, plus on the knives? I could go on. A piece of toast? Not a chance! Do you guys just automatically believe things because they sound good, or admirable to you?

Instead of going through the whole big long process of typing out where you are mistaken and possibly confused, I am just going to go ahead and post up this video:
[video=youtube;3UjUWfwWAC4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UjUWfwWAC4[/video]

I will also suggest you go ahead and google what a carbon footprint is. Then upon watching both videos (throw in the victorinox How It's Made for good measure) and pondering the huge undertaking of making bread (a product that only stays good for about two weeks) and the toaster used to convert said bread into toast. If you find yourself feeling like the statements you made before are still somehow valid, then at least you spent a little bit of time becoming marginally informed on the topic.

 

[RedLynx]

the huge undertaking of making bread (a product that only stays good for about two weeks)

Not to mention that's just the bread we typically produce in the States. A lot of what my Euro-friends call "real bread" only stays good 3 days at the outside.

 

[The Mastiff]

I will also suggest you go ahead and google what a carbon footprint is. Then upon watching both videos (throw in the victorinox How It's Made for good measure) and pondering the huge undertaking of making bread (a product that only stays good for about two weeks) and the toaster used to convert said bread into toast. If you find yourself feeling like the statements you made before are still somehow valid, then at least you spent a little bit of time becoming marginally informed on the topic.

So you are throwing the toaster used to toast the bread into the equation eh? Funny but I thought it was just a slice of toast.

swiss army knife with a carbon footprint equaling a slice of toast

I'd better spend some more time becoming "marginally informed" about bakeries, real bread etc. Then perhaps we can throw the rail car used to transport the red wheat, the furnace used to bake bread on an industrial scale, heck, the tractor used to furrow the wheat fields. Why not just change whatever I want when called on bulls#!t.

Darn, it sounded so good. Too bad evil people like mastiff have to ruin the good vibes we had going .

heh!

 

[The Mastiff]

All while being extremely good to their employees with great pay and benefits. Just one of those things listed above is tough to say in this economic environment, so for Victorinox to be able to say all of those things at once, is down right amazing. There are a lot of American manufacturing companies that could learn a thing or two from them.

And you know how happy the employees are, what they are paid, what their benefits are now? Downright amazing is right. Too bad all these American manufacturers aren't learning from them.

Check out Glassdoor. From that website here's an example:

14% of employees recommend this company to a friend

Only 14% huh? Something is wrong there.

“Great brand, less-than-perfect management.”

“Inconsiderate, disorganized upper management.”
"Dont Bother”

Some, not all. There was one good one I found.


"Employees are “Dissatisfied” 7 ratings
1.7
"75% Approve of the CEO 4 ratings" That's good. No sarcasm meant.

Lesson learned here. Being a fan of the company doesn't mean everything is great there. I suspect you know less than you think JCKT

 

[leghog]

What's wrong with being an "eco-weenie" and caring about the world you will pass down to your children?

Nothing.

 

[leghog]

Pretty epic to many of you it seems. To me, it seems like a lie. I just do not believe it. Not with the technology I saw them using on a video documentary. You guys ever worked on plastics extrusion? Heat treating and tempering steels? How about everything used making the lubes used around the place, plus on the knives? I could go on. A piece of toast? Not a chance! Do you guys just automatically believe things because they sound good, or admirable to you?

And I could ask, do you just automatically think a something a lie because it "seems like a lie" to you?

 

[The Mastiff]

And I could ask, do you just automatically think a something a lie because it "seems like a lie" to you?

Sure you can ask. No I don't. I have a process I use to work out things in my mind. If I have experience with something I tend to be more inclined to form an opinion than if I don't. I try not to let emotions for or against enter in. In this case I like Swiss Army knives and have a bunch. I have never worked at the company so I can't directly attest to that. I occasionally make my own bread and can even toast it by myself.

I have years of experience in a production environment ( part time , over 15 years in an international company larger than Victorinox/Wegner plus some smaller shorter term jobs.). I have extruded plastic parts, made a few knives, assembled products on a line, dealt with vendors, worked in shipping, etc., etc,. That was in addition to my real job which I recently retired from.

I have also noted a fairly large part of the population would rather be told what they want to hear and can get irritated when told the truth if it isn't what they want to hear.

 

[JCKT]

So you are throwing the toaster used to toast the bread into the equation eh? Funny but I thought it was just a slice of toast.

In order to make a slice of toast, you do in fact need a toaster.

Check out Glassdoor. From that website

It appears you are using the wrong location. The location you are currently looking at is the Monroe CT which is just a warehouse and storefront, not the Ibach Switzerland manufacturing location. On top of that, weren't you just telling us how we cant believe everything we read on the internet? Looks like you can only when it supports your claims. You also did a wonderful job cherry picking the data

Actual Reviews:

Pros – Great brand and products, good benefits, good pay, great people through all levels of the organization, flexibility of hours with a great work/life balance
Cons – Horrible communication, upper management out of touch with the employees, raises/bonuses given out selectively, parent company completely out of touch with the needs of the market, company not sure what it wants to be

Pros – Great Products, Awsome Staff in store, Great Discount online
Cons – no raises, little advancement, poor upper management with little to no expiriance, no communication, a company that has no idea about selling in AMERICA and needs to figure it our because they are trying to become reputable in AMERICA.

So it seems to me that there are management issues at one warehouse far far away from their headquarters in Switzerland. A common problem at pretty much any large corporation. But you having experience in just such a thing (experience that obviously trumps every other person on this forum, despite not known anyone else's background or current employment status), you obviously know that already. Also reading a quick blurb on a website where angry employees are more likely to post than happy ones, totally makes you an expert on the company! But at this point I've done enough feeding of the trolls. So let it all be known that The Mastiff is skeptical of this claim! Everyone get that? Great! Now lets move on.

I suspect you know less than you think JCKT

Those in glass houses my friend.

 

[Shotgun]

In order to make a slice of toast, you do in fact need a toaster.



It appears you are using the wrong location. The location you are currently looking at is the Monroe CT which is just a warehouse and storefront, not the Ibach Switzerland manufacturing location. On top of that, weren't you just telling us how we cant believe everything we read on the internet? Looks like you can only when it supports your claims. You also did a wonderful job cherry picking the data

Actual Reviews:

Pros – Great brand and products, good benefits, good pay, great people through all levels of the organization, flexibility of hours with a great work/life balance
Cons – Horrible communication, upper management out of touch with the employees, raises/bonuses given out selectively, parent company completely out of touch with the needs of the market, company not sure what it wants to be

Pros – Great Products, Awsome Staff in store, Great Discount online
Cons – no raises, little advancement, poor upper management with little to no expiriance, no communication, a company that has no idea about selling in AMERICA and needs to figure it our because they are trying to become reputable in AMERICA.

So it seems to me that there are management issues at one warehouse far far away from their headquarters in Switzerland. A common problem at pretty much any large corporation. But you having experience in just such a thing (experience that obviously trumps every other person on this forum, despite not known anyone else's background or current employment status), you obviously know that already. Also reading a quick blurb on a website where angry employees are more likely to post than happy ones, totally makes you an expert on the company! But at this point I've done enough feeding of the trolls. So let it all be known that The Mastiff is skeptical of this claim! Everyone get that? Great! Now lets move on.



Those in glass houses my friend.

Don't bother. I've learned the hard way that people would rather believe in a fantasy that supports their preconceived notion of the world and there's no volume of factual evidence that you can show them that will change their minds.

 

[RedLynx]

And you know how happy the employees are, what they are paid, what their benefits are now? Downright amazing is right. Too bad all these American manufacturers aren't learning from them.

The Swiss economy in general is a very good one, I don't have stats to hand but I've had personal experience with it. Granted, everything in Switzerland is pretty expensive if you're an outsider not making Swiss money. But if you happen to live there making the money, it's a very good set-up with most established, big businesses such as Victorinox. I couldn't find a company called Glassdoor in Switzerland anywhere, but, I guess it really would be too much to expect every company to be great. No matter how great they are, even an eco-friendly, worker-friendly company will be considerate of its bottom line above many things.

 

[Faiaoga]

I cannot testify to their carbon footprint, but Victorinox produces fine knives at reasonable prices. When I needed a small replacement part, I received excellent personalized service from the Swiss factory. The best thing is they market their products as useful tools, not as fantasy weapons. Right On.

 

[leghog]

In order to make a slice of toast, you do in fact need a toaster.



It appears you are using the wrong location. The location you are currently looking at is the Monroe CT which is just a warehouse and storefront, not the Ibach Switzerland manufacturing location. On top of that, weren't you just telling us how we cant believe everything we read on the internet? Looks like you can only when it supports your claims. You also did a wonderful job cherry picking the data

Actual Reviews:

Pros – Great brand and products, good benefits, good pay, great people through all levels of the organization, flexibility of hours with a great work/life balance
Cons – Horrible communication, upper management out of touch with the employees, raises/bonuses given out selectively, parent company completely out of touch with the needs of the market, company not sure what it wants to be

Pros – Great Products, Awsome Staff in store, Great Discount online
Cons – no raises, little advancement, poor upper management with little to no expiriance, no communication, a company that has no idea about selling in AMERICA and needs to figure it our because they are trying to become reputable in AMERICA.

So it seems to me that there are management issues at one warehouse far far away from their headquarters in Switzerland. A common problem at pretty much any large corporation. But you having experience in just such a thing (experience that obviously trumps every other person on this forum, despite not known anyone else's background or current employment status), you obviously know that already. Also reading a quick blurb on a website where angry employees are more likely to post than happy ones, totally makes you an expert on the company! But at this point I've done enough feeding of the trolls. So let it all be known that The Mastiff is skeptical of this claim! Everyone get that? Great! Now lets move on.



Those in glass houses my friend.

And one thing is beyond doubt ---- Victorinox's business model is obviously working as demand for their knives has them producing ~35 million knives a year, year after year. What other knife company comes close to that success?

 

[jackknife]

And one thing is beyond doubt ---- Victorinox's business model is obviously working as demand for their knives has them producing ~35 million knives a year, year after year. What other knife company comes close to that success?

Only the second largest knife company in the world: Opinel. Very similar business model to Victorinox, family owned, highly automated, and very environmentally friendly.

 

[JTC]

Cool video!

 

[Luis G.]

How do you know you are keeping polutants to a bare minimum? Recycling aluminum involves bleaching. This is more toxic than throwing away the can.

Just because it's the cool thing to do, remember we are always wrong in so many other ways. We are just now figuring out diets that were "good" for us are now not.

Some "green" energy (biomass as example) is dirtier than fossil fuels. Biofuels especially made from food crops contribute to more greenhouse gas than fossile fuels, and contributes to deforestation and starvation.

Again, I'm not against the concept of taking care of the planet, it's the way it's being implemented blindly by the masses.

So we shouldn't do the right thing because there's always someone or ourselves doing bad things? There are necessities to human existence, and while we can't just go green overnight it's an ongoing struggle, and progress.
Anyways your cynic thoughts are quite founded on ignorance, and selfishness.

Anyways back to OP.
The whole process of saving heat/energy is quite frankly amazing, I have yet to see a knife manufacturer be this environmental friendly or even come close. I've heard of companies recycling sludge but that's usually from titanium, and expensive materials like gold/silver because of the fact they make a pretty penny back. But to do this for steel, it's nothing but an expense that won't pay itself back, a true testament to Victorinox's commitment to sustainability and not distributing the wealth as you may think of it.

 

[powernoodle]

Anyways your cynic thoughts are quite founded on ignorance, and selfishness.

Calling a fellow Bladeforum member ignorant and selfish is not very friendly. Its very un-Swiss.

This whole green charade is all about feeling good rather than doing good, sort of like wearing a pink ribbon when you receive your Academy Award. That's why many of us recoil when those purporting to be "green" are held out as caring more and being better citizens. They do not care more, and they are not "better". And acknowledging this reality does not make one ignorant or selfish. Whether Victorinox uses hydro-electric energy or gas and oil, it has no tangible effect here in the real world. But it makes people feel good, so we are all expected to swoon and clap. The fossil fuel "saved" by Victorinox is dwarfed by the fossil fuel used to distribute 35,000,000 SAKs around the globe on an annual basis. But that fact doesn't make people feel good, so Helga doesn't tell us how many homes are not heated by the hundreds of tonnes of jet fuel used to distribute Victorinox products. Use hydro-electric energy or not. It's all good. Just don't expect everyone to swoon about it.

 

[Luis G.]

Calling a fellow Bladeforum member ignorant and selfish is not very friendly. Its very un-Swiss.

This whole green charade is all about feeling good rather than doing good, sort of like wearing a pink ribbon when you receive your Academy Award. That's why many of us recoil when those purporting to be "green" are held out as caring more and being better citizens. They do not care more, and they are not "better". And acknowledging this reality does not make one ignorant or selfish. Whether Victorinox uses hydro-electric energy or gas and oil, it has no tangible effect here in the real world. But it makes people feel good, so we are all expected to swoon and clap. The fossil fuel "saved" by Victorinox is dwarfed by the fossil fuel used to distribute 35,000,000 SAKs around the globe on an annual basis. But that fact doesn't make people feel good, so Helga doesn't tell us how many homes are not heated by the hundreds of tonnes of jet fuel used to distribute Victorinox products. Use hydro-electric energy or not. It's all good. Just don't expect everyone to swoon about it.

I said his cynic sentiments regarding the green movement are founded on ignorance/selfishness. I very much doubt his character is founded on those two crutches.

I understand what you are saying and I am not blind to the "feel good" trend that is going on with green products, however as long as the end result is the same (progressing towards more green) that's alright by me.
Secondly all you are called to bear is your part, you can't force others to follow suit. It is NOT in Victorinox's power nor responsibility to be a steward for other's responsibilities (distribution networks, steel or alu recyclers etc).
All we can hope is that we do your job right, and hope others take up suit.

Aye.

 

[VictorLouis]

What's wrong with being an "eco-weenie" and caring about the world you will pass down to your children?

Poor choice of terms on my part. I meant that I am not one of the environmental extremist types. Hunters, generally, take might fine care of the environs where they hunt. I don't hunt, but sure support your right to do it. I'm all FOR huggin' the tress, also. Experienced loggers can quickly determine what size saw they'll need to fell it. They're also planting back over what's been culled, to perpetuate the harvest in the future. I'm all for thinning out forest land/s too, having seen the devastating fires that rip across our western lands each year. We ought not to be closing down coal mines and killing entire local economies. Rather, continue to seek natural gas deposits to where it becomes the most competitive choice. ...& so forth

 

[Ernie1980]

Wow....thanks for sharing! SAK just moved up in my book. It is good to see a company with longevity that treats their people well and doesn't destroy the environment.

 

[bladeboss]

Not to mention that's just the bread we typically produce in the States. A lot of what my Euro-friends call "real bread" only stays good 3 days at the outside.

I agree with this. I have before purchased fairly expensive breads, and after the first day, they become hard as a rock.