Swiss army

[IUBI]

I was just wondering if anyone knew what kind of steel swiss army uses on their knives. Swiss army also has a few knives with locking mechanisms and was wondering what kind of lock they use.

thanks

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In what was destined to be a short-lived spectacle, a chicken, suspended by a baloon, floated through the Samurai bar's doorway

 

The Swiss army buys, from Victorinox and Wenger equally, knives made to specification.
The "real" SAK's are the ones with structured aluminum handles. Very cheap.
The fancy models in red plastic are so called
"officers model", but thats just marketing.
Every soldier, irrespective of grade, gets the same knife at boot camp. I did, too.
Steel is equivalent to 440-a. Very INOX, not too brittle, of "just medium" edge holding quality. For tougher jobs in the army you have better tools than a SAK .....

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D.T. UTZINGER

 

[James Y]

I have two of the larger Victorinox lock-blade models.
On the Cowboy model, there is a type of lockback that unlocks by sliding a button notch in the back.
On the Trailmaster there is a double liner lock. The same liner locks the main knife blade and the large screwdriver/cap lifter. The liner lock on the main blade must be unlocked in the opposite direction from a typical right-handed liner lock; i.e., pulling it to the right. It's very solid and reliable.
Jim

 

[Elvislives]

Is this a great forum or what? You ask a question about Swiss Army Knives, and you get an answer from a person from Switzerland who served in the Army. Is that perfect? (not to mention the locking info from San Diego!)

Great information guys.

Brandon

 

[RenFieLd]

I always thought that it was some 420 variation. I love mine anyway, it goes everywhere with me.

 

[Jeff Clark]

Someone on the forum determined that Victorinox uses 420HC (European designation X46Cr13 or equivalent). This would have about .5% carbon, 1% silicon and manganese, and about 13% chromium. This type of alloy would work in the 54-56 rockwell hardness range. I've found that this alloy takes a good edge easily and does a pretty good job for pocket knife tasks, even cleaning rabbits. By contrast the lower quality 420-J2 alloys have around .35% carbon and 440A is more like .7% carbon plus has a little molybdenum.