The Old Rugged Victorinox Cross..... Pioneer content, grails and such.... Red Gold...

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SAK Guy said:
Off topic:
I lost a kit like that in the '06 fire, bought it back in the late 70's. Last couple of years I've bought up some various countries army kits to make camp/backpack sewing kits but that GI one was just too nice to part out. The best needles and such are in the old army kits...no cheap. low quality stuff.

One of my repair/sewing kits:
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BTW Amos, can you date that "Army Wife" kit? The lady that sold it to me said it was her Dad's and he was a Korean War Vet.
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Can't help with dating, but I'm thinking it isn't Korean War era. Those were not the clear(ish) plastic and from what I can find in quick searches online were more flapped over box like or at least done in an opaque material. Contents would have been different too. That one looks pretty much like the ones we were issued. I went to BCT and AIT in 1981 (Reserves first) at 24 years old, then went active in 83 at 26 years old. I got out in 1994 and during that entire time the kit you have there is the one we had. During that time we transitioned from the pickle suit to the BDU, and for some locations even the earlier desert BDU (what I had in the Sinai). Class A uniform went from the older green to the new polyester green (same color, but an easier to care for, less wrinkle attracting material) and the Khakis were being phased out shortly after I first entered. That kit would have covered those uniforms and colors well, plus the white for the cooks uniforms.

Last I saw of my kit the cover had yellowed a bit. Yours looks pretty clean and in great shape. I'm guessing the ladies' dad had developed a good appreciation for the military sewing kit in whatever shape it came in and picked himself up one of the newer (for him) kits and that's how he came to have that one. There's something to be said for a compact, basic sewing kit. A lot of bug out bags, survival kits, and just plain old camping packs don't have one. Yet it's as traditional, and in days gone by, just as handy and valuable as a good slipjoint pocket knife as part of your gear.

Swinging back to SAK. I see you have the scissors from a SwissCard in that tinned kit. It just so happens my wife came in with her SC Lite from which she lost the small "letter opener" blade. She's a teacher so she can't carry her RR Awbaloney scaled Elephant Toenail I gave her and she was carrying all summer. I'd given her the SC several years back for just such situations and because I figured she would at least carry that. She came in telling me she would like it if I wanted to get her another. Yikes! The SwissCard Lite has nearly doubled from what I paid for it not that many years ago. I found a replacement blade for just under $8 shipped. She can do without the light until I pick up a new battery.

Problem now is I'm wanting a SC Lite. I like that mini version of the old flat, 4 point keychain screwdriver. Then again, I could score a colored Alox for around that price. Sure, there are less outfitted SwissCards, but I like the magnifier and other extras in the Lite.
 
Amos Iron Wolf said:
Can't help with dating, but I'm thinking it isn't Korean War era. Those were not the clear(ish) plastic and from what I can find in quick searches online were more flapped over box like or at least done in an opaque material. Contents would have been different too. That one looks pretty much like the ones we were issued. I went to BCT and AIT in 1981 (Reserves first) at 24 years old, then went active in 83 at 26 years old. I got out in 1994 and during that entire time the kit you have there is the one we had. During that time we transitioned from the pickle suit to the BDU, and for some locations even the earlier desert BDU (what I had in the Sinai). Class A uniform went from the older green to the new polyester green (same color, but an easier to care for, less wrinkle attracting material) and the Khakis were being phased out shortly after I first entered. That kit would have covered those uniforms and colors well, plus the white for the cooks uniforms.

Last I saw of my kit the cover had yellowed a bit. Yours looks pretty clean and in great shape. I'm guessing the ladies' dad had developed a good appreciation for the military sewing kit in whatever shape it came in and picked himself up one of the newer (for him) kits and that's how he came to have that one. There's something to be said for a compact, basic sewing kit. A lot of bug out bags, survival kits, and just plain old camping packs don't have one. Yet it's as traditional, and in days gone by, just as handy and valuable as a good slipjoint pocket knife as part of your gear.

Swinging back to SAK. I see you have the scissors from a SwissCard in that tinned kit. It just so happens my wife came in with her SC Lite from which she lost the small "letter opener" blade. She's a teacher so she can't carry her RR Awbaloney scaled Elephant Toenail I gave her and she was carrying all summer. I'd given her the SC several years back for just such situations and because I figured she would at least carry that. She came in telling me she would like it if I wanted to get her another. Yikes! The SwissCard Lite has nearly doubled from what I paid for it not that many years ago. I found a replacement blade for just under $8 shipped. She can do without the light until I pick up a new battery.

Problem now is I'm wanting a SC Lite. I like that mini version of the old flat, 4 point keychain screwdriver. Then again, I could score a colored Alox for around that price. Sure, there are less outfitted SwissCards, but I like the magnifier and other extras in the Lite.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your service Amos and for all the excellent info! :thumbup::thumbup:

BTW, that Swiss Card scissor set works great for a small repair kit! Don't know why I didn't think of it before....been looking for small kit scissors ever since my old folding pair went up in that '06 fire.
 
My blue Farmer went in the pocket today while doing some gardening. The saw sure made quick work of broomstick sized roots that got in my way. Thought I would gather my alox family for some quick pics since I was using it.
Also included is the green Pioneer I scored in Woodrow's generous GAW, which gets carried daily. The black Pioneer was my first alox. The red Cadet usually hangs out on the coffee table.
Love some alox.





 
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