Victorinox Bottle Opener Modification Ideas.

ToyKnife

ToyKnife

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Nov 19, 2006
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I'm looking to modify an Alox bottle opener to open cans. I simply feel that having two tools and spaces to do something one tool could do is a waste. Think of having a Electrician Plus with the ability to open cans. Great!? Yeah, it would be. Basically, like the combo tool but in a larger size. Has anybody done this? Or have any ideas? Pictures and feedback would be great.
 
I've heard of it being done, though I'm not sure exactly what they did to it. I did play around with the bottle opener and a can just to get a rough idea what had to be done, I think the prong might have to be reshaped and/or made longer as it doesn't grab the lip of the can very well. One idea I've heard being tossed around is to take the combo tool from one of the 111mm lockbacks (the Hunter or the Equestrian I think) and using that instead, though I have no idea how well that would fit.
 
On the end of the saw of the discontinued 108s is a combination can and bottle opener--not that it helps any. Just that such a tool is indeed possible.
 
Hmm....So the question turns to; can the combo tool from the 111mm fit the Alox 93mm? That combo tool maybe the best way. Professional, clean, useful, etc.
 
Well the pivot hole on both is the question. The 93mm Alox have a 3mm pivot hole, the 111mm come in two flavors, Liner locks with 3mm pivots and button locks with smaller pivots (2.5mm maybe?). It looks like both the Hunter and the Equestrian are button locks so you will need to re-drill the pivot hole (as it is hardened stainless steel you will need to get a carbide drill and you will have to find one just bigger than 3mm, the ones I have are .1220" check McMaster-Carr). After you have the hole re-sized you may need to do some Dremel work on the tang so it fits the backspring and mounts correctly. Yeah it is a pain in the ass which is why most modders just stick with tools from one size.

You do have three other options: hand make a combo tool for 93mm out of 420 or 440 stainless (or the wonder metal of your choice), make Aluminum scales for a 91mm or use the Combo tool from the 91mm Compact (but you need to re-drill the hole and use a spacer to make it fit).
 
sunshaker said:
Well the pivot hole on both is the question. The 93mm Alox have a 3mm pivot hole, the 111mm come in two flavors, Liner locks with 3mm pivots and button locks with smaller pivots (2.5mm maybe?). It looks like both the Hunter and the Equestrian are button locks so you will need to re-drill the pivot hole (as it is hardened stainless steel you will need to get a carbide drill and you will have to find one just bigger than 3mm, the ones I have are .1220" check McMaster-Carr). After you have the hole re-sized you may need to do some Dremel work on the tang so it fits the backspring and mounts correctly. Yeah it is a pain in the ass which is why most modders just stick with tools from one size.

You do have three other options: hand make a combo tool for 93mm out of 420 or 440 stainless (or the wonder metal of your choice), make Aluminum scales for a 91mm or use the Combo tool from the 91mm Compact (but you need to re-drill the hole and use a spacer to make it fit).
Click to expand...

I've been doing some thinking and the idea of using the Compact combo seems to the best idea. Wouldn't the Compact model have the same pivot hole size has say the Alox or 91mm models? I understand that the 111mm would be different but the Compact has a scissors on the same shaft, I assume thte standard shaft/pivot size as the other 91mm.
 
The Compact does have the same size pivot as the other 91mm knives, 2.5mm to be exact. The Alox models are not 91mm, they are 93mm and built to Swiss MilSpec which specifies 3mm pivots. The Swiss MilSpec is also why the tools are thicker. No I don't know why the Vic sight lists them the way it does.

This is why Scibeer and other modders (including me), have to use special carbide drills to enlarge the pivot holes on scissors if we want to add them to the 93mm Alox (which is a royal pain). Unless you are mechanically inclinded you may want to have Scibeer do it as the Alox scales are a (insert string of swear words here) pain to remove.
 
Hi sunshaker - any way to have the following on my Farmer -

My "dream" SAK...
Victorinox/Alox scales
Large blade
Small blade
Wood saw
Awl
Combo can/bottle opener

A modded Farmer with the can opener replaced by a pruning blade, and the bottle opener converted into a combo bottle + can opener.
And if the small blade was a pruning blade, so much the better.

However, with the above modded Farmer, I'd be giving up two screwdrivers (including the useful Phillips on the can opener) just to gain a small pruning blade...hmmm...
 
3 Small blades exist for the 93mm Alox
- Pruning blade from the Harvestor (available with saw)
- Electricians blade from the electrician (available with saw)
- regular small blade from a Pioneer Settler (please note the same as a Pioneer)

The Alox awl/small blades are ~1.75mm and the 91mm Combo tool is ~1.45mm so you would need to find some kind of shim. You also need to make the hole bigger in the combo tool.
 
sunshaker - I'll be in ON shortly - please PM me with your email address & I'll reply ASAP.
 
ofelas - I have the same dream Alox with the addition of the scissors. The small blade would be the pen or the electrician. Or I may scrap the idea of the combo tool and put in two small blades. I'm sure I would enlarge the holes and make a shim but removing the Alox with the tools I have would be a little....interesting.
 
If you want SAK mods done the people to contact are Scibeer (http://e-webtechnologies.com/knifemods/) and Knife Co-op (http://www.knifecooperative.com/). In the past Rotokid has done mods and is still an excellent source for material and tools (he is ill at the moment). I've not got the skills to build custom mods for people yet, I'm still learning, give me a year or so. Alox mods are really, really hard. So hard in fact that I've mucked up my first attempt at one (2 and 3 should go better).
 
I have a nice pile of parts from alox mods gone bad as well.

The 111mm combo tool will work riding on the main blade backspring of an alox knife, but needs a .030in shim made to be right. The combo tool comes on the 111mm Hunter which actually has 2.5mm endpins. The OHT has 3mm endpins but many of the other models including the outrider and hunter use the 91mm (2.5mm) sized pins. So the combo tool from the 111mm knives still has to be drilled out to 3.05mm to use on the alox knife.

I've been looking for things to pair with the combo tool and can't find anything I'd rather have than a phillips, but the tools are just a little long to work together without modification. It's going to have to happen though. A Farmer with scissors and the phillips/combo tool layer is too good to not have. Only problem is that it will be bucks since you need 3 knives to make it.
 
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