Victorinox florist knife.

I have owned and used a Victorinox florist knife (sheepsfoot with chisel grind) for some ~15 years as the main (and pretty much only cutting tool) in my leatherwork tool kit. Recently I bought another one with the pruner blade, and another with the clip blade, with the intention of making a three bladed knife. I will likely just make it a two bladed, with the sheepsfoot and pruner, as I can not see much utility of the clip blade on leatherwork.
Victorinox makes a two bladed budding(grafting)/pruning knife:
Victorinox-budding-prunner.jpg

Sometime ago I used the budding blade from one of these to modify an Alox Harvester.
Vic-Hort-opentools.JPG

Raul
PS. I am a horticulturist, and have always liked these historically utilitarian knife types. By the way, the non-sharp "hump" or "comb" on top of the budding blade is a bark or epidermal layer lifter, needed to be able to insert the bud into the "T" cut made into the rootstock or branch being budded. All this being said, I am a lousy plant propagator, and honestly have not had much success in my grafting/budding techniques. I am much better at pruning :)
 
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I've had one on my desk for the past year or so. I bought it specifically as a hobby knife, for cutting leather or wood and it excels at both with that thin chisel grind. I also like the long handle which gives plenty control for these tasks. An excellent knife which disappears into the pocket despite its 4" length and the nylon handles are a pleasure in hand.

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Pomsbz said:
I've had one on my desk for the past year or so. I bought it specifically as a hobby knife, for cutting leather or wood and it excels at both with that thin chisel grind. I also like the long handle which gives plenty control for these tasks. An excellent knife which disappears into the pocket despite its 4" length and the nylon handles are a pleasure in hand.

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That was one of the things I loved about it at first encounter, the feel. No matter how you hold it, right side up, upside down, sideways, it feels good and in control. The totally symmetrical handle shape is one of the best I've ever felt on a pocket knife.
 
I'm intrigued by this knife but the chisel grind is giving me reservations. How does one go about maintaining a chisel ground edge? I'm accustomed to raising a burr when sharpening. How does that work with a chisel grind?
 
Railsplitter said:
I'm intrigued by this knife but the chisel grind is giving me reservations. How does one go about maintaining a chisel ground edge? I'm accustomed to raising a burr when sharpening. How does that work with a chisel grind?
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Sharpening a chisel grind is actually easier than a regular blade. With the Vic florist and my little Leatherman Squirt, I just use the small circle sharpening that I've always done all on the bevel side. When I have a burr built up, then I lay the knife totally flat on the other side, the flat side of the blade, and gently stroke the burr off. I now it will seem VERY weird to you at first, and you will get some scratching on the flat side of the blade, but it results in an extremely sharp edge! Like really, really sharp. Takes half the time to sharpen a chisel edge and half the effort. Just a little stropping if you like, bandits ready for performing surgery.

The hardest part is learning to lay the flat side of the blade right down on the stone and saying the hell with the bit of scratching, its a working pocket knife. To a degree, you have to loose the cult worship mentality of the knife nut, and take on just a working tool idea. It won't look pristine anymore, but odds are you'll have the sharpest knife in the room,. It will go through stray branches on the shrubbery, whisk right through juste twine and hemp rope, go though plastic packaging like a light saber. BUT...make sure you have all your fingers out of the way. That edge will go through so fast its a little spooky at first until you get used to it. That blade wont stop until its hits bone.

Go for it bud. :thumbsup:
 
jackknife said:
Sharpening a chisel grind is actually easier than a regular blade. With the Vic florist and my little Leatherman Squirt, I just use the small circle sharpening that I've always done all on the bevel side. When I have a burr built up, then I lay the knife totally flat on the other side, the flat side of the blade, and gently stroke the burr off. I now it will seem VERY weird to you at first, and you will get some scratching on the flat side of the blade, but it results in an extremely sharp edge! Like really, really sharp. Takes half the time to sharpen a chisel edge and half the effort. Just a little stropping if you like, bandits ready for performing surgery.

The hardest part is learning to lay the flat side of the blade right down on the stone and saying the hell with the bit of scratching, its a working pocket knife. To a degree, you have to loose the cult worship mentality of the knife nut, and take on just a working tool idea. It won't look pristine anymore, but odds are you'll have the sharpest knife in the room,. It will go through stray branches on the shrubbery, whisk right through juste twine and hemp rope, go though plastic packaging like a light saber. BUT...make sure you have all your fingers out of the way. That edge will go through so fast its a little spooky at first until you get used to it. That blade wont stop until its hits bone.

Go for it bud. :thumbsup:
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Thanks, Carl!
 
5K Qs said:
Thanks for the update on your experiences with the Vic Florist, Carl. :thumbsup::thumbsup::cool: ...

Anytime you write that a knife "cuts like the dickens", I take notice, because you sure were right when you used to say that about Opinels! ;):thumbsup::thumbsup:
...
In the earlier thread, I mentioned that I'd been seriously thinking about buying one of these, and that Carl's glowing review sealed the deal for me. But being the Potentate of Procrastinators, I still haven't picked one up. :rolleyes: But with birthday and Christmas coming up, it's the time of year I usually put together a knife order, and a Vic Florist should be included (along with maybe a canoe or two, a sowbelly stockman, a Pioneer X, a toothpick, Rough Rider carbon model, ...)! :D

- GT
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Well, I wrote that last Dec. 5, and finally got a Vic Florist this week! :eek::rolleyes: Looking forward to enjoying this knife that has received many recommendations. Thanks, Carl! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
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florist.pile.Vback.jpg

- GT
 
I have picked up a few more of these since my last post here. I think they’re great fun little knives and keep a couple close at all times usually in my bag or truck console. I’m going to pick a hand full more to keep in the camper, great for the grandkids. Sharp little buggers out of the box and easy to sharpen the chisel grind. For as little they cost, losing or breaking doesn’t mortify me.
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In an ironic twist
I had a customer gift me one of those late last year.

Didn't think much of it
Kinda confused why he gave it to me

But yeah I have been carrying it and I have been loving it
Imagine that Carl and I on the same page concerning a particular knife ;)

Edit
Oh yeah
It certainly DOES cut like the dickens
 
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Rsmith_77 said:
In an ironic twist
I has a customer gift me one of those late last year.

Didn't think much of it
Kinda confused why he gave it to me

But yeah I have been carrying it and I have been loving it
Imagine that Carl and I on the same page concerning a particular knife ;)

Edit
Oh yeah
It certainly DOES cut line the dickens
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:thumbsup::D:cool::thumbsup:
Glad you like it!

- GT
 
jackknife said:
Several months ago, I picked up one of these at a gun show here in Texas. The guy had a whole table of knives and a wide selection of slightly used Victorinox stuff. These included what was TSA confiscated knives with a ton of the smaller SAK's like the 58mm's, assorted classics, ramblers, mini champs. Out of curiosity I picked up the florist knife because of the minimalist design that had a smattering of old time flavor. Single blade sheep foot with rugged construction.

Well, I've used and lightly abused it over the spring, summer and fall. It's been gardening, fishing, camping, traveling, and used on the work bench in the shop. So far, its taken all I could dish out and comes up grinning. The sheep foot has been a great all around pocket knife blade, that makes short work of stuff from summer sausage to fishing line, to thorny stuff growing over the fence out back. It can be opened with work gives on, and the chisel ground blade has been a joy to cut with. Bluntly, it cuts like the dickens.

I've been on the hunt for another pocket knife that cuts like an Opinel, ever since I got burned out on Opinels by their messing with a good design because of some lawyer. The Victoriox florist knife cuts like an Opinel, without the water swelling issue or the possible failure of structure from one of the wood fingers that the whole blade/bolster/lock assembly is mounted on. The Victorinox is all pinned in nylon scales with real metal liners that are not affected by moisture or any lateral stress on the joint while cutting. The spring gives great walk and talk, very snappy, but smooth steady action. Blade pull is about like a Victorinox pioneer, or other alox handled SAK. With the nylon scales, the whole knife is light weight enough to go in a shirt pocket with no noticeable presence. Did I mention that it cuts like he dickens?

All the years that I carried a Buck 301 stockman, the sheep foot blade ws always my go to blade that I used. It was just such a handy shape to use for a wide variety of stuff. When I had to crawl into an upside down old Datsun that was burning and had to cut a seat belt, it was the sheep foot blade that got used. One fact that may have had some influence was I had a hysterical obese woman hanging upside down and thrashing around wildly and I was afraid to have something pointy out. The sheep foot blade worked fine as seat belt cutter.

The nylon handle is all curved edges. Theres no hot spots or corners that stick in the hand. Each end is rounded off, and the long edges of the handle are very soft radiuses that no matter how you hold this knife, theres nothing to bug you in cutting, heavy or not. Nothing to create any pocket wear.

I remember the old knives on the steam boat Arabia, that were recovered, and how many of them were sheep foot blades. After several months now of using this florist knife, I now understand why this pattern of pocket knife was so popular in the "Old days."

I very highly recommend this knife for a low cost but rugged pocket slicer, that you won't cry rivers over of it gets lost. Easy to replace and great cutting performance and rugged construction are highlights of this pocket knife.

Oh, did I mention that it cuts like the dickens?
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Used them in high school for horticulture class, wonderful knives.
 
I’m glad to see this little knife get the attention it deserves, I’ve been using mine for leatherwork and other such crafts for over 10 years. Not the prettiest thing, not much glamor in it, just a humble utility knife that cuts very well and gets wicked sharp. I love the chisel grind and wish it was offered on more traditional knives. Super easy to sharpen and even when it loses its hair popping edge it keeps on going due to how thin it is behind the edge.

I’d love to have one in a nice dark ebony or horn.
 
Thank you J jackknife for bringing the Vic florist knife to my attention. It is so light, inexpensive, comfortable, sharp and durable that I picked up a second one just to have as a back up. I've been considering a third (clip blade) since they are now discontinued. Their apparent replacement looks to be a very capable knife but much more specialized as a pruner, having a swayback handle, hooked pruner blade and is almost twice the price.

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