Victorinox Handle Durability

E

EDCanAdamas

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Sep 8, 2013
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Sometimes I carry a Victorinox Tinker (84mm Version) as a mulitool. I don't carry it very often, but every time I do, it gains a new scratch in the plastic handle. The knife mainly sits in my pocket, and is not used for anything even approaching "hard use". Do the red plastic handles of the Victorinox Swiss Army knives scratch that easily?
 
Victorinox knives with red plastic (cellidor) handles have been known to last for years of steady use. If you prefer unmarked handles, use a sheath. Victorinox produces a variety of them.
 
Mine are all scratched, I just consider it part of the game for a user knife. You could try alox scaled models, but they will eventually get scratched and dinged in the pocket, too. You can take some of the scratches out with flitz or other polishing compounds, but it will just get scratched again. I just carry mine the way they are and consider the scratched scales as part of their character.
 
After all they are a plastic! The scales are very durable but not to be confused with scratch-proof. On top of that the loose change and keys that are in your pocket are similarly not friendly to glass watch faces either. I carry mine to use (and have for almost 1/2 century) and have scuffed and scratched lots of SAK handles over the years.
Scratches and scuffs are a part of life. But don't drop them on a hard surface (the handles will chip) and don't throw them in boiling water (scales will deform and warp).
 
Thank's for your answers. I guess its silly to think that a plastic handle would not get scratched over the course of normal use. I'm not upset about my knife obtaining more scratches because I got it used to begin with, it just seems like I get a new mark for every trip I take. I can't imagine what a fifty-year old Victorinox handle would look like after being carried in a pocket for that long of a time.
 
They scratch but they're pretty durable. My dad carried and used a plastic handled one at his aircraft manufacturing job for over 25 years. The only issues the knife had were it was dirty and the spring for the main spearpoint blade was somewhat weak. If you don't go banging the knife on things it will last a very, very long time.
 
I like to carry my alox Farmer in my left front pocket, under a small leather wallet. No keys, coins, or other items to damage the finish.
 
Carried mine 18 years

Liner bent, main blade touching liner, scales separating


Victorinox logo almost non-existent, but lockup still perfect no blade play
 
I never protect my knives from pocket change. If they can't stand that, I have no use for them.

My Vic Farmer was originally red. I wanted something as close as I could get to a non-threatening, plastic cover SAK.

Years later the knife is red with alox polka dots
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Victorinox knives with red plastic (cellidor) handles have been known to last for years of steady use. If you prefer unmarked handles, use a sheath. Victorinox produces a variety of them.
Click to expand...

The Victorinox made sheaths are vinyl/plastic stuff and are mediocre at best. But they make a good pattern to use for making one out of real leather. Leather is a SAK's best friend.

10037376036_c03c1037af_c.jpg
 
Try out one of the nylon scale handled knives if the scratches bug you; they are nearly impervious to marking up. I think you can even purchase them aftermarket. My favorite SAK to carry is the Climber II with red nylon scales.
 
I have Victorinox knives with scales of mother of pearl, horn, sterling Silver, 14kt Gold, Alox, and plastic. There is a guy on this forum who makes Titanium handles. I have also seen 18kt Gold and wood handles. The best wear resistance would probably come from an anodized Ti handle.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The Victorinox sheaths are nylon or leather.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the bigger ones are decent, but the one I got from them for my classic to keep it from being beat up by the keys, was sheer junk. Didn't hold the knife deep enough to keep it from falling out, and then after a few months fell apart. The cotton thread they used just disintegrated. So I took some real leather and waxed linen thread and made my own. Going strong for two years now, being carried every waking hour I have my pants on.
 
I've used Vic large and medium brown leather Zermatt belt pouches for years. They're good.
 
Normark made me a couple of kydex sheaths for my classics. Perfect fit and I don't have to wave the whole keychain around to use them.
 
The cellidor traditional handles are really amazingly tough. I've had a long succession of cellidor SAKs that I've put through a fair amount of hard use: EDC, camping and generally roughhousing around outdoors. I've only had one cellidor handle 'break' in all that time.
I dropped a SAK over 100 feet onto rocks. The fall would have killed a human being, but other than one of the scales popping off from impact (never found that scale) the knife itself was undamaged--all the blades worked fine.
These are tough knives.
 
I have a classic on my key chain that i prevent from getting too scratched up by using a slim piece of small 10 spd. tire (kind of like a rubber band ) just stretch it over the knife and it does a reasonable job of protecting the sides scales.
I recondition the handles of used ones I get w/600-2000 grit sandpaper and follow that with green rouge(strop it) puts nice polish and is a real decent scratch removal, just my 2cents.
 
IMO, "durability" is a comparative subject. The question is better asked, compared to other knives...

Thousands of words worth of pictures.

A 70s vintage Ulster BSA type knife. No visible damage to the scales save a single dent.

Modified Ulster Camper by Pinnah, on Flickr

An 80s vintage Schrade with saw-cut Derlin. No visible damage to the scales.

Shrade 5OT by Pinnah, on Flickr

Early 90s vintage Buck. One dent in the wood on the other side scale.

Buck 500 by Pinnah, on Flickr

On the right hand of this picture, 2 Leatherman Micras. Red one was both carried on key chain and in pocket. Some scratching of the anodization.

On the upper left of this picture is a Victorinox Classic. Carried on key chain and in pocket, just like the Micra. Both scales are cracked with many scratches and dings. Other Classics I've owned (give to me as gifts) or that I've given (to my wife and family members) have generally met this fate. I've given several SAKs as gifts to hiking partners over the years and have watched their scales get loose or crack.

image by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
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