Victorinox Soldier WITH Keyring?

U

UnknownVT

Joined
Feb 15, 2003
Messages
2,575
I was under the impression that the Victorinox Soldier was always keyring-less, hence the regret when the hollow rivet was discontinued around ~1992-93.
SoldierTline_S.jpg
0-8610-26.jpg

Victorinox Soldier timeline, and a current Soldier model.

But over in Knife Reviews & Testing section during a conversation about Alox SAKs - Don Luis has shown a 1995 Victorinox Soldier with a (standard configuration) keyring with photos. (As far as I can tell it is NOT a Pioneer, because of the simplified shield cross logo, the year stamp on the blade shank, and the lack of an engraving panel on the opposite scale, ie: it looks like a Soldier with a keyring! )

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314512&page=2
(posts #21 and #33)

and later on in the same thread Mr.Moose (post #35) says he also has a Soldier with keyring - he thinks year stamped 97, and it may be that his father also has a Soldier with keyring..........

Has anyone got a Victorinox Soldier that has a keyring?
or
anyone with a '95 or '97 Victorinox Soldier?

--------------------
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.Net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.Net
 
In '95 or '96, I emailed Victorinox in Switzerland about the loss of the hollow rivet in '93. The lady who responded said she had many communications with Americans who expressed the same thing. She said the Swiss military dropped the requirement for a method to attach a lanyard -- partly to save money on the knife, but was considering requiring some form of attachment again. Perhaps they started up again.
 
bruce said:
In '95 or '96, I emailed Victorinox in Switzerland about the loss of the hollow rivet in '93. The lady who responded said she had many communications with Americans who expressed the same thing. She said the Swiss military dropped the requirement for a method to attach a lanyard -- partly to save money on the knife, but was considering requiring some form of attachment again. Perhaps they started up again.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that input.

So far we have one confirmed sighting of a '95 Victorinox Soldier with a keyring and the possibility of a couple more, one of which may well be '97.

Just for clarity the current Victorinox Soldier does not have a keyring or any other means of attaching a lanyard.

I had erroneously assumed that the Victorinox Soldier did not have a means of attaching a lanyard and had been keyring-LESS since circa 1993 (the loss of the hollow rivet).

(Note: the Wenger "Standard Issue" - also an official issue to the Swiss military - is still currently shown with a shackle/hasp/bail)

Here's some speculative guess-work

The regular Victorinox Soldier has a Swiss/international model # 0.8610.26 -
from a previous deciphering of the Victorinox model numbering system - my guess at a model # for a Soldier with a keyring would be
0.8611.26

So doing a search of
+Victorinox +"0.8611.26"

I actually turned up this page in German:

http://www.daerr.de/bestellen/ergebnis.lasso?id=&vo=d&art=208301520795
QUOTE:
Victorinox SOLDIER Schweizer Messer 0.8611.26
Alu Elox gerippt / silber / 91mm / 7 Funktionen / Ring
Preis: 19,95 EUR
UNQUOTE

I've assumed:
"Ring" means keyring
and
the model # 0.8611.26 is not a typo

Although the photo shown on that page is the regular Soldier withOUT keyring.

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.Net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.Net
 
Hi UnknowVT,

Here's a current Soldier with split key ring. Its available from LeeValley.com, a Canadian hardware store.

Below is a picture and a link.

Pic:
http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/gardening/bl149s1.jpg

Link to more info from store:
http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=10037&category=4,104,45468

Its 22USD and I believe they ship at cost, so you can add another knife to your SAK collection :)

But be sure to double check its the split ring version, theyve been selling this model for a few years with the same pic.

I live in Canada and have seen this model around so maybe its a different market version versus what you guys get in the States with out the ring.

My favorite type of this knife is the unobtrusive hollow pin but I havent come across one in a long time.

Best Regards,

JB
 
Accutron2000 said:
Here's a current Soldier with split key ring. Its available from LeeValley.com, a Canadian hardware store.
Below is a picture and a link.
Pic:
http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/gardening/bl149s1.jpg
Link to more info from store:
http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=10037&category=4,104,45468
Click to expand...

JB/Accutron2000,

Welcome to BladeForums!
and thank you so much for that great first post.

WoW! this is fantastic -

bl149s1.jpg

this photo that you posted the link to - certainly looks like a Soldier with the keyring.

I had written e-mail to Victorinox in Switzerland, as well as my friend Paul Elsener (brother of the current owner of Victorinox) and both seemed unaware of a Soldier model with the split keyring :eek:

I was speculating that the Soldier with keyring may have been a limited period production since the ones I had recently been made aware of were '95 and possibly '97.

Now you've opened the possibility that a Soldier with keyring may be actually in current production........
whoa! that's turned the subject on its ears -
very cool :cool:

much grass, as they say.

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.Net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.Net
 
I have a SAK civilian. The knife is exactly like the Soldie. The difference is a bail on the awl side, same way how camilius has their knives. But this higher class. I love the bail on this knife. It a key ring and whatever you can imagine. I love it.
 
kidwholaughs said:
I have a SAK civilian. The knife is exactly like the Soldie. The difference is a bail on the awl side, same way how camilius has their knives. But this higher class. I love the bail on this knife. It a key ring and whatever you can imagine. I love it.
Click to expand...

Is it a Victorinox or a Wenger?

The Wenger Standard Issue is the equivalent to the Victorinox Soldier and both are official issues to the Swiss military -
the Wenger Standard Issue (link) does have the bail/shackle -

16520.jpg


--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.Net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.Net
 
Hey VT, I just found this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1403&item=2267394860&tc=photo

Advertised as "Original Victorinox Pioneer Swiss Army Knife, Silver Alox,
(with a year '99 dated blade like the Victorinox Soldier knife)
This is the official high quality Swiss made knife! Brand new, still in original box, factory firsts. Full warranty by the manufacturer. This is a full sized 91mm knife with the super tough Silver Alox scales. "

The picture shows a silver alox Pioneer or Soldier.
 
Frank said:
Hey VT, I just found this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1403&item=2267394860&tc=photo

Advertised as "Original Victorinox Pioneer Swiss Army Knife, Silver Alox,
(with a year '99 dated blade like the Victorinox Soldier knife)
This is the official high quality Swiss made knife! Brand new, still in original box, factory firsts. Full warranty by the manufacturer. This is a full sized 91mm knife with the super tough Silver Alox scales. "

The picture shows a silver alox Pioneer or Soldier.
Click to expand...

Hey, nice to hear from you Frank....

Yes, snap! I saw that too -

It is, I believe, a Pioneer
with a year stamped blade (as on the Soldier)
so that eBay listing is actually (unusually) accurate.

The scale logo is the scalloped shield as opposed to the more simplified Swiss cross shield as on the regular Soldiers.

Year stamped blades have very occassionally appeared in the (Alox) Pioneer series, since the main blades on most of the Pioneer series and the Soldier are the same - so my guess is occassionally Victorinox use up stock blades, if I recall correctly I think I saw a report of a Soldier main blade without year stamp too.

Also for people who have access to SOSAK - a poster there responding to the thread there went to Lee Valley and purchased one of those "Soldiers with keyring" - and confirms with photo that it is indeed a Soldier with keyring - the Victorinox/Swiss Army Brands box has a barcode sticker that is marked "SOLDIER KNF W/KEYRIN".

Link to post/thread at SOSAK -
page 3 of Victorinox Soldier - with keyring?

PS - I think it's incredible - the combined cooperative resources of the forums - here on BladeForums and SOSAK (@ KnifeForums) -
that from the first (mere) mention of "Vic Soldiers with rings" - ref: post #12 of Victorinox Farmer (at Knife Reviews & Testing) on 09-22-2004, 12:02 PM
- and 9 days later on Fri Oct 01 2004 08:09 PM on SOSAK (@ KnifeForums) there is now posted a photo of the Soldier with keyring purchased as a new current item.


--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
 
UnknownVT said:
The scale logo is the scalloped shield as opposed to the more simplified Swiss cross shield as on the regular Soldiers.
Click to expand...

I read about the shields on KF after I posted here. I had never noticed that before.

Now I've got to get one of those Lee Valley Soldiers. :)
 
Speaking of keyrings, yesterday I got a Vic Spartan as a present, black economy nylon scales, imprinted with a Mido watches logo, the interesting thing is that is does not have the keyring.

Luis

Edited to add a picture, top is the SAK mentioned, next is a regular blue nylon economy Spartan, at bottom two cellidor Spartans, one black promotional (Sanborns) and a regular red.

spartan1.jpg
 
Vincent, I wonder if you can help - I'm looking for a Soldier (with key ring) and a Farmer too...are you getting more?
 
spyken said:
Vincent, I wonder if you can help - I'm looking for a Soldier (with key ring) and a Farmer too...are you getting more?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I'm not a dealer/trader or anything -
just a regular consumer, without any special trade connections.

However the Victorinox Farmer is a current model - I am surprised that you can't get it locally - even in Singapore -
the Swiss/international model # 0.8241.26
find the Victorinox importer/distributor to Singapore and see if they have it?

Failing that you could easily mailorder the Vic Farmer from either of these two international dealers who specialize in shipping overseas -
Both these Europe based sites list the Alox Pioneer series -

Swiss-Knife.com in Switzerland -
http://www.swiss-knife.com/EN/SK/classic_range/original.html

Pizzini.at in Austria
http://www.pizzini.at/shop/en-us/dept_28.html

As for the Soldier with Keyring -
this is not such any easy to come by commodity.
If all you want is the functionality - then the Victorinox Pioneer model is exactly the same functionally - Swiss/international model #0.8201.26.

BUT if you still want the Soldier with keyring - I suggest contacting the dealer in Canada direct by e-mail and ask them if they'd ship one to you

http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=2&page=10037&category=4,104,45468

An alternate might be to contact Paul Elsener (brother of current Victorinox owner) who told me that model # 0.8611.26 (note: my guess at the model # for the Soldier with keyring) was discontinued, but he had located 6 by his stock computer for US $22.25.... but remember that the model # was a guess on my part......
because neither Paul Elsener nor Victorinox.ch seemed aware of a Soldier with keyring when I first asked.....
Please read the rest of this thread to see how I came to that model #.

Paul's e-mail - CHPAULUSA(at)aol.com
substitute the (at) with the regular e-mail @

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net
 
Don Luis said:
Speaking of keyrings, yesterday I got a Vic Spartan as a present, black economy nylon scales, imprinted with a Mido watches logo, the interesting thing is that is does not have the keyring.
Click to expand...

Interesting variations in SAKs -

However, a "Spartan" withOUT keyring is not such an unusual thing....
strictly speaking the Spartan is actually what was the "Standard" model with keyring (and toothpick & tweezers).... :)

Vic88_Spartan.jpg

from Victorinox brochure circa ~1988

The other Economy line with the polished red cellidor scales and printed logos have both versions with and without the keyring -
Vic_Bdgt_SpartanS.jpg


--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top