Victorinox to shut down Wenger

My Fair Wegner

All I want is a knife somewhere,
Of a steel about which I care,
And twelve tools to the square
Inch, wouldn’t it be lovely?

Lots of features for me to use,
When my toolbox has blown a fuse,
And to fix stuff I choose
Oh, wouldn’t it be lovely?

Oh, so lovely having a pocket toolkit nigh,
I would tinker ‘till the sun
Has vanished from the sky.
 
"Just you wait, 'enry 'iggins, just you wait."
 
I have two Vitronox and I wish that they would either use better steel or that a competitor would come out with a similar model with descent steel
leghog said:
New camper pattern? You can find a Vic Recruit for $15 or less after taxes (in most states) from wallyworld. Knowing that, why would anyone even try to compete against the consistent quality and value for money Vic offers?

Vic%2520SAK%2520Recruit.jpg
Click to expand...
 
coyotebc said:
I have two Vitronox and I wish that they would either use better steel or that a competitor would come out with a similar model with descent steel
Click to expand...

Do you know anything about Vic Swedish steel?What is it you are unhappy with?I'm asking because i know a custom knifemaker that uses strictly Swedish steel.He says because it is specifically engineered and manufactured for knives.This was 20 years ago so i don't know that he has kept with it since there are so many super steels available now.My own experience has been very good with the steel.I like a locking main blade,but the Vics are all lefty liner locks i think.One had a little sliding button on the side which i didn't care for.I carry a little Vic every day.It's a manager or office manager maybe?It has a pen the slides out.That darn thing always works when you need it too.
 
The issue isn't the source, it's the heat treatment which left to the knife maker.

Published specs for Victorinox knives put their hardness at 55-56 Rc. Mora and Opinel both use Sandvik 12C27 and push it to 58!Rc.

Makes a huge difference.
 
pinnah said:
The issue isn't the source, it's the heat treatment which left to the knife maker.

Published specs for Victorinox knives put their hardness at 55-56 Rc. Mora and Opinel both use Sandvik 12C27 and push it to 58!Rc.

Makes a huge difference.
Click to expand...

And yet knife aficionados all over continue to appreciate their SAKS.
 
pinnah said:
The issue isn't the source, it's the heat treatment which left to the knife maker.

Published specs for Victorinox knives put their hardness at 55-56 Rc. Mora and Opinel both use Sandvik 12C27 and push it to 58!Rc.

Makes a huge difference.
Click to expand...

In the past, some (many) traditional carbon steel pocketknife blades had a lower hardness than that, yet worked very well for their users.

Jim
 
pinnah said:
The issue isn't the source, it's the heat treatment which left to the knife maker.

Published specs for Victorinox knives put their hardness at 55-56 Rc. Mora and Opinel both use Sandvik 12C27 and push it to 58!Rc.

Makes a huge difference.
Click to expand...
They know their market well.If the hardness were pushed up,people would complain they were too hard to resharpen.
 
Seals, which do you find easier to sharpen? Fine grained stainless (eg 420hc, Sandvik 12c27, aus8, Vic Inox) at high Rc (58) or at low Rc (55-56)?

Related, what percentage of Victorinox owner sharpen their own knives compared to say, owners of GEC, Buck, Opinel or Mora?
 
The average SAK owner probably doesn't sharpen their knife, based on the used ones I've seen. Like a Opinel, they have a blade geometry that enables them to be effective even when not at their sharpest.

If they do sharpen, they probably have some kind of pull through kitchen knife sharpener, which, in my experience, works well with the softer steel of the SAK.
 
pinnah said:
Seals, which do you find easier to sharpen? Fine grained stainless (eg 420hc, Sandvik 12c27, aus8, Vic Inox) at high Rc (58) or at low Rc (55-56)?

Related, what percentage of Victorinox owner sharpen their own knives compared to say, owners of GEC, Buck, Opinel or Mora?
Click to expand...

Easier?Not sure.I prefer a higher RC knife,yes.But i have belt grinders and paper wheels at the ready.Vic is thinking of and successful because of the weekend camper and casual user that can sharpen their knife,or get a working edge, on a med. or fine grit stone,a ceramic stick,bottom of a coffee mug,or (horror at the thought) those pull through carbide steel manglers.I don't need a better or higher RC on the little midnight manager i carry.The reason is im most likely using the screwdriver,scissors,or most likely of all,the ink pen and not the blade as i carry at least one other knife strictly for cutting.In fact,i just checked the blade and it still has the factory edge still nice and sharp.Yes,it has been used a few times.
 
pinnah said:
what percentage of Victorinox owner sharpen their own knives compared to say, owners of GEC, Buck, Opinel or Mora?
Click to expand...

That wouldn't be a fair comparison of percentages at all, because I'm willing to bet worldwide that there's far, far more Victorinox owners than GEC, Buck, Opinel, and Mora owners combined. So naturally, there will be more Vic owners who don't or can't sharpen their knives than the others. For people who use their tools and know how to care for them, they will know how to keep them sharp. I've known Vic SAK owners who carried/used them, and who do not consider themselves 'knife aficionados', who can and do resharpen their SAKs when they need to, and do it quite well.

Keep in mind, too, that companies like GEC are specialty companies that cater to 'knife connoisseurs' who know to look for and care for them, not to your typical person who might pick up a pocketknife as part of camping or hiking gear, for example.

Jim
 
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Seals said:
Easier?Not sure.I prefer a higher RC knife,yes.But i have belt grinders and paper wheels at the ready.Vic is thinking of and successful because of the weekend camper and casual user that can sharpen their knife,or get a working edge, on a med. or fine grit stone,a ceramic stick,bottom of a coffee mug,or (horror at the thought) those pull through carbide steel manglers.I don't need a better or higher RC on the little midnight manager i carry.The reason is im most likely using the screwdriver,scissors,or most likely of all,the ink pen and not the blade as i carry at least one other knife strictly for cutting.In fact,i just checked the blade and it still has the factory edge still nice and sharp.Yes,it has been used a few times.
Click to expand...

Do you have difficulty sharpening low carbide, fine grained stainless like 420hc, 12c27 at 58 rc using traditional stones?
 
dogstar said:
The average SAK owner probably doesn't sharpen their knife, based on the used ones I've seen. Like a Opinel, they have a blade geometry that enables them to be effective even when not at their sharpest.

If they do sharpen, they probably have some kind of pull through kitchen knife sharpener, which, in my experience, works well with the softer steel of the SAK.
Click to expand...

I read a review of some SAK on that site named after women warriors.

The reviewer loved his knife and had carried it for years. Alas, it got too dull to use. So he bought a replacement. It was the same make and model, but new and sharp.
 
The one Victorinox I have had for over 13 years, so yes I know about their steel
I personally find that it is too soft for my liking and dulls easily
I carry this knife 5 days a week with my work keys
A couple of years ago I bought a new Victorinox to see if they changed
I still find it too soft
If you like it great, I don't
The only reason that I still carry the knife is that occasionally I need the philips screwdriver and I cannot carry a multitool at work
Seals said:
Do you know anything about Vic Swedish steel?What is it you are unhappy with?I'm asking because i know a custom knifemaker that uses strictly Swedish steel.He says because it is specifically engineered and manufactured for knives.This was 20 years ago so i don't know that he has kept with it since there are so many super steels available now.My own experience has been very good with the steel.I like a locking main blade,but the Vics are all lefty liner locks i think.One had a little sliding button on the side which i didn't care for.I carry a little Vic every day.It's a manager or office manager maybe?It has a pen the slides out.That darn thing always works when you need it too.
Click to expand...
 
James Y said:
That wouldn't be a fair comparison of percentages at all, because I'm willing to bet worldwide that there's far, far more Victorinox owners than GEC, Buck, Opinel, and Mora owners combined.
Click to expand...
Yup, and a huge understatement considering Victorinox's production is on the order of 30 million pocket knives, pocket tools, and kitchen/professional knives each year.
 
coyotebc said:
The one Victorinox I have had for over 13 years, so yes I know about their steel
I personally find that it is too soft for my liking and dulls easily
I carry this knife 5 days a week with my work keys...
Click to expand...
Yet you still carry it nearly daily.
 
coyotebc said:
The one Victorinox I have had for over 13 years, so yes I know about their steel
I personally find that it is too soft for my liking and dulls easily
I carry this knife 5 days a week with my work keys
A couple of years ago I bought a new Victorinox to see if they changed
I still find it too soft
If you like it great, I don't
The only reason that I still carry the knife is that occasionally I need the philips screwdriver and I cannot carry a multitool at work
Click to expand...

they sharpen up really fast. they are a very good pocket knife. they are not meant to take on the planet. what do you want them to do??
 
@Richard, if I were to buy a new camper, I would want steel (and a blade shape) on par with my old Ulsters which have noticeably harder steel. I think that's what some of us have been saying. Fine, lots of people like Victorinox. Some of us would like a utility camper with better steel. Just asking for an option is all.

@Seals: my experience is that fine grained stainless sharpen very easily on normal stones. The stainless that becomes difficult is that with large carbides, like 440c. If anything, I find Bucks 420hc and Opinels 12c27 to be easier to sharpen, as the hardness seems to control burring.

@Coyote: sheath/holster knives are forbidden at my work but they do stand out. I find this combo gives me the functionality of a camper. Knife in RFP. Micra in LFP.

EDC Pair by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
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