Victorinox Warranty Experience

[Boss Hogg]

Hello,

I have several older (70’s-90’s) SAKs…a few need a tool or two repaired or replaced, and all could use a cleaning/sharpening.

I have started to fill out the online service form, but I decided to ask if anyone has experience with sending their knives to Victorinox.

These are all sentimental knives, and I’d hate to lose any of them in shipping or by the factory losing them.

Any input is appreciated.

 

[VictaEder]

My experience has been flawless. They replaced my old SAK i had sent in with a completely new Handyman. And of course shipped the old one back as well.
Since your SAKs have sentimental value, make sure you mark that on the repair form. They will replace the broken tools and might add new scales, but will likely even send you the old ones back.

There is of course a chance that a package gets lost during shipping, but at least all reports from the factory service itself where great.

 

[Guy McVer]

What often ends up happening with these older knives being sent in for warranty repairs is that damaged or broken parts will be replaced with newer parts, while the old parts are set aside and mailed back to the customer along with the refurbished SAK. This can result in having a SAK with one or more mismatched parts compared to the rest of the SAK.

One of the more obvious examples of this would be a very old model with old versions of all of the tools, aside from a damaged main blade which would have been replaced with a newer main blade during the warranty repair process. The tang stamp on the newer blade will not match the tang stamp on the old blade, making it very clear that it's not the original blade that came with the SAK.

I have seen old warrantied SAKs like this put up for sale, and it does appear to negatively affect their value.

 

[Boss Hogg]

What often ends up happening with these older knives being sent in for warranty repairs is that damaged or broken parts will be replaced with newer parts, while the old parts are set aside and mailed back to the customer along with the refurbished SAK. This can result in having a SAK with one or more mismatched parts compared to the rest of the SAK.

One of the more obvious examples of this would be a very old model with old versions of all of the tools, aside from a damaged main blade which would have been replaced with a newer main blade during the warranty repair process. The tang stamp on the newer blade will not match the tang stamp on the old blade, making it very clear that it's not the original blade that came with the SAK.

I have seen old warrantied SAKs like this put up for sale, and it does appear to negatively affect their value.

Thanks for the insight. I kind of figured as much, and it’s good to note not to send valuable collectibles back for repairs.

The only tools that would need replacement are the files on both an old Handyman and Craftsman. They’re both just worn down enough that they don’t do the job anymore.

All the blades are still intact, but a few have some very minor chipping…pretty sure that they can be sharpened and cleaned with no issues.

 

[Guy McVer]

The only tools that would need replacement are the files on both an old Handyman and Craftsman.

The old files are distinctly different than the version of the file which is currently being manufactured.

The old files were thinner, were flexible, were duller in appearance, and had a more fine set of textures on both sides. They were also made from different metals and were hardened to have extra capability for being used on tougher metals. If you were to put one of the older files next to a current production file, they would look and perform very differently. The newer files are thicker and more aggressive but are also made from a softer material and are consequently less capable of being used on harder metals.

They both have their pros and cons but the point is you would clearly see the difference if one of the old files was replaced by a new one.

They’re both just worn down enough that they don’t do the job anymore.

Well, like I said... the old file textures are less aggressive, so they might not actually be worn out, but I would have to handle them myself to be able to tell.

By the way, I've found that the saw teeth on the bottom edge of the file do clean up very nicely with a stiff wire brush.

 

[Boss Hogg]

The old files are distinctly different than the version of the file which is currently being manufactured.

The old files were thinner, were flexible, were duller in appearance, and had a more fine set of textures on both sides. They were also made from different metals and were hardened to have extra capability for being used on tougher metals. If you were to put one of the older files next to a current production file, they would look and perform very differently. The newer files are thicker and more aggressive but are also made from a softer material and are consequently less capable of being used on harder metals.

They both have their pros and cons but the point is you would clearly see the difference if one of the old files was replaced by a new one.



Well, like I said... the old file textures are less aggressive, so they might not actually be worn out, but I would have to handle them myself to be able to tell.

By the way, I've found that the saw teeth on the bottom edge of the file do clean up very nicely with a stiff wire brush.

Ah - maybe I’m just comparing the textures of the old files (these are from the late 70’s-mid 80’s) with my more modern models. I need to reevaluate for sure, and maybe just send everything in for a sharpening and cleaning.

Thank you.

 

[Boss Hogg]

Here’s the file on the Handyman:

And here’s the Craftsman:

 

[Guy McVer]

Here’s the file on the Handyman:

(images removed from quote)

And here’s the Craftsman:

(images removed from quote)

Well it's hard to tell from just pictures but the Handyman looks pretty normal aside from a little corrosion and some minor wear. The tip on the Craftsman file might be a bit worn and both files could definitely use some cleaning. Wear on the tips on the older files is sometimes caused by overusing it as a small Phillips screwdriver. The tips on the new files are more resistant to wear from that kind of usage. The rust on the Craftsman file could be bad but you probably won't know until it's been removed so you can see what's underneath.

 

[Johnnythefox]

They did a great job for me I sent in one from the 1940s and asked for a sympatheic refurb keeping the character.

Others I sent in I asked for the removed tools to be sent back which they did.