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Some number of years ago I can't remember, perhaps more than 5 but less than 10, I was given this pocket knife by a family member. Having received a dollar store chinese knockoff multitool/knife of some sort nearly every year of my adult life from some extended family member I went "yeah, that's really cool, thanks" and put it in a drawer somewhere. This evening I saw a documentary about Victorinox and realized I'm the owner of a genuine knife. It doesn't appear to be a fancy, expensive, or rare model of any kind but it was pretty neat to see the documentary about how they are built to exacting precision and quality assurance and then realize I own one. Engraved with my initials, none the less, indicating it was probably from my mother. She likes having everything engraved. So I can't find this exact knife with its exact combination of features on the Victorinox website right now. They have a few that are very similar but all have more things than this one does. This is a pretty simple model. It's in the "midsize" range but isn't too thick or heavy. I'd like to know what model (and if possible, year) it is for my own curiosity. How might I go about finding this or might there be a knife nerd here that could fill me in? I'm told all this information would have been on the box but I threw that away having not thought it was really anything special. I know it isn't a valuable or unique knife but it's still a pretty cool thing to have been given that I only now have realized was certainly worth more than something from a clearance bin. The quality of the material and "snap" of the mechanism exceeds that of the handful of super crapo no-name ones I have lying around by 10 times. 
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Dec 12, 2015 07:32
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I believe the model is called Tourist.
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Dec 12, 2015 12:13
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jyrka posted:I believe the model is called Tourist. Ha. You're right, it appears. I was being thrown by the fact that they don't seem to offer the Tourist in a clear-red variety anymore. Just the solid red right now. The solid red tourist has my exact set of tools to the T, though, so I bet you're spot on. I guess they change the product line pretty frequently? Why on earth don't they date stamp their current knives like they seem to have done for some models last century? I'm kindof mindblown by the level of enthusiasm for these products on the internet. There are apparently people who collect hundreds of them. Edit: The name is rather ironic considering what would happen if you tried to take this on a plane. chedemefedeme fucked around with this message at 19:18 on Dec 12, 2015 |
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Dec 12, 2015 18:59
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Yeah, but you could check it in baggage, right? I've had a Victorinox pocket knife on my person for about 35 years now - not the same one, I'm a mechanic and eventually just destroy the blades due to being a crazed madman with them - but pretty much the same model, I think it's called the Tinker and it's notable because it has a Phillips screwdriver instead of a pansy-rear end corkscrew. The durability of the drat things are just amazing, I don't think I've ever had the plastic sides come off or the folding mechanism gently caress up. If everything was made that way, our economy would grind to a screeching halt as nothing would ever need replacing. My personal dealing with the Swiss have not been wonderful, they seem to be arrogant racists for the most part, but holy poo poo do they make good knives.
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Dec 12, 2015 19:27
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I suppose I could check it in baggage but I typically don't check bags when I fly. Just a few essentials in a carry on bag. Gave up on checking when it felt like every other time I flew my bags ended up in entirely different cities than I did. Yeah, i don't find the cork screw very useful. Is it really for anything other than opening a beverage? A Phillips would be rather handy. So that this thread doesn't die the death of the first dude answered the question (which it appears he did) I'll ask another question as we mention screwdrivers. I don't routinely carry a pocket knife or multitool but I do routinely carry a compact ratcheting screw driver that has 6 to 10 bits. I had one from years ago I don't recall the brand of that I used daily for perhaps a decade and finally broke the mechanism by doing stupid stuff with it routinely. For the life of me I can't find a quality replacement. Every hand driven ratcheting screw driver I find is 90% plastic, with many having the actual fricking ratchet mechanism also made of plastic. This doesn't cut it. Sometimes I'm just driving a screw into a pre-threaded hole but other times I've got to put a 3 inch wood screw into solid material. A quality hand driver can accomplish this. A plastic mechanism one fails immediately. I'm sick of crappy tools and am trying to spend less time fighting with them. Does anyone make a rather compact ratcheting (straight, not angled like a socket ratchet) screwdriver that is made entirely of metal? Something that feels like it's worth more than $5? I'd pay a decent price for one that had the build quality of this Victorinox. Edit: even the craftsman is just a heap of plastic. http://www.sears.com/craftsman-ratcheting-ready-bit-screwdriver/p-00941796000P I want one I can use like a hammer when I need to. Bad idea? Perhaps. But no reason the tool can't be constructed to withstand it like my old one was. chedemefedeme fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Dec 12, 2015 |
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Dec 12, 2015 20:02
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My dad has had one of those on his keyring for the past 30+ years. Until 9/11 happened he used to take it on planes as well. They really are rugged.
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Dec 14, 2015 23:40
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I've had 3 confiscated by TSA, now I just have a bottle opener and ask other people for a knife if I need one. Still have one at home but don't carry it on my keyring anymore.
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Dec 15, 2015 00:01
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Corkscrews are fantastic for undoing knots in shoelaces/bootlaces without stabbing yourself in the foot. It may not seem all that useful but if you're out hiking in wet or muddy conditions it's a godsend for getting your boots off at the end of the day.
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Dec 15, 2015 03:06
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turbomoose posted:I've had 3 confiscated by TSA, now I just have a bottle opener and ask other people for a knife if I need one. Still have one at home but don't carry it on my keyring anymore. I lost one of my two Rucksack knives with the slide lock to the airport, and they don't sell that style of locking blade anymore. I am trying to avoid losing this one to the trail or the water when doing stuff outdoors, so I was jazzed to find tiny ball bearing swivels (!) and rings from fishing tackle stores, to stop the lanyard from winding up when in use. 
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Dec 15, 2015 04:43
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chedemefedeme posted:So that this thread doesn't die the death of the first dude answered the question (which it appears he did) I'll ask another question as we mention screwdrivers. The AI Tools thread had some screwdriver chat in the last few pages; I love my Kraftform Kompact ratcheting driver set, but it's not going to make a good hammer.. Perhaps you should write Wera and tell them you need a screwdriver/hammer since they make a 1/2" ratchet/breaker-bar/hammer combo tool! quote:The tool is unbreakable and is, therefore, a long-term investment  Ah, Wera. West German hand tools .. (made in the Czech Republic)
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Dec 15, 2015 05:06
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The Knife Thread in TFR putters along these days, but if you have questions about your knives there's usually four or five goons that have answers for you that day. People yack about multitools, axes/hatchets, machetes, and other sharp and pointy things that are not just knives. Sometimes flashlights too. Victorinox Steel is great. My SwissTool is the only multitool I have that doesn't rust in the coastal town I live in. I baby the poo poo out of it though, because SwissTools are just so goddamn pretty. I've gone a little compact lately, and have a Spyderco Manbug, Leatherman Squirt PS4, and Fenix E05 all on my keychain. Usually that gets me through most random crap that happens, even at my plumbing job. Anything that can save me a trip to the toolbox or truck is more than welcome.
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Dec 15, 2015 22:25
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Blitter posted:The AI Tools thread had some screwdriver chat in the last few pages; I love my Kraftform Kompact ratcheting driver set, but it's not going to make a good hammer.. Wow those Wera tools are awesome. Wish I had known about them closer to christmas  While I'm at it I'll post the only other little knife I own. This was given to me by my father on my wedding day. His father had given it to him on his wedding day. I know nothing about it nor really does he. Any thoughts?  
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Dec 21, 2015 18:10
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Looks like mother of pearl inlay on the handle? Not positive but wow, it's pretty.
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Dec 22, 2015 18:22
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Blitter posted:I lost one of my two Rucksack knives with the slide lock to the airport, and they don't sell that style of locking blade anymore. I am trying to avoid losing this one to the trail or the water when doing stuff outdoors, so I was jazzed to find tiny ball bearing swivels (!) and rings from fishing tackle stores, to stop the lanyard from winding up when in use. I used to have one of these but without the saw. Super handy camping knife and took a great edge. One day about 10 years ago, I misplaced it at work and it never showed up again. I still miss it. The OPs knife is a very handy pocket knife especially because of the pen. I used to have the computer tech model and I used the pen all the time. There are never any pens in a server room for some reason.  Mine was in black though.
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Dec 22, 2015 20:39
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chedemefedeme posted:Wow those Wera tools are awesome. Wish I had known about them closer to christmas I did a bit of googling around as this post piqued my interest. I came up with this website. From what I can gather looking at your photos it was made in 1980 by a company called Case.
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Dec 22, 2015 20:57
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Case is the largest American maker of slipjoint knives. Good quality, not particularly rare.
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Dec 22, 2015 21:58
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So for people who haven't seen the documentary, what makes Victorinox so special? I was looking at Victorinox Swiss Army knives not long ago, but I didn't know anything about them. I have a swiss army knife (no idea what kind) that I got at least 15 years ago or so that I keep in my main bag, but I'd like another since I always need it whenever I don't have that bag with me.
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Dec 24, 2015 03:05
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Enfys posted:So for people who haven't seen the documentary, what makes Victorinox so special? They're well made, all the tools are exceedingly well designed, you get a ton of functionality in a small package, they're inexpensive compared to comparable quality knives/MTs on the market and Victorinox's warranty support is fantastic. I have many, many knives and multitools in my collection and the Wenger Esquire on my keychain sees the most use by a pretty good margin.
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Dec 24, 2015 07:50
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mostlygray posted:I used to have one of these but without the saw. Super handy camping knife and took a great edge. One day about 10 years ago, I misplaced it at work and it never showed up again. I still miss it. Are big ones like this with lots of tools awkward to hold/use? I was considering one like that, but it seemed very bulky and like it might be uncomfortable to use.
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Dec 24, 2015 15:21
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I got my first Victorinox multi-tool/knife as a 10-year-old and no, even with tiny girl hands they are not that hard to use. I carried it around at girl scout camp for years until I lost it in the mud during a primitive camping trip. Still miss that drat knife. Replaced it with a smaller Wenger model which I keep in my purse; the blade, can opener and nail file get the most use but I've also used the end as a tiny hammer (yeah, I abuse my tools) with no resulting loss of functionality. The plastic hasn't even cracked. Swiss Army knives are kickass.
Faerunner fucked around with this message at 21:33 on Dec 25, 2015 |
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Dec 25, 2015 21:31
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I had a few Victorinoxes when I was younger as they were a tool I really liked and I was otherwise a pain to buy gifts for. Far and away my favourite was one designed for sailing that looked very like Blitter's one; except it was blue, the blade was serrated and there was some really odd tool I never figured out the purpose of (it was the length of the whole thing with a little hole in the end. I figured maybe it was some tool to aid knot tying or something?). It got stolen while I was university during an interrupted burglary. The guy escaped and managed to steal only my Swiss army knife and dropped my camera on the way out breaking it. All the other rooms had their valuables piled up on the beds ready for packing so we got back just in time but I'm still pissed about losing that knife.
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Dec 27, 2015 00:51
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http://www.sakwiki.com/ is great for figuring out what model is what and has photos of all of the tool variations. The strange tool on your sounds like a marlinspike.
A FUCKIN CANARY!! fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Dec 27, 2015 |
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Dec 27, 2015 01:28
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Enfys posted:So for people who haven't seen the documentary, what makes Victorinox so special? The other thing they have are the SwissTools, which are priced about the same as other flagship pliers-based multitools, but gently caress SwissTools are so goddamn beautiful that they have to be seen in person. Other than that, the steel is easy to sharpen and practically rustproof (abeit it's a little soft). For a utility knife, the common full flat ground pen-knife is great for practically anything. Beyond those qualities, they're not really anymore special than Leathermans or SOGs. But for high-value options, Victorinox has a plethora of models that can fit almost anyone. mom and dad fight a lot fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Dec 29, 2015 |
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Dec 27, 2015 20:12
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That's no lie. Someone gifted me a Swiss tools spirit x a while ago and the thing is beautiful. I never want to use it for fear of ruining it - which sort of goes against the idea of a multi tool. It's definitely a luxury looking tool though - the fit and finish is unbelievable.
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Dec 28, 2015 01:06
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Enfys posted:Are big ones like this with lots of tools awkward to hold/use? I was considering one like that, but it seemed very bulky and like it might be uncomfortable to use. Wearing jeans? Not uncomfortable at all. I carried one for about 3 years and couldn't even tell it was there. In slacks or dress pants, awful. It turns sideways and jams up against everything you brush by. If you find yourself constantly repairing equipment, it's worth the discomfort.
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Dec 29, 2015 00:24
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I've carried this guy around with me for about 10 years: The blade has a piece that sticks out so you can easily open it with one hand, and it locks so you don't accidentally close the thing when you're jabbing at something (ask me about the scar on my thumb). It also has a phillips screwdriver that isn't the best thing to use, but is super useful in a jam. And yeah, I've never had anything break on one of these, and I'm pretty hard on my stuff.
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Dec 29, 2015 20:25
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Despite having way, way too many pocket knives already, this thread got me thinking about Victorinox again and I ended up purchasing this dumb thing. It'll ride around in my pocket until something else shiny distracts me in a few weeks. The materials that go into one of these are nothing special, but Victorinox knives are solidly built and have the quality control consistency of a knife several times the price. Every one I've ever purchased has had even and symmetrical edge grinds (something that isn't always true even on $300+ folders) and all of the parts fit together perfectly. Whatever variety of stainless steel they are using is pretty soft as far as blade steels go, and won't hold an edge for an especially long time. This is a big downside if you aren't willing to put in any maintenance, but the softness also means it's fast and easy to resharpen. It takes me about a dozen passes on a fine whetstone to get a dull Victorinox back to being sharp enough to shave arm hairs with no pressure. A FUCKIN CANARY!! fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Dec 31, 2015 |
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Dec 30, 2015 15:04
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I have a multitool that I like because it has a phillips head and turns into pliers, but the scissors on it are useless. I know I can just use the knife to poke or cut through something, but sometimes I really need scissors. Do any multitools or swiss army knives have little scissors that actually work, or are they just too small to be very functional?
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Jan 2, 2016 03:40
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Default Victorinox scissors have always worked well for me. Weirdly enough I almost always end up using them for wrapping paper. If you're okay with smaller pliers, the Deluxe Tinker, Craftsman/Handyman or Hercules might be up your alley. Then there's the SwissTools. I've never had a leatherman with scissors, but I think they design a new set for each multitool anyway. I've heard good things about the Juice S2. SOG is usually a little weak in this area (at least on the PowerAssist). There aren't really any multitools with a large set of edit: I just noticed you said you had a swiss army knife, so if those scissors aren't working for you I don't really have a better recommendation, sorry. 
mom and dad fight a lot fucked around with this message at 05:27 on Jan 2, 2016 |
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Jan 2, 2016 05:21
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The best multitool scissors I've encountered are on the Leatherman Micra and Style CS, because they are made with the scissors as the main, central tool. They're still pretty small and fiddly, and you might be better off just getting some plain folding scissors. I used to consider scissors an essential part of a multitool for stuff like trimming nails/hangnails, but then I realized that I can do that with a small pen blade. On a Victorinox, it feels wrong to have such a fragile and situational implement on a tool that is otherwise built well enough to probably last a lifetime.
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Jan 2, 2016 15:56
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Bought a mini Champ thanks to this thread 
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Jan 6, 2016 06:48
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Blitter posted:I lost one of my two Rucksack knives with the slide lock to the airport, and they don't sell that style of locking blade anymore. I am trying to avoid losing this one to the trail or the water when doing stuff outdoors, so I was jazzed to find tiny ball bearing swivels (!) and rings from fishing tackle stores, to stop the lanyard from winding up when in use. I had the same one in dark blue and I had to surrender it to the parliamentary guards in Budapest, where these things mysteriously seem to vanish before you can pick them back up on your way out.  It even had a leather carrying case.  That said, if I needed another pocket knife, I would go for a slightly smaller one, since I never really used the saw and since it was a bit on the plump side. The corkscrew came in handy a few times in its intended function, however, especially since the slightly bigger handle offered a quite decent grip.
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Jan 8, 2016 18:55
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Blitter posted:I lost one of my two Rucksack knives with the slide lock to the airport, and they don't sell that style of locking blade anymore. I am trying to avoid losing this one to the trail or the water when doing stuff outdoors, so I was jazzed to find tiny ball bearing swivels (!) and rings from fishing tackle stores, to stop the lanyard from winding up when in use. You should be able to get them at least online: http://www.victorinox.com/global/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Large-Pocket-Knives/Rucksack/p/0.8863 I bought the version with scissors and screwdrivers a year ago or so.
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Jan 11, 2016 11:45
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I CANNOT EJACULATE WITHOUT SEEING NATIVE AMERICANS BRUTALISED!
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Wow. I went out of town for two weeks and this thread kindof exploded.Vitamins posted:I did a bit of googling around as this post piqued my interest. You're right. It indeed appears to be a Case. Thanks.
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Jan 11, 2016 18:21
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chedemefedeme posted:Wow. I went out of town for two weeks and this thread kindof exploded. It's kind of become an interim Swiss Army Knife megathread. I've been carrying a Victorinox Explorer in my pocket for close to 20 years now. I don't know how I'd get along without it. Actually, come to think of it I DO know: on the occasions that I've flown somewhere with carry-on luggage only, I had to leave anything pointy at home. I found myself reaching into my pocket for it about two or three times a day.
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Jan 11, 2016 18:40
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Powered Descent posted:I've been carrying a Victorinox Explorer in my pocket for close to 20 years now. I don't know how I'd get along without it. Actually, come to think of it I DO know: on the occasions that I've flown somewhere with carry-on luggage only, I had to leave anything pointy at home. I found myself reaching into my pocket for it about two or three times a day. Ooooh that one looks really nice. I finally found a shop that sold a replacement toothpick for the one I lost years ago. I don't need a toothpick often, but that little empty space in the side bugged me.
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Jan 11, 2016 19:09
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Enfys posted:Ooooh that one looks really nice. The Explorer has a really useful tool that for some strange reason is very rare in other models -- the in-line phillips screwdriver. Most knives have a screwdriver that sticks out from the center of the long side, giving you a T-handle. There are a LOT of screws in the world that don't have room for that (just try taking apart a computer with one, I dare you), but the in-line works fantastic on them. Enfys posted:I finally found a shop that sold a replacement toothpick for the one I lost years ago. I don't need a toothpick often, but that little empty space in the side bugged me. If anyone else is in that same boat, you can get a pack of six replacement toothpicks for about three bucks on amazon. (I now have five spares left, which should last me for a few decades.) Replacement tweezers aren't much more. Just make sure to get the right size: your knife takes Small toothpicks/tweezers if they're right in the center of the knife handle, and Large if it's off to one side so the little "handle" nub is sloped to one side to match the curve.
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Jan 11, 2016 20:17
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A lot of models also have a tiny hole under the corkscrew/screwdriver area for carrying a straight pin. Now you can reset routers wherever you go!
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Jan 12, 2016 01:11
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