BOOKS

The internet is an indispensable tool when it comes to age dating your Vic, but there is some info, like a beautiful glossy picture or a timetable that just needs that little bit more. I'm 31 and for me, a book still has its value. Finding Victorinox books isn't easy. The only book widely available is the "A collectors companion" by Derek Jackson. This is a rather small book, but is well illustrated and contains a lot of technical data. The most known book must be "The knife and its history". This book was made on occasion of the 100th aniversary of Victorinox and contains a lot of historical information. The one disadvantage this book has, is the lack of updates. It was made in 1984 and has never been updated. Finding it isn't easy, but you can allways contact Victorinox. They still have loads of them. Here are some of the books I own. There are also a lot of interesting brochures from Victorinox, ment as a sales-guide and contains al the background info about the brand and the knives. These are for free and can be requested at Victorinox. The Swiss Army Knife Owner's Manual is on its way to Belgium as a birthdaypresent from the wife. And boy, am I curious! The review follows...

Le couteau du soldat Suisse

At first glance I was impressed by the professional looks of this book. It contains loads of nice color pictures and shows almost every specification of each Soldier knife ever made. If you like the Soldier knife, this is the book you need, but don't expect long texts, because this book is a bit overpriced to mho. It's written in French, but the most important items are written in English. It's small in size and contents, but the nice glossy cover and great quality paper makes it a real collectors item. Just something you need to ad to your collection!

price : 30 CHF / 25 Euro

where to buy : COUTEAUX DU SOLDAT SUISSE

The Swiss Army knife Owner's Manual

This is a book for "advanced collectors". You need to know the basics in order to appreciate this. The writer is a SAK collector and you notice this instantly as he starts to tell about the history of both manufacturers. There is no Victorinox or Wenger chapter, but don't be fooled by this "average" intro-review... This is an awesome book! It gives the die hard collector just that bit more then all the other books. From explosion-drawings to a picture of a lucite-spartan... This is a highly recommended book! 

price : 20 $ / 16 Euro

Where to buy : SAK owners MANUAL website

price : 22 $ / 17 Euro

Where to buy : Amazon, Ebay, various knife shops, ...

price : 25 CHF

Where to buy : old stock available at Ibach

price : free / promotional

Where to buy : Victorinox customer service ;)