Build your own Vic

Finally... I was able to build up a stockpile of used Vic parts and make a brand new one of it. It wasn't easy and you need patience, but believe me.... It was worth every minute! The first obstacle you'll bump against are the Victorinox rivets. Maybe you can buy them brand new or others that look alike, but I looked for an easier approach. I changed them with small screws of 2,50 mm. They're hard to find because most shops start with M3. The only change you need to do, in order to keep it simple, is drilling the two center holes in a slightly larger diameter of 2,50 mm. You can use screws of 2,50 mm and 2,25mm, but in my opinion it's far to difficult to obtain them. I changed everything to 2,50mm. When you start, you need to place the first spacer (the one with the corkscrew opening) and start building the construction you want... Start with the spring, back-tool and then the two/one tool(s) on the sides. 

UPDATE 09/2013 : My first mods were constructed with screws, as you can see, but I changed to the original rivets, which in my opinion are far more secure and give the knife that genuine feel and look. If you try to make an exposed rivet design, you'll have to change to the brass rivets. Keep that in mind! 

The scales are another story... You can always buy brand new ones and glue them on, but where's the fun with that? Buy some small pieces of tropical wood and  start cutting them in the same shape as the outer spacers.I use Brazilian Cambarawood. It's a tropical hardwood with a natural dark shade, but without the nice lines you would have with oak or other local wood... I clamp the outer spacers on the rectangular wooden plates and start from there. I use a Dremel-tool and follow the spacer shape with a small sanding tool on the Dremel. After the scales have the same shape as the spacers, you can use the same tool to make a nice edge. You can decorate the scales with a soldering iron or a small grinder. I kept it simple, after some failures... There are so many ways to build the scales. The easiest way is to use the right tools, and in my case it was a Dremel...

This "lucite design" is an idea from Michael M. Young, or better said an idea I stole from his book. It gives you a nice idea how the knife actually works. It was very hard to manipulate the lucite without scratching it, but everything turned out fine, as you can see...

...less is more...

Custom knife with my initials...

Here are the failures... The checkered design is a possible "next one", but the right one was an attempt to clone the Vic logo... BAD IDEA!

Custom job for my father in law.... Leon...

Back to basics... Large blade, small blade and reamer. The lanyard is made of 550 paracord strains in the shape of a square knot. The scales are made, as usual, from Brazilian Cambarawood.

Michel Jordi Spartan

This is one over the top knife with a rather old scale design. The Edelweiss print is used over and over again and doesn't give the knife the credit it deserves. The corkscrew, keychain and scale logo are gold plated. The name "Michel Jordi" is laser-etched in the main blade and stamped in the main logo on the scale. The scales are dented and the main blade was surface scratched, but I was able to clean it up... Michel Jordi was born in 1948 at Canton de Souleure, but lives and works in Nyon. He's a Swiss watchmaker and became famous with the watch "CLIP" in 1986 and is known for his folklore designs. These knives are made in 1995/96 and came in red, blue, green and black. It was designed exclusively for Michel Jordi and all the tools were manufactured in Ibach except for the scale emblem and edelweiss design.They come normally with a nice design leather sheath. The sheath contains the same Edelweiss print as on the scales. A nice addition to my collection... There was a small amount released with a solid gold corkscrew. Unfortunately this one hasn't the solid gold one. More info follows... UPDATE : A few days ago (30/10/2013) I saw the red one in the factory shop in Ibach for 35 CHF sold as a liquidation item, so without the leather pouch. 

How to strip a 91mm Victorinox

A few days ago I bought a lot (15pcs) of old "retired" 91mm models going from a Spartan to a Handyman. I wanted to start a spare parts kit and it's always easy to have some spare parts at hand. I tought it would be the perfect time to make some pictures to show you how to disassemble a 91mm knife without destroying the tools, spacers or scales. It takes a bit of practice, but once you've done a few, it goes faster and faster. I want to build a custom 91mm but still need to buy the rivets. Disassembling gives you the chance to see how effective, yet simple this design actually is. Good luck! Questions? Try the reply feature below or my mail address jeroen_thys@telenet.be

Here's the lucky bastard! Take out the tweezers and toothpick and leave it a few hours in a small bowl with soap and water. Take out of the water, and start prying the damn thing...

You can use another knife or something thin enough to get between the narrow space next to the scales. If you wiggle it enough you'll hear a "pop" and the scale comes off fairly easy.

The rivets now become visible and these are the ones you're gonna cut off afterwards. 

Once both scales are removed, you need to clamp the knife, preferably in a vice to make a clean cut on the rivets.

I use a Dremel with a small cutting blade attached. This works very accurate and leaves nearly no damage on the outer spacer.

Try to cut sideways. Pretend to make a flathead screw and when you reach the spacer, the rivet head pops of.

Clean the remaining rivet and make sure the spacer comes loose easy... Repeat this with the other two large rivets. The smaller rivet in the middle needs a bit of grinding till you reach the spacer. This one doesn't have the small ring on top.

Now, try to make the same move you did with the scales. The outer spacer needs to come loose now and the first tools show up.

The first tool to disassemble is the corkscrew. After the corkscrew, the backspring will come loose and the two blades will follow instantly.

Right now, you'll have a piece of the rivets sticking out. Just enough to hit it with a hammer. Use something with a hole in it,under the knife, to protect the other spacer when you hit the knife. I use a watch-tool.

Use a plier to pull out the rivets, one by one. Do this without damaging the spacers.

Et voila.... The knife falls apart!

This is the result after 15 times this tutorial... ;)

Travelfair Brussels Expo - Switzerland

Today, my wife and I went to the anual travelfair in Brussels. We needed some info about Thailand, southern France and Switzerland. When we arrived at the Switzerland booth, I was surprised to see everything representing the country, from chocolate to Ricola, except Victorinox. The one thing, everyone knows and links with Switzerland, was missing. It was a nice setup with a huge display and a lot of brochures, but still....  Here are some pictures... The knife is a nice extra from my collection. ;)

WENGER Becomes VICTORINOX

For some a sad day, for others, like me, once more the proof that Victorinox once was and now will become the only Swiss Army knife manufacturer! I have some split feelings about this merger. Is Victorinox gonna produce Future knives with inferior old "Wenger" tools/methods? Are some of the Victorinox models gonna be discontinued? It's incredible that in these hard economical times, Victorinox manages to keep everyone employed! On the other hand.... Victorinox survives thanks to this mentality. Bad management was one of the reasons that Wenger failed... Here's the official press release...

Press Release

VICTORINOX JOINS FORCES AND INTEGRATES WENGER KNIFE BUSINESS

Eight years ago, the family-owned Swiss company Victorinox took over the long-established company Wenger, headquartered in Delémont, and has since managed it as a standalone subsidiary. Now Victorinox will integrate Wenger's knife business. This move eliminates duplication in the product range, responds to increased market demand and strengthens its competitive position internationally. In the future, Victorinox knives will also be made in Delémont and all employees will keep their jobs. 

In 2005, Victorinox bought the long-established Wenger company in order to keep it in Swiss hands. Since then, Wenger has operated as an independent entity, sometimes in competition with Victorinox. Both companies have asserted themselves on the highly competitive international market.

Now Victorinox has decided to integrate the Wenger knife business. «Many consumers can hardly distinguish between the knife products from Victorinox and Wenger and the global fight for survival is getting increasingly fierce. That's why we are joining forces and focusing on one brand: Victorinox." says Carl Elsener, CEO of Victorinox.

The site in Delémont will be maintained. An assortment from the Wenger knife collection will be produced going forward under the brand name Victorinox. Wenger's watch and licensing business will continue. The Wenger branch in the US will be merged with the existing Victorinox headquarters based in Monroe (Connecticut).

With this move, Victorinox is looking to still better utilize its distribution strength. Competition requires clear strategic positioning, as well as the concentration of investments in products, product range and distribution. Consumers in turn expect a unique brand promise.

Peter Hug, CEO of Wenger: "We regret of course that we will no longer be producing Wenger knives in the future. The concentration of forces will allow the group to grow within the global competitive environment, to enhance the product range and to strengthen the Delémont site in the long term. So we are taking this step from a position of strength."

With the incorporation of the Wenger knife business, Victorinox is able to retain many years of experience in the areas of development and production from its well-established subsidiary. Together with its existing watch production in Porrentruy, the Victorinox Group remains a major employer in the canton of Jura.