Different Swisstool plier heads , the truth

[Zed]

well looks like mines a 1998 model 

[Magic Bus]

well looks like mines a 1998 model 

Not even run in then 

[Zed]

well looks like mines a 1998 model 

Not even run in then 

not yet chris 

[markn951]

So, does the Spirit have the same awesome pliers as the OG SwissTool?

[Dunc]

No the Spirits are smaller and a little more needlenose .

[markn951]

No the Spirits are smaller and a little more needlenose .

But do they hinge the same way? Do you know?

[Dunc]

No the Spirits are smaller and a little more needlenose .

But do they hinge the same way? Do you know?

No that depends , Early swisstool hinged the other way .So the Spirit hinges the same way as the last two tools in this pic ...



Check out the Spirit and Swisstool sticky threads at the top of the forum . They make great reading for anyone interested in Swisstools 

[Zed]

well looks like mines a 1998 model 

Not even run in then 

and the odd thing chris is its a year older than the wave that started all this for me 

[Cyclone82]

I think normal 'proper' or 'real' pliers have not changed the configuation to the way Vic does it because lets be honest here, your not ment to use pliers to undo nuts when there a proper spanners to do the job! I know i wouldn't as it damages and marks the nuts. It just happens to be that the coarse jaw could be used use to grip a nut in an emergency situation out in the field. You dont carry or use a pair of pliers to work on fasteners as an alternative to spanners or sockets. Plier jaws were never intended to undo/do up fasteners. So thats why i think proper plier manufacturers have not seen the need to go this way as they do not design their pliers to do that sort of job. Multi tools are a bit different because they are more intended as tool you carry that can do a lot of jobs that specific tools are designed for but they do not do everything as well as a specific tool for that job can do. And a multi tool is more aimed at being a tool that is mobile, meaning you carry it on yourself, in your car or on your bike when dont want to or cant carry a lot of tools but this one multi tool may just be able get you out of a tricky situation at some point and it just happens that the plier jaw 'could' be used to grip a nut in an emergency situation when you dont have the proper tool for the job and i think Victorinox just saw an area where the function of the pliers could be improved for this a little more and LM and Gerber probably think that the gain is too little to bother about it? No professional tradesman, especially a mechanic would be using a multi tool in the workshop and especially not for using on fasteners. There would be many complains from cutomers with butchered nuts on their vehicle or machinery. They all have much better tools do do specific jobs.

[North Man]

Has this been posted yet? Hope i can put it here.

Victorinox SwissTool Spirit

The Victorinox Emblem (cross and shield) was removed from the pliers head in 2010. The product images on our website have not been updated yet.

I got a picture i PDF,its to large, basially it shows that until 2010 cross and shield emblem is on, then from 2010 an interim model without emblem on plier, finally also from 2010 a change on the emblem on handle. The logo is over Victorinox and not besides, hope this makes sence?

P.s Picture in PDF is protected also...

[MultiMat]

OK I was instructed to do the washing up so I promptly got cracking mucking around with MTs , electronic scales & a new camera  .


I have 3 standard configuration SwissTools(but far from standard  ).At top is a very first 1997 model , a Aussie Army issue BO with 2005 plier head & at bottom a Signature Swisstool with a 1998 plier head.


97 left , 98 middle & 05 at right.

OK the electric scales ,  both the 97 & 98 Swisstools weighed in at a identical 279 grams or 9.841 ounces both do not have a hard wire cutting notch. I was interested to see how much difference the 2005's more chunky pliers would have to the Swisstools weight. The BO 2005 pliers Swisstool weighed in at 289 grams or  10.194 ounces. As far as I can tell the majority of that extra 10 grams weight has gone into the 05's pliers 


The 05's phillips head screw driver is slightly blunt when compared to the 97 & 98's. Photo does not show it very well 


The 05's file is a LOT more course when compared to the 97 & 98's , more like a Spirit's which is on the left. I vaguely remember someone saying the BO SwissTool's got the courser file  .


Awls look the same  , not quite  .

Earlier SwissTool's have a groove in the other side  . I wonder if it was a strength issue or a simplification in the manufacturing process that lead to the groove going  .


OK that is what happens when I am meant to be tidying up  .

[J-sews]

Comparing tools is always funner than cleaning up. An extra 10 grams just in the plier head The fathead model is a big chunk of metal certainly, but I had not guessed it made that much difference. (And don't forget, some amount of weight gain from '98 to '05 would be offset by the metal removed for the bigger corkscrew/accessory slots)

[Gareth]

How is it I can take so much pleasure is cleaning up an old tool and then absolutely detest washing dishes?

[Dunc]

Great pics Mat    I prefer the 98 plier head and the early awl .Although I'm quite happy to carry a 05 model as EDC .

[colinoutdoors]

Great post, so I guess my dates from 1998 then. I acquired it a couple of years ago as an airport confiscation.