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Elinox SAK Identification?

us Offline Wallace72

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Elinox SAK Identification?
on: February 23, 2017, 07:20:25 AM
My grandfather had a single knife and this is it which also happens to be my only SAK in my collection for now. Does anybody know what model this was or when it was made/current value? 




Elinox is stamped into the blade


us Offline jazzbass

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #1 on: February 23, 2017, 07:26:22 AM
It's a Model 1237U from c 1975/6. Commonly called a Camper after the Victorinox line model with the same tool set. Value? Not much, $5-$10.


us Offline Wallace72

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #2 on: February 23, 2017, 07:34:04 AM
It's a Model 1237U from c 1975/6. Commonly called a Camper after the Victorinox line model with the same tool set. Value? Not much, $5-$10.


Wow! :cheers: Thanks, I wasn't going to sell it anyways I was just curious  :)


us Offline jazzbass

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #3 on: February 23, 2017, 05:10:18 PM
Just a little more info -

While almost everyone wants to know what the model name is for a particular knife, lots of older knives didn't have official names or the names change across different distributors and countries so they're not very consistent. Model numbers, however, were usually the *real* designation for the knife. This knife appears during a period of change for Victorinox when they were expanding their product lines and changing their model numbering system to accommodate these changes, so what model number it was sold under is kind of a mess.

Victorinox introduced a budget "economy" line in the late 1950s called "Elinox" (versus the standard premium "Victoria" line). Elinox versions of Victoria knives got the same model number with a leading "1". So this knife is a Camper, which would have been a Model 237U in the Victoria line. The Elinox version therefore was 1237U. In the mid 1970s they changed the leading number from "1" to "3", so this knife could have been sold as a Model 3237U (looking through info, this is the most likely what this knife was sold as).

By the 1980s they moved all lines from the old numbering system to the first version of the one still in use today. Under the new system this knife would have been sold as a 3.3611 (again, the leading "3" indicating an economy line model).


us Offline SAK Guy

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #4 on: February 23, 2017, 05:36:56 PM
Just a little more info -

While almost everyone wants to know what the model name is for a particular knife, lots of older knives didn't have official names or the names change across different distributors and countries so they're not very consistent. Model numbers, however, were usually the *real* designation for the knife. This knife appears during a period of change for Victorinox when they were expanding their product lines and changing their model numbering system to accommodate these changes, so what model number it was sold under is kind of a mess.

Victorinox introduced a budget "economy" line in the late 1950s called "Elinox" (versus the standard premium "Victoria" line). Elinox versions of Victoria knives got the same model number with a leading "1". So this knife is a Camper, which would have been a Model 237U in the Victoria line. The Elinox version therefore was 1237U. In the mid 1970s they changed the leading number from "1" to "3", so this knife could have been sold as a Model 3237U (looking through info, this is the most likely what this knife was sold as).

By the 1980s they moved all lines from the old numbering system to the first version of the one still in use today. Under the new system this knife would have been sold as a 3.3611 (again, the leading "3" indicating an economy line model).

 :cheers: Book-book-book-book!  :cheers:
- Robert




Quo Fata Ferunt
"It's sad that governments are chiefed by the double tongues." - Ten Bears


us Offline Wallace72

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #5 on: February 23, 2017, 05:59:04 PM
If they were sold as economy models, then they must have features or quality lacking to that of the higher "victoria" line? What physical aspects distinguish the two, any variations in steel quality or plastic type?  ???


us Offline SAK Guy

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #6 on: February 23, 2017, 06:17:42 PM
In my experience, steel the same, build quality the same, no Toothpick &Tweezers, different shield and different tang stamps. Just a little simpler version.

They are still excellent quality.

JB can be more exact....
- Robert




Quo Fata Ferunt
"It's sad that governments are chiefed by the double tongues." - Ten Bears


us Offline jazzbass

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #7 on: February 23, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
If they were sold as economy models, then they must have features or quality lacking to that of the higher "victoria" line? What physical aspects distinguish the two, any variations in steel quality or plastic type?  ???

So this is a question that has a pretty in depth answer, as the definition of what it meant to be a Victorinox "economy" knife has changed over the last 60 yrs as new production methods are introduced. Originally a big cost for Victoria knives was the polishing the tools (all done by hand), so Elinox knives were made with unpolished tools - including the main blades. They also used unannodized liners and cheaper plastic on the scales. As polishing became automated it was no longer really a cost differentiator so the Elinox knives got polished tools by the early 1970s. Today my understanding is that economy knives are the same basic knives as the main line except cheaper ABS scales (which some people prefer actually) and less QC. Last I heard every Victorinox knife was checked, but only something like 1 in 10 economy knives were. I forget where I got that info so don't quote me on that - those could very well be alternative facts.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2017, 07:54:52 PM by jazzbass »


us Offline Wallace72

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #8 on: February 24, 2017, 12:27:07 AM
Thanks jazzbass! That is very interesting and informative. Very interesting to know that the plastic type for scales is indeed different too.


us Offline Wallace72

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #9 on: February 24, 2017, 12:40:33 AM
Well it looks like this one is going to be retired. I took off the scale as shown below and noticed multiplied cracks in 3 of the liners




us Offline detron

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #10 on: February 24, 2017, 12:42:00 AM
Well it looks like this one is going to be retired. I took off the scale as shown below and noticed multiplied cracks in 3 of the liners
(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

keep it as a memento, and it is still a great heirloom. 
If I can help, let me know 


us Offline Wallace72

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #11 on: February 24, 2017, 04:06:30 AM
Well it looks like this one is going to be retired. I took off the scale as shown below and noticed multiplied cracks in 3 of the liners
(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

keep it as a memento, and it is still a great heirloom. 


Most Certainly! 


us Offline Barry Rowland

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Re: Elinox SAK Identification?
Reply #12 on: February 24, 2017, 09:15:00 PM
 :like: :salute:
Barry


 

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