THAT is an impressive bit of information there Fronta! Thank's for putting it all together.
Defender;I read your article about the Fischer-stamped Soldier, and I found some information for you.R.M. Fischer is a distributor in Estonia (not Lithuania, as some thought). The new company is still located in Estonia and serves all of the Baltic region. Their #1-selling product is Victorinox poxket knives. However, the knife you have is from the earlier company. Like other distributors (Victor, Kellam, etc.) they stamped their name on the tangs of some of the knives they distribute. The gold-colored anodizing you see is actually brass anodized over the aluminum handles. This makes the brass more corrosion-resistant, while doing very little for the aluminum (since aluminum doesn't tarnish much at all) except make it look nicer. This was likely done second-hand and not by Victorinox. Fischer stopped anodizing their products in 1973, but that doesn't mean that they did it. It could've been done at home or in a shop somewhere as a project.The model you have, with the rounded awl and cut-away handle scale, was made between 1966 and 1973. It sold for about $11 in 1969, and if it were in new condition, it would be worth about $110 now. That's including the brass anodizing. My source for all of this is a very nice, very old man who has enough old knife books to rival Case Cutlery. Hopefully, this has helped you in establishing where your knife is from, and what it is.Josh
I have some doubts about some infos. The old style awl was made between 1957 and 1960. If you look at the old yellow catalog page you can see the handwritten year 1958 in the upper right corner.From 1961 Victorinox used the newer awl, also in the new soldier knife.If the Fisher knife was made later in the 60s, they must have used older parts, but it does not really make sense. And I don`t think that alox knives were eloxated or anodized after they have left the factory in Ibach. That would not make sense either.
Oh, and here's the info I have on my gold one, as supplied by a member named Josh:QuoteDefender;I read your article about the Fischer-stamped Soldier, and I found some information for you.R.M. Fischer is a distributor in Estonia (not Lithuania, as some thought). The new company is still located in Estonia and serves all of the Baltic region. Their #1-selling product is Victorinox poxket knives. However, the knife you have is from the earlier company. Like other distributors (Victor, Kellam, etc.) they stamped their name on the tangs of some of the knives they distribute. The gold-colored anodizing you see is actually brass anodized over the aluminum handles. This makes the brass more corrosion-resistant, while doing very little for the aluminum (since aluminum doesn't tarnish much at all) except make it look nicer. This was likely done second-hand and not by Victorinox. Fischer stopped anodizing their products in 1973, but that doesn't mean that they did it. It could've been done at home or in a shop somewhere as a project.The model you have, with the rounded awl and cut-away handle scale, was made between 1966 and 1973. It sold for about $11 in 1969, and if it were in new condition, it would be worth about $110 now. That's including the brass anodizing. My source for all of this is a very nice, very old man who has enough old knife books to rival Case Cutlery. Hopefully, this has helped you in establishing where your knife is from, and what it is.JoshI don't know if any of this helps the info you have amassed or not, but that's what I've been told.Def
Thx for compiling the info Fronta