SwissTool Spirit problem.

Spoonrobot · **on:** February 05, 2008, 11:28:06 PM

Not really sure if it's a flaw since it can be entirely circumvented if the tool isn't used in one specific position, but it is an issue.

Earlier today I used my Spirit to break down a drafting table that has been rotting in my front yard for years. Why has it been there rotting? To be quite frank, I don't know. I moved it there with intentions of doing something with it but that never happened, so now it's all covered with mold and mushrooms. Gross.

Anywho, this drafting table is a relic from the 50s and is put together with large flathead bolts. Being that the flathead/cap lifter on the Spirit is so beefy I figured "why not?" and set upon it.

I used the tool is the L-grip seen below. Not the directional arrows, the tool is rotating counter-clockwise and the thumb is putting pressure towards the left handle scale and down.

When I was done unscrewing I went to close the tool and was greeted with this.

Odd, the tool won't fold like normal. Upon closer examination I found that the combination of torquing the handle and downward pressure on my thumb was enough to drive the saw past the stop-bar and wedge it between the plier-friction widget and the stop-bar.

In this condition the saw is really jammed in there and is impossible to extract without another tool. I had to use my keys in the first instance but a large flathead leveraged off the nail-nick works much better.

Now, this issue cannot happen if the tool is only used in the closed mode since the plier head blocks the saw from lateral and then downward movement. Or you could keep your thumb off the spine of the tool in the L-position, Either way it is entirely preventable, just a heads up for you guys!

Roadie · **Reply #1 on:** February 05, 2008, 11:31:53 PM

Interesting find there, maybe you should email Vic with this info....unless they are reading it now............
I'm sure they would be interested to know, after all they've changed the plier heads on the swisstool multiple times to make it better.

NutSAK · **Reply #2 on:** February 05, 2008, 11:44:36 PM

I've run across that before, and I've noticed that my Swisstool X is more apt to do this than my Spirit. I don't think that's because of a design issue though--for some reason the saw on my particular "X" doesn't fit tightly against the scale, and almost slips past the stop any time the tool is open, even if torque is not being applied.

Spoonrobot · **Reply #3 on:** February 05, 2008, 11:52:14 PM

Interesting.

I don't have a SwissTool to compare too but the saw is held from dropping by the widget and the stop-bar when not torquing the handles.

It actually took me few mintues to duplicate what happened originally because I was trying to push down and left without twisting the handles, without success. Only after I stuck it in a deep crack in my floorboards and pried a little did it do it again.

Large flathead screws are hard to find around my place.

J-sews · **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2008, 01:38:13 AM

Ooooh, interesting Spoon. Guess I've never torqued hard enough in the open position to have that happen. But it makes sense how it could. Both the Spirit and the SwissTool use handles that are actually made up of three different components. The two side panels of each handle are only kept in alignment by the pivot rivets. Spirit parts below:

In other words, the same thing probably wouldn't happen on a tool with one-piece handles?

Spoonrobot · **Reply #5 on:** February 06, 2008, 01:58:15 AM

Oh! I've been looking for that picture for a while, I wanted to see the plier-friction widget a little better to get some idea of it's form.

I concur, I'm looking at the flex in the scales now and it seems like it would be a lot less if the handles were a one piece unit. Of course, then I could complain about the added size and weight.

Also, I could have just done this and avoided the whole problem.

My rolleyes smilie isn't working, but trust me, it's there.

I love Victorinox, the means to fix a problem with the tool are actually on the tool itself. Bonus, if the lock springs break the implements revert to a slip-joint system because of those neat fingers, instead of flopping around like other tools.

Hey Bob,

How's that one-handed blade mod going? Should be done around the time the Flik gets released, eh?

J-sews · **Reply #6 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:02:28 AM

Quote from: Spoonrobot on February 06, 2008, 01:58:15 AM

Hey Bob,

How's that one-handed blade mod going? Should be done around the time the Flik gets released, eh?

Ouch!

Man, I have GOT to get working on that thing! It is so close to being done, yet I just can't seem to get it onto the grinder machine and finish it up. But yeh, I'll get after it again. Thanks for the kick in the butt!

J-sews · **Reply #7 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:04:57 AM

By the way, here's the best pic I have of the bracket. (Please ignore the text in the photo)

Spoonrobot · **Reply #8 on:** February 06, 2008, 02:08:33 AM

Thanks for the picture. I was having a hard time getting a good mental picture of what it was, for some reason I kept getting stuck on the idea of there being some magical Swiss springs in there.