Victorinox Factory Tour

[MeadMaker]

I stumbled across this National Geographic video today.  A full 45 minutes of Victorinox goodness. 

[sawman]

My internet connection is too crappy to watch it.  What am I missing?

[tosh]

I stumbled across this National Geographic video today.  A full 45 minutes of Victorinox goodness. 

lol - I was watching that just the other morning and wondering how I'd managed to miss it.

BUT and it's a very BIG But.

I actually found it a little depressing, it really brings it home that Victorinox's are just mass produced like any other tool. And whilst we all obviously knew that deep down, it was quite nice to imagine that the "Victorinox Swiss Army Knife", that famous Red handled little pocket tool that almost every young lad has either carried or been given at some point in their life, a tool of such importance when you're young and wondering off exploring be it on your own or with your friends.

I actually quite liked the niave idea of a smallish business still nestling somewhere in switzerland.
And I had read too, the facts and marvelled at just how many were produced each day.
 
But the video has really knocked it home, it's simply a swiss version of Tim Leatherman's joint - albeit a better one .

In a way it's somewhat spoilt some of the magic for me - like when you realised Father Christmas doesn't really exist. You still love Christmas but your eyes have been opened and you wish you could still believe again.

Then again, I say all that but can vividly remember that back in the day when I was a lad  'ee-by-gum', Victorinox's were always locked away in their now famous glass cabinets and it seemed almost every young lad and his dad would be seen nose-pressed admiring, but they (to me anyway) were always out of reach.....too expensive and so they become a little boys dream that eventually advances to a grown mans obsession....Oh'...erm.. I think I've  just shrink'd myself there!!

Now mass produced, cheaper than ever and very, very easily available unless you're chasing the has-beens. A tiny bit of the aura, mystique shall we say has gone.

Hey Vic'  You had better bring some new lines out ! 

 

[Grathr]

National Geographic's video is just a front to cover up how SAKs are actually made. 

This is how they are really made:
The metall part parts are forged and sharpened by magic elves deep within the swiss alps. Then the parts are assembled by pretty young women in summer dresses singing beautiful songs. Finally the SAKs are carefully inspected by stern men and women with monocles in white uniforms. 
(deep down you know its true )

[Jothra]

National Geographic's video is just a front to cover up how SAKs are actually made. 

This is how they are really made:
The metall part parts are forged and sharpened by magic elves deep within the swiss alps. Then the parts are assembled by pretty young women in summer dresses singing beautiful songs. Finally the SAKs are carefully inspected by stern men and women with monocles in white uniforms. 
(deep down you know its true )

The scales aren't made. They're found at great peril in a cave guarded by a dragon.

[Outback in Idaho]

Great... now I want a soldier's knife. Still think the alox version is better.

[KTesh]

National Geographic's video is just a front to cover up how SAKs are actually made. 

This is how they are really made:
The metall part parts are forged and sharpened by magic elves deep within the swiss alps. Then the parts are assembled by pretty young women in summer dresses singing beautiful songs. Finally the SAKs are carefully inspected by stern men and women with monocles in white uniforms. 
(deep down you know its true )

The scales aren't made. They're found at great peril in a cave guarded by a dragon.

For those who don't know, those scales are gifts from the most beautiful of mermaids

[TMFKAMJ]

My internet connection is too crappy to watch it.  What am I missing?

they also said something about an OHO spirit and a keychain size one as well 

[Landrew]

My internet connection is too crappy to watch it.  What am I missing?

A really great video. Bookmark it for future.

[tosh]

National Geographic's video is just a front to cover up how SAKs are actually made. 

This is how they are really made:
The metall part parts are forged and sharpened by magic elves deep within the swiss alps. Then the parts are assembled by pretty young women in summer dresses singing beautiful songs. Finally the SAKs are carefully inspected by stern men and women with monocles in white uniforms. 
(deep down you know its true )

Loved that!!
Made me grin..an almost disney fairytale.
An' every man's still a boy at heart...Eh'

From "Dead Poets Society"

How did it go.....?

"Show me the heart unfaltered by foolish dreams
And I'll show you a happy man
But only in their dreams can men be truly free
T'was always thus an' always thus will be".

[papercut]

There are a couple youtube versions of that vid, most have some issues,  That seems to be best one I have seen so far.  There is also a cool vid of a guy at gun/knife show putting together a spartan with a Vic machine.  Pretty cool.

[Smaug]

Hey Vic'  You had better bring some new lines out ! 

Here are some new lines:

http://www.victorinox.com/us/product/Swiss-Army-Knives/Collections/Camouflage/Victorinox-Golf-Bag-with-Stand-and-Detachable-Pouch/JG00010

http://www.victorinox.com/us/product/Thanksgiving-Favorites/Forged-Carving-Set/7.7113.03

http://www.victorinox.com/us/product/Swiss-Army-Knives/Collections/Limited-Edition-Swiss-Army-Knives/Damascus-Limited-Edition/0.8461.J12

http://www.victorinox.com/us/product/Swiss-Army-Knives/Category/What-s-New/Cheese-Knife/80833

Maybe not quite what you had in mind...

[MARIOS7319]

I have seen this video in the past, but not in that quality.
Thanks MeadMaker.

By the way, even if Victorinox had made almost everything automated, it has kept the respect for their customers and the perfect quality in the manufacture of their knives.
So many times we have seen the service department of Victorinox to make repair, or replace a knife without any issues to the customer.

[sawman]

Thanks to a change of internet service, I was finally able to watch this.  45 minutes of pure     I was disapointed when it ended - I could watch this all day.

It doesn't seem to bother me that these things are so mass produced.  The quality is there no matter how many they crank out.  I wish I could tour their factory, especially their museam.  That was pure awesome footage.  Thanks!

[kkokkolis]

If they were handmade we would lose the point where the shiny blades fall from the belt into that container making those "gling-glang" noises.

[Wootz]

Coolness all over.

I just learned that the Victorinox factory is located on the "Blacksmith Street" (Schmiedgasse) in Ibach. 

[Landrew]

I have no kick against mass production; it gives us more output with less input.  Nothing wrong with efficiency if you don't lose too much in the process.  While some manufactured articles are best made by hand, I can't think of too many that can't be made to a high standard by automated methods.  I'm sure nearly every aspect of a Victorinox SAK could be made robotically, but there simply isn't enough economic pressure to justify replacing every human being in the production line.  That says something about the core values of the company, I think.