Restore or not restore a barnacle encrusted Swiss Champ?

[simon.debruxelles]

A friend found this 30m down on the bottom of the Irish Sea. Under the crud and barnacles is a Victorinox Swiss Champ. God knows how long it was down there at 30m but it must have been years. The stainless steel looks to be in good condition though the scales have popped off under pressure of things growing beneath them. So do I clean off the crud and see what's underneath? I could then send it off to Victorinox as they give a lifetime guarantee with these knives and get a new one in return. The other option is to leave it as it is but bits fall off every time it's touched and it isn't exactly decorative as a desk ornament.


image by debrux2010, on Flickr

[Santos]

Restore it 
After getting lots of photos!

Leave it soaking in the cheapest nastiest white vinegar you have locally for a week, scrub it occassionally.

Sending something like that under warratny is a big ask, thats is in no way a manufacturers failure thats definately is user negligence!

[Cupboard]

Where would be the fun in sending it back? Definitely a keeper!

Welcome to MT.o, do stick around. I for one would love to see how this progresses

[ColoSwiss]

Hi Simon,

Welcome to the forum.

Definitely calls for before and after shots.

[mashguy4077]

A friend found this 30m down on the bottom of the Irish Sea. Under the crud and barnacles is a Victorinox Swiss Champ. God knows how long it was down there at 30m but it must have been years. The stainless steel looks to be in good condition though the scales have popped off under pressure of things growing beneath them. So do I clean off the crud and see what's underneath? I could then send it off to Victorinox as they give a lifetime guarantee with these knives and get a new one in return. The other option is to leave it as it is but bits fall off every time it's touched and it isn't exactly decorative as a desk ornament.


image by debrux2010, on Flickr

You know you should really be ashamed of yourself if you would even think of sending it in to Victorinox to get a new one for it.


If I found a tool like that in the ocean or sea I would keep it exactly like it is and display it, and go buy a new one to use.

If your willing to sell it I would definitely be interested.

[enki_ck]

OMG!!

Is it alive?
 


I'd like to see it cleaned. Just to see how much or the tool survived the torture. As for sending it in, I'm not sure about that. You might be exploiting the warranty there. But trying to clean it and taking lots of pics might be a good start to a Victorinox Story you could send to them.

[Zed]

We need more pics  please restore and take pics 

[bmot]

Hmmm, looks like it's been used by Flying Dutchman crew 

[simon.debruxelles]

Restoration won't be easy as the salt water has eaten away the aluminium dividers that separate the layers of tools. This explains why the scales are coming off.  I guess it would probably require a donor knife to supply replacement parts.  Comparing it to an undamaged Swiss Champ I notice that the lanyard ring is on the opposite side which could perhaps help date it.



image by debrux2010, on Flickr



image by debrux2010, on Flickr

[Syph007]

Well... it would be interesting to see it come apart, but it probably has more value as a conversation piece as is... 

New swisschamps go for 50 on amazon a few times a year... and I think that would take more than $50 of labor and parts to restore.. so not something I would bother with unless you just want to do it for the challenge of it.

[Nhoj]

Display that baby!

[ICanFixThat]

I'd say it's you're choice; it's neat the way it is, and it would be a good before, after pictorial essay if you record all the steps and phases.  So if you don't feel like making a detailed recording of the restoration process, it might be best just to leave it the way it is, and find a nice glass or plexi-glass case you can mount it in as a sculpture.   It would be a very cool piece of natural art.

[hiljentaa]

It's neat as is, but I think it'd be an even better story to get it back to a functional state - even if you had to leave some tools out or use replacements.

[JAfromMn]

Seal that baby in a hunk of clear plastic and enjoy it the way it is.