Website or Book?

[detron]

hmm,  jazzbass might put the first printed copy on ebay, with great pictures of the contents, and call it the RARE Swiss army knife encyclopedia.

bidding war!   (by people not here at MTO)

 

two weeks later book sales start in earnest

[nsa-x-file]

Even though I mainly collect Alox I would also buy this as a book.

Reminds me of a rare book that I picked up recently.
Took me years to finally get one.
Expensive, but almost all the info that can only be found in this book.

[SAK Guy]

Nice NSA!!!  Wow, I've bought the pistols cheaper than some of those book prices.

[jazzbass]

Since this thread has bubbled back to the top, I'll use it to solicit some feedback.

One thing I plan to do with the book is include details of each known model. They'll be marked as "standard production" (Spartan, Huntsman, etc), "limited production" (Angler Deluxe, Mechanic Jr, etc) or "custom configuration" (Fuchs customs, VSAKS Doctor, etc), but the one thing they have in common is they were produced by Victorinox. I might add a section about mods, but I don't plan on going into details on specific mod models as they're like snowflakes - just too many to cover and they're not "official". But yes, one of my main goals is for there to be an "encyclopedia" section where you can look up any model you find.

So that leaves a sort of grey area - SwissBianco customs. For those that are new, the knives you get from SwissBianco today are 100% assembled by Victorinox in Ibach, fully warrantied, etc., so to me they fall in the "custom configuration" category and will be included. However, some of his early mods (back from 2008-2009) were actually hand assembled by Roger from new Victorinox factory parts. This includes the early Yeoman Mechanic (I have one and you can see it's clearly hand assembled), the 91mm Lumberjack Plus, and (I think) his original run of Scientists from 2010.

Where do you feel these fall in the continuum? Are they mods just as much as anything that Syph makes, as they were hand assembled from parts and not built in the Victorinox factory? Or are they sort of quasi-official models since they were made with the blessing of (and warrantied by) Victorinox themselves? I know what I think about this, but I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts.

Yes, I know there are some less-than-positive feelings here with some about SwissBianco and his views on modding. But I want to approach this as a historian, not as someone with an axe to grind (which I'm not to be honest - I personally bear Roger no ill will).

[detron]

Since this thread has bubbled back to the top, I'll use it to solicit some feedback.

One thing I plan to do with the book is include details of each known model. They'll be marked as "standard production" (Spartan, Huntsman, etc), "limited production" (Angler Deluxe, Mechanic Jr, etc) or "custom configuration" (Fuchs customs, VSAKS Doctor, etc), but the one thing they have in common is they were produced by Victorinox. I might add a section about mods, but I don't plan on going into details on specific mod models as they're like snowflakes - just too many to cover and they're not "official". But yes, one of my main goals is for there to be an "encyclopedia" section where you can look up any model you find.

So that leaves a sort of grey area - SwissBianco customs. For those that are new, the knives you get from SwissBianco today are 100% assembled by Victorinox in Ibach, fully warrantied, etc., so to me they fall in the "custom configuration" category and will be included. However, some of his early mods (back from 2008-2009) were actually hand assembled by Roger from new Victorinox factory parts. This includes the early Yeoman Mechanic (I have one and you can see it's clearly hand assembled), the 91mm Lumberjack Plus, and (I think) his original run of Scientists from 2010.

Where do you feel these fall in the continuum? Are they mods just as much as anything that Syph makes, as they were hand assembled from parts and not built in the Victorinox factory? Or are they sort of quasi-official models since they were made with the blessing of (and warrantied by) Victorinox themselves?

Yes, I know there are some less-than-positive feelings here with some about SwissBianco and his views on modding. But I want to approach this as a historian, not as someone with an axe to grind (which I'm not to be honest - I personally bear Roger no ill will).

I understand your conundrum, and think that no matter which route you take, as long as you preface your decision in the into (or preface area) and explain your stance, the reader will have no problems at all.

to me personally they are just mods, and not a Victorinox product, but a product made of Victorinox parts, much in the same way I could take parts from a Chevy Truck, a Chevy Corvette, and a Chevy Malibu, and make a vehicle.  it is not a Chevy product, but it is a Chevy in many respects.  however the difference here is SwissBianco SAKs now are a Victorinox Product, where they were not before.
   I Wish you luck figuring this enigma out.

[Steinar]

I'm with Detron on this one. The decision is obviously yours, but it's a product made outside of Victorinox from Victorinox parts... Just like something Syph makes, so to me, it's the same category.

[nmpops]

I vote for a book, paper pages and all and maybe an e-book at some point. "The Working Folding Knife" by Steve Dick (published in 1998) is a favorite of mine and I have read and re-read it countless times.   

[lichan]

Since they were officially sanctioned and warrantied by Victorinox, I think they are a different animal than individual mods done in the wilds like the ones that Syph makes.  I would class them as "custom configuration" especially since there are many copies of the same configuration.

JazzBass, I hope your labor-of-love is successful beyond your expectations.

[firiki]

Regarding +Bianco, this is a unique case as far as I know, so I think the simplest way would be to make a dedicated chapter telling the whole story and let the readers form an opinion. Such a chapter would probably belong to the encyclopedic part and mods section. Also, if there's a presentation of Vic's marketing/sales policy an allusion could be made there as well. I still don't understand why they've chosen to work with +Bianco

[Gareth]

Do they really warranty Rodgers hand built stuff?  I didn't know that. IIRC he didn't have the best reputation for QC.  Anyway, I agree that his current offerings would fall under your "custom configuration" heading, but I'd put his hand assembled stuff as a separate, though interesting, footnote.

[Yadda]

Since this thread has bubbled back to the top, I'll use it to solicit some feedback.

One thing I plan to do with the book is include details of each known model. They'll be marked as "standard production" (Spartan, Huntsman, etc), "limited production" (Angler Deluxe, Mechanic Jr, etc) or "custom configuration" (Fuchs customs, VSAKS Doctor, etc), but the one thing they have in common is they were produced by Victorinox. I might add a section about mods, but I don't plan on going into details on specific mod models as they're like snowflakes - just too many to cover and they're not "official". But yes, one of my main goals is for there to be an "encyclopedia" section where you can look up any model you find.

So that leaves a sort of grey area - SwissBianco customs. For those that are new, the knives you get from SwissBianco today are 100% assembled by Victorinox in Ibach, fully warrantied, etc., so to me they fall in the "custom configuration" category and will be included. However, some of his early mods (back from 2008-2009) were actually hand assembled by Roger from new Victorinox factory parts. This includes the early Yeoman Mechanic (I have one and you can see it's clearly hand assembled), the 91mm Lumberjack Plus, and (I think) his original run of Scientists from 2010.

Where do you feel these fall in the continuum? Are they mods just as much as anything that Syph makes, as they were hand assembled from parts and not built in the Victorinox factory? Or are they sort of quasi-official models since they were made with the blessing of (and warrantied by) Victorinox themselves? I know what I think about this, but I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts.

Yes, I know there are some less-than-positive feelings here with some about SwissBianco and his views on modding. But I want to approach this as a historian, not as someone with an axe to grind (which I'm not to be honest - I personally bear Roger no ill will).

I see this as a separate chapter or an addendum. 

[ColoSwiss]

SwissBianco's knives definitely deserve mention. I agree that the book should be encyclopedic, and the more information presented the better. On the other hand neither you, nor anyone else, probably has a complete selection of his knives. A short section on SwissBianco knives, with the comment that the shown knives are representative of the models and colors offered might be the way to go.

On the subject of custom knives you might show some and mention some names (Scibeer, Sylph, etc), and mention that there are a lot of non-standard knives out there.

[firiki]

Poor Syph007...first he had his screen name changed to syphilis, now he's a sylph

[detron]

Poor Syph007...first he had his screen name changed to syphilis, now he's a sylph

well, luckily he has the name recognition that enables it to not be detrimental.

[firiki]

Poor Syph007...first he had his screen name changed to syphilis, now he's a sylph

well, luckily he has the name recognition that enables it to not be detrimental.

Come to think of it, that might explain the great job Sy(l)ph does! 

Edit: It's worth noting Paracelsus was Swiss

[ColoSwiss]

Poor Syph007...first he had his screen name changed to syphilis, now he's a sylph

well, luckily he has the name recognition that enables it to not be detrimental.

Come to think of it, that might explain the great job Sy(l)ph does! 

Edit: It's worth noting Paracelsus was Swiss

Think that was auto-correct, which can be a major pain. I have a Syph Storm Trooper (on the left).

[detron]

Poor Syph007...first he had his screen name changed to syphilis, now he's a sylph

well, luckily he has the name recognition that enables it to not be detrimental.

Come to think of it, that might explain the great job Sy(l)ph does! 

Edit: It's worth noting Paracelsus was Swiss

nice.

Better get back on topic.   

I think the book will be great either way you decide to go.  as a very rookie collector,  this book is constantly on my mind.  it will be a much loved book once it is available, and I personally hope there is an option for autographed copy, or an MTO edition with note on the inside.

[firiki]

Poor Syph007...first he had his screen name changed to syphilis, now he's a sylph

well, luckily he has the name recognition that enables it to not be detrimental.

Come to think of it, that might explain the great job Sy(l)ph does! 

Edit: It's worth noting Paracelsus was Swiss

Think that was auto-correct, which can be a major pain. I have a Syph Storm Trooper (on the left).

Sorry about that, I couldn't help it

[firiki]

an MTO edition with note on the inside.

    

[detron]

I am sure jazzbass is

jazz



but I always think

jazz



 

[Gareth]

[firiki]

I am sure jazzbass is

jazz

(Image removed from quote.)

but I always think

jazz

(Image removed from quote.)

 

Me, I've always had something like this come to mind,



sort of a bass fish with a bass trumpet.

 

[jazzbass]

This thread took a very weird turn...

 

[detron]

This thread took a very weird turn...

 

My bad,  but this seems to be the normal MTO way.

[Singh]

*bump*


How's progress on the book?

[glenfiddich1983]

You know what would be really great, and may also be a way of earning some money?

Make a limited and numbered first run of the book, and sell them together with a limited and equally numbered special run of Alox knives!

I don't know what a special run of numbered Alox knives would cost as initial investment though, but I'm sure you'll end up with the knife and book combo sold out with a profit.

You'll have to admit that a numbered book accompanied by a numbered alox SAK would be so cool