Most collectible Alox Victorinox Soldier?

[Scohr]

Are older years more desirable or does it really matter? Or is '08 more collectable because it was the last year?

[Tyler_]

As far as alox Soldiers go it can be hard too find very good condition to like new condition soldiers from the 60's and 70s.  It gets easier as you get into the 80s and there are a decent amount of Soldiers dated 90 - 08 that are still new in the box.  Thats why the early 60s red alox Soldiers that still have most of their red color tend to go for sky high prices.

Also, though, the amount of knives produced year by year seems to vary.  I think 1995 dated Soldiers might be one of the more rare dates according to a member here who said it was the date to least show up on Ebay. 

[nsa-x-file]

The older years from 1962 to 1971 are by far the hardest to find in new shape and the most valuable.
I've almost finished my complete Elsener/Victorinox run from 1962 to 2008 with just a couple more years to find. With my best find to date being a Red 1971 brand new in box. Almost all of mine are brand new.

[Dr Gonzo]

The older years from 1962 to 1971 are by far the hardest to find in new shape and the most valuable.
I've almost finished my complete Elsener/Victorinox run from 1962 to 2008 with just a couple more years to find. With my best find to date being a Red 1971 brand new in box. Almost all of mine are brand new.

(Image removed from quote.)

Nice collection Man
I'd love a 72 Soldier as it's my birth year...recently sold my BNIB 08 as I needed the money

[kirk13]

You n me both Doc...doesn't help that it was a Wenger year,with low production numbers

[sawman]

That's one of the most awesome collections I've ever seen 

I hope you're successful in locating the ones you're missing 

[rmagralha]

That's one of the most awesome collections I've ever seen 

I hope you're successful in locating the ones you're missing 

+1  amazing collection and hope you find the missing ones!

[sir_mike]

Wow, that is a great collection!  I salute you sir! 

[captain spaulding]

Very nice and completely    worthy. Hope you get the missing links.   

[ColoSwiss]

Great looking collection! 

Are those in order by date? If so wondering about the alternating silver and red alox.

Also there's one with a bail in the second row. Is that Victorinox or Wenger?

[enki_ck]

Great looking collection! 

Are those in order by date? If so wondering about the alternating silver and red alox.

Also there's one with a bail in the second row. Is that Victorinox or Wenger?

+1

I assume the red one is the 71 mentioned but the bail has me ?? I think I read somewhere that SAKs with bail were never officially issued.

[captain spaulding]

It has the little square are on the front scale for a stamp. Did Wenger ever make the front scale in that fashion?

[nsa-x-file]

Great looking collection! 

Are those in order by date? If so wondering about the alternating silver and red alox.

Also there's one with a bail in the second row. Is that Victorinox or Wenger?

Thanks for all the nice comments. 
Has taken a long time to get to this point. The really hard part is finding early years in new shape.
My Elsener 71 is brand new as is everything after 1976.
Every soldier in the photo is either an Elsener or Victorinox with one exception being a Wenger 72.
The soldier with bail is a Victorinox from 1981 which came like that new in the box.
I'm only looking for two more years now and i'm finally done for now. (Elsener 69, Wenger 74... )
I've been trying to get a red and silver example for any years I can find.
I'll get an updated photo soon as a forgot to add all the soldier years that had a keyring etc.

Red Elsener


Elsener 1962



Elsener 1971 new in box



Victorinox 1981 with Bail

[victor7000]

Wow, very impressive collection, congratulations 

The 71 is great 

[nsa-x-file]

Wow, very impressive collection, congratulations 

The 71 is great 

Thanks. 
Almost complete now. Just need to find the 69' and 74'   

[J Mackrel Jones]

A special one to me is the (20)05 (no WK stamp) with Charles Elsener's signature on the blade.

[Marius]

What would be the reason that for example the '69 model is apparently rarer than models from surrounding years, '70 for example? Were there years with fewer issued SAKs?

 

[enki_ck]

What would be the reason that for example the '69 model is apparently rarer than models from surrounding years, '70 for example? Were there years with fewer issued SAKs?

 

To quote jazzbass from the Soldier Trivia Contest thread:

1. What is the only year since 1921 that there were no soldier knives of any type produced? --> 1960
2. What year of the alox M61 Soldier is the hardest to find? --> 1995, followed by 1974 (Wenger SI only)  and then 1972
3. What year of the alox M61 Soldier is the easiest to find (excluding 2008)? --> 1983 (followed by 2003 and then 1991)

There are some years only Wenger or only Victorinox made Soldiers.

[jaydar]

Some years are low delivery to the army and some the ratio between Wengers and Victorinox makes it tricky to get a Victorinox (like 1972)

Some years are very common like 1981 ... the date on the knife is I believe when it was accepted into the stores rather than an issue date so they may have issued the 81's for a few years.

I am still missing a 58 which I think is the lowest production year (well its in the top 5 low years )

[nsa-x-file]

A special one to me is the (20)05 (no WK stamp) with Charles Elsener's signature on the blade.

I have a few like that. 
If I remember correctly some came in a set with a book.

[Marius]

What would be the reason that for example the '69 model is apparently rarer than models from surrounding years, '70 for example? Were there years with fewer issued SAKs?

 

To quote jazzbass from the Soldier Trivia Contest thread:

1. What is the only year since 1921 that there were no soldier knives of any type produced? --> 1960
2. What year of the alox M61 Soldier is the hardest to find? --> 1995, followed by 1974 (Wenger SI only)  and then 1972
3. What year of the alox M61 Soldier is the easiest to find (excluding 2008)? --> 1983 (followed by 2003 and then 1991)

There are some years only Wenger or only Victorinox made Soldiers.

Right. Let me clarify my question a bit more: why from the other years, with regular SAK issues, some years seem much more difficult to find, worldwide, compared with other years? And my example was the '69.

[Marius]

I am still missing a 58 which I think is the lowest production year (well its in the top 5 low years )

Good luck! I hope you will find it.

Can you tell which years are these, top 5 low years? Besides '58.

 

[jazzbass]

Right. Let me clarify my question a bit more: why from the other years, with regular SAK issues, some years seem much more difficult to find, worldwide, compared with other years? And my example was the '69.

I can't tell you why exactly other than "They seem to have made less that year". I can tell you which years show up less, which is something that can be observed. Here's an updated version of the Soldier sales graph I made last year:



Updating from the old trivia thread, since I posted that there have been three 1960 models that have gone up for sale, so we can now say that there is a dated Soldier knife for every year since 1921.

You can see from this graph the years that show up the least post WWII are: 1961, 1960, 1958, 1946, 1995, 1974, 1972, 1969, 1951 and 1959.

Note to anyone paying $200 for a 2008 M651 Soldier - 2008 is not shown on this graph because there have been so many of them sold (250+) that it skews the Y axis and makes it harder to see the numbers on the other years. They are very, very not rare.

[Zed]

Amazing collection  ok little bump back,where is the best place to pick up date stamped soldiers,im after a 1970 preferably in red (was there one ?) vic or wenger,thanks for any help 

[edursr]

The older years from 1962 to 1971 are by far the hardest to find in new shape and the most valuable.
I've almost finished my complete Elsener/Victorinox run from 1962 to 2008 with just a couple more years to find. With my best find to date being a Red 1971 brand new in box. Almost all of mine are brand new.

(Image removed from quote.)

Man... I was born in 1971 and already have a Silver Soldier 71 brand new... If you ever decide to sell that Red 1971 to a person willing to give his life for it ... just let me know... 

[Jake1421]

Sweet collection..... Wish I would have started collecting 12 years ago (when I first got interested) instead of last year, when I got re-interested.  I gave away countless numbers of these dated between 2001 - 2004.

[jaydar]

The 1970's reds can be a bit tricky as some can be early 60's ones that have been repaired but its always nice to find a good one

here is a 78 I found

[Zed]

 . So there would of been a 70 in red ,would that be both manufacturers?

[MWDP]

Wow, very impressive collection, congratulations 

The 71 is great 

Thanks. 
Almost complete now. Just need to find the 69' and 74'   

Do you need a silver 1974 Soldier? I may be able to get one

[nsa-x-file]

Wow, very impressive collection, congratulations 

The 71 is great 

Thanks. 
Almost complete now. Just need to find the 69' and 74'   

Do you need a silver 1974 Soldier? I may be able to get one

I managed to pick up a 69 and 74.
Thanks for thinking of me.