Electrician issue.

[ed_is_dead]

Straight out of the box I open and close the tools as you do and notice a very lackluster edge on the main and a section of unsharpened edge on the electrician sheep's foot at the heel of the edge before the wire stripper. The edge on my new pioneer x was crap also...
No big deal and sortable but still a bit annoying and sad, old victorinox didn't come like this.
Also the electricians bottle openers nail nick is nearly fully obscured by the scale, tricky to get at. Had to shim that up. Bit of pattern here and am very interested in seeing how my farmer x is when it lands. If its three for three I'm kinda done with new models.

Anyway, put a hair popping edge on and use it throughout the day and realise there's a dull spot near the tip, actually a burr no less. Lo and behold it's blade rap from closing. It has clearence when closed but when allowed to snap home it just kisses it.

Can't shim the kick as where it hits the backspring has no liners to hold a shim so out with stones to reprofile a mm from the tip area so it doesn't kiss

Sorry for two complaining type posts, I'll be run out of town lol but are these findings typical these days?

[Farmer X]

I don't know how typical such things are with Victorinox, as it's been a while since I've had a brand-new SAK. But every so often an imperfection will skate past quality control. It's just the nature of the beast with mass production.

[GrouchoM]

If this is due to an ongoing drop in QA, I wonder if Vic gets user feedback from here. Without experienced users informing them of a slide in QA, they're not going to change trying to cut corners.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Tuisto]

I made this point privately but I think it merits discussion. Victorinox is not charging enough to maintain their quality standards. I've purchased several Vics in the last few months after not having bought any for about 15 years or so. If you look at the old catalogues, they were charging about $16USD in 1963 for a Climber. That's $160 in 2024 dollars and if they want to maintain their standards, they need to be charging something in between the $35-40 they currently charge for a Climber and $160. I don't think this will be a popular opinion, but... Anyways, I've also found that the Vics purchased through certain reputable online dealers (notably an abbreviation that begins with S) seem to have better QC than anything purchased through Amazon (and are also shipped better). Just my $0.02. All this being said, I will stil purchase Vics brand new because I just love the company and in my opinion they can really do no wrong.

[Swisster]

send it back and they will send you a new one. Another reason to buy the old cross Alox pre mid 80's stuff. Just Sayin !!!

[Enginears]

I might be crazy, but I have encountered numerous SAKs from 1980s to present that have that blade rap on the tip. It used to bug me but now I just sharpen it out.

I have had a few QA/QC issues on new  alox SAKs lately. I don’t think I am too awfully particular since I buy them to use heavily, tear a lot up for mods, reprofile blades, etc.

Of note the issues were on a PioneerX. It seemed to be overpeened and the scissors had a very weak close, not a huge issue since things always loosen and break in. The thing that got to me was a little blip in the smoothness of the close on the awl. I ended up taking it apart and saw that the issue was a dent in the top face of the spring. If I weren’t modding it, I would have probably sent it in because the tactile feel is what I really enjoy on SAKs.

Second issue was with an electrician. Also not a deal breaker but overpeened again. The E blade was a very soft and mushy close. Also torn apart for mods, and no defect. Once I put the blade and spring into a mod it snapped like a Vic should.

I think tiny defects are the nature of the beast when manufacturing at such quantities and such precision tolerances.

[ed_is_dead]

Same deal with the farmer x that was delivered today. Four or five snaps home left this witness mark, burred the edge and actually took the point off.

So just to reiterate, electrician, pioneer x and farmer x bought from knivesandtools a reputable retailer here in euro land and the excellent sharpknifeclub brand new all with blade rap.

None of this is a big deal to me, I can do as Enginears suggest and profile that out but it's not good imo. As Tuisto mentioned I'd happily pay another tenner to not have the tip or edge bashing off stuff, I expect that from certain AliExpress knives etc not Victorinox and never noticed it in my hazy past when I used them but maybe I was less anal then lol?

As to sending it back Swisster/Farmer X, I'd not bother as can sort it but feel I should feedback to victorinox (ala Grouch suggest) as without that they will continue to supply like this and I bet they know it's happening.
Also I'm pretty sure what they'll send me will rap too.

As said they are a wonderful company producing great products with heritage and they are immediately identifiable to me alongside seiko as a cornerstone of my youth, cut grass, jumpers for goalposts and all that.

[Farmer X]

Tiny defects are the nature of the beast when manufacturing at such quantities and such precision tolerances.

One gripe I've heard with some frequency is that the combo tool on a Bantam will collide with the blade's tip. Some consider this a design flaw. However, I place my thumb and forefinger over the combo tool's pin when closing it. I've never had a worry about marring the blade. I'll have a closer look at my 93mm models eventually, but truth be told, that mark on the tang isn't something I'd lose sleep over.

[ed_is_dead]

One gripe I've heard with some frequency is that the combo tool on a Bantam will collide with the blade's tip. Some consider this a design flaw. However, I place my thumb and forefinger over the combo tool's pin when closing it. I've never had a worry about marring the blade. I'll have a closer look at my 93mm models eventually, but truth be told, that mark on the tang isn't something I'd lose sleep over.

Obvs this all very much a first world problem but for me blade rap is something beyond a niggle, it needs sorting. Having the first ten mm or so of a newly sharpened blade dull itself everytime you close it is a liability.
I can think of many instances where a sharp to the point tip comes in useful, even necessary.

Anyway I've emailed Victorinox my thoughts. I expect they'll immediately put their best men on it, redesign and retool the production line and pull affected stock from storefronts

[Farmer X]

I doubt you'll see a redesign and retool or removal of all affected stock from retail. But I do agree that a sharp tip is desirable, and in some cases necessary.

[ed_is_dead]

I doubt you'll see a redesign and retool or removal of all affected stock from retail. But I do agree that a sharp tip is desirable, and in some cases necessary.

I doubted it too

Anyway drama over, I have since refrofiling the tip being revelling in the full thwack of the blades snap home, safe in knowledge the edge won't rap. All is once more well in my universe and am uber happy with my electrician, pioneer/farmer x

[IMR4198]

   Evidently I close knife blades in a different way.  I push them to the top of their arc and hold the blade between my thumb and finger and lower them down.  When I let go of the blade, they don't have much force.  I always did it that way.  Never had a problem with blades clashing. 
    I never really thought about it.  Evidently my Dad did it that way, and I must have copied it from him when I was a child.  Maybe it is just genetic.  I'm not suggesting anybody else should do it that way.  What do I care?  Best wishes.  Gary