Kyoto catch

[Tomcat_81]

This is going to need a bit of explanation, but I'm very sure now to be a true SAK-lover.
How else could something like this happen?

Travelling to Japan is both delight and torture for a knife-nut like me. On the one hand, you have these pristine shops selling knives so refined and elegant that you could buy all of them right away, but on the other hand, if you happen to do so, you might want to consider what wife, koban (Japanese police) and customs will say.

I'll spare you the pictures of my flea market finds (of tsuba, some koshirae and some other very nice and old Japanese items) and guide you directly to the minamoto no hisahide in Kyoto, a shop which might be known to every Kyoto-traveling knifester.

I spent about half an hour chatting with the very nice owner, eyeballing all the Japanese steel in various tempting shapes which ornate his shop. His father had left a slightly crammed, but very interesting business to him, with even some of the nicest German hunting knives from the 50s and 60s I had seen for quite some time (Myself being a German knife nut).
In the end I left with two nice higonokami and a well-wrapped little package....

[Tomcat_81]

I kept this package wrapped for the last two months, because breaking that seal would have meant that I truly had opened the last and maybe most exceptional souvenir of my travel (and keep in mind, several real Japanese treasures have already found their place in my collection).
Today was the day.
What kind of souvenir could be the best catch in Kyoto, having spent a couple of years in the display of a well-known shop?

SAKs forever!
Tomcat

[ColoSwiss]

Interesting looking shop.   

[Styerman]

I too could spend a lot of time there . More backstory about the knife please !

Chris

[Tomcat_81]

Thank you ;-)

The knife itself is one of the Alox-Soldiers with a keyring - they never ended up in the Swiss army.
I think these might have been produced because Victorinox had lots of surplus numbered blades
which hadn't been put into actual soldiers by the end of the year.

These blades were then built into actual Soldier's scales with the typical roundish shield
(without the W-K-stamp of earlier models of the 60s, 70s and 80s).
And, not to forget, the small spacer with the keyring was added instead of the ringless Soldier version.

Several sources state that these ringed Soldiers were built from 1992 to 2002 with some sources stating that they could only find 94, 95, x , 97, 98 and 99 stamps.

My find in Kyoto could explain why the 96ers seem to be not so common - the shopowner told me that he had sold dozens of these 96er knives which might point to the conclusion that a huge batch of the ringed 96ers ended up exiled in Japan.

So I added that new Soldier to my collection, along with a nice story which might, but mustn't be true;-)

SAKyahoo!
Tomcat

(I mean- who wouldn't like to have a look in there?)

[jazzbass]

Several sources state that these ringed Soldiers were built from 1992 to 2002 with some sources stating that they could only find 94, 95, x , 97, 98 and 99 stamps.

From auction data over the last 5 years (over 5000 auctions of Model 1961 Soldiers), keyring soldiers are known to exist for all years from 1994-2000. 1993 is a big transition year for soldiers where almost exactly half (48%) are the old design with thick caplifter/canopeners and hollow tail rivets and half are the new design with thinner openers and solid tail rivets.

I have never seen any old design (i.e. pre-1993) soldier with a keyring attachment. Typically if you wanted a keyring or lanyard on these you'd just attach a bail to the hollow rivet (a relatively common occurrence). For the 1993 new design solid rivet soldiers, I have not seen any with a keyring attachment.

[Caranthanus]

 

[Styerman]

Lee Valley tools in Canada carried key ringed Soldier for a good number of years . Sadly no longer available . Does sound a bit like an international exile of Soldier components . PS , the Lee Valley knives were not Pioneers , I maybe old , but I know the difference .

Chris

[Tomcat_81]

From auction data over the last 5 years (over 5000 auctions of Model 1961 Soldiers), keyring soldiers are known to exist for all years from 1994-2000. 1993 is a big transition year for soldiers where almost exactly half (48%) are the old design with thick caplifter/canopeners and hollow tail rivets and half are the new design with thinner openers and solid tail rivets.

I have never seen any old design (i.e. pre-1993) soldier with a keyring attachment. Typically if you wanted a keyring or lanyard on these you'd just attach a bail to the hollow rivet (a relatively common occurrence). For the 1993 new design solid rivet soldiers, I have not seen any with a keyring attachment.

Always good to have a Jazzbass in the band - Thank you for the information!
Your nickname has been known by me from my very first beginnings of SAK-collecting for a very good reason