To be honest, I collect them all, doesn`t matter what size or color. Hopefully, I still have 20 - 30 years to collect. There are so many models and so many variations to explore, so I`m sure I`ll never get bored of. Often, I buy something that looks interesting to me and after I check what I bought. One problem is, that I don`t have all the models in mind. Yesterday, I was at a place where a son sold the knives of his passed away father. He had about 300 knives, victorinox and wenger mixed, most after 1970. I had to check them in around 15 minutes and I took the ones that I know are collectable and some that looked special. I`m sure I missed some special knives because I didn`t recognize them as special. So collecting saks is also a good memory training that keeps your mind in shape.I think the way is the aim, its ok that your collection isn`t finished, because there`s alway a model you don`t know of yet and there`s alway a knife in better shape and condition than the one you possess.
I have enough. I have upwards of a thousand knives. I am a generalist, and have a little of everything. I never tried to get them all. For a time, I tried that with Leatherman and knew soon thereafter that I wasn't going to accomplish that at all.
So I've thought about this a little...To me, collecting has always been about "completing" a collection. With SAK collecting, there are so many ways to look at variations, that you have to decide for yourself how you want to define your collection, and then go after that. Here is how I define my collection:I primarily collect all 84mm and 91mm Victorinox Swiss Army Knife by model. This means my goal is to get all model variations that exist. I define a "model" as a knife with the same basic tool set - so a Climber from 1965 with a bail, old style scissors, caplifter w/ scraper and 5 turn corkscrew counts as a "Climber". A Climber from 2015 with a 4 turn corkscrew, keyring, new scissors w/ hook, and plan caplifter counts as the same model. Secondarily, I also collect age-related variations of the same model. So the Climber from 1965 and the Climber from 2015 are both in my collection. So what determines what a "model" is? Well, except in certain circumstances, I do NOT consider scale variations (different celidor color, horn/stag/plastic/etc) as different models or variations. The main exception here is that I do consider alox and cellidor/horn/etc to be different. So to me an alox 84mm Lumberjack is a different model than a cellidor 84mm Lumberjack. If I have two knives that differ only by their scales, I consider them the same knife. I do have a few exceptions to this rule (e.g. Blue and Red Fischemessers), but in general I do not collect based on scales. I also do not consider t&t and keyring variations to be different models. So a Tourist with a keyring and a Tourist without one are the same as far as I'm concerned.I also have a 93mm collection that is (from my perspective) more-or-less complete. Here I've broken it apart into two groups - old style also and new style alox - and tried to find one model of each from both periods. In the old alox I think I'm only missing the Pioneer 2223 and a special Pioneer model that has pruning blade instead of the awl. In the new also I have all the models I think. Again, scale variations aren't my thing to I don't collect all the various colors that everyone loves so much. I need a new style Farmer in my collection? Blue, green, red, copper, whatever - any color will due. So - given the scope of what I've decided to collect, how hard is it? Pretty damn hard if I'm honest. I have over 1000 knives in my collection, and I'd guess that when it comes to collecting the different models I'm probably about as close to being complete as anyone. You can really break down this type of collection into four groups:1. Standard, common catalog models. These are your Spartans, Tinkers, Huntsmans, etc. Getting a full set of these is pretty straightforward. Of about 70 different models here, and I'm at 100% for both 91mm and 84mm. This is a pretty easy collection to amass. 2. Uncommon yet official models. Scientists, Yeomans, Fischermessers, Outdoorsmans, etc. All of these were once catalog models but not anymore. These can be challenging to get, but if you watch the forums and eBay long enough, you can fill out most of this collection as well. Even the rarest of this group - the SwissChamp XL - comes up from time to time. Of about 55 different models here, and I'm at 100% for 84mm and missing 2 91mm models. 3. Custom models made for customers. This is where things start get interesting. Some custom models were made in large quantities (e.g. Trail Guide, Troubleshooter) and are pretty easy to pick up. Some are well know but made in lesser quantities (SMKW knives, WMF special knives) so you'll need to wait a bit to get some of these. Finally, there's the "holy crap I've never seen this before" knife. There are a lot of these - knives that you didn't even know were missing from your collection until you saw them for the first time. My "Unusual Knife" thread has several of those - the Fischermesser Jr is a good example. Never in a catalog, never seen another one. The biggest challenge here is you never know really if you're complete, because another new model could pop up tomorrow. Of about 40 different models here, I'm missing 1 84mm and 5 91mm models - that I know of. 4. Weird pre-WWII catalog models. These are odd knives shown in the 1903 catalog and the bain of anyone trying to amass a "complete" collection. Very few knives of any type from 1930 and before still exist, and most that do are standard Spartan/Tourist/Camper models. The unusual ones with augers, shotgun shell extractors, and hoof picks are almost impossible to find. The ones that are out there are in Switzerland, Germany or France, so if you don't live in one of those countries, good luck. Of about 6 different models here, I have 0. With the exception of my 100mm Model 290, I don't have any weird pre-WWII knives - and since that one's not 91mm or 844mm, I'm at a solid 0% for this group. Officer's knives from Victorinox are definitely the hardest to complete a collection of IMO. They've been made for so long, with so many weird variations, that finding them all is something that would take at least a decade to do, and that if you were serious about it. Other models are a lot easier I think, even alox if you're not obsessed with the different colors. Yeah, some key knives like the 2223 and Damascus Pioneer will cost you some money, but they're out there. In fact, I could buy both of these knives right now if I felt like dropping several thousand dollars on them. There are exactly zero Model 238s (Spartan with shotgun shell extractor) for sale right now that I know of.
Quote from: jazzbass on January 22, 2016, 09:58:37 PMSo I've thought about this a little...To me, collecting has always been about "completing" a collection. With SAK collecting, there are so many ways to look at variations, that you have to decide for yourself how you want to define your collection, and then go after that. Here is how I define my collection:I primarily collect all 84mm and 91mm Victorinox Swiss Army Knife by model. This means my goal is to get all model variations that exist. I define a "model" as a knife with the same basic tool set - so a Climber from 1965 with a bail, old style scissors, caplifter w/ scraper and 5 turn corkscrew counts as a "Climber". A Climber from 2015 with a 4 turn corkscrew, keyring, new scissors w/ hook, and plan caplifter counts as the same model. Secondarily, I also collect age-related variations of the same model. So the Climber from 1965 and the Climber from 2015 are both in my collection. So what determines what a "model" is? Well, except in certain circumstances, I do NOT consider scale variations (different celidor color, horn/stag/plastic/etc) as different models or variations. The main exception here is that I do consider alox and cellidor/horn/etc to be different. So to me an alox 84mm Lumberjack is a different model than a cellidor 84mm Lumberjack. If I have two knives that differ only by their scales, I consider them the same knife. I do have a few exceptions to this rule (e.g. Blue and Red Fischemessers), but in general I do not collect based on scales. I also do not consider t&t and keyring variations to be different models. So a Tourist with a keyring and a Tourist without one are the same as far as I'm concerned.I also have a 93mm collection that is (from my perspective) more-or-less complete. Here I've broken it apart into two groups - old style also and new style alox - and tried to find one model of each from both periods. In the old alox I think I'm only missing the Pioneer 2223 and a special Pioneer model that has pruning blade instead of the awl. In the new also I have all the models I think. Again, scale variations aren't my thing to I don't collect all the various colors that everyone loves so much. I need a new style Farmer in my collection? Blue, green, red, copper, whatever - any color will due. So - given the scope of what I've decided to collect, how hard is it? Pretty damn hard if I'm honest. I have over 1000 knives in my collection, and I'd guess that when it comes to collecting the different models I'm probably about as close to being complete as anyone. You can really break down this type of collection into four groups:1. Standard, common catalog models. These are your Spartans, Tinkers, Huntsmans, etc. Getting a full set of these is pretty straightforward. Of about 70 different models here, and I'm at 100% for both 91mm and 84mm. This is a pretty easy collection to amass. 2. Uncommon yet official models. Scientists, Yeomans, Fischermessers, Outdoorsmans, etc. All of these were once catalog models but not anymore. These can be challenging to get, but if you watch the forums and eBay long enough, you can fill out most of this collection as well. Even the rarest of this group - the SwissChamp XL - comes up from time to time. Of about 55 different models here, and I'm at 100% for 84mm and missing 2 91mm models. 3. Custom models made for customers. This is where things start get interesting. Some custom models were made in large quantities (e.g. Trail Guide, Troubleshooter) and are pretty easy to pick up. Some are well know but made in lesser quantities (SMKW knives, WMF special knives) so you'll need to wait a bit to get some of these. Finally, there's the "holy crap I've never seen this before" knife. There are a lot of these - knives that you didn't even know were missing from your collection until you saw them for the first time. My "Unusual Knife" thread has several of those - the Fischermesser Jr is a good example. Never in a catalog, never seen another one. The biggest challenge here is you never know really if you're complete, because another new model could pop up tomorrow. Of about 40 different models here, I'm missing 1 84mm and 5 91mm models - that I know of. 4. Weird pre-WWII catalog models. These are odd knives shown in the 1903 catalog and the bain of anyone trying to amass a "complete" collection. Very few knives of any type from 1930 and before still exist, and most that do are standard Spartan/Tourist/Camper models. The unusual ones with augers, shotgun shell extractors, and hoof picks are almost impossible to find. The ones that are out there are in Switzerland, Germany or France, so if you don't live in one of those countries, good luck. Of about 6 different models here, I have 0. With the exception of my 100mm Model 290, I don't have any weird pre-WWII knives - and since that one's not 91mm or 844mm, I'm at a solid 0% for this group. Officer's knives from Victorinox are definitely the hardest to complete a collection of IMO. They've been made for so long, with so many weird variations, that finding them all is something that would take at least a decade to do, and that if you were serious about it. Other models are a lot easier I think, even alox if you're not obsessed with the different colors. Yeah, some key knives like the 2223 and Damascus Pioneer will cost you some money, but they're out there. In fact, I could buy both of these knives right now if I felt like dropping several thousand dollars on them. There are exactly zero Model 238s (Spartan with shotgun shell extractor) for sale right now that I know of.Just finding this thread, actually in search of a Camper club... interesting stuff....
Seems to me just getting all the various vic champs would be a worthy passtime........getting all of the SAK would break Billy boy of the gates family.