Please help identify this vintage SWISS CHAMPION

[anton-sa]

Hi all
greets from a cold rainy cape town. I JUST won this auction for a knife, the advert says its 1983 swiss champion.
but one thing that is bothering me is the awl has the fish eye in it.. according to what i can pickup this would be the last
of the swiss champions as the swiss champ knife came into production.. 1985/86 ??

can anyone verify or comment, i will attach a photo. im only picking up the knife later today.

Im new to SAK collecting, recently got a cybertool 41, a swisschamp, a spartan, i also found a inherited knife
which turns out to be a luxury automobile from the 1960's and its still in great condition considering its age.

so this knife ive won is my only other OLDER knife.

any info

regards
Anton

[anton-sa]

so far its good to know:
1) no pliers.. so must be swiss champion
2) older magnifying glass (not the newer clear one)
3) double-edge corkscrew (i believe this is the older type also)

lastly, interms of euro or usd what wouold such a knife be worth?

[twiliter]

AFAIK, Vic made the Champion and Champion Plus alongside the SwissChamp since the introduction of the SC in 1985, and the sewing eye was introduced in 1985 also. Not sure of value on it, more info would be required, but it does not appear to be unusual or rare from the photo. Congrats, a good model with that older magnifier! 

[anton-sa]

  yeah I didn't go after it for rarity etc more a case of when I was a little kid (I'm 35 now) I always eyed the biiiig swiss army knife. And the modern swisschamp I bought the other day is similar but not exactly same. A champion would be the exact model I was liking when I was a kid. I think it's clear it's definitely a champion model...

[Deedee]

Hi Anton, that is excellent find you have there. Nice knife for collection, I have the same one. Find it in a flea market very cheap. It is 70's champion, rare model because it has four back tools. Champion plus and swisschamp have 5 back tools. I have send mine to Switzerland, and they have repared for me, now it is more unusual and more rare because it has new style metal file. At the moment it is my primary EDC and i like it a lot. I have seen one seling on ebay for 200$, but i think it can be found cheaper. Keep this one, or at least trade it for something interesting

[strmliner]

AFAIK, Vic made the Champion and Champion Plus alongside the SwissChamp since the introduction of the SC in 1985, and the sewing eye was introduced in 1985 also. Not sure of value on it, more info would be required, but it does not appear to be unusual or rare from the photo. Congrats, a good model with that older magnifier! 

I'm with Twiliter on this...definitely appears to be a 1985/1986 7-layer Champion. 

I've found these on eBay for anywhere from around $30 to $85 for the pre-hook, old magnifier models.  They're a nice find when you can get one in reasonable condition.  The same model (Champion/Champion Plus) that has the hook on the scissor spring is also a good find for around the same pricing.