Grooved corkscrew and the mini driver

[austin83]

I just received a pre 1985 Explorer, and I've found the mini driver doesn't fit inside the corkscrew.  I am using the new hex shaped mini driver, and the driver sticks out a few mm too far to clear the scale.  I thought they would fit most all of the Victorinox corkscrews.  Would an older rounded mini driver fit?  Ive also tried more than one mini driver.   Thanks in advance. 

[SAK Guy]

I just received a pre 1985 Explorer, and I've found the mini driver doesn't fit inside the corkscrew.  I am using the new hex shaped mini driver, and the driver sticks out a few mm too far to clear the scale.  I thought they would fit most all of the Victorinox corkscrews.  Would an older rounded mini driver fit?  Ive also tried more than one mini driver.   Thanks in advance.

Thought the hex ones would fit too  The older round ones do fit perfect...I have a "PAT" one in my oldest Explorer.

[strmliner]

I just received a pre 1985 Explorer, and I've found the mini driver doesn't fit inside the corkscrew.  I am using the new hex shaped mini driver, and the driver sticks out a few mm too far to clear the scale.  I thought they would fit most all of the Victorinox corkscrews.  Would an older rounded mini driver fit?  Ive also tried more than one mini driver.   Thanks in advance.

Thought the hex ones would fit too  The older round ones do fit perfect...I have a "PAT" one in my oldest Explorer.

I'm with SG on this one...I've put the older rounded mini-driver and the newer squared-off drivers on my older 84mm and 91mm Golfers, pre-'85 Explorers and Champions.  Never have had a problem with any of them.  Heck, I even put them on my older Climbers and 84mm Sportsman.
   
As for sticking out a little far, I've had no issues screwing them in so the CS closes properly.  Just tighten the mini-driver in a bit.   

[Flint Hills]

That's weird, the hex mini drivers fit well in all of my older grooved corkscrews. Maybe your corkscrew is a little bent?

[austin83]

It was a NIB Explorer.  I can't tighten it up any more than the way it is in the photo below.

[SAK Guy]

It was a NIB Explorer.  I can't tighten it up any more than the way it is in the photo below.

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Yeah, you're gonna need an old one....it looks period correct anyway.

[strmliner]

It was a NIB Explorer.  I can't tighten it up any more than the way it is in the photo below.

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Yeah, you're gonna need an old one....it looks period correct anyway.

A83, is there any chance you can tighten the mini-driver another 1/4 to 1/2 turn?  I checked this on my grooved CS Golfer.  BTW, great pictures...they give a good idea of what you're up against.

In checking my older Golfer and Explorer, by tightening 1/4+ turn from where yours stops, it clears and closes properly.  Best of luck bud!

[ThePeacent]

It is definitely the old screwdriver.



I got an old Spirit today, with all accesories included, the old ones. The screwdriver is definitely different than the Swisschamp's, and doesn't fit my Bantham's corkscrew nicely, it protudes.



 From the pics I just took, you might be able to tell the more rounded one, the old model, is a tad bit longer.

[austin83]

I found an older PAT rounded mini driver, and it is still tight in the Explorer.  It fits with some serious cranking.  I lightly filed the top of the grey plastic mini driver for added clearance.  I've bought some more of the rounded mini drivers to see if a different one might fit slightly better.   Based on comparisons to my Scientist and Climber, it appears that the corkscrew spirals on the Explorer are slightly tighter.  See photos below.

[WoodsDuck]

So roughly how old is a round "Pat" screwdriver?



I've been suspecting my CT34 was new old stock, even though the seller denied it.
Not that it matters, it was in brand new condition either way.

[SAK Guy]

So roughly how old is a round "Pat" screwdriver?

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I've been suspecting my CT34 was new old stock, even though the seller denied it.
Not that it matters, it was in brand new condition either way.

The #1 place for questions like this! 
http://victorinox.metodi.me/91mmtools.php#top

[WoodsDuck]

So roughly how old is a round "Pat" screwdriver?

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I've been suspecting my CT34 was new old stock, even though the seller denied it.
Not that it matters, it was in brand new condition either way.

The #1 place for questions like this! 
http://victorinox.metodi.me/91mmtools.php#top

That is a very helpful link. Thanks, SG!

Admittedly I was a bit lazy with my research... Basically having done none before asking here in the spur of the moment 

[Subterranean]

Here are my two cents. 

My Timekeeper (produced somewhere between 1992 and 2000/3) and my Climber (between 1992 and 2005) have identical modern non-grooved corkscrews.
The Timekeeper came with the "old" ("PAT") screwdriver (screwdriver #1 on that http://victorinox.metodi.me/91mmtools.php#top page).
The Climber came originally without a screwdriver, I bought separately a new (hexagonal) screwdriver ("HEX") (#4 on that same page).
HEX is visibly smaller than PAT, but they slide in and out of those corkscrews identically, without any difference.





My pre-hook Climber (pre-1992), however, has a grooved corkscrew and it doesn't accept correctly any type of screwdriver, not even that old PAT. Both HEX and PAT get stuck at the same point, before they reach the supposed end.

[SAK Guy]

So roughly how old is a round "Pat" screwdriver?

(Image removed from quote.)

I've been suspecting my CT34 was new old stock, even though the seller denied it.
Not that it matters, it was in brand new condition either way.

The #1 place for questions like this! 
http://victorinox.metodi.me/91mmtools.php#top

That is a very helpful link. Thanks, SG!

Admittedly I was a bit lazy with my research... Basically having done none before asking here in the spur of the moment 

It's A-OK my friend!!! I didn't mean it as a rebuke, just a bump for the general knowledge base.....in fact, I had previously forgotten that page and should have dropped the link in here earlier.   

[strmliner]

Here are my two cents. 

My pre-hook Climber (pre-1992), however, has a grooved corkscrew and it doesn't accept correctly any type of screwdriver, not even that old PAT. Both HEX and PAT get stuck at the same point, before they reach the supposed end.

Your comment about your pre-hook Climber made me go check a couple of mine and to double-check my mini-driver versions (I have all four). 

• All of the pre-hook Climbers and Golfers (pre-'85 and pre-'91) I have work fine with any version mini-driver...a couple were tight with the Hex version, but definitely work
• My pre-hook Explorers (pre-'85 and pre-'91) work fine with all versions
• My post-'05 Explorer won't take any version...it stops just like your picture of your climber 
• Which made me check my stash of cork screw tools removed from mod work...there were two out of the eight that wouldn't accept any version of the driver.  It seems that the spiral on these (one grooved/one not grooved) is a bit tighter than all the rest...so we're probably talking about an infrequent but existing QC problem.      

[Subterranean]

infrequent but existing QC problem.

It could be... or maybe they have different suppliers of corkscrews? Or those "problematic" corkscrews are actually bent? Don't know. My "problematic" corkscrew doesn't seem bent at all.

[Subterranean]

• My post-'05 Explorer won't take any version...it stops just like your picture of your climber 

I tried putting the HEX one in my dad's '05-onwards Explorer, it works just fine.

[Barry Rowland]

Great post everybody....I can't get the screwdriver in my '83 Huntsman and thought it was the corkscrew.  I learn something every day here!!

[austin83]

I bought a few of the older style PAT drivers on eBay.  They appear to be the oldest style based on the driver tip.  They fit, but they appear to have less plastic on the inside of the spirals.  Anyone else seen drivers that looked like this? 

[SAK Guy]

I bought a few of the older style PAT drivers on eBay.  They appear to be the oldest style based on the driver tip.  They fit, but they appear to have less plastic on the inside of the spirals.  Anyone else seen drivers that looked like this? 

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Yes, a bunch of mine look like that one. 

[tjfarrington2000]

I bought a few of the older style PAT drivers on eBay.  They appear to be the oldest style based on the driver tip.  They fit, but they appear to have less plastic on the inside of the spirals.  Anyone else seen drivers that looked like this? 

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Yep, my Swisschamp has that issue with the screwdriver


Sent from my outdated communication device using an obsolete application

[strmliner]

I bought a few of the older style PAT drivers on eBay.  They appear to be the oldest style based on the driver tip.  They fit, but they appear to have less plastic on the inside of the spirals.  Anyone else seen drivers that looked like this? 

(Image removed from quote.)


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Yes, a bunch of mine look like that one. 

+1 here...I have that on all four different versions...I don't think it means a whole lot!