The Spirit has Landed!

[gerleatherberman]

Thanks to Douglas again for guiding me to an auction for a "near mint" Vic Spirit. With some simple tips he provided, I won it for $51. In the listing it looked scratched up or something weird. BUT, got home, with dirty hands I opened the package. An absolutely pristine Spirit fell out of the package. I immediately felt the precision and a smile came to me face. It literally has NO scratches or signs of use. It is brand new, but just missing the pouch. I ordered one on amazon for $8. So that is taken care of. A new Spirit with pouch (on the way) for $59 total.  so excited!
My personal Swiss army is growing. 
Also picked up a little camo Wenger with satin metal parts at the flea market for $5.
Initial arm chair thoughts:
The Spirit is more refined than the Swisstool, but if I had to pick one to take to a deserted island, the swisstool would win. BUT, on my days off, the much lighter Spirit will be a welcomed treat!
Y'all weren't kidding when you said the Spirit was not to be underestimated!  The file is a masterpiece! The phillips driver is the finest I've seen! The scissors are really cool. A far cry from the tiny scissors on my SAKs. The toolset would have been 100 percent of what I needed back when I did computer repairs in the early 2000s! It is elegant and functional! Love it!
Thanks to everyone who steered me towards Victorinox.

[zoidberg]

Great score mate.      

[aluminated]

Definitely a nice score.
I just recently had the opposite auction result. That looked to be a great little Spirit was filthy, with some sort of glue or brain matter substance filling between each ridge of the file (on both sides) and in between each saw tooth. Another greasy substance enable me to not only see, but feel the fingerprints of the seller or vendor. The back of the nylon sheath is similarly dirty. More disappointing is that one handle folds exponentially more easily than the other and the pliers joint is loose, allowing a very sloppy misalignment of the jaws. However, there is no obvious source of this damage.
I have therefore decided to take advantage of the Vic lifetime warranty, sending it winging its way northeast to the VSA Repair Center for a grand total of $3.75 shipping and $5.00 handling.
Thoughts?

[gerleatherberman]

Thanks Zoidberg!

Aluminated,
I have no experience with Vic warranty, but I am sure it is good. If I were you, I'd send it to Vic if you paid less than $70 for it online. The seller should refubd you your $3.75 plus $5.00 back for your trouble.
Case can prolly be washed on gentle and line dried outside if it is nylon. A leather sheath will need cleaning and a leather restoring wax and buff.

[Poncho65]

Nice one Doug

[aluminated]

Thanks Zoidberg!

Aluminated,
I have no experience with Vic warranty, but I am sure it is good. If I were you, I'd send it to Vic if you paid less than $70 for it online. The seller should refubd you your $3.75 plus $5.00 back for your trouble.
Case can prolly be washed on gentle and line dried outside if it is nylon. A leather sheath will need cleaning and a leather restoring wax and buff.

I did pay less than $70. Since I see no way that the pliers can be fixed, I'm somewhat confident that I'll receive a new tool, if not a new tool and pouch.
I so wanted to love this product. So far, not so much. However, my OG Swisstool has grown on me and the Spirit might too, just as I see other Vics have started winning your heart.

[gerleatherberman]

Hope Vic treats ya right!
The spirit is not as tough as the swisstool, but it is light, smooth, pocketable and capable as far as I can tell.
I am sure you'll love it when ya get it back! 

[Douglas]

Congrats G-MAN. I'm so glad to here the condition was so awesome.. 

 

Definitely a nice score.
I just recently had the opposite auction result. That looked to be a great little Spirit was filthy, with some sort of glue or brain matter substance filling between each ridge of the file (on both sides) and in between each saw tooth. Another greasy substance enable me to not only see, but feel the fingerprints of the seller or vendor. The back of the nylon sheath is similarly dirty. More disappointing is that one handle folds exponentially more easily than the other and the pliers joint is loose, allowing a very sloppy misalignment of the jaws. However, there is no obvious source of this damage.
I have therefore decided to take advantage of the Vic lifetime warranty, sending it winging its way northeast to the VSA Repair Center for a grand total of $3.75 shipping and $5.00 handling.
Thoughts?

Aluminated Vic will definataly take care of you.  I've had experiance with their waranty and it is second to none, just like their tools.

Hope Vic treats ya right!
The spirit is not as tough as the swisstool, but it is light, smooth, pocketable and capable as far as I can tell.
I am sure you'll love it when ya get it back! 

DON"T sell the Spirit short. It is lighter and more refined but it is ONE TOUGH TOOL... Many prefer it, but like you G-Man I realy only cary it when I know what the day will provide. Even then I still some times switch out to the Swisstool later in the day.

[kirk13]

Getting a Spirit pretty much ruined all other multi tools for me. With the exception of going to the range,I'm carrying either a Spirit or a Swisstool everyday now.

[gerleatherberman]

Indeed y'all!
I was thinking in terms if I had to two hand the pliers, the much thicker swisstool frame and bigger jaw grip would be ideal.
But, the weight difference, oh my, makes the spirit disappear on the belt.
I'm still in the swisstool challenge, so the spirit will be in the MT chest until then.

[ThePeacent]

Definitely a nice score.
I just recently had the opposite auction result. That looked to be a great little Spirit was filthy, with some sort of glue or brain matter substance filling between each ridge of the file (on both sides) and in between each saw tooth. Another greasy substance enable me to not only see, but feel the fingerprints of the seller or vendor. The back of the nylon sheath is similarly dirty. More disappointing is that one handle folds exponentially more easily than the other and the pliers joint is loose, allowing a very sloppy misalignment of the jaws. However, there is no obvious source of this damage.
I have therefore decided to take advantage of the Vic lifetime warranty, sending it winging its way northeast to the VSA Repair Center for a grand total of $3.75 shipping and $5.00 handling.
Thoughts?

It is a very nice score, indeed. I also got a used Spirit which turned out to be abused, mis-aligned pliers and non matching jaws, much wiggle and play in pivot and tools etc.
At first I also thought of using the so famous and well regarded Vic warranty, but they asked me $20 + shipping and handling fees both in sending it and having it back, with no possibility of bringing the tool by myself, on person. (Mind you I'm not over the ocean, in the US, but very close to Switzerland, a few hours by car...
I said to hell, as I paid $45 for the tool, and have been continuing the abuse and not-so-pretty use that it had seen before.



But boy, is it tough that it won't break!

[gerleatherberman]

Aww man, it is looking pretty rough. The blade might could be reshaped with mini files and porcelain rods. I had to reahape a ST200 serrated blade recently, and it worked great. The pliers...humm, if they have play, try finding someone with a press and use some old small sockets to crush the pivot on each side til there is little or no play. It us hard to do, but has worked for me in the past!

[Douglas]

Getting a Spirit pretty much ruined all other multi tools for me. With the exception of going to the range,I'm carrying either a Spirit or a Swisstool everyday now.

Welcome to the elite team.    All other pail by compairison.   

[gerleatherberman]

Getting a Spirit pretty much ruined all other multi tools for me. With the exception of going to the range,I'm carrying either a Spirit or a Swisstool everyday now.

Welcome to the elite team.    All other pail by compairison.   

Yeah, Vic got it right, so superb!
It takes a lot of love to go back, but all MTs need a little love!
Join Douglas' challenge and then try the oldies!

[Douglas]

Hay?
Just noticed.  G-Man When are you going to add the Spirit to your Avatar?
 

[Mechanickal]

Another job well done

[Douglas]

 

Another job well done

[Demel]

Congratulations and great deal you got. The spirit is one of those tools you can't appreciate until you get it in hand. It's truly a looker and a workhorse.

[gerleatherberman]

Thanks y'all!
Indeed. I went camping over the weekend and didn't take the spirit with me. Had fun when I got home and got to play with the spirit. Haha
Doug, I should get a new avatar photo soon. And the swisstool did a good job out camping!

[Mechanickal]

Thanks y'all!
Indeed. I went camping over the weekend and didn't take the spirit with me. Had fun when I got home and got to play with the spirit. Haha
Doug, I should get a new avatar photo soon. And the swisstool did a good job out camping!

And a new username

[Douglas]

Thanks y'all!
Indeed. I went camping over the weekend and didn't take the spirit with me. Had fun when I got home and got to play with the spirit. Haha
Doug, I should get a new avatar photo soon. And the swisstool did a good job out camping!

And a new username

+1

[gerleatherberman]

Well, I am not getting rid of any of my other MTs. They still out number the Swiss stuff 20:1, so my username is technically correct. Since I don't collect same-model variants, my Swiss made plier based multitool collection should be fine for the time being with the 98' Swisstool and Spirit .
I would like to buy and put together the Victorinox toolkit and ratchet set at some point though!

[Douglas]

Well, I am not getting rid of any of my other MTs. They still out number the Swiss stuff 20:1, so my username is technically correct. Since I don't collect same-model variants, my Swiss made plier based multitool collection should be fine for the time being with the 98' Swisstool and Spirit .
I would like to buy and put together the Victorinox toolkit and ratchet set at some point though!

We'll just have to keep work'n on that
"Resisance is futile"

[gerleatherberman]

More power to the folks who can pick one brand and stick to it!
As for myself, it is would be impossible. I enjoy a wild assortment of brands and models. With that said, the Vic Swisstool will be in my permanent rotation, even after the challenge has long since passed!
So y'all have assimilated me into SAK knighthood. But, there are so many cool MTs out there that want to join my MT collective. 

Shaka, when the multis fell(into my hands)!

[Douglas]

Oh but there are so many Swisstools and Spirits out there a propper collection will take a while, Keeping the rest in the back seat.
But seriously I've been so reliant on and so trust the Swisstool to never fail it's hard for me to consider any thing else seriously for EDC.  May try just the Spirt in a couple of months but I'll have to work up some serious courage.  I'm sure there will be major withdrawls.

[twiliter]

Oh but there are so many Swisstools and Spirits out there a propper collection will take a while, Keeping the rest in the back seat.
But seriously I've been so reliant on and so trust the Swisstool to never fail it's hard for me to consider any thing else seriously for EDC.  May try just the Spirt in a couple of months but I'll have to work up some serious courage.  I'm sure there will be major withdrawls.

I keep a Spirit in my tool bag, and took it on a cross country trip a few years ago. It got a lot of use and I never felt like I needed any other tools, it was that good. I keep a SwissTool X in the kitchen drawer, but the Spirit goes everywhere with me. It pocket carries well also, maybe easier than a SwissChamp in my experience. Just a great performing tool for it's size. 

[gerleatherberman]

Oh but there are so many Swisstools and Spirits out there a propper collection will take a while, Keeping the rest in the back seat.
But seriously I've been so reliant on and so trust the Swisstool to never fail it's hard for me to consider any thing else seriously for EDC.  May try just the Spirt in a couple of months but I'll have to work up some serious courage.  I'm sure there will be major withdrawls.

I don't feel lacking in having just one SwissTool and one Spirit. I don't have the old and new lm waves in my collection for example(just one of the two). One of each model is fine for me with my limited income. Unless I run up on a top notch example for cheap. Plier differences and slightly different tool selections don't warrant the financial investment of things I may or may not need/use. For instance, I may never put a scratch on the Spirit, so in my mind, I have any of the spirits made. If I let myself get deep into the idea again, that I need every different variation, I'd go broke.....quick.... I've been down that road with antique/vintage cameras. Had 300 cameras before I knew it and don't even do photography. Spent years paying off debt from that(gotta keep myself reeled in until the day I make real money). 

[aluminated]

And nobody even picked up on the ST:TNG reference.

[gerleatherberman]

And nobody even picked up on the ST:TNG reference.

Only Darmok, Jalad, and you have so far.
All good things ya know.

[Douglas]

Oh but there are so many Swisstools and Spirits out there a propper collection will take a while, Keeping the rest in the back seat.
But seriously I've been so reliant on and so trust the Swisstool to never fail it's hard for me to consider any thing else seriously for EDC.  May try just the Spirt in a couple of months but I'll have to work up some serious courage.  I'm sure there will be major withdrawls.

I keep a Spirit in my tool bag, and took it on a cross country trip a few years ago. It got a lot of use and I never felt like I needed any other tools, it was that good. I keep a SwissTool X in the kitchen drawer, but the Spirit goes everywhere with me. It pocket carries well also, maybe easier than a SwissChamp in my experience. Just a great performing tool for it's size. 

Don't get me wrong I love the Spirit. It is a far cut above other Multi's.  It's the "for it's size" part that may cause my withdrawls.  I push the much larger and heavier Swisstool to beyond what any reasonable person would expect of a multi and it just keeps on tick'n.  I have an old Spirit that just couldn't hold up to the way I utilize the Swisstool, ie broken file, awl, small flat blade, loose plier hinge, etc... The ST just keeps going and going and going.....