My recently acquired Swiza D04 being returned :-(

[zrxoa1]

I emailed Swiza about the liner lock problem and they told me to just return to vendor for a refund.  They did not offer to fix it.  I think I will not buy another one then.

I have started the return process with the ebay vendor ecop! and they seem to be fine with the return.

I liked the knife, would not carry it ever due to no lanyard ring or easy fix for a pocket clip.  I did plan to leave it on my bedside table for us upstairs...  oh well!!

[WoodsDuck]

It doesn't speak well of them that they would rather stick the vendor with a defective unit than offer any sort of service. I've dealt with ecop! several times and had no issues.

One more reason for me to pass on a Swiza knife, on top of just not caring for the designs in the first place.

[El Corkscrew]

I guess it's Vic or bust

[Butch]

I guess it's Vic or bust

Just get a Swisschamp and your problems will be solved.............


 

 

[hiraethus]

Dunno if the rules are different in the US, but in the UK your contract is with the vendor thanks to the Consumer Rights Act.  It's up to the seller to take defective goods back and sort it out with the manufacturer - so Swiza asking you to return the unit to the vendor isn't necessarily a sign of bad customer service.

[Don Pablo]

I guess it's Vic or bust

Just get a Swisschamp and your problems will be solved.............


 

 

A chinachamp.....

[ThePeacent]

I've dealt with ecop occasionally in the past, nice guy (or guys, as I assume it's a company with many employees)  and good seller IME   

[Etherealicer]

I had to return mine too... The quality of their knifes seems underwhelming. Can't fault their customer service though.

[Butch]

I guess it's Vic or bust

Just get a Swisschamp and your problems will be solved.............


 

 

A chinachamp.....

hey, I have gotten a lot of good mileage from that CAK...........

[cdrwilson]

Ultimately it's sad to hear this. A competitor to Vic would ultimately be a good thing for us. I was going to try one eventually but now I may hold off forever

[Etherealicer]

Ultimately it's sad to hear this. A competitor to Vic would ultimately be a good thing for us. I was going to try one eventually but now I may hold off forever

Böker

Competition does not have to be from Switzerland. Using "Made in Switzerland" as a sales argument to profit from the good reputation Wenger and Victorinox have built gives us as customers nothing. I rather have a competitor that wants to build his own reputation and dazzle us with an innovative product than a dubious heritage.

[dks]

Boker...... I am still waiting for a reply from the customer service, from 2 years ago....  I have not bought anything from them since

[tosh]

I guess it's Vic or bust

I predicted this very scenario 2yrs ago here on the forum and was lambasted for it too.
Without reciting what I said back then as I've admittedly forgotten by now. But needless to say when Wenger sold out to Victorinox, it was a game changer forever. Victorinox now own both patents thus preventing anyone else coming to the table with new and exciting (read innovative) ideas. Instead we are simply sold any number of banal configurations, which could be argued mostly all do the same to one degree or another.

So there you have it, as so eloquently put by yourself..."it's Vic or bust"  ....I went with bust ("Bust" of course being Wenger  )

[ReamerPunch]

Was was wrong with it?

[zrxoa1]

The liner lock was not right and would let the blade fold if the blade was pushed sideways the tiniest bit.

The seller received it back today and has already issued me a full refund.

ecop! was the vendor. Very nice to work with!!




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[El Corkscrew]

The liner lock was not right and would let the blade fold if the blade was pushed sideways the tiniest bit.

The seller received it back today and has already issued me a full refund.

ecop! was the vendor. Very nice to work with!!

I've used them, no complaints! 

[Etherealicer]

I guess it's Vic or bust

I predicted this very scenario 2yrs ago here on the forum and was lambasted for it too.
Without reciting what I said back then as I've admittedly forgotten by now. But needless to say when Wenger sold out to Victorinox, it was a game changer forever. Victorinox now own both patents thus preventing anyone else coming to the table with new and exciting (read innovative) ideas. Instead we are simply sold any number of banal configurations, which could be argued mostly all do the same to one degree or another.

So there you have it, as so eloquently put by yourself..."it's Vic or bust"  ....I went with bust ("Bust" of course being Wenger  )

I don't think patents are the problem, after all "innovation" implies to bring something new, not ripping off someone else.

There are many competitors (Böker, Swiza, Gerber etc.) who produce SAK-a-likes. I think the problem is that Vic offers incredible quality at low price, so it is hard to compete with that (one of the reasons Wenger is bust).

[Gath]

Most of the central Victorinox SAK patents expired ages ago, they're not much of a hindrance anymore. For a true showtopper patent I'd say the Swisstools outside opening patent is notably restrictive, it's just so damn efficient compared to alternatives, seriously the system works for all tools at once and has like five simple parts.

[ironraven]

Swiza should go home. Play with the best, lose like the rest.

The problem ANYONE has with taking on Victorinox in this field isn't patents, there is nothing new here. It isn't materials. Some chinese firm could match the quality and the price if they really wanted to, but it might not be profitable enough. It isn't even that they perfected the concept. Nope. What Victorinox has is reputation. Credability. It is trusted.

And they make the best. THey got it right and then (unlike certain American firms) didn't try to over refine and thus ruin the product.

Take a product that is just right. Put the right price on it. Make it ubiquitous to the point it is an adverb that is used for everything else. And do it for generations. You aren't going anywhere unless you cut your own throat trying to be too clever.

[Syph007]

Ya Ive not bought a swiza and have zero interest.

Vic is a powerhouse for production quantity AND quality.  The quantity allows them to get the SAKs build to pretty reasonable price by economy of scale, so I dont see how a new comer can compete with the price to value ratio.  It would have to be new features people want and something else we havent seen. 

[gadgetman7]

Spyderco is releasing a SAK like knife this year with better steel but limited tool options but the price is higher.

I have a couple of Swiza’s and really like them. I have a D04 and the D06. Carry them occasionally. The only thing I don’t like about them is that the spring tension on the can opener is too light.

It is hard to compete with Victorinox on both quality and price though. Just wish Victorinox used better steel on their blades.


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[EMZ]

It probably is NOT about patents and materials. No, but it is ALL about the experience in using precision machinery for building rather small complex tools.
At the IWA show in 2017 I spoke briefly with a Vic representative about the Chinese competition. He told me that Vic has a 100+ years experience in tooling, which is not easily substituted by a few years of experience. The problem that other pocket knife makers have, has to do with the tension of the knife springs, which can be about 350 kg for a single spring. According to the representative, other knife making companies have problems with controlling this enormous forces into something compact as a SAK, where many component have to interact with each other. Vic has the long time experience in controlling this force!
It sounded plausible to me.