Scientist Club Thread

jazzbass · **Reply #30 on:** September 05, 2019, 07:47:37 PM

Quote from: Myron on September 05, 2019, 01:07:43 PM

I will check the three I have at home for their distinguishing characteristics.

Please do! The Scientist, being a thin knife of relatively short production life (10 years), doesn't really have a ton of variants. A lot of the tools that went through the typical evolution during this period aren't in the knife (scissors, metal file, key ring attachment), so there's not a ton to go on date with a ton of precision. The third model on the list, c1996, really could have been made any time between 1991-1999. I think the 1996 date comes from the packaging I got with the knife, not by looking at the tools.

There is one more possible variant I can think of to this range that I haven't seen yet. It would slot in between the 1986 and 1989 models above. This variant would be from 1987/88 and have a large "V" tang stamp but still have the brass spacer on the Philips layer.

Mechanickal · **Reply #31 on:** September 05, 2019, 07:53:50 PM

Myron · **Reply #32 on:** September 05, 2019, 07:58:07 PM

Jazzbass,

Thanks for the historical information on Swiss Bianco; that's the fullest telling of the story I've ever read. I must admit that although beautifully built, I've never understood the price premium that his Alox models seem to command. I guess it all just boils down to supply and demand, and there are relatively fewer of his special runs, colors, tool combo's, etc. around, so their values are higher. But still.

Myron

jazzbass · **Reply #33 on:** September 05, 2019, 08:00:11 PM

Looks like a 1986 model small "v" and spacer on the Philips.

Myron · **Reply #34 on:** September 06, 2019, 02:49:24 PM

Here are some fresh pics of mine.

My first two older ones are small v, spacer on the phillips spring, grooved corkscrew.

My third, which I'm keeping in unused condition, is the same configuration except it has a big V. Everything else is the same.

Also, all three appear to have the same profile on the combination tool.

Scientist No. 1 (Note missing keyring):

Scientist No. 2:

Scientist No. 3:

And by the way, if anyone has a spare Engineer, I'd happily and gratefully take it off your hands.

Rapidray · **Reply #35 on:** September 06, 2019, 02:58:37 PM

Nice photo’s

Mechanickal · **Reply #36 on:** September 06, 2019, 05:04:30 PM

I can't seem to figure out what you mean with "spacer on Philips"...

And I'll also take any Engineers under my Wings...
The knife kind, not the human kind.

jazzbass · **Reply #37 on:** September 06, 2019, 07:00:23 PM

Quote from: Mechanickal on September 06, 2019, 05:04:30 PM

I can't seem to figure out what you mean with "spacer on Philips"...

Maybe picture this will help. For the old grey mag glass/Philips, I know of three different backspring spacer combos they used:

Type I: 1973 - c.1982. This is a flatter spring that largely follows the same contour as the scissors spring. It goes under and not around the #4 (fulcrum) pin.
Type II: 1982 - c.1987. Same spring as Type I, but they add a small brass spacer around the #4 pin on this layer for extra support
Type III: 1987 - c. 2006. The spring is completely resigned to have a bump in the middle that rises up next to the #4 pin. This eliminates the need for the brass spacer

The backspring is completely redesigned in the early 2000s for the new clear mag glass/locking Phillips.

All factory Scientists (i.e. excluding the +B version from 2009) were made between 1986-1999, so they will either have a Type II or Type III spring in them.

jazzbass · **Reply #38 on:** September 06, 2019, 07:06:38 PM

Quote from: jazzbass on September 05, 2019, 07:47:37 PM

There is one more possible variant I can think of to this range that I haven't seen yet. It would slot in between the 1986 and 1989 models above. This variant would be from 1987/88 and have a large "V" tang stamp but still have the brass spacer on the Philips layer.

Quote from: Myron on September 06, 2019, 02:49:24 PM

My third, which I'm keeping in unused condition, is the same configuration except it has a big V. Everything else is the same.

Nice! This is the one I was talking about above. So there WAS another run made in mid/late 80s between the 86 and 89 runs. I suspected there might be but it's nice to have positive confirmation.

Quote from: Myron on September 06, 2019, 02:49:24 PM

Also, all three appear to have the same profile on the combination tool.

Yeah, AFAIK they haven't ever changed the design of the 91mm combo tool; only the 84mm version.

Mechanickal · **Reply #39 on:** September 06, 2019, 07:07:47 PM

Rapidray · **Reply #40 on:** September 06, 2019, 07:27:23 PM

Quote from: jazzbass on September 06, 2019, 07:00:23 PM

Maybe picture this will help. For the old grey mag glass/Philips, I know of three different backspring spacer combos they used:

Type I: 1973 - c.1982. This is a flatter spring that largely follows the same contour as the scissors spring. It goes under and not around the #4 (fulcrum) pin.
Type II: 1982 - c.1987. Same spring as Type I, but they add a small brass spacer around the #4 pin on this layer for extra support
Type III: 1987 - c. 2006. The spring is completely resigned to have a bump in the middle that rises up next to the #4 pin. This eliminates the need for the brass spacer

The backspring is completely redesigned in the early 2000s for the new clear mag glass/locking Phillips.

(Image removed from quote.)

All factory Scientists (i.e. excluding the +B version from 2009) were made between 1986-1999, so they will either have a Type II or Type III spring in them.

Learned something new today! Great photos.

J2000E · **Reply #41 on:** January 22, 2025, 02:42:15 PM

Got a warning that "this topic has not been posted in for at least 90 days"

How come!? It is time to revive it (with a bang)!

Visited a small sports shop in a likewise small town here in Sweden. Asked to see what they had in the rotating Victorinox stand/display. Had a look inside...

I was chocked.

As they did not find the Scientist in their system I got them for the price on the box. 220 Swedish kronor (20 USD). The Compact they did find but I got it for a good prize too (400 SKR).

The Scientist are all early - "small v" and grooved corkscrew.

I was chocked to the point of not thinking clear. They had four more Scientists and seven more Compacts. BUT when getting home and my brain started working again I phoned them and arranged for a pick up of the rest on monday. And as, from their point of view, these knifes were "hyllvärmare" (do not know the right word in English - "just keeping the shelfs warm") they gave me a 30% discount on the rest...

I cannot believe my luck!

Pictures will follow when I have the whole batch.

lazar · **Reply #42 on:** January 22, 2025, 02:51:35 PM

I built a Scientist for someone a couple months ago. Of course it has the newer style mag glass, but other than than that, everything is the same as it would have been for a real one.

Myron · **Reply #43 on:** January 22, 2025, 03:36:46 PM

Incredible find, @J2000E ! The Scientist is one my all-time favorite SAKS and I have 3 or 4 squirreled away for safe keeping.

This kind of luck does not come around often -- congratulations!

Rizio Il Ghiro · **Reply #44 on:** January 22, 2025, 05:58:16 PM

Great find, J200E!

Nice work, lazar!

J2000E · **Reply #45 on:** January 27, 2025, 09:22:11 PM

It turned out there were "just" three more Scientists. Making it six in total.

Interesting stuff - there are four with "small v", groved corkscrew and no pin and two with "big V" non-groved corkscrew and with pin. Boxes for the older ones are marked "52n" and "4" on the inner tabs - and the newer "52n" and "11".

If anyone would like to know anything more about them, in researching a Scientist timeline, this is a good opportunity.

In the same stash there were nine Compacts and those are even more intriguing and might re-write the Golfer/Compact-thing.