Which Factory

Dunc · **on:** September 28, 2018, 08:21:26 PM

If you had a choice of which factory you could visit for a tour which one would it be ? I’ve thought about this and my choice would be Victorinox for multitools and SAKs and Kabar for knives. Leatherman and Gerber were a close 3rd and 4th

Wspeed · **Reply #1 on:** September 28, 2018, 08:53:33 PM

That’s not a easy question

I would love to see the
SAK and Leatherman factories
But I think it would have to be
the Leatherman factory for a tour

Fuzzbucket · **Reply #2 on:** September 28, 2018, 08:58:26 PM

Probably like you Victorinox for multitools (I'm not really fussed about current leatherman or sog models) and either GEC or Spyderco for knives.... especially if they let me go to the factories in Japan and Italy too!

Mechanickal · **Reply #3 on:** September 28, 2018, 08:59:16 PM

Vic Vic Vic Vic!

Vic was a closed fifth though...

Steinar · **Reply #4 on:** September 28, 2018, 09:03:33 PM

G-Dizzle · **Reply #5 on:** September 28, 2018, 09:24:56 PM

Victorinox for MTs. For knives, probably Buck. I love everything about their company and what it stands for.

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #6 on:** September 28, 2018, 09:27:37 PM

Having spent 25 years in different factories, I'm sorry to say that I might not find them as appealing as a lot of you guys. Or more specifically, I'd want to skirt over everything I was familiar with, and focus my attentions on very specific areas... probably stuff they don't want me to see

In truth, I think I'd rather avoid the highly automated places, and go where skills are more important. The press brakes, stamping presses, grinding, heat treatment, drilling... I've already seen in many different guises. I want to see stuff that doesn't just involve pushing a button, watching readouts, and swapping belts or tools when they get worn. I want to see stuff getting handmade, or all the stuff away from the machines, such as R&D or operational management... and I don't think I'd see any of that on the big factory tours.

So I'd choose one of the small independent cutlers, and being sat at a bench watching someone make something entirely from scratch, rather than strolling round the large factories.

zoidberg · **Reply #7 on:** September 28, 2018, 10:26:17 PM

I would like to meet Ray from Raker Knives. A day making sharp things with a master bladesmith would be awesome fun.

BePrepared · **Reply #8 on:** September 28, 2018, 10:28:54 PM

Victoria's Secrets

... but as a second, the Leatherman factory, followed by a Spyderco.

Mechanickal · **Reply #9 on:** September 28, 2018, 10:41:28 PM

Quote from: BePrepared on September 28, 2018, 10:28:54 PM

Victoria's Secrets ... but as a second, the Leatherman factory, followed by a Spyderco.

Ok, forget Vic, I'm tagging along with Preppy here!

ThePeacent · **Reply #10 on:** September 29, 2018, 12:57:09 PM

since I've seen most of it from YouTube videos, Leatherman and Vic are out.

I'd probably pick Spyderco since they have very friendly staff all around, and hey have factories in Oregon US, Seki City Japan, Taichung Taiwan, and Maniago Italy as well as China.

Lots of traveling, meeting cultures, differences in between countries and people, and lots of interesting processes to see (quenching, hardening, heat treating, grinding, MIM injecting, FRN and plastic mold fabrication and filling, sharpening, assembling, tumbling, stonewashing, CNC related processes, laser cutting and engraving, nylon extrusion, destructive testing, metal cutting, shaping, stock removal, etc.

)

Close contender would be Gerber and SOG,

due to the diversity of tools and gear they produce (in their factories they make from axes to folding knives, fixed blades to multitools, lights and chopping blades,

backpacks and bags to sheaths, holsters to plastic pouches, etc.) Granted it's a lot of different places of manufacturing but if we're talking of a brand as a whole, all of them must be included

Top-Gear-24 · **Reply #11 on:** September 29, 2018, 01:11:48 PM

Quote from: Mechanickal on September 28, 2018, 10:41:28 PM

Quote from: BePrepared on September 28, 2018, 10:28:54 PM
Victoria's Secrets ... but as a second, the Leatherman factory, followed by a Spyderco.
Ok, forget Vic, I'm tagging along with Preppy here!

So, you guys would rather see some chubby middle aged woman behind a sewing machine than visit the Mecca for Leatherman or SAK lovers ...

Oh well, to each their own I guess

.

Mechanickal · **Reply #12 on:** September 29, 2018, 01:27:24 PM

The R&D dept and photography dept would be the main reason.
Production? Nah

ThundahBeagle · **Reply #13 on:** September 29, 2018, 02:38:40 PM

Leatherman and Buck or Spyderco.

gerleatherberman · **Reply #14 on:** September 29, 2018, 03:00:14 PM

Bear & Sons, because most of their stuff is still done by craftsmen and manual machines.
Leatherman would be high on the list, depending on the facility of model.
Gerber' U.S. facilites, based on the models and their Chinese facilities, based on the models.
Victorinox would be cool too, juat to see the most advanced automation machines in the MT/knife world. Robots and technology are kind of fun to watch.
SOG's contracted facilities for the newer models (like PowerAccess), so I can help them figure out how to make the files properly and show them how to do QC.

My favorite television show is 'How it's Made', so I would enjoy seeing most production facilities first hand.