Status of the 74mm line outside the US?

[kamakiri]

I wonder if there’s some update like aluminum liners, if that hasn’t happened already like the 58mm were done a while back. That would be enough reason to pause production and clear out existing stock.

[Altis]

I wonder if there’s some update like aluminum liners, if that hasn’t happened already like the 58mm were done a while back. That would be enough reason to pause production and clear out existing stock.

If they go in stock at my local store I may be tempted to pick them up and see. I'd be very surprised if there were any changes but it's certainly possible.

Victorinox is tight-lipped but maybe the vendor can give me some insight into whether the 74mm will live on.   

[enki_ck]

Well all 74mm models were/are in the Vic 2021 catalog, and they don't do catalogs every year, sometimes they do just supplements or special editions. If I remember correctly the 2021 was the first complete catalog after 2017. So putting something in it that they plan to disco the same year doesn't make sense to me

[cbl51]

With more and more of the population of both Europe and the U.S. living in increasingly urban/suburban environments, I just can't believe that Victorinox would ditch the 74mm's. Its such a perfect size to expand with more real world usable tools for day to day living in the city/suburbs. Like has been said, an executive with a combo tool in place of the orange peeler, a small awl, should have enormous draw. I know I'd buy one or two immediately. Rename it the "suburbanite".

[kamakiri]

Well all 74mm models were/are in the Vic 2021 catalog, and they don't do catalogs every year, sometimes they do just supplements or special editions. If I remember correctly the 2021 was the first complete catalog after 2017. So putting something in it that they plan to disco the same year doesn't make sense to me

I think this is all we need to understand that the rumour was just fake news.

I’ve never bought a new 74mm, but I would be sad to actually see them go.

[z1913]

Like has been said, an executive with a combo tool in place of the orange peeler, a small awl, should have enormous draw.

Amen!

[Altis]

I think this is all we need to understand that the rumour was just fake news.

I’ve never bought a new 74mm, but I would be sad to actually see them go.

I think it'd be less concerning if Victorinox had not quietly discontinued some of our favourite models with no notice (until we figured out they weren't coming back in stock and can no longer be found). Thinking of 84mm scissors models, Woodsman, Yeoman, Modeler, Craftsman, etc...

The 74mm have been gone from Victorinox Canada for a long time now, as well as Amazon with the notice they don't know "when or if" it'll come back in stock, and other places I've checked. It would hardly be surprising if they are in fact being phased out of production and I don't think we'd get formal confirmation. 

[smiller43147]

Well all 74mm models were/are in the Vic 2021 catalog, and they don't do catalogs every year, sometimes they do just supplements or special editions. If I remember correctly the 2021 was the first complete catalog after 2017. So putting something in it that they plan to disco the same year doesn't make sense to me

Do you have a link to that catalog?

[z1913]

Victorinox recently (in summer) opened their oficial store in my city - Prague.
When I visited the store a couple weeks back, the salesman tried to draw my attention to Executive they have on display with a remark it is the last chance to buy, that the 74 line is being discontinued…

It’s no scientific evidence but fits into the line if discussion above.

[Simon_Templar]

It's amazing how much time we spend on this forum trying to figure out which SAKs are being discontinued. Why can Vic not spare us the trouble and simply communicate fhese things, e.g. in a press releaae.

[enki_ck]

Do you have a link to that catalog?

We haven't uploaded it to the wiki yet, but LeaF has it on his page.

https://leaf-vics.com/victorinox-catalogs

[hsherzfeld]

I think we also need to take the global pandemic and the resulting supply chain issues into account when we speculate about this model or that being discontinued.

[Altis]

I think we also need to take the global pandemic and the resulting supply chain issues into account when we speculate about this model or that being discontinued.

Fair point but I think Victorinox does everything except the corkscrew in-house. All the materials for the 74mm line is the same as other models, so it'd be weird to have it be uniquely affected. 

[GearedForwards]

Fair point but I think Victorinox does everything except the corkscrew in-house. All the materials for the 74mm line is the same as other models, so it'd be weird to have it be uniquely affected. 

If materials were in short supply they may prioritise the more popular lines 

[hsherzfeld]

If materials were in short supply they may prioritise the more popular lines 

Could be.

Material (especially steel) and transportation prices have certainly risen, which will reduce the profit margin of each SAK before it even leaves the factory.

[smiller43147]

We haven't uploaded it to the wiki yet, but LeaF has it on his page.

https://leaf-vics.com/victorinox-catalogs

Thanks.

[Zephon]

The “authorized retailer” in our country has a couple of 74mm model in inventory - the Ambassador is being sold for USD40 and the Executive is priced at USD50.

Is it really *that* expensive these days? 

[Tasky]

It could just be that Christmas is right around the corner and many places are out of stock... maybe half this forum bought them all in readiness for the Chuck Yeager Memorial Challenge?
It might sound crazy, but I'm also finding most of my usual shops are out of stock on Swiss Champs, Huntsmen and even Classics, which are three of the most popular models and most definitely not discontinued.....

[Altis]

It could just be that Christmas is right around the corner and many places are out of stock... maybe half this forum bought them all in readiness for the Chuck Yeager Memorial Challenge?
It might sound crazy, but I'm also finding most of my usual shops are out of stock on Swiss Champs, Huntsmen and even Classics, which are three of the most popular models and most definitely not discontinued.....

It's been going on since at least summer. Normally if they're just out of stock, they aren't removed from the Victorinox website entirely (they are still removed in Canada). Once that happened and places all seemed to sell out with no restocking, it was hard to not wonder if indeed they had been discontinued. That and multiple anecdotal stories from vendors confirming it, plus the history of Victorinox never making it clear... 

Hopefully it isn't the case.

[BPRoberts]

The Vic flagship store in NYC claimed they were out of production.

They said the same about the Compact though, so...

[kamakiri]

So consensus is that this was a rumour or fake news, right?

Available here:

https://www.swiss-knife.com/en/swiss-knives/victorinox/victorinox-swiss-army-knife-74mm.html

But on clearance, it seems. The Executives went on clearance at Cabela’s and are sold out, but Ambassadors aren’t on clearance and are in stock.

[BPRoberts]

So consensus is that this was a rumour or fake news, right?

Short answer: Maybe, we don't know.

Long answer: Maybe, I think it's true.

What we know:

1. Multiple posters here, and on other forums, have been told that the 74s (and possibly Compact) are discontinued by Victorinox employees, and/or distributors. However, Victorinox hasn't made any official statements about it.

2. Victorinox has a history of introducing or discontinuing models with minimal communication.

3. Victorinox also sometimes temporarily discontinues models, then brings them back (sometimes with small changes) a short time later, or "soft" discontinues a line by producing them in very small/special order only quantities.

4. Executives (and Compacts to a lesser degree) have been hard to come by for months.

5. When they do show up, they're often either marked up, or marked down. These are common things to do with a discontinued product to either take advantage of people's desperation, or clear old stock.

6. The ones we do see online are often either NOS, through resellers, or in very small lots. For the 74s it's still relatively easy to find the Moneyclip, not too bad on the Ambassador, but it's very difficult to find a new Executive. That roughly lines up with their popularity if old stock is being cleared.

7. Businesses are having a variety of issues, related to Covid, that are forcing them to make adjustments to their products and services.

8. The Executive is popular in the SAK community, but not a big seller elsewhere. The rest of the 74mm line isn't popular anywhere. The Compact is popular in the SAK and EDC communities, but it's no Tinker, Classic, etc.

9. Both contain at least one tool that is unique to that model (file hook for the Compact, file and peeler for the Executive.)

My (totally unofficial) conclusions:

1. Due to Covid, Victorinox is having to take a hard look at where they allocate their materials, labor, and shipping capacity.

2. Given that, it would make sense for them to focus on their "core" models. The 74mm line (minus the Executive) are not popular, and even the Executive and Compact are mostly popular in niche communities. They also have tools that are rarely, if ever, used on other knives. If Victorinox has to choose what knives to make, it makes sense to crank out Tinkers, Pioneers, Classics, etc. They can sell to a wide market, in more channels, and convert them to other knives/spare parts if need be. You can buy a Tinker at any sporting goods store and many department stores. When was the last time you saw a Compact outside of an online store or small specialty shop?

3. The 74mm line and Compact are both currently out of production, or in very limited production.

That does not mean they're not coming back, Vic has temporarily discontinued models, or let lines limp along making a small amount each year before.

I think the Compact is probably only a temporary issue. It's a line that's been selling decently for around 40 years, and they could cut corners and replace the file hook if they need to.

The 74mms are a lot more niche, and Vic seems to be trimming their offerings in the "in between" sizes in general lately. I don't want to see them go (give me that 74mm Rambler!) but I think the writing might be on the wall.

The other (still decently likely) possibility is simply that we're in the middle of a supply crunch and they can't keep up. The Executive was never a high production model, and panic buying could easily eat up the stock that does exist. If they had to cut production by a smaller percentage, but not entirely, that wouldn't help either.

I have an email out to the guys at Casco Bay Cutlery/VSAKCS, who I think are a reliable source, and I put in a contact through Vic's form. If either one gets back to me, I'll post a screenshot so we have something other than hearsay to go by.

[kamakiri]

Well, that covers a lot of the possible scenarios.

I do think it’s just supply driven issues forcing them to be or choose to be between batches. I don’t believe they are discontinuations temporary or otherwise.

Thanks for the follow up. Hopefully, it yields some answers. 

[BPRoberts]

Follow up from VSAKCS. 78mm line is discontinued and all US warehouses are sold out of them. No update on Compact at this time. I sent another email and will post if/when I hear something.

UPDATE: "Compact is still available" I assume this means in stock and in general production, but they didn't specify. So that's probably just supply crunch from Covid/Compacts becoming more popular lately.

 

vsakcs.jpg (Filesize: 41.4 KB)

[PitCarver]

Bummer

[kamakiri]

Thanks for doing the legwork and posting the update…

Well, that’s sad and a bit frustrating. I guess the inclusion in the 2021 catalog didn’t mean as much as I thought.

Good that the Compact was just speculation.

Guess I gotta hoard a few for 84mm scissor mods sometime before they’re worth $100. Ugh. 

[kamakiri]

So no official word on this directly from Victorinox? Still seems odd, and I never really trust the word from a salesperson 100%. I mean the NY store told you both 74mm and Compacts were disco’d…and now we know, thanks to you that the latter was just pure speculation.

[hsherzfeld]

So no official word on this directly from Victorinox? Still seems odd, and I never really trust the word from a salesperson 100%. I mean the NY store told you both 74mm and Compacts were disco’d…and now we know, thanks to you that the latter was just pure speculation.

Does Victorinox usually announce it when they discontinue a SAK model? Have they done so in the past?

[kamakiri]

Does Victorinox usually announce it when they discontinue a SAK model? Have they done so in the past?

I can’t think of an entire frame size discontinued in recent history, but when the soldiers were there was a limited issue of 5,000 produced to mark its end even though the Pioneers continued.

[GearedForwards]

I can’t think of an entire frame size discontinued in recent history, but when the soldiers were there was a limited issue of 5,000 produced to mark its end even though the Pioneers continued.

And there has been zero evidence of the Moneyclip being discontinued at all.