Victorinox live to explore new collection

[BPRoberts]

I do find the hard push on feminine, female, etc. a bit odd. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but I'm reminded of the pink Bics that flopped a couple years ago. Other than the Paris, they don't even strike me as super feminine. The NY is black and gold, gender neutral if not masculine. Sydney looks like a beach at sunset. I think most men still like those.

If Vic is pushing for more gendered designs, I'd like to submit road "bloody road rash" and "cigars and whiskey" as the male patterns.

[tinker gnome]

Hey, didn't you notice my finest sarcasm in my last post? 

Of course that's all cliche-ridden. I noticed that last week on world girl's day, when buildings and monuments in germany were highlighted in pink. Even my 14-year old niece has long forgotten what might be a bias for pink. My SO never had any. When I get a new Spyderco with pink handles, she keeps asking,
why this ugly colour? I'm answering regularly, it's for a good cause (cancer awareness). 

[DansGearAddiction]

I honestly think these new models are great, and not everything they put out needs to appeal to an already captured market segment.

I live in an area where pocket knives are viewed as weapons, and anything that can normalize and destigmatize them and bring new people in has benefits for all of us.

I could easily see these for sale in the jewelry or handbag case at a place like Macys or Nordstrom as a complement to a new bag.

[Huntsman]

And considering the female parts of the market, perhaps it's just the beginning: the male versions will come in different camouflage patterns and serrated blades, called the Alamo, Kiew and Dunkirk ... Not to forget the metrosexual Las Vegas with gold and silver glitters, appealing to all genders (plus the Las Vegas LE with real gold & silver, starting at a premium of $499 ...) 

^^^   Love it   - Made me       out loud.

And let's hope it's true

[Huntsman]

I really think there is (or should be) a parallel with the Lego Friends sets here.

When Lego brought out the Friends series - They were clearly targeted/designed to be more appealing to a feminine disposition/market.

But Lego always said that that this was kind of not the case!   
 - In that -  boys can buy and play with Friends sets and all the other sets sets and exactly the same is true for the girls.
Which I think is a good approach - Why not?       

I see the same here -
Although the Victorinox messaging is not the same as Lego's in that they are really pushing the feminine aspect

[powernoodle]

Maybe we should not get lost in the sociological corn field.  Almost everything a company does is intended to increase stock value and dividends.  Even when there appears to be a cultural flavor to a product or a marketing campaign, always follow the money.

[Bunk Tuppins]

They already put out all sorts of macho stuff, why not put out some stuff appealing to different markets such as the female market?  Yes, some of the promo pics had a sort of 'matching accessories' feel to them - so what?  I like it.

[pfrsantos]

I honestly think these new models are great, and not everything they put out needs to appeal to an already captured market segment.

I live in an area where pocket knives are viewed as weapons, and anything that can normalize and destigmatize them and bring new people in has benefits for all of us.

I could easily see these for sale in the jewelry or handbag case at a place like Macys or Nordstrom as a complement to a new bag.

+1 on this.

 

[tinker gnome]

...
I live in an area where pocket knives are viewed as weapons, and anything that can normalize and destigmatize them and bring new people in has benefits for all of us.

I could easily see these for sale in the jewelry or handbag case at a place like Macys or Nordstrom as a complement to a new bag.

That's a good point, Dan. One can even see a tradition here for Victorinox getting into the jewelry sector. The precious alox classics recently fit in here as well as the classic brilliant models. The classic solemate belongs more to the sports sector.

Earlier the classic deluxe models were considered as "luxury" models. They sure are, regarding the prizes collectors are paying for them. 

Even earlier the silver clad models also fall into the jewelry sector. But that was long ago before 9/11 and knife laws and regulations weren't an issue such as nowadays... 

[powernoodle]

Over on another forum that focuses on blades, people post daily pics of the knives and accessories they carry.  In my view, the majority are properly characterized as more akin to jewelry than utility.  Its like binkies and blankies for big boys.  Lots of Damascus steel, spendy materials, etc. on knives that clearly never get used to cut stuff.  Its mostly bling.  There is a continuum between pure utility on one end of the scale (<<pun), and feel good, blingy jewelry knives on the other.  The Victorinox Explore collection has one foot in each world - utility and feel good bling.

[Huntsman]

It's an interesting point PN and something I have thought about quite a bit,

The amount and variety and cost of fixed blades that are available is just staggering - How could we possibly need so many?      
I took a virtual tour of SMKW once it was pretty mind blowing.

And the cost of the fancy custom fixed blades is astronomical for what, for me, is essentially a tool.
So I guess you have to conclude that it's not just a tool   

And even if I look at myself - I am a SAK man - But I probably have 200 or so SAKs - So clearly not just tools -
So I have to conclude they are collector's items     

And why is it knives that become such amazing and varied collector's items?
Is it just that it is man's oldest tool; or that that form lends itself to all these design and material possibilities ?   

[powernoodle]

How could we possibly need so many?      

My thesis on this subject has long been that SAKs and MTs are to us as alcohol, porn, etc. are to some others.  That is to say, we use the process of thinking about SAKs, talking about SAKs, shopping, ordering and waiting for SAKs, to distract us from the sad reality that we will never walk on the moon or play leapfrog with Taylor Swift.  SAKs (or alcohol, porn, excessive anything) are largely anesthesia or distraction from the trainwrecks in our subconscious minds.

I think I'm otherwise fairly sane, but something weird is needed to explain my 100 SAKs, 100 MTs, 100 fixed blade, 200 folders, 100 flashlights and giant boxes of Maxpedition bags.  So until a better explanation comes along, I'm sticking with the distraction and anesthesia idea.

[Simon_Templar]

And why is it knives that become such amazing and varied collector's items?
Is it just that it is man's oldest tool; or that that form lends itself to all these design and material possibilities ?   

Another good question. I am also a SAK man, so I cannot speak for knives in general.

Regarding SAKs, I think it is about the idea of having a pocketable tool kit with you and all the fantasies - or memories - it conjures up. Like Macgyver said: another day, another whole new set of possibilities. It gives me comfort, especially in these troubled times, and it feels soothing to just touch that nice warm celidor scale in my pocket.

I suppose if you reach your midlife (crisis) and have a disposable income, it's only a small step from the above to collecting (man's oldest habit:-). And once you start collecting SAKs, it's hard to stop at just a few unless you have or find a clear collection goal. Well, just my five cents.

[nate j]

While knives are certainly useful tools, as one of the members here used to be fond of pointing out, knives are also “pocket jewelry “.

[Robert669]

Hello. I got the Sydney Style Companion yesterday and was curious what people were saying.

The Climber has long been one of my favorites.  The addition of a box opener and file for the Companion seemed great, so I'd been waiting on a version that called my name. The lack of scale tools turned me off on the wood one.

The Sydney is in some of my favorite colors and looks awesome, so it was the one for me. 

Purple, in particular, I like almost as much as Prince. I carried a translucent purple Wenger Esquire for a decade.
The yellow is easy to see, which is nice. One of my favorite SAKs is the yellow glow in the dark Climber.

So here's my opinion, and bear in mind it's my newest knife so it's the honeymoon.  I laughed when ordering because these are marketed to women. But I felt the only things in the line that are unambiguously feminine are the Paris items and the SwissCard pouches.

I absolutely love this Companion.
It looks even better in hand than in photos. The scales are painted, which is the first SAK like that for me. I saw a comment about painted scales not aging well. Okay, I'll keep that in mind.

You get the pen but they were too cheap to throw in the pin. I have a bunch of pins but they're thinner than the Victorinox pins, so I was hoping to get another one of theirs. Ah well.
They also did not include a corkscrew tool. That's fine as I prefer a small paperclip in the corkscrew.

The neck cord is cool. The Victorinox charm is lightweight and doesn't jingle. The clasp is easy to open when you detach the knife.
The photos made the cord look too short, but it's long enough to place the SAK keyring right below your chest so you can look down and see what you're doing.

I've got it hanging from my neck now. I also had my black Cadet hanging it from it for a bit. i've got a few SAKs that match the purple cord. lol 
I like the cord enough that I'll be getting the one that comes with the New York Companion.

I'm not gonna hang a SAK from my neck every day, but sometimes.
I intend to carry a Midnite MiniChamp like this down the line (when I finally get a Midnite MiniChamp). I think I'll also try a split ring on it containing a Classic SD and a Spyderco Manbug.

When not using the neck cord around the neck, I can see it also being nice if you throw your SAK in a bag full of other junk. That's one of the reasons they're including this for women and their purses.

So, I like the lanyard more than I thought I would. I would not wear it around your neck during certain activities where you might choke yourself. But for around the house or EDCing on a Saturday afternoon or something -- for sure. A fun way to show off some of your SAKs. You can obviously also tuck it behind a layer of clothing.

I just realized, my glow in the dark Climber -- I can have that glowing around my neck.

As for the tools: Everyone knows the Climber tools are A++. I never much carried my Compact because it makes too many compromises.
The question is, in the long run will I prefer the Companion toolset to the Climber's? I don't know.

I love the Climber's small blade. We shall see how the box opener does in its place. The nail file is something I know I'll use a ton, and it's much better than the one you get on the Compact.
However, I shined my flashlight on the file after using it and it retains a lot of fingernail filings, and that's gonna be right next to the blade you might use on food. Which perhaps makes a case for the old Climber or Spartan paired with a Classic for personal grooming.

Or maybe I should just not look at it with a flashlight. Hmm! lol
(This is my first of this style of file. My Cadet has the old style file.)

I've already tried the box opener and cut an avocado, and used the corkscrew to remove the avocado pit. And last night I went to get some beers to test out the bottle opener. Yup, the bottle opener works. lol Guess what? The gas station clerk, who I'm acquainted with, asked me about the knife around my neck. She seemed to like it. Or was curious, anyway.

Sorry I went long. Won't do that again, but I may come back later today with a photo for the thread showing off your newest SAKs. Today I'm gonna pair my girly Sydney Style Companion with a Spyderco blacked out and ferociously serrated Ambitious. That's a masculine little knife for sure!

[powernoodle]

Well said, sir. 

[Simon_Templar]

The problem is not whether they are masculine or feminine, the problem is the price (imho).

[Enginears]

Thanks for the thoughts Robert669.  Now I kind of want to try a SAK on a neck lanyard.

[powernoodle]

I occasionally carry a 58mm SAK and 1xAAA light on a neck lanyard, and it is very handy.   

[Huntsman]

Great write up Robert - Thanks for taking the time
And welcome to MT.o

I really liked these models from the start and now I really, really want one - And it will probably be exactly what you got
The Companion is a really great tool-set  -  Sydney is my favourite colour-wise and  ...... well ...... errrm ....... I do live in Sydney 

[tinker gnome]

So that's calling your name at least twice. Hard to resist. 

In the not so long run, you know what will happen:  and finally: 

Resistance is futile 

[tinker gnome]

...

Sorry I went long. Won't do that again, but I may come back later today with a photo ...

Robert, no need to apologize for what I call a review. 

Thanks for your impressions. 

And so I realized being not the only one here combining a SAK and a Spyderco ...

[Fireman]

But I would jump at the chance to buy a Companion in the standard red cellidor.

Same here...but I've got extra scales in several colors.   

[Anne]

Hi - first time poster - I feel a little awkward here because it doesn't look like there're any other women that have posted in this thread, and it seems like an obvious thing for the Swiss army knife-loving woman to do, since this is one of very few quality multi tools marketed to women.

About a year ago, for reasons that I really can't fully explain, I started collecting Swiss Army knives and I've amassed a bit of a collection. Some of that collection is dedicated to trying to find Swiss army knives that look like they should be in my possession - Hiker bear and plum blossom(?) scales, for example.  When I bring out a Swiss army knife in public, people are often somewhat taken aback, so it helps if it looks a little feminine. Plus,  when I look at a SAK I do see how awesome it is,  but wouldn't it be cool if it were both awesome AND pretty?

When women see me using a Swiss army knife, they are often attracted to its functionality. I actually think that's a thing - I think women like to be effective and they like the tools that can get them there - just like men.  But SAKs have a masculine feel that makes it look like i'm using something that is out of place.  I don't think it FEELS out of place,  but I can't tell you how much the Companion resonates with me compared to most of my collection. I skipped buying a Leatherman Arc I was planning on and instead got the other 2 colors f Companion I didn't have!!

A couple additional thoughts.

I don't really think that all of the styles are feminine. But all of the styles look like they fit in with things that women own and carry with them. That is not the case for a classic red cellidor SAK.

I think it is the best "urban" EDC SAK ever.  Highly functional!

As far as it being marketed to women, I see that as an actual gift from Victorinox towards multitool-oriented women (as well as an attempt to open up the female market to SAKs).  It's an opportunity for us to own something that is designed for (and marketed to) us directly from the beginning. It's not part of the "pink it and shrink it" group of designs that makes us an afterthought.  With this toolset and this look,  I actually feel like there was a genuine attempt by Victorinox to meet the needs of women. Not that it doesn't meet the needs of men as well!  I certainly believe should come out with this in standard scales and I hope the price would go down at that point as well. I would probably get one in black, too, TBH. But women are a large segment of the population,  and there is no reason we would not use this toolset as much as men,  so why not make one that looks like it belongs with our things as much as (or more than) it looks like it belongs with your things?

OK, thanks for listening.  I just ❤️ 😍  the Companion so much I thought I'd contribute here. Hope it is of interest,  sorry if it's not!!

Anne

[IMR4198]

     First posts are always a little unsettling.  Members here are friendly.  Nobody here gets talked down to, one post or many thousand.  We do like pictures if you would like to attach some next time.  I enjoyed your comments.  Welcome.  Best wishes.  Gary (IMR)
 

[Anne]

     We do like pictures if you would like to attach some next time.  I enjoyed your comments.  Welcome.  Best wishes.  Gary (IMR)
 

Thanks,  Gary! I put in a picture

[IMR4198]

Very nice photo.  We have been having a discussion about nail files on 91mm SAKs here for a while.  Some pro.  Some con.  I think quite a few members would buy a Companion if it were available in cellidor.  Red, black, whatever.  The price point on the woodie limited editions and the others are putting folks off from buying what is available now.  Best wishes.  Gary
 

[Antti Lammi]

That is actually awesome looking Companion Anne. We have wide variety of members here (men/women/other) and nobody gets bad word towards others. We are here to discuss our passion towards SAKs and other tools, also chatting our hobbies and daily lives.
My wife has gotten herself Alox classic SD, Wingman and Skeltool all from my collection or like she says our collection. She has been craving 2 more tools from collection RealTree Camo Fuse and Wenger Nail Clip 581 ( i know few others too who wants that Wenger    )


I have been looking Companion but i really wanna see those on transparents scales green (same color in my Wenger), orange, ruby, sapphire, emerald, pink, black, smoke and etc.. sadly other colors than ruby, sapphire and emerald are hard to find.
And i can bet all my tools with that green scales would disapper to my wife.


Only Tools Matters

[Huntsman]

Hi Anne

Welcome the the forum and fantastic first post
Great thoughts on the Companion and the L2E collection

I’m hoping to get the one you have
Fingers crossed for Christmas 😮😉

[Enginears]

OK, thanks for listening.  I just ❤️ 😍  the Companion so much I thought I'd contribute here. Hope it is of interest,  sorry if it's not!!

Anne

Hey Anne, welcome, that is probably my favorite of the 3 companion color schemes. I am curious if you have carried it on the neck lanyard? Or in a pocket or bag?