See-through Sunday

[IMR4198]

   Time to scratch up some sort of photo for See-Through day.  When you give birth to a Daily thread you must feed the thing.  Know how when it drools some of the macerated pulpy mess down its chin, and you have to scrape it up with a wee baby spoon and poke it back into the cute little feeding orifice?  Got to do that too.  Don't have to change an untidy didy. 
Best wishes.  G
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[nate j]

Deluxe Climber

For consistency, the Climber should have been the Super Spartan and the Deluxe Climber the Deluxe Spartan.  Regardless, it is too bad this model is discontinued.

[Farmer X]

When you give birth to a Daily thread you must feed the thing.

And I will get that one see-through SAK spiffed up and photogenic this week.

For consistency, the Climber should have been the Super Spartan and the Deluxe Climber the Deluxe Spartan.  Regardless, it is too bad this model is discontinued.

on both counts. It would probably sell briskly if re-released.

[AzteCypher]

Beautiful shade of green there Nate.   

Gary, I see your red translucent Vic and raise you a red translucent Wenger.

[nate j]

It would probably sell briskly if re-released.

Given what some Deluxe Climbers have gone for recently (see pic), this might be a safe bet.


I imagine a conversation between me and Vic on this topic going something like this…

Me:  Why is the Deluxe Climber discontinued?  It’s an awesome four-layer SAK!

Vic:  It’s too similar to the Deluxe Tinker.

Me:  The corkscrew is a far superior and more versatile tool than the back side Phillips, especially once the mini-screwdriver is factored in, but that’s a separate subject.  You offer the Spartan & Tinker,  Hiker & Camper, Climber & Super Tinker, Huntsman & Fieldmaster.  Why not the Deluxe Climber?

Vic:  Well, there’s the Deluxe Tinker.

Me:  The Deluxe Climber was the favorite SAK of a former romantic interest of one of the Elseners, wasn’t it?  That’s the real reason it’s discontinued, isn’t it?

Vic:  I’m not going to dignify that with a response.


Joking aside, I suspect one of the major drivers, if not the driver, of decisions about which models to keep and which to discontinue is sales figures (which of course we don’t have access to).

If Vic re-releases the Deluxe Climber or opens a custom shop (which a recent survey suggests they are at least considering), I’d be sure to stock up.

[Farmer X]

Jeez! How many different bidders threw their hats into the ring?

[nate j]

Jeez! How many different bidders threw their hats into the ring?

Only five, but they kept bidding up the price.

[IMR4198]

   See through with a nice Australian croc.  Best wishes.  G
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[Farmer X]

 

[AzteCypher]

Wow!  That's a lot of cash for that Deluxe Climber.  Feels very overpriced to me.

Here's something a little more reasonable.  A Victorinox Delémont NailClip 580. 

[IMR4198]

   For some reason, I wish Victorinox had left the Wenger brand on the knives after their takeover of the Delemont operation.  It feels like Ibach wanted to erase the banner of their vanquished rival or something.  I suppose closing down the excess manufacturing capability made sense from a business standpoint.  Still, it didn't end well. 
   It seems like business thrives when there is some competition.  Wenger gave some competition, while never threatening the survival of Victorinox.  The competition kept both of them on their toes.  With no rival, will Victorinox eventually do the knife making equivalent of sitting on the sofa with a six-pack and leftover pizza while watching Housewives of Cincinnati?  Could be.  Best wishes.  G
 

[AzteCypher]

Very good point.  Competition drives innovation.  If some of the other SAK-A-Like manufacturers would step up their game a bit, perhaps Victorinox wouldn't rest on their laurels as much.  I've taken a shine to several SAK-A-Likes out there and I think there's potential.  They just need to push a little harder.  Only time will tell.

[Farmer X]

 

[nate j]

In spite of Vic’s inability to get the Delemont operation to a place of financial viability, I believe they still achieved at least one of their main objectives in purchasing Wenger.  Namely, to prevent Wenger’s IP from falling into the hands of someone who would have cheap SAK-alike garbage made in China with the Wenger name on it.  (This has happened to more than one once-proud US cutlery brand.).  And if that had happened, it might have devalued Vic’s brand as well.

I don’t buy the idea that Vic has no competition without Wenger.  Sure, they might not have competition from another Swiss KBMT manufacturer also laying claim to the term Swiss Army Knife, but they are still competing for pocket space and customer dollars with LM and a host of other knife and tool companies.

I believe the Elsener family feels a great sense of responsibility:  to pass on a solid business to the next generation of the family; to their employees, suppliers, and the local economy; to Swiss national pride; etc.  So I think we’ll see Vic continue to innovate;  after all, new tools like the Companion with its box opener, Pioneer X, Farmer X, Hunter Pro, and Evoke were all released well after Vic acquired Wenger.  And it is prudent for a company to spend at least some money developing new and or better products.

What we won’t see is Vic overextending themselves by writing a blank check to R&D, or recklessly betting the whole business on some unproven concept.

[G-Dizzle]

In spite of Vic’s inability to get the Delemont operation to a place of financial viability, I believe they still achieved at least one of their main objectives in purchasing Wenger.  Namely, to prevent Wenger’s IP from falling into the hands of someone who would have cheap SAK-alike garbage made in China with the Wenger name on it.  (This has happened to more than one once-proud US cutlery brand.).  And if that had happened, it might have devalued Vic’s brand as well.

I don’t buy the idea that Vic has no competition without Wenger.  Sure, they might not have competition from another Swiss KBMT manufacturer also laying claim to the term Swiss Army Knife, but they are still competing for pocket space and customer dollars with LM and a host of other knife and tool companies.

I believe the Elsener family feels a great sense of responsibility:  to pass on a solid business to the next generation of the family; to their employees, suppliers, and the local economy; to Swiss national pride; etc.  So I think we’ll see Vic continue to innovate;  after all, new tools like the Companion with its box opener, Pioneer X, Farmer X, Hunter Pro, and Evoke were all released well after Vic acquired Wenger.  And it is prudent for a company to spend at least some money developing new and or better products.

What we won’t see is Vic overextending themselves by writing a blank check to R&D, or recklessly betting the whole business on some unproven concept.

This is a reminder that I need to find a S557 for a good price before they all dry up!

[G-Dizzle]

Edit: Posted again by mistake

[AzteCypher]

That's a fair point Nate.  Victorinox does care about their history and name sake so I can see them making slight improvements as they go along.  Perhaps not as much as we'd like but we can rest assured that we can rely on Vic quality unlike other quality brands that have fallen to cheaper Chinese production.

They do have other competitors out there but they don't always feel like direct competitors, "yet".

[IMR4198]

    See through Tinker and a Leatherman.  The Leatherman sneaked into the photo and the Tinker tried to chase it off, but it must have been too big.  Best wishes.  G
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[MacGeezer]

The very first run (or 2) of Cybertools had great looking translucent plus scales.

[nate j]

The discontinued Cybertool S is the only one of Cybertool line I feel is really comfortable as a pocket carry.

It is also the most comfortable model to use, as its height roughly approximates its width, and the bit driver is perfectly centered within the tool.

It’s a great choice if you have a lot of screwing to do.  Wait, that doesn’t sound quite right, but you know what I mean.

[IMR4198]

 

[Farmer X]

The Leatherman sneaked into the photo and the Tinker tried to chase it off, but it must have been too big.

The discontinued Cybertool S is the only one of Cybertool line I feel is really comfortable as a pocket carry.

Here are a couple for See-Through Sunday. Both need a bath, but are presentable enough. The pink Classic SD belonged to Mrs. FX. The orange Rally is the better of the two I own.

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[IMR4198]

Nice.  The Rally is very underappreciated, I think.  Good to see some pretty 58mm items.  Best wishes.  G
 

[Farmer X]

  And I agree that the Rally is underappreciated. It kinda lives in the shadows of the Classic ilk and the Rambler.

[AzteCypher]

This right here is a Classic pair.

[Farmer X]

  Are those transparent dark blue scales? If so, I'll have to find a set and slap 'em on Tatty Rally after it gets a new blade!

[AzteCypher]

Yup!  Back of the package says Ocean Blue but it looks like a deep blue to me.

[Farmer X]

I hope I'll be able to get a set of those on Tatty Rally!

[kaevin]

Similar to AzteCypher.
This Classic SD is my first SAK I got from a R&S training.

[IMR4198]

Got to be Sunday somewhere.  Need to post a see-through SAK.  Best wishes.  Gary (IMR)
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