New Victorinox Forum Coming

[Swisster]

a new forum and website is coming soon which probably means next year. Victorinox announced this today on their club letter that was sent out

[LoopCutter]

a new forum and website is coming soon which probably means next year.

Will it be subforum of MTo or is the new forum sponsored by  another group.

If the later, it really is not polite to promote the new site here within MTo.

Disrespectful IMHO.

[PitCarver]

Will it be subforum of MTo or is the new forum sponsored by  another group.

If the later, it really is not polite to promote the new site here within MTo.

Disrespectful IMHO.

I was wondering and thinking the same.

[Swisster]

it's a forum Victorinox has created and won't be anything like this forum or be in competition

[elsinox]

The forum is already online on community.victorinox.com But its only for the german speaking DACH region at the beginning.
And of course it competes with this forum, with facebook groups and sakwiki. Time is limited, and people go there where they see the most impact.

[MacGeezer]

Yes! Just read about this in the VSAKCS newsletter. Looking forward to it.

[LoopCutter]

It is interesting that Victorinox would employ this method considering the presence and support the community always provides.

Manufactures have done this before, usually driven by marketing group.  Have observed forums used to gleam info from customers, monitor likes and dislikes and or provide technical support.

And, on those same sites witness heavy handed moderation, threads deleted, members banned for negative posts.  Input must be awl SUNSHINE and RAINBOWS!   

I do hope it does not, as VICTORINOX traditionally is an ally to its customers and provide solid products.

[powernoodle]

Since this is a place of open discussion (except politics, religion and Vietnamese cooking  ), I see no harm in recognizing that other forums exist.  Of course they do.  We all know that.

Plus, MTO is the King of All Forums - it has no competition. 

[Alan K.]

Got the VSAKCS letter today too.  Thought the Japanese rescue set looked interesting.  I like Vietnamese cooking.

[Swisster]

I am just hoping for good special edition SAK's but they will sell out in 2 minutes every time they release. I also saw that all SAK's with lights are discontinued and I assume that includes SwissCard Lite also

[Jazz]

Even more discontinued? Soon there’ll be 5 models to choose from. Bring that up on their new forum, someone please.

[Huntsman]

For those of you who are not in VSAKCS - Here's what was written in the VSAKCS newsletter

One BIG bit of business I am proud to announce is the debut of the official Victorinox® Community Platform; an online forum designed exclusively for the Victorinox collecting community! I (ed: Jason - President of VSAKCS)  was honored to have an exclusive insight into this project prior to its initial release and am very excited to outline many of the details for you here!

Please keep in mind that everything is subject to change, and as I write this the page is not yet live.
Designed to help bring the worldwide community together in one place, this forum will feature language translation, direct company input, and verified user accounts. Users will have badges and titles pertaining to their involvement in the company and community. Victorinox® employees and official retailers will be labeled as such, so you’ll know who’s who, and who to trust. The website will have an integrated and ever-evolving collection database application where forum members can look up, record, and manage their own collections online, while also choosing to keep it private or make it public. I asked about the possibility of this program including custom made or altered editions and was told this is high on the minds of the legal team, so we’ll have to be patient as they work that out.

Forum participation will earn users points and badges with the potential for top users to earn small prizes, such as discount codes. To help ensure community exclusivity, forum membership is by invite only. An initial batch of the most influential community “Super-Users” will have the ability to extend a very limited number of invites to friends, who will then have the ability to earn their own invite codes to hand out, keeping the community together, and growing participation naturally overtime.

An exclusive community designed knife will also be available to members. Design aspects will be determined by community polls, and a limited time pre-order process will determine the quantity produced (only one per member!).
This April the forum is scheduled to launch for a limited audience in the DACH region (Switzerland, Germany, Austria). An exclusive presentation in Ibach for many of the local “Super-Users” kicked off the event, each got the opportunity to assemble their own personalized Compact with a gold plated “Super-User” engraved blade! Depending on how this beta test goes, expect to see a global launch in early 2026, if not sooner!

Sounds a little strange, and somewhat exclusive .... invitation only?  ....... Really!!
And some interesting features - (some copied from us) - And some features not as good as what we have here

@LoopCutter - As the Swiss Army Knights here at MT.o -  I think it is good for us to be aware of what is going on in the Victorinox world especially as this is directly from Victorinox.
And Elsinox is spot on - It will compete with us, SAKWiki and Facebook groups
 

Since this is a place of open discussion (except politics, religion and Vietnamese cooking  ), I see no harm in recognizing that other forums exist.  Of course they do.  We all know that. Plus, MT.o is the King of All Forums - it has no competition.

But of course Powernoodle is right   !!      

[Huntsman]

Victorinox announced this today on their club letter that was sent out

One small point of clarification and correction here:
Despite its name sounding to the contrary - The VSAKCS club is not owned, managed or controlled by Victorinox.

It is an independent US-based club formed about 25 years ago and is managed out of a cutlery and kitchenware shop in Maine, USA.

Although it does have quite close ties to Victominox - eg The shop is a Victorinox importer and dealer
You can read a little more about it here:
https://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=VSAKCS+-+Anniversary+Knife+Series    ..... bottom of the page.

[LoopCutter]

@Huntsman - This reply (posting) is most informative!  THANK YOU!

The invite strategy is unique and appears straight from GOOGLES PLAYBOOK, when GMAIL was released to the world.  It controlled the chaos and assisted in developing a platform to be functional and grow at a pace that was manageable.

So much clarity and insight in your message. Thank you again.   

[elsinox]

If someone wants/needs an invitation code to the new community just let me know.

[Swisster]

I have been on the Victorinox Forum and it’s very unimpressive and looks to be little more than Victorinox fishing for consumer information. We will see more deletions than additions in the future. They are whittling away what ever they can. They are clearly in financial difficulty and now attempting to reach out to consumers to save their sinking ship.

[nate j]

They are clearly in financial difficulty and now attempting to reach out to consumers to save their sinking ship.

I hope this isn’t the case.  If it is…

[LoopCutter]

I hope you wrong  Swisster😕

A few years ago a marketing firm or internal group attempted new marketing strategies within Victorinox and from view point it was directed to young adults, beyond high school, maybe college or new generation of hikers, outdoors types and campers, even global hopping young people.   Ignoring the established market and delivering the reliables.

Today seems this forum concept is a new trick to learn what they already should know.   I have seen it done before on firms riding the downside of a bell curve…

In my humble opinion, VICTORINOX could improve their foundation by revisiting the WENGER models that have a loyal following, reintroducing RETRO VERSIONS, updated colors or materials like Micarta, or even ALOX!

I delved into the 84 and 91mm series last month, and added several variations to try.  Yet I found I liked the CORK SCREW backside tool, and reconnected with the SPARTAN, but found I liked the Sportsman, Compact and Companion is on my radar.  Even a MOUNTAINEER satisfied an itch because of the HD File and less layers than the Ranger and Field Master.

Yet, fellow participants who shared their WENGER models were very proud.

Time will tell!!!

[gustophersmob]

Victorinox (the world’s largest knife maker, mind you) starts a forum and now their ship is sinking?

[ReamerPunch]

I hope you wrong  Swisster😕

A few years ago a marketing firm or internal group attempted new marketing strategies within Victorinox and from view point it was directed to young adults, beyond high school, maybe college or new generation of hikers, outdoors types and campers, even global hopping young people.   Ignoring the established market and delivering the reliables.

Today seems this forum concept is a new trick to learn what they already should know.   I have seen it done before on firms riding the downside of a bell curve…

In my humble opinion, VICTORINOX could improve their foundation by revisiting the WENGER models that have a loyal following, reintroducing RETRO VERSIONS, updated colors or materials like Micarta, or even ALOX!

I delved into the 84 and 91mm series last month, and added several variations to try.  Yet I found I liked the CORK SCREW backside tool, and reconnected with the SPARTAN, but found I liked the Sportsman, Compact and Companion is on my radar.  Even a MOUNTAINEER satisfied an itch because of the HD File and less layers than the Ranger and Field Master.

Yet, fellow participants who shared their WENGER models were very proud.

Time will tell!!!

They can look at the competition that took some of the market they occupy.
Boker/Ruike/Sanrenmu uses G10, screws, pocket clips, and one-handed blades in their City tools etc, so I bought the LD51-B, and I like it a lot.
Roxon offers modularity and a bit driver in the Companion, and I got it, and the Flex, plus a couple of implement packs, which would be around $300 AUS I think.
Schrade/Flexcut offer a carving pocket knife, with wood-working blades, so I got one.
Leatherman, Gerber, Swiza, MKM, Fox Knives, James Brand, Bibury, everyone seems to have their own SAK-alike tool now, and though they are look like a SAK, some more than others, they are hurting Vic sales.

[LoopCutter]

Sincerest form of flattery!

VICTORINOX is not just about SAKs, it is a BRAND!  Watches, luggage, scents, and what ever.

Boosting the brand I am certain is the game, a forum to learn consumer input is the least successful and I imho the lazy method and least efficient method to do so.

The SWISS people are traditionally stoic, and I dare say, they enrolled assistance from a French Marketing Company, one that puts forth the least effort yet claims they are ahead of others in their methods.

No offense intended toward the French members here or other hard working people of France.

[pfrsantos]

a new forum and website is coming soon which probably means next year. Victorinox announced this today on their club letter that was sent out

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

 

If someone wants/needs an invitation code to the new community just let me know.

Thank you for the offer. After reading awl the barriers they put to people just joining and how they intend to "reward" members and create a database with data from users, I lost my interest (if any I had to lose).

[PitCarver]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

 
Thank you for the offer. After reading awl the barriers they put to people just joining and how they intend to "reward" members and create a database with data from users, I lost my interest (if any I had to lose).

I attempted to check it out.

[elsinox]

Well, honestly, I don't understand the criticism of this new community at all. I even wonder if these critical people are even in the right place here or there?!? If you're not interested in Victorinox and don't care about the brand/company, what are you doing here or there? I don't understand. Or are you afraid that it will become competition to MTO? Because that's almost certainly what it will.
This new community can offer what no forum, no Facebook group, nothing else can offer. Direct contact with Victorinox. Currently, you can ask Victorinox employees questions directly, which will then be answered. Carl Elsener contacted the members directly. Has he ever been to this MTO forum before? Does anyone here have a direct line to Victorinox? I doubt it. Various employees at Victorinox are actively reading the new Victorinox Community. All employees have access – and they use it. Are they here? No.
And regarding data protection: I have no idea how it's handled here; it's probably in private hands. But the community's data protection guidelines are x times better than any Facebook group or any other channel like Instagram or TikTok.
And yes, it's a corporate forum, and they want to profit from it. But that's perfectly fine. I care about Victorinox, and if that's the path they think will be successful, then let them pursue it. I support anything that helps Victorinox and makes them successful, as long as they produce pocket knives.
And sorry, Victorinox is on the verge of collapse? I haven't heard such nonsense in years...

[Sos24]

Sincerest form of flattery!

I agree.  Yet the issue I think Victorinox is seeing is some people liking the imitations better.  As @ReamerPunch mentions, the imitators are giving people preferred scale materials, one- hand opening, modularity, better steels, etc.

Instead of innovation, Victorinox gives the same old iconic red plastic-like scales or Limited Editions, which only draw the collectors but not the true users.  If Victorinox doesn’t want to keep losing to the imitators, they need to look at what people want and find a way to give it to them

[gustophersmob]

They can look at the competition that took some of the market they occupy.
Boker/Ruike/Sanrenmu uses G10, screws, pocket clips, and one-handed blades in their City tools etc, so I bought the LD51-B, and I like it a lot.
Roxon offers modularity and a bit driver in the Companion, and I got it, and the Flex, plus a couple of implement packs, which would be around $300 AUS I think.
Schrade/Flexcut offer a carving pocket knife, with wood-working blades, so I got one.
Leatherman, Gerber, Swiza, MKM, Fox Knives, James Brand, Bibury, everyone seems to have their own SAK-alike tool now, and though they are look like a SAK, some more than others, they are hurting Vic sales.

I agree.  Yet the issue I think Victorinox is seeing is some people liking the imitations better.  As @ReamerPunch mentions, the imitators are giving people preferred scale materials, one- hand opening, modularity, better steels, etc.

Instead of innovation, Victorinox gives the same old iconic red plastic-like scales or Limited Editions, which only draw the collectors but not the true users.  If Victorinox doesn’t want to keep losing to the imitators, they need to look at what people want and find a way to give it to them

It would be interesting to see how much these alternatives are actually "hurting" Vic.  Outside of knife/tool forums and reddit, I've never seen one.  I see SAKs everywhere.

I know Vic can't just rest on it laurels and assume it will always be king of the hill, but I have a feeling restrictive knife laws and general public sentiment against knives is a far, far greater impact than a couple of comparatively low-volume sales SAK-alikes.  Heck, I bet the old Chinese "Q" SAK clones sold far more than all or RP's list combined (with the possible exception of Letherman and Gerber) and I never remember people saying they were taking market share from Vic. 

IDK, but I am genuinely curious how all these things impact their bottom line.

[Explorer]

[Sos24]

It would be interesting to see how much these alternatives are actually "hurting" Vic.  Outside of knife/tool forums and reddit, I've never seen one.  I see SAKs everywhere.

I know Vic can't just rest on it laurels and assume it will always be king of the hill, but I have a feeling restrictive knife laws and general public sentiment against knives is a far, far greater impact than a couple of comparatively low-volume sales SAK-alikes.  Heck, I bet the old Chinese "Q" SAK clones sold far more than all or RP's list combined (with the possible exception of Letherman and Gerber) and I never remember people saying they were taking market share from Vic. 

IDK, but I am genuinely curious how all these things impact their bottom line.

I think the negative sentiment towards knives definitely plays a role.  It used to shock me in the recent decade or so that many people don’t carry a pocket knife.  Although, it is funny how many relatives/friends who I gifted a SAK to know carry it all the time despite previously never carrying one.

I do doubt the SAK-a-likes are taking a lot away from Victorinox.  That being said I have seen many people outside of the knife and MT world who do go for them.  James Brand and Boker are two I find popular with people who are into EDC (flashlights, coins, fidgets, etc) in addition to knives) or bags

[Farmer X]

If Victorinox doesn’t want to keep losing to the imitators, they need to look at what people want and find a way to give it to them

A few additional steel options and some more modern scale materials would probably prompt quite a few people to give Victorinox a second look. And while I'm wishing, how about offering more wood scale options (as opposed to getting rid of wood altogether)?

[elsinox]

One thing to remember: Victorinox serves a mass market. They aren't designed to cater to individual needs. I don't think they care if they lose a few percent to modders/alternatives. They can't please everyone. And that's okay. There are plenty of small manufacturers where you can order/have your custom knife made, with the steel you want, with the scale of your choice. You just won't pay $20 or $30 for it, but easily $200-$300.
What I know for sure: if Victorinox saw great potential in something (different steel, different scales, different tools), they would produce it. In the past, they've tried countless things, some successfully, some not. What's no longer available wasn't successful. It's that simple.
I see it with tourists who come here by the thousands. In the knife shops: they want the red Victorinox SAK, nothing else. No SWIZA, no products from Solingen, no expensive custom knives. Why? Because they're familiar with it, because it stands for durability, Swissness, and high quality at a good price. SAK with wooden scales? No thanks, that's definitely not a real SAK.