Victorinox Bladeless models are out

[gustophersmob]

I really am in a grumpy mood tonight       
- As someone said above, the naming of these models is all over the place, and a right effing mess!!

• Companion: 91mm .... The model we awlready know
  
• Companion Slim Alox:  94mm ....  Scissors, screwdriver, box opener
  
• Companion X Alox:  94mm ....  Scissors only
  
• Companion S Alox:  58mm .... Scissors, combi tool
  

So we have a 'Slim' model that is actually fatter than the X model
Talking of X - Didn't X in Victorinox parlance mean scissors - So shouldn't they all be Xs   
And we have a Companion S Alox and Companion X Alox - So these two should be pretty similar - Right?        
Wrong ! !!!      They are totally different and not even the same frame size   
And talking of the Companion S Alox model - That's actually a Jetsetter - Isn't it ?      

The only name that makes any sense is the Companion - A 91mm model
Oh? ....  But wait a minute ..... Wasn't that a 58mm model?     - Well kind of - as long as you forget about the 74mm Companion

The scissors is the only thing they have in common !! They dont seem like a family!   
You'd at least think it was the box-opener as this tool was introduced by the Companion

And 94mm .... Really why?  New scale size for the same sized tools Surely they are 93mm

Oh dear Victorinox - What a mess!! and totally confusing
Time to have a chat with your product managers and marketing department
- Or were these guys brought in new for this release? As they clearly do not understand the market and helpful naming!

And don't forget, the limited edition damast companion has a small blade and not a nail file.  Yet another model with the companion name with a different tool set.


I'd actually be tempted by the damast model if it still had the nail file.  Probably best it doesn't, I don't need to spend $280 on a SAK at the moment.

[BPRoberts]

Sometimes, it seems to me like Vic simply doesn't prioritize the English speaking/overseas market. They're a Swiss company, so they go for Europe and German first, totally fair (although last I heard the US was their biggest volume market). I decided to poke around a bit on the Swiss version of the website to see if they were making a little more sense.

1. The Companion Slim Alox, despite being used in a page header image, doesn't exist on the English Switzerland page.

2. I switched to German, since that's the primary language for Ibach. The Alox Slim still isn't there. The Companion X Alox (which is listed under the English name. I never realized the English names were universal.) is. It's listed at 94mm there as well. Mistake? Were they designed by the US team and lazily converted? (I guess we could be getting a new frame size, but that feels like a million to one shot.) There are two descriptions, same as English. Google Translate says the German one says:

Discover a multi-talented tool that makes everyday cutting tasks easier. The slim, pocket-sized Companion X Alox is perfect for productive days at the office or creative projects at home. The Companion X Alox combines Swiss precision with sophisticated, iconic design. It's the result of our vision to simplify your everyday life with style.

Very close to the English:

Discover an everyday companion that is ready to help you in all kinds of cutting tasks. Pocket-sized and streamlined, the Companion X Alox is the perfect assistant for a productive day in the office or a creative day at home. Combining Swiss made precision with smart and iconic design, the Companion X Alox is a result of the Victorinox vision to make your everyday life easier with style.

I think everyday cutting tasks addresses our issues with "all kinds of." Other than that, pretty similar. The second one is also nearly the same.

I was able to get to the Slim Alox by finding it on the US page and then switching to the Swiss version. It's still listed as 94mm. The first description is in German, and other than substituting our for Victorinox in one spot, translates virtually identically. The second one is in English, I guess they didn't get around to translating it yet.

If I'm reading the tea leaves, I'm thinking maybe these were designed by and/or for the US market. My understanding is that the standard in the EU is that you can fly with a small knife, and the US is the exception with their absolutely none rule. That would explain them being soft launched here (other countries are getting part of the line, but only the US is getting all 5) and the weird size if it was badly rounded from inches.

[IMR4198]

   Victorinox has changed the way they report the lengths on full sized alox SAKs.  In their 2004 catalog all knives built on the Pioneer frame are listed as 91mm.  The Soldier is listed as 91mm.  By 2008 all full sized alox SAKs are listed as 93mm.  Have the lengths changed or just how they measure or list them?  Best wishes.  G

[psyjohn]

I really am in a grumpy mood tonight       
- As someone said above, the naming of these models is all over the place, and a right effing mess!!

• Companion: 91mm .... The model we awlready know
  
• Companion Slim Alox:  94mm ....  Scissors, screwdriver, box opener
  
• Companion X Alox:  94mm ....  Scissors only
  
• Companion S Alox:  58mm .... Scissors, combi tool
  

I already have a 58mm and 74mm Companion in my collection, in addition to the special edition 91mm Companion.

Victorinox has a history of reusing names, like the 3 different Woodsman models, etc. Then there's the same model-different name issue. I have a President, Traveller, and Climber, which are all basically the same knife. This is going to require a lot of cross referencing in Sakwiki and long term confusion for collectors. [/list]

[Huntsman]

Yes PSYJ

We talk a bit about this in the new Wiki - Help pages - Bottom of the page.
https://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=SAKWiki+Structure
Please have a read, and see if it makes sense/reads well, and let us know of any changes/improvements/suggestions
We even use your example!! - Great minds - eh? 


Talking of the Wiki - The new Companion pages are up there awlready thanks to Nick4
https://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Victorinox+Companion+Collection

[psyjohn]

Wow! I had never seen that page before. I think it's very understandable and gives a great overview. It is funny we used the same example. 

[Huntsman]

     .... Yep they are new pages - Only created 4 months ago - Should have been there for ages!!

[ReamerPunch]

I was expecting a cop out for the names, like Bladeless Tinker, Bladeless Spartan, etc. But Companion everything is worse. At least I would have known what a Bladeless Climber had on it.

[Grand_Banana]

 I don’t mind the companion naming overall and I think it’s just part of their naming convention for the everyday consumer. But there are too many new models with the same name that might be confusing. The alox jetsetter is a bit annoying as a rename and certainly would confuse a lot of people I know trying to find it if I described the toolset. The small one with scissors and screwdriver but not the one with toothpick/tweezers. 

I’d like to see an Explorer with the nail file and package opener. I think someone said an Alox Companion with  pliers. No idea what they’d call it, maybe “companion thick.”   

[IMR4198]

Let's see.... an alox thingie with pliers?  You could call it the Compliant.  The late boxer George Foreman had a gang of kids.  Named five of them George.  A girl got named Georgetta.  That's what the new Victorinox spawn reminds me of.  Best wishes.  G
 

[ulzhan]

There is the alox slim.

[gustophersmob]

Cool! Can you confirm it’s actually 93mm and not 94mm like the website states?

[ulzhan]

Cool! Can you confirm it’s actually 93mm and not 94mm like the website states?

Gonna check it later.

It's the perfect kitchen tool. Opened some bags of cheese with the scissors, sliced through plastic foil with the box opener and finally opened a bottle of beer with the bottle opener.

Really like the box opener. If they add the fish scaler and also the pliers it would be almost perfect. Add the cyber tool layer and the magnifying glass - that would be heaven.

[psyjohn]

The late boxer George Foreman had a gang of kids.  Named five of them George.  A girl got named Georgetta.  That's what the new Victorinox spawn reminds me of.

 

[ulzhan]

The tool measures 93mm. If my eyesight isn't crooked.

[Huntsman]

JG does a good review as awlways

[Myron]

I just received the Companion Slim Alox (or whatever TF it's called) in red and gold.  Holding them up to an old Pioneer, they are exactly the same length.  Stupid and confusing naming conventions aside, I love this tool.  I use the scissors on my PX way more often than the blade, and I just picked up a Sentinel (111 mm solo) anyway. 

I'm glad to see red and gold back in a regular alox offering. 

[gustophersmob]

The tool measures 93mm. If my eyesight isn't crooked.

Thanks! 

I assumed the 94mm was an error, but you never know.

[gustophersmob]

I just received the Companion Slim Alox (or whatever TF it's called) in red and gold.  Holding them up to an old Pioneer, they are exactly the same length.  Stupid and confusing naming conventions aside, I love this tool.  I use the scissors on my PX way more often than the blade, and I just picked up a Sentinel (111 mm solo) anyway. 

I'm glad to see red and gold back in a regular alox offering.

I think the red and gold colors being offered is the most exciting part of this release. I hope they expand those to the rest of the alox line. It still boggles the mind you can’t get a current production pioneer in red.

[Myron]

The absence of a keyring is really nice, although I'm not a keyring hater by any means.  It just gives the tool a nice, clean, slim look and feel. 

The box cutter doesn't have a half-stop, but the cap lifter does.

The nail knick for the scissors is on the "right" side, although it never bothers me that's it's on the "wrong" side on all my Pioneer X's. 

And, as mentioned above, it is exactly the same length as our old trusty Pioneer-based favorites. 

Myron

[Ike582]

Does the box cutter have an exposed sharp edge that's going to encourage TSA employees from finding a way to pocket our new SAK?  I'd love to fly with it but have little faith in the overzealous TSA crews.

[Myron]

There's no way I would attempt to convince a TSA employee that my "multitool" isn't a "knife." 

[IMR4198]

Remember the 9-11 hijacks were done with 'box cutters.'
 

[gustophersmob]

Great pics, Myron, thanks!

[gustophersmob]

There's no way I would attempt to convince a TSA employee that my "multitool" isn't a "knife."

 

[Myron]

Thanks, all!   Aside from the silly nomenclature, I really like these new bladeless SAKs.  The colors are cool and the toolset is perfect for people who don't use an actual blade much. 

[cbl51]

I guess I'll have two be the one barking at the moon. 

I hate the very idea! 

It seems like Victorinox is caving to the politics of certain places, I don't know where, to make bladeless Swiss Army knives. Senless a phrase as military intelligence! Like a solution to an almost non existent problem. Even in the unarmed and pacifistic U.K., you can carry a folding knife with a 3 inch blade and no blade lock.

I hate to see Victorinox get caught up in reacting to political insanity.

[Brock O Lee]

There is the alox slim.

 

A few years ago I wanted to make a bladeless SAK, but could not get myself to butcher a perfectly fine Pioneer X. So instead I butchered a LM Micra. It works ok, but I prefer the alox SAK form factor and tools. I'll probably pick up one of these alox slims, because I haven't tried the package opener yet.

[nate j]

There's no way I would attempt to convince a TSA employee that my "multitool" isn't a "knife."

I’ve had some luck in the past with tools like the Wenger Swiss Clipper AT and LM Style PS.  That’s far from a guaranteed outcome though, especially since everything is ultimately up to the discretion of the individual TSA agent.

[Huntsman]

@CBL - I gotta disagree

Of course I am not happy about certain knife laws, and Oz is worse than the UK, whose laws, if you accept you will restrict usage, are pretty good, ie you can carry a regular SAK

However Victorinox have seen a market opportunity and have responded to it. I say well done, and good luck to them and this new range.

What fascinates me is that they went for Alox for the bladeless range. I would have thought it would be the 91mms that went forward on this. So will be interesting to see how that pans out.

These SAKs will be great for Australia where no blades are allowed, also for schools, teachers, government buildings etc.

I still don’t think any will be ok on airlines as screwdrivers and scissors can be confiscated by some authorities
John Gadget gives a slightly more positive summary of that at the end of his video.

PS. I will take your ‘unarmed and pacifist’ comment re the UK - which also applies to Oz - as a compliment