In the recent runs from Victorinox we observed higher than usual rate of quality issues, such as anodizing damage, so it seems that the economic issues also had impact on the level of quality control.
I've never seen a Swiss Bianco in the Netherlands, so it doesn't matter much to me. Good news for other modders, though.
Reads like a passive aggressive swipe at Victorinox... and I cannot gauge whether it is bitterness, legitimate or somewhere in between. What it means?
I have already seen questions asked (on another forum) about Vics quality.... :facepalm: If there was a chance for SB to get future models...that quality comment will probably be the final nail in their coffin. :twak:
QuoteIn the recent runs from Victorinox we observed higher than usual rate of quality issues, such as anodizing damage, so it seems that the economic issues also had impact on the level of quality control.
Comes off a little...ungracious?
A little "I slept with your brother" called over the shoulder as you leave the resturaunt after being dumped...
It does have a hint of sour grapes about it. When he says "current tough economic conditions forced Victorinox management to stop pursuing development and production of the best possible SAK," I did wonder if it really just means Victorinox management have made a commercial decision to stop giving him the special deal he's had, that they've never done for anyone else.
Yes and no. While Vics is top notch, they quality has dropped some what. It is still better than most. I do agree with what Sak Guy said and there comments put the last nail in there coffin. Good. No Alox should cost that much. I used to talk to Roger all the time.......you know what, I will keep that to myself. If you dig up the past, all you get is dirty. I wished he went with his FSB Neck Angels and ran with that. Those where some sweet blades. Anyways, I do feel sorry for the peeps who bought them. But I hope Vic does it from here on out and should be able to do it cheaper with no middle man driving up the cost.I have already seen questions asked (on another forum) about Vics quality.... :facepalm: If there was a chance for SB to get future models...that quality comment will probably be the final nail in their coffin. :twak:
I agree about the quality comment and don't think personally that there has been any slip in their QC :shrug:
Also hearing that Vic is struggling, not good...
Also hearing that Vic is struggling, not good...
Not good if there's any truth in it. Which is a big "if".
The peices are all coming together now. I was over on another knife forum a few days ago and someone had asked Rodger about a possible future run of electrician plus'. He commented back with:
"thanks for the suggestion, victorinox does not work on the quest of the best swiss knife anymore and therefore such a model will not be made anytime soon. we work on a better alternative and in time we will see what variations we will offer."
I thought his response was alittle odd. :think:
Also hearing that Vic is struggling, not good...
Not good if there's any truth in it. Which is a big "if".
:rofl:The peices are all coming together now. I was over on another knife forum a few days ago and someone had asked Rodger about a possible future run of electrician plus'. He commented back with:
"thanks for the suggestion, victorinox does not work on the quest of the best swiss knife anymore and therefore such a model will not be made anytime soon. we work on a better alternative and in time we will see what variations we will offer."
I thought his response was alittle odd. :think:
OMG!!!! I hope he's not moving to Swiza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :facepalm:
Awwww, poor Roger. Breaks my heart....
::)
The Guy has dealt poorly and in a childish manner with one of our members in the past,
here he is doing it again trying to start rumours
Just sour grapes! (We need an emoticon just for him)
Regarding Swissbianco, does anyone know who some Jan S. is?
Okay, I have a question.
I may be too old to grasp it, or set in my ways to understand, but just what does this Swiss Bianco do besides sell custom color SAK's at an greatly inflated price?
I've visited his web site and tried to fathom it, but I really can't. It's just like buying a new car and paying lots of money for a custom color paint job on something that is going to be used up in 10 or 15 years. Maybe I'm way too pragmatic for my own good, but I've never understood the Swiss Bianco thing. Bu then I shoot standard firearms, and the truck I bought new in 2001 still has the same wheels and paint job it came with with, and runs great. A little dinged up and 147,000 on the clock, but it's always done the job. Kind of like my Old Wenger SI in plain old silver alox.
What made folks spent three and four times the money on a alox pointer or farmer just for a different color alox? Swiss Bianco seems like a version of Peter Atwood with greatly inflated prices on trendy toys for adults.
I've been using SAK's since 1969, and in 47 years of use, on four different continents and one war in Vietnam, I've never had a SAK fail me. So what is this Swiss Bianco selling that makes a SAK better, or as he puts it, the perfect SAK?
I'd love to be enlightened!
Okay, I have a question.
I may be too old to grasp it, or set in my ways to understand, but just what does this Swiss Bianco do besides sell custom color SAK's at an greatly inflated price?
I've visited his web site and tried to fathom it, but I really can't. It's just like buying a new car and paying lots of money for a custom color paint job on something that is going to be used up in 10 or 15 years. Maybe I'm way too pragmatic for my own good, but I've never understood the Swiss Bianco thing. Bu then I shoot standard firearms, and the truck I bought new in 2001 still has the same wheels and paint job it came with with, and runs great. A little dinged up and 147,000 on the clock, but it's always done the job. Kind of like my Old Wenger SI in plain old silver alox.
What made folks spent three and four times the money on a alox pointer or farmer just for a different color alox? Swiss Bianco seems like a version of Peter Atwood with greatly inflated prices on trendy toys for adults.
I've been using SAK's since 1969, and in 47 years of use, on four different continents and one war in Vietnam, I've never had a SAK fail me. So what is this Swiss Bianco selling that makes a SAK better, or as he puts it, the perfect SAK?
I'd love to be enlightened!
The different colored alox ones are just a personal taste preference. Same reason they offer cars in different colors and paint schemes and different interior option packages. The plain jane base model vehicle will get you where your going just the same as a model with all the bells and whistles will, but some like having the extras.
But a different color of scales won't make the knife cut any better that just a plain silver one. It's just nice to have an option should you care to pay for it. No biggee. And if you have a stock of different colors, it is easier to properly accessorize when getting dressed to make sure your knife color matches your socks that day. Lol.
I totally relate to colors effecting mood and gravitate towards blues. But I don't have the need to collect the same knife in every color. I prefer to collect all the different models in one color, so it's a matching set with all the variations. Just how my brain likes to organise things.
But I do like to be able to choose a cool color that resonates with me. It's usually blue of some type.
I'm like a bower bird with blue.
Blue pioneer x posted on another thread was beckoning me earlier.
Reads like a passive aggressive swipe at Victorinox... and I cannot gauge whether it is bitterness, legitimate or somewhere in between. What it means?
That's what I thought. They should be grateful to stand in the heavy shadow of Victorinox. Victorinox will still be here when SB will long have been gone. I don't respect whoever doesn't respect the Elsener legacy.
Aἰδώς Ἀργεῖοι. Shame Argives!
I've purchased of few of his alox electrician runs in the earth tone colors since electrician is my favorite model, and it was kinda nice to have a couple in something besides silver or red. They were at a higher price than a one, but it was basically the only way I could get a brown electrician for instance. And now, if I'm being honest, I still carry a silver or red one most of the time anyway. Lol.
But other than those couple, most my alox has been to and came back from the modders and the guys we have here do a great job. I did not notice any quality issues in the SB ones I purchased either though.
Having been a member here for quite awhile, I recall Roger getting pretty worked up over modders, citing the quality control issue, costs, yadayada. To me, that was a non-issue, since a modder not doing decent work, or not running his shop properly, will soon be shut down due to poor reviews. He seemed to view knife variations other than factory offering as his private domain. That didn't work out too well for him in the long run it seems.
I guess if Vic would have offered deals like this with some of our other well known modders, his exclusive deal wouldn't have been so irritating.
Truthfully, what I find more irritating currently is what Vic is doing with all these slight shading alox variations, limited release colors to different parts of the world, all that stuff. All at higher prices as well. Just like Roger was doing. Aimed right at the collectors.
But, as others have said, nobody is forcing you to buy them. And Vic wouldn't be cranking them out if they were not selling I would imagine.
It'll be interesting to see, say in a year, if there are still these rumors concerning Victorinox floating around. I don't see them going anywhere.
Swiss Blanco = George
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgC7z_vR78U
From the Swiss Bianco newsletter (http://swissbianco.ca/Newsletter/SwissBianco_NL_2016_3.htm):
"The latest news from Switzerland is that the current tough economic conditions forced Victorinox management to stop pursuing development and production of the best possible SAK and to limit themselves to basic models and colors. As a result, none of the Swiss Bianco special models and colors will be produced any longer. There is a short window of opportunity for collectors to purchase the pieces we still have in stock, as once they are gone, that's it!
In the recent runs from Victorinox we observed higher than usual rate of quality issues, such as anodizing damage, so it seems that the economic issues also had impact on the level of quality control. We are thankful to Mr. Elsener and Victorinox for the past co-operation with us and hoping that this iconic company will be able to weather the storm."
Thoughts?
From the Swiss Bianco newsletter (http://swissbianco.ca/Newsletter/SwissBianco_NL_2016_3.htm):
"The latest news from Switzerland is that the current tough economic conditions forced Victorinox management to stop pursuing development and production of the best possible SAK and to limit themselves to basic models and colors. As a result, none of the Swiss Bianco special models and colors will be produced any longer. There is a short window of opportunity for collectors to purchase the pieces we still have in stock, as once they are gone, that's it!
In the recent runs from Victorinox we observed higher than usual rate of quality issues, such as anodizing damage, so it seems that the economic issues also had impact on the level of quality control. We are thankful to Mr. Elsener and Victorinox for the past co-operation with us and hoping that this iconic company will be able to weather the storm."
Thoughts?
(http://forum.multitool.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=68119.0;attach=283378;image)
I always thought it was very weird how one guy was able to order a miraculous range of SAKs in a bewildering array of colours directly from Victorinox which he would then sell on at an enormous profit.
Those extra microns of colour on the scales were very seductive, but in the end I really couldn't justify spending hundreds of dollars on SAKS that would sit around unused. I have in the past had some fancy Alox and planned to use it, but I'd always think - hm, why not use a cheaper SAK instead of ruining this beauty?
Well I guess old SwissBianco's going to have a harder time making a living, now that he can no longer sell Davy's Grey Carvers and the like. Love him or loathe him, he will always be remembered as the man who gave us the most awesome SAKs of all time, glowing in the radiated glare of Apocalypse Green.
Man, I wish I'd ordered some of those!
So, good luck Mr SwissBianco, and thanks for giving us some whacky SAKs to lust after, even if we couldn't necessarily afford them!
Is that Carver SW knife sold by Victorinox in any color?
The next SAK that has these tools combined is the XAVT, which isn't much of a user.
The next SAK that has these tools combined is the XAVT, which isn't much of a user.
Haha! If I was a millionaire, and King Kong, that would be my EDC. As it is, Mr Bianco's Carver is pretty special SAK - and I think he still has a few for sale...
I always thought it was very weird how one guy was able to order a miraculous range of SAKs in a bewildering array of colours directly from Victorinox
Is that Carver SW knife sold by Victorinox in any color?
As far as I am aware, Mr SwissBianco is the only man in the universe who can provide you with such things.
I always thought it was very weird how one guy was able to order a miraculous range of SAKs in a bewildering array of colours directly from Victorinox
This is what I'm really curious about. Im sure there's plenty of licensed Vic dealers that would love that kind of arrangement. How was one man able to secure this deal? Why did they do it for him and not others? I realize there is sort of a semi custom program for promo knives but it's generally just custom graphics on the blade or scales. He had to be friends with somebody at Vic, or some kind of connection. Surely there are larger dealers that could have bought these in even greater numbers from Vic...
I dont have any opinion on it, it's just odd to me that one person was given this special deal. Good or bad whatever it suggests some kind of a backstory.
It seems some of us are infected w/one of the 7 Deadly Sins: Envy.Good points, but I personally dislike the market that he produced by over-valuing these aluminum handle knives by adding color. Then, by not producing enough to meet demand, they automatically skyrocket in value and cause such a stir. This is not how I feel business should be done. These are only my two cents - and I do find your post somewhat informative.
I have dealt w/him almost since his arrival in the US & I have purchased his offering w/o any problems. In fact, about a year ago I bought his Apoc. Farmer Firesteel. When I ran my fingers over the scale, I felt a scratch: one of the rivets was sticking above the surface. I contacted him & he suggested I send it back & he would send me another that was somewhat better. It was then that he told me there was a problem about QC at Ibach.
Are his products overpriced? No more that any other dealer of SAKs. And look what some of his knives are selling for on ebay today.
Is he unique in getting special deals from Vic? No more that other dealers; see, for example, SK, SMS, Edelweiss, et al. Some of these even get bicolor & numbered Alox.
Does he get special treatment from Vic? Maybe, too many of us have forgotten his role in Vic's production of Damast blades.
I suggest we stop throwing stones at him. He has provided us w/products that many of us are anxious to have.
Has he made mistakes, has he said things that perhaps he should not have? Yes, but who of us has not?
Too many of us have forgotten why he came to the USA, the legal problems he had in his native land, & the personal problems he's had in recent years.
How many of those who have jumped on him can do what he has done: migrated to a new country, learned a new language, & established (I hope) a successful business at a time of economic stagnation in the US.
Is that Carver SW knife sold by Victorinox in any color?
As far as I am aware, Mr SwissBianco is the only man in the universe who can provide you with such things.
I am happy to hear you had no issues with the man. I however had a totally different experience on 2 separate occasions. Mind you, now that you have mentioned it, those could possibly be due to a language barrier.
With that said, he wasn't the only one. Victorinox had those limited runs of Alox numbering up to 50 quantity for a short time.
Imagine where I could have been back when I started if I was able to buy parts directly from Vic without having to take apart 1000 SAKS.
That first sentence of Swissbianco's second paragraph, regarding supposed quality control issues, is really out of place in the context of the newsletter.
What does it have to do with anything? Notice how it's crammed between the announcement, and the thanking of MrElsener.
Many folks have wondered how SB got his relationship with Victorinox????What?? :o :o :o
Maybe he just had to ask his 'Uncle Carl?"
Many folks have wondered how SB got his relationship with Victorinox????
Maybe he just had to ask his 'Uncle Carl?"
Imagine where I could have been back when I started if I was able to buy parts directly from Vic without having to take apart 1000 SAKS.
Yeah, but can anyone (including SwissB) order SAK parts ie Compact hooks, pruning blades etc and get them? As far as I know, he was ordering entire, finished SAKs and not just components. The strange thing, I thought, was that while other vendors had special colour Farmers, Pioneers etc, he had a number of configurations that were his and his alone. (Who else ever - in living memory - sold Carvers?) So he certainly got special treatment for some reason, or he was one hell of a negotiator.
Imagine where I could have been back when I started if I was able to buy parts directly from Vic without having to take apart 1000 SAKS.
Yeah, but can anyone (including SwissB) order SAK parts ie Compact hooks, pruning blades etc and get them? As far as I know, he was ordering entire, finished SAKs and not just components. The strange thing, I thought, was that while other vendors had special colour Farmers, Pioneers etc, he had a number of configurations that were his and his alone. (Who else ever - in living memory - sold Carvers?) So he certainly got special treatment for some reason, or he was one hell of a negotiator.
He claimed he could get parts but who knows. He did show pics of raw unanodized alox scales before that he got from Vic.
That's genius!Imagine where I could have been back when I started if I was able to buy parts directly from Vic without having to take apart 1000 SAKS.
Yeah, but can anyone (including SwissB) order SAK parts ie Compact hooks, pruning blades etc and get them? As far as I know, he was ordering entire, finished SAKs and not just components. The strange thing, I thought, was that while other vendors had special colour Farmers, Pioneers etc, he had a number of configurations that were his and his alone. (Who else ever - in living memory - sold Carvers?) So he certainly got special treatment for some reason, or he was one hell of a negotiator.
He claimed he could get parts but who knows. He did show pics of raw unanodized alox scales before that he got from Vic.
Some of the pics that he posted were from the parts bins in the Vic factory he took while he was visiting. He just threw his logo thing in the tray.
Actually, as I found out in a recent discussion with the Powers that Be at Victorinox, the Damascus SAK is NOT due to any influence or inspiration from Roger. In fact, the initial concept of a Damascus blade on a SAK was explored before Roger was even in contact with Victorinox.
According to Victorinox, Roger had absolutely nothing to do with the production of this knife. In case anyone thinks I am making this up because of past history with Roger, this topic came up during a conference call in which another highly respected member was also a part, and I'm certain he would be able to verify that the idea came from within Victorinox, not from +B.
Def
The Victorinox foundation, the biggest owner of Vic IIRC, has providing employment in Ibach as part of their charter.
Edit: Just wanted to add that their kitchen cutlery line seems to be going strong. It's "everywhere" here, and generally regarded as good price/performance.
The Victorinox foundation, the biggest owner of Vic IIRC, has providing employment in Ibach as part of their charter.
Edit: Just wanted to add that their kitchen cutlery line seems to be going strong. It's "everywhere" here, and generally regarded as good price/performance.
Indeed the cutlery seems to be everywhere in Finland a Victorinox set is in fact standard issue for chef students. It also is the standard for professional kitchens and found from any wholesaler and most supermarkets. and why not, they're affordable and effective.