Multitool.org Forum
Tool Talk => Swiss Army Knights Forum => Topic started by: Chako on January 29, 2021, 12:53:22 AM
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I finally received my order of Swiza knives. I first heard of them back in 2015 but was not all that curious about them at the time...that is until I found myself stuck at home cruising Amazon two weeks ago and stumbled upon them by accident. It was at that point that I recalled I was curious about them when they first came out, and sort of forgotten about them until I saw them online.
I bought a nice assortment of them totaling 4 different knives. I wanted a nice little spread of Swiza functionality to see what they were all about.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50885191143_55c123ac02_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwxUvM)20210128_175022A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwxUvM) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
I bought the D07 for one thing...that weird looking scissors. When I saw that online, I was confused thinking it was a possible file and a saw or something other than scissors. Upon closer inspection, it just didn't look right. When I read the description, I just had to see what THAT was all about. Oh and before I forget, the knife blades on all of these Swiza knives are the same stainless steel colour as the backend. The blue colour is a reflection of the light and not a true indicator of the actual colour of the product.
Here is the D07 along with a Victorinox Delemont knife for size comparison.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50885911776_a564895e1d_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBAJu)20210128_175200A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBAJu) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
I will say right off, I am a fan of the Swiza ergonomic handle shape. It appears that the 4 models I have are all rubber handled giving the knife a nice tactile grip. I just hope it is not a rubber that will denature with age and get all gooey...a fear I have with rubber coated items. The D07 has a nice beefy cork screw (beefy in that it appears to be larger than those found on SAKs. The blade is nice with a nail nick cutout featuring the Swiza name etched to one side. Stupid me thought it might be a nail file at first, but quickly realized it was just some branding. I then realized that none of these knives have a nail file. The awl is nice and sharp if a bit short. It does feature a sewing hole, and a folded piece of steel that reminds me of the Victorinox Alox awl. The bottle opener and can opener appear to be nice. I am a bit worried about the metal removal on the bottle opener. I am a bit worried that this might affect the larger flathead screwdriver durability over time. I could be wrong on this thought however. The knife blade sits at an interesting angle to the handle. I am just used to a knife blade that juts straight out of the handle. I did find that the shape of the handle and the angle of the knife blade did make for a very comfortable knife to hold and use. It looks and feels a bit weird to me at first, but I can appreciate the ergonomics of it. I also found that the blade angle did not have any impact on use either. All in all, a nice design. One thing I did find a bit fiddly was the locking mechanism. You have to press the Swiss logo to unlock the knife blade. The locking mechanism is simply a push pin that depresses the liner lock. Not sure why they did this as opposed to simply pressing the liner lock directly like most other liner locked knife models out there. My only thought is one of design, and possibly someone really liked the Wenger 111mm knives that featured this. Swiza's implementation is not as nice as those of Wenger however, as that rubber handle material lends a bit of stiffness to the mechanism as it hides under the rubber handle material. I found I had to press it a few times to push away the liner lock to close the blade. Like everything else, I am sure this will become easier with use and familiarization. Before I forget, there is a liner bound pair of tweezers. These remind me of those found on Wenger, along with the same issue of having to really dig in there with a fingernail to catch the edge to pull the tweezers out. Victorinox has a more elegant solution, but I gather Swiza can't use it due to copy right issues.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50885911686_7f67c7b2ee_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBAGW)20210128_175256A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBAGW) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
Now that I have talked in general about some of the tools found on Swiza, I want to get back to those scissors found on the D07. The scissors are large and in charge. this is a rather wonky design of two blades that you push together to cut. I really like the size, and on my paper cutting test, it worked better than I first thought. I then tried cutting into the plastic mailer that these items shipped in, and it cut that like nothing either. These scissors really do the job. I did find an issue with them however. I found that the narrow metal that you have to push together did get hard on the fingers in a short time. If Swiza widened the metal where the fingers interface with the scissors, I think they would have a real winner on their hands.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50885911586_b95fdc2c5d_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBAFd)20210128_175444A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBAFd) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
The next knife I got is a TT05 Tick Tool in red. This knife features a saw and that tick tool, which was different enough for me to get one. The Tick tool is a rather neat feature. It includes a small plastic magnifying lens and the tick removal tool...all in a clear plastic. With the proliferation of deer ticks in my area, this is a welcome feature to have. I did not test the saw, but it looks like a good design.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50885911511_f731387b71_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBADV)20210128_175557A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBADV) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50885911431_33320f3fd5_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBACx)20210128_175714A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwBACx) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
Next up is a Swiza C01 blue camo knife. I wanted this for two reasons. I was curious about their smaller knives, and also about their camo finish. The blue looked nice. This is a 1 layer knife.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50886015037_2baabc1d81_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwC8qR)20210128_175834A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwC8qR) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
Last knife to round out my exploration of Swiza knives is the D04 Moonwalk 50 knife. I was curious to see what their backline Phillips driver looks like and also something with a graphical design. My options on the graphical design were limited on Amazon.ca...being what products Smokey Mountain Knifeworks were selling to their Northern Neighbour. The Space motif looked good. What I did not know was just how tactile the design would be. Everything is layered and gives the fingers the elusion of it being somewhat 3D. The Phillips driver is chunkier than those found on Victorinox or Wenger. I was a bit sad to note no file was included on the flat side of that Phillips...which I thought was a missed opportunity as there is certainly a lot of room to include one. This is my favourite Swiza to date because of the graphic design and tactile feel of the handles.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50886014917_bdff794052_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwC8oM)20210128_180034A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwC8oM) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
The back of the Moonwalk Swiza is different, featuring an astronaut footprint. Here is another comparison image with a Victorinox knife.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50885190398_8ab869f6ef_4k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2kwxUhW)20210128_180121A (https://flic.kr/p/2kwxUhW) by Chako (https://www.flickr.com/photos/187039850@N04/), on Flickr
It took me 5 or so years to jump on the Swiza bandwagon. I think I have a nice sample population, and will use them in the future to see what more I can find out about them.
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Thanks for the mini review. I have seen Swiza a few times and contemplated trying one but just haven’t done it yet.
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Great write up Chako, thanks :like: :tu:
Will definitely be interested how the rubber holds up as I’ve also had bad experience with it over time.
I like that they’ve brought something different to the SAK genre, credit to them but wonder if they’ve really differentiated enough to make anyone switch from VIC :dunno:
:cheers:
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Awesome write up!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Thanks for the review :tu:
I have looked at Swiza a few times, but there was always something missing or something I did not like :dunno:
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Great review Chako! The Moonwalk model intrigues me. I see that they have taken over for Wenger on the Mike Horn series knives. I'm really interested in trying one of these knives out.
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Thank you Chako! I have often seen them and never pulled the trigger to try one. Your review piqued my interest again. I especially like the tick tool and saw. :hatsoff:
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Interesting write-up :cheers:
The tick tool looks like it could be pretty handy to have here in Ontario. I quite like the styling of the Swiza design and finish.
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Oddly enough, when I checked back at Amazon.ca, it looks like Smokey Mountain is no longer selling knives from the US on there. Now all I get is very overpriced Swiza knives sold by someone else. Looks like I got on the ground floor at the right time.
At least now I have a few to play around with. :D
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Thanks for the review, Chaka - they do do some interesting scale designs and different tools. :cheers:
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Swiza have become surprisingly widely available in Europe in the past few years, coming out of nothing (knife related).
On mine, a user, the rubber seems to hold up quite well, which surprised me as I was expecting it to get damaged where the button is really quickly.
I have had it for 5 years and at the time you could only get them from a few online shops
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Thanks for the review, Chaka - they do do some interesting scale designs and different tools. :cheers:
Yes, thanks! You're the best!
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81BIL3nCfxL._SS500_.jpg)
8) 8)
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;)
Aww shucks!
I am getting all bashful now.
:rofl:
My first impression is that they are not all that bad. Before buying them I did a bit of research on MT.O in the hot tub time machine and found a lot of negativity about them.
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oh yes, 6 years ago they were the devil....
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oh yes, 6 years ago they were the devil....
I think mostly their marketing... trying to insinuate that they are making knives for the Swiss Army for decades.
Apart from that I had quality issues (tools breaking where they should not have), there is hope that this has been fixed by now. Then there is the really poor use of space, which really is a nitpick. But what killed them for me, when using the knife on the 2-layer version, you always had to grip over the opener-layer. That layer stands pretty proud and is not comfortable at all. Sadly, I see no way they can fix that without overhauling the curved handle design.
I have a single layer one now, that is pretty good (it was an advertisement gift :D). But then if you want a single-layer, go with the Böker Tech-Tool, way better blade than the competition (Vic/Wenger/Swiza, haven't tried the MKM yet).
On mine, a user, the rubber seems to hold up quite well, which surprised me as I was expecting it to get damaged where the button is really quickly.
Agreed, that rubber is though and will hold up. It is in my eyes the nicest part of the knife.
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Yes, thanks! You're the best!
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81BIL3nCfxL._SS500_.jpg)
8) 8)
Ah, the joys of unnoticed autocorrect! Apologies, Chako! :facepalm:
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I have to admit I've not really paid any attention to the Swiza knives and I'm pretty sure I didn't know about those scissors! Cheers Dan. :hatsoff:
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Ah, the joys of unnoticed autocorrect! Apologies, Chako! :facepalm:
Yeah, I know how you feel...
(https://m-cdn.phonearena.com/images/article/78898-two_1200/How-to-turn-off-autocorrect-on-iPhone-and-Android.jpg)
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:rofl: Still, at least the paper clip is ancient history - the young ‘uns will be wondering what I’m referring to..... :whistle:
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Yeah, I know how you feel...
(https://m-cdn.phonearena.com/images/article/78898-two_1200/How-to-turn-off-autocorrect-on-iPhone-and-Android.jpg)
Lol. I hate how it was recently tweaked.
...
Great topic Chako. I have a couple of 2 layer ones, but never use them and I’ve been meaning to try something newer/larger. The Moonwalk versions caught my eye, but the BO version didn’t have the phillips. I think I would have preferred it that way, or with more tools to try out.
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Do all Swizas have locking main blades?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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From what I have seen...yes.
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Great write-up Chako :tu:.
It seems a lot of people here have thought about buying a Swiza knife at one point, but decided not to...
I'm also one of those people, I must have "almost" bought a Swiza knife about 4 times now, and still own zero.
Even last week I added one to "my basket" online, and it's still there as I still haven't pulled the trigger on it, a bit weird, come to think about it :shrug:.
On a side note, it's also weird to have a topic about Swiza knives without getting into a discussion about the tick tool with my friend and fellow countryman... :cry:
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I have acquired several Swizas, mainly for their different patterns etc rather than variety of tools, and I like them a lot.
My only piece of advice would be to avoid the white ones. After a few years mine has started to look a bit nicotine-flavoured, even though I don't smoke. I guess it's the effect of sunlight. Whatever the cause, it's not a good look. My orange and green ones look as good as new and get a lot of use.
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On a side note, it's also weird to have a topic about Swiza knives without getting into a discussion about the tick tool with my friend and fellow countryman... :cry:
Yes, that is weird. Nick? Where are you?
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I know 2 years ago, it was a bad year for ticks around where I live. They do appear to be worse south of me in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I have a good friend who likes to walk his dog all over the place and two years ago, the dog got covered in them, and he even found a few on himself, and he was walking north of my city in Northern Ontario. So yes, when I saw that tick tool, I thought to myself that could be very handy.
That is a good point on the white. I always shy away from white as much as I can as it shows dirt easily. :tu:
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How does the tick tool work? Given how precise SAK pliers are, couldn't you just as well use those pliers?
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How does the tick tool work? Given how precise SAK pliers are, couldn't you just as well use those pliers?
I haven't used the Swiza tick tool, but I have held it in my hands, and as far as I know it works the same as my Lifesystems "bankcard" tick tool (see pic).
(https://i.imgur.com/4qpolTd.jpg)
On this card you have two V-shaped tools (one for small ticks and one for bigger ones), you place the V-shaped tool next to the tick, and slide it between the tick and your skin. And thanks to the v-shape the tick gets pulled out very gently, without pinching its body (which increases the chance of getting lime disease, when you pinch the ticks body, you might force fluids from its body into yours).
It works great, the discussion we had in the past was mainly about the fact that the tick tool sits next to a knife you may use for eating your apple or something...
I believe that, having a tick tool on you so you can remove the tick as fast as possible is a priority, but having some alcohol gel on you to disinfect it afterwords is probably a good idea.
Anyway, my tick tool "bankcard" resides in my wallet, so I always have it on me, and it's nowhere near my apple knife ;).
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I haven't used the Swiza tick tool, but I have held it in my hands, and as far as I know it works the same as my Lifesystems "bankcard" tick tool (see pic).
(https://i.imgur.com/4qpolTd.jpg)
On this card you have two V-shaped tools (one for small ticks and one for bigger ones), you place the V-shaped tool next to the tick, and slide it between the tick and your skin. And thanks to the v-shape the tick gets pulled out very gently, without pinching its body (which increases the chance of getting lime disease, when you pinch the ticks body, you might force fluids from its body into yours).
It works great, the discussion we had in the past was mainly about the fact that the tick tool sits next to a knife you may use for eating your apple or something...
I believe that, having a tick tool on you so you can remove the tick as fast as possible is a priority, but having some alcohol gel on you to disinfect it afterwords is probably a good idea.
Anyway, my tick tool "bankcard" resides in my wallet, so I always have it on me, and it's nowhere near my apple knife ;).
I see, thanks for explaining. Sounds like a good idea - why doesn't Swiza offer that tool in a SAK containing scissors? :rant: This configuration could be a real winner, at least in my book.
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Thanks for this review. There's another appropriately timed review on YT that I had posted here https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,84310.0.html and suddenly I'm very intrigued. Try as I might I can't seem to branch out from Victorinox for any extended period of time.
From your review, what gets my attention is the relative ease of opening the blade, and the size comparison. These seem to be a good alternative to the constraints in the selection of 84 and 85mm tools. Also, I rather like those extra-large scissors that aren't available on any other tool.
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I feel the scissors could be improved upon by bending the steel a little over to give more surface area to press on...but the design is interesting, and you definitely get a nice long cut due to their size.
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Well, I took a look back at Swiza website.
You can’t really say the company don’t try to innovate somehow
This is the SWIZA CO05TT, the Family Pet Swiss Knife
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Well, I took a look back at Swiza website.
You can’t really say the company don’t try to innovate somehow
This is the SWIZA CO05TT, the Family Pet Swiss Knife
That's what I like about Swiza :tu:.
You see some of the craziness innovative thinking that you used to see at Wenger. Did they always get it right? Nope, but at least they tried to do something different.
I miss Wenger :cry: (and that's why I'm secretly rooting for Swiza, hoping they can surprise us one of these days).
Maybe I should go for it and order the one I have in my "basket" online... :-\
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I quite like the look of their blacked-out models
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Do all Swiza's have locking blades?
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I miss Wenger too. Their creative twist really made it fun.
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Do all Swiza's have locking blades?
Yes, I think so.
I love the comb! Looking for it, stumbled on this beauty.... no comb, but a gutting blade and what looks like the Realtree pattern that appeared on some lovely late Wengers (Blaze and Snow)
found it here:
https://www.biwak.com/Ausruestung/Messer-Werkzeuge/Klappmesser/Arretierbar/Kunststoff/Swiza-HU09-R-TT-Hunter-Collection-692331-11760.html
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Yes, I think so.
And with that my interest in Swiza goes down to zero. I will never understand why small knives need a blade lock :dunno:
Well, more money for slipjoints :D
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And with that my interest in Swiza goes down to zero. I will never understand why small knives need a blade lock :dunno:
Well, more money for slipjoints :D
With the way they do it, it seems to be barely there - a button that pushes a liner lock :pok:
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With the way they do it, it seems to be barely there - a button that pushes a liner lock :pok:
Lock is lock :pok: :D
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Lock is lock :pok: :D
I suppose .... :hammer:
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Lock is lock :pok: :D
Right now, the CEOs of M-Tech and Zombie Hunter are doing happy dances... :P
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As long as people are interested in knives that can be used for food prep while also containing a parasite remover tool that can come into contact with blood and virusses, my job here isn't done... :twak:
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I miss Wenger too. Their creative twist really made it fun.
Miss Wenger!
:hatsoff:
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As long as people are interested in knives that can be used for food prep while also containing a parasite remover tool that can come into contact with blood and virusses, my job here isn't done... :twak:
Geez... why are you so ticked off?!
:whistle:
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As long as people are interested in knives that can be used for food prep while also containing a parasite remover tool that can come into contact with blood and virusses, my job here isn't done... :twak:
Even if it's my own blood? I better not tell you what I've done with my knife
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Eeeeew :dwts:
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And he's back... :D
:cheers:
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Geez... why are you so ticked off?!
:whistle:
That knife ticks all the boxes :think:
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Eeeeew :dwts:
Sorry - I actually thought about what I said. I'll go sit in the corner now.
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Geez... why are you so ticked off?!
:whistle:
That knife ticks all the boxes :think:
Don't scare him off guys, he just got back :twak:.
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Don't scare him off guys, he just got back :twak:.
Baby got back :clap:
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So you guys got me curious and I ordered a D07, which is the Swiza equivalent of a Climber. I was most interested in the scissors, obviously. I can confirm that while their size is impressive, operating them hurts your fingertips. On account of this, I cannot imagine many situations where they might fare better than Victorinox' scissors, which are shorter but can be operated with more pressure.
Other than that, the build quality is ok, but not impressive. The can opener in my model has a rather weak snap, which becomes all the more apparent when compared to the bottle opener, which snaps noticeably better. I have made similar experiences with Victorinox SAKs (where, however, it was the other way round: the bottle opener's lack of snap contrasted with the can opener's good snap), but very rarely. The fact that this occurs in the very first Swiza I ever pick up is a bit disappointing. And the scissors do not feel too snappy either.
I do like the scale material though; also, the locking mechanism feels good (even better - more precise - than in my Winemaster if I am honest).
Curious: the picture in the OP had me thinking the Swiza would be about the size of a Delemont (which was part of its appeal to be honest). However, in real life the D07 is slightly longer than a 93 mm SAK.
All in all, I am not overly impressed but not displeased either.
However, there is a big elephant in the room and I don't understand why nobody in this thread has brought it up yet: I bought the D07 for a whopping 42 Euros (which is an okay price for this model - I checked). This is about twice the price of a Climber! For that, the D07 offers about the same functionality, at roughly the same weight and size. Unless you absolutely want a locking blade or something more original than a Victorinox SAK, I therefore just don't see any reason at all to choose a D07 over a Climber.
Which is sad, as I kind of like the D07 and believe Swiza could become the new Wenger (I seem even to remember that Swiza was set up by former Wenger managers) if they tried just a bit harder (and slashed their prices considerably...)
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Maybe Swiza knives aren't expensive..., maybe Victorinox knives are cheap...?
Wengers also used to be more expensive as their Victorinox counterparts, and even the Victorinox Delémont 85mm knives are way more expensive as their 91mm counterparts (which is really sad because I absolutely love the 85mm size SAKs).
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Wengers also used to be more expensive as their Victorinox counterparts, and even the Victorinox Delémont 85mm knives are way more expensive as their 91mm counterparts (which is really sad because I absolutely love the 85mm size SAKs).
True, but they were/are still in the same ballpark - the 85 mm Evolution 14 costs about 28 Euros. In addition, it's noticeably smaller than the 91 mm Climber, so there's a clear distinction between the two knives. But even so, a lot of people expect Victorinox to discontinue the Delemonts eventually. Go figure...
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True, but they were/are still in the same ballpark - the 85 mm Evolution 14 costs about 28 Euros. In addition, it's noticably smaller than the 91 mm Climber, so there's a clear distinction between the two knives. But even so, a lot of people expect Victorinox to discontinue the Delemonts eventually. Go figure...
I guess it's not easy to compete with Victorinox, they have years of experience, a lot of machinery that has already been paid for years ago, low R&D costs, and relatively low promotional and advertising costs thanks to brand recognition...
It must be a very frustrating adversary.
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I guess it's not easy to compete with Victorinox, they have years of experience, a lot of machinery that has already been paid for years ago, low R&D costs, and relatively low promotional and advertising costs thanks to brand recognition...
It must be a very frustrating adversary.
I agree it seems impossible to beat them at their own game. Imo, competitors such as Swiza should therefore not try to offer the same models - just different - but rather go for Vic's openings: interchangeable tools, different tools (such as Swiza's existing tick tool and the comb), different sizes (how about a 80 mm frame?), interchangeable scales, steel quality etc. As demonstrated by Wenger, Victorinox is very conservative - instead of re-inventing Vic's wheel, competitors should rather concentrate on all those wheels Vic isn't producing yet. Although I bet Vic sits on a lot of unused patents which only serve to deter the opposition...
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I agree it seems impossible to beat them at their own game. Imo, competitors such as Swiza should therefore not try to offer the same models - just different - but rather go for Vic's openings: interchangeable tools, different tools (such as Swiza's existing tick tool and the comb), different sizes (how about a 80 mm frame?), interchangeable scales, steel quality etc. As demonstrated by Wenger, Victorinox is very conservative - instead of re-inventing Vic's wheel, competitors should rather concentrate on all those wheels Vic isn't producing yet. Although I bet Vic sits on a lot of unused patents which only serve to deter the opposition...
:iagree:
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I agree it seems impossible to beat them at their own game. Imo, competitors such as Swiza should therefore not try to offer the same models - just different - but rather go for Vic's openings: interchangeable tools, different tools (such as Swiza's existing tick tool and the comb), different sizes (how about a 80 mm frame?), interchangeable scales, steel quality etc. As demonstrated by Wenger, Victorinox is very conservative - instead of re-inventing Vic's wheel, competitors should rather concentrate on all those wheels Vic isn't producing yet. Although I bet Vic sits on a lot of unused patents which only serve to deter the opposition...
Agreed - I've managed to pick up a few. I was able to tell myself that I "needed" them only because they were different. I got one with a tick tool, one with a butter knife (my kids love picnics!), one with a cow for my daughter and the black tool moon one. I like that the in-line awl seems to be the default. I would've liked a corkscrew on the butterknife, but who am I kidding, it's not like I wouldn't have 2 knives with me anyways!
The can opener is a kind of weird looking. I haven't tried it yet, I guess I'll have to do that.
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Do all Swiza's have locking blades?
I was going to write in that my butter knife blade isn't locking, but then when I pulled them out to take a look I see that it does have a liner lock, it's just aligned so that it doesn't lock. Not sure if it's meant to be like that - the lock on my moon knife is very difficult to unlock, so maybe they have quality control issues?
I took a photo of each, not sure if it’s possible to tell anything from this or not...
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So you guys got me curious and I ordered a D07, which is the Swiza equivalent of a Climber. I was most interested in the scissors, obviously. I can confirm that while their size is impressive, operating them hurts your fingertips. On account of this, I cannot imagine many situations where they might fare better than Victorinox' scissors, which are shorter but can be operated with more pressure.
Other than that, the build quality is ok, but not impressive. The can opener in my model has a rather weak snap, which becomes all the more apparent when compared to the bottle opener, which snaps noticeably better. I have made similar experiences with Victorinox SAKs (where, however, it was the other way round: the bottle opener's lack of snap contrasted with the can opener's good snap), but very rarely. The fact that this occurs in the very first Swiza I ever pick up is a bit disappointing. And the scissors do not feel too snappy either.
I do like the scale material though; also, the locking mechanism feels good (even better - more precise - than in my Winemaster if I am honest).
Curious: the picture in the OP had me thinking the Swiza would be about the size of a Delemont (which was part of its appeal to be honest). However, in real life the D07 is slightly longer than a 93 mm SAK.
All in all, I am not overly impressed but not displeased either.
However, there is a big elephant in the room and I don't understand why nobody in this thread has brought it up yet: I bought the D07 for a whopping 42 Euros (which is an okay price for this model - I checked). This is about twice the price of a Climber! For that, the D07 offers about the same functionality, at roughly the same weight and size. Unless you absolutely want a locking blade or something more original than a Victorinox SAK, I therefore just don't see any reason at all to choose a D07 over a Climber.
Which is sad, as I kind of like the D07 and believe Swiza could become the new Wenger (I seem even to remember that Swiza was set up by former Wenger managers) if they tried just a bit harder (and slashed their prices considerably...)
Thank you, Simon, for saving me my money on a Swiza. I've been so tempted so many times, but your thorough analysis has convinced me that Vx is still the king and that 42 bucks is too much to spend just to satisfy my curiosity. Cheers.
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Thank you, Simon, for saving me my money on a Swiza. I've been so tempted so many times, but your thorough analysis has convinced me that Vx is still the king and that 42 bucks is too much to spend just to satisfy my curiosity. Cheers.
You are very welcome, Myron. If I ever go for Swiza again, it will be for one of their more outlandish propositions without direct competition from Victorinox.
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I guess it's not easy to compete with Victorinox, they have years of experience, a lot of machinery that has already been paid for years ago, low R&D costs, and relatively low promotional and advertising costs thanks to brand recognition...
It must be a very frustrating adversary.
Well, at least Swiza - "AUTHENTIC SWISS KNIFE" does heavily profit from the Swiss-Army-Knife reputation that Victorinox has built.
Most people can't tell the difference (it is why in Swiss tourist shop you can even buy Chines knock offs :facepalm: and they are not even cheap double- :facepalm:).
Which is sad, as I kind of like the D07 and believe Swiza could become the new Wenger (I seem even to remember that Swiza was set up by former Wenger managers) if they tried just a bit harder (and slashed their prices considerably...)
I hope not... remember Wenger went bankrupt (there is of course more than one reason, but mis-managements is at the top of those). That is worrisome, as you are correct, some of the management from Wenger is now heading Swiza.
I would rather suggest they go the other way. Use better materials on their blades, improve fit&finish, improve quality, go more premium, raise the prices.
As it was mentioned above. It is very hard to compete with Victorinox at their own game.
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SO interesting, yesterday at the Co-Op I saw that they were selling these exact same Swiza knives under the brand FELCO. Is there any link between the two swiss companies or was it made by Swiza for Felco. They were on special as no one is buying them. Maybe I should go get one before the special ends. it was like EUR25 (R500) for C05
https://www.felco.com/za_en/our-products/felco-505.html if you are interested in seeing the website
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Interesting, Bobby - Felco also do Felco branded Victorinox garden knives.
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I hope not... remember Wenger went bankrupt (there is of course more than one reason, but mis-managements is at the top of those). That is worrisome, as you are correct, some of the management from Wenger is now heading Swiza.
I bought a HMD Global smartphone because it said Nokia on it and I thought the phone peeps from Nokia were involved. :)
Turns out it's more apt to say that some former Nokia phone management slapped the Nokia name on some Chinese phones. ::)
Never again. :P
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Well, at least Swiza - "AUTHENTIC SWISS KNIFE" does heavily profit from the Swiss-Army-Knife reputation that Victorinox has built.
Most people can't tell the difference (it is why in Swiss tourist shop you can even buy Chines knock offs :facepalm: and they are not even cheap double- :facepalm:).
During our vacation to Austria, back in 2014, we went on a day trip to Vaduz, Liechtenstein to do some shopping there and see the sights.
At that time they still had some nice Wengers in stock there, and I'm still sad about some of the things I didn't buy...
But even there, in SAK heaven, my brother managed to buy a Chinese "Swiss made" nail clipper/file/knife thingy as a present for his girlfriend back home (now his wife)... Apparently he asked my father for advice on what to buy ::).
Imagine, you're surrounded by shops filled with thousands of real SAKs, you have a SAK collecter by your side, who do you go to for advice on which nail clipper pocket tool to buy as a present for your girlfriend?
Yep, the only person there who knows even less about SAKs as yourself...
:facepalm:
My sons were 8 and 9 years old back then, and they could've given much better advice.
When my brother showed what he got, which was a Chinese nail clipper with a Swiss Cross on it, I didn't know what to do, laugh or cry...
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Well, here is my running synopsis on these knives. Thus far, I have decided to focus on the scissors model mentioned in my first posting. I am digging it more and more. I do not worry about comparing it to a SAK which it is not. As a stand alone little knife, I am liking it. I still think the scissors need a bit more refinement, but I do like the design. At work I use a lot of scissors and do like having them in my knives if I can. Be that as it may, I still cannot wear this at work due to knife blade restrictions. But I have used it at home, and it works as advertised. Someone mentioned weak back spring, and I will agree, especially on the bottle opener. It certainly isn't as plucky as that on a Victorinox, but it hasn't failed yet either in the week I have had it in my possession.
Frankly, buy it or not. I care not. I am happy I was able to sate my curiosity about them. Does this mean I will buy more and collect them...maybe (They are not that easy to buy up here in Canada as the source from Amazon picked up their wares and left). However, for the price sold here in North America, it is a not that bad of a little knife.
That Felco one is intriguing from a collector viewpoint.
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I am hugely in favor of locking blades, and I wish all folding tools locked in place. If I ever manage to become involved in the design and production of knives, this will be a huge priority for me.
I usually don't get ahold of most knives until they are used and selling well below their msrp, so I may not get ahold of one of these any time soon, but I'd be happy to.
:climber:
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I've never even seen one in person, but I'll hand Swiza this: they managed to eliminate the pesky lock of the Wengers, which always seemed to be in the way.
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some Wenger models had a lock similar to Swiza's e.g. ranger
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During our vacation to Austria, back in 2014, we went on a day trip to Vaduz, Liechtenstein to do some shopping there and see the sights.
At that time they still had some nice Wengers in stock there, and I'm still sad about some of the things I didn't buy...
But even there, in SAK heaven, my brother managed to buy a Chinese "Swiss made" nail clipper/file/knife thingy as a present for his girlfriend back home (now his wife)... Apparently he asked my father for advice on what to buy ::).
Imagine, you're surrounded by shops filled with thousands of real SAKs, you have a SAK collecter by your side, who do you go to for advice on which nail clipper pocket tool to buy as a present for your girlfriend?
Yep, the only person there who knows even less about SAKs as yourself...
:facepalm:
My sons were 8 and 9 years old back then, and they could've given much better advice.
When my brother showed what he got, which was a Chinese nail clipper with a Swiss Cross on it, I didn't know what to do, laugh or cry...
Laugh, obviously. You got a very funny story out of it and if your brother's girlfriend (wife) doesn't know her SAKs either, she won't know what she has missed. :tu: