108mm Knifes Owner's Club!!!

Simyo · **Reply #180 on:** July 02, 2018, 01:33:26 AM

I sent in a handful of 108mm gaks to Vic USA earlier in the year for blade replacement and they all came back with clip blades without any etching on them.

Ptisuisse · **Reply #181 on:** July 02, 2018, 07:29:51 AM

WOW

amazing news Simyo - it means two things :

1/ VIC is slowly running out of parts for this 40-year old series, it is quite likely they have no more spear point blades.
Here too in France, they are running out of red scales.

2/ So, VIC US has actually accepted maintenance work on military issued knives ?
To me, it is not obvious these knives should be covered by their lifetime warranty.
May I ask if they charged you for service ?

You have no idea how bad I would want one. What do you want for it ? (never ask this question to an american) (this is humor).

This news made my day :-)

Ptisuisse · **Reply #182 on:** July 02, 2018, 07:41:03 AM

Dear Simyo, can you confirm they re-fitted your original german army scales ? How solid is the fit ?

Here in France, scales are scarce, and some guys re-mold them out of poly-urethane resin.

This design below is a bit wild, (for sale on the Bay) but more sedate colours are also available.

Simyo · **Reply #183 on:** July 02, 2018, 08:00:26 PM

They did charge I think it was about $12 us for the blade replacement and next day shipping back. Vic US is also running out of parts, the last one had the poorest repair since they had run out of springs and liners. They just reused the scales I sent. They fit alright, not as tight as original but still tighter than reusing celidor scales. At some point I want to build plus scales for mine, but that will have to wait until I get moved and my mini mill set up.

Ptisuisse · **Reply #184 on:** July 02, 2018, 08:15:20 PM

Simyo, thanks for this very interesting info. Liners, springs, even scales in good nick are not that hard to find, at least in Europe.
For metal parts you just break down an old GAK, and for scales, check out this guy on EPrey France :
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Plaquettes-Victorinox-D-origine-Pour-Couteaux-Victorinox-108mm/232826718271?

what the text says is easy to figure out : scales pried off new knives (the guy is an inveterate modder who can afford to open up a $50 new knife)
they have the cutouts marked for the "plus" versions. a llittle dab of epoxy glue in the holes and you're set. But they"re bloody Xpensive if you ask me.

How about selling/trading a clip point bladed GAK ?

Barry Rowland · **Reply #185 on:** July 02, 2018, 09:34:13 PM

I had no idea that 108s could be dressed up in so many variations! I am really beginning to like these knives 😀

Ptisuisse · **Reply #186 on:** July 02, 2018, 09:48:41 PM

And you ain't seen nothin' yet, mate! But you should not love them just for the fancy scales. Love' em because they're simple, one-pivot, man-size, no-frills, and pretty much indestructible.

IMHO only the first one below is really interesting. It is poly-urethane resin loaded with brass powder. Not seen them in the flesh yet, but they allegedlly change color as the lighting changes. The hue is somewhat lighter than the original german army green.

The pinkish one is the product of chance. Pigments are allowed to disperse pretty much as they wish into the white resin.

Stayglow can be useful on a knife meant for rescue or hunting (that is, with the gutting/serrated curved blade)

Translucent pink is a joke if you ask me. Just experimenting with various resins, he told me.....who wants a 108 that looks like candy ?

108 far from dead. The same modder has made an OHO 108.

Barry Rowland · **Reply #187 on:** July 03, 2018, 05:12:32 AM

!!!

Simyo · **Reply #188 on:** July 03, 2018, 05:48:12 AM

https://www.youtube.com/user/grenboerg This is his YouTube channel for those interested, we share mods on one of the Facebook pages.

This was one I posted earlier this year for someone looking for a 108mm rucksack. Full disclosure the only Vic parts are the scissors and the hook the rest are from cheaper 108mms while I waited for the real ones to come back from Vic.

Ptisuisse · **Reply #189 on:** July 03, 2018, 09:43:02 AM

Small world indeed ! I confirm Grenboerg is the man who makes the mods and the fancy scales.

Has anybody else tried remolding scales somewhere in the rest of the World ?

Mechanickal · **Reply #190 on:** July 03, 2018, 01:41:57 PM

Remade Knives offers 3D printed scales for 91mm knives.
Don't know of that counts...

Barry Rowland · **Reply #191 on:** July 03, 2018, 02:34:56 PM

Simyo, that's awesome!!!

Ptisuisse · **Reply #192 on:** July 04, 2018, 01:54:06 PM

Wasn't meant to be like that, but got two 108 on the same day, handed over by my friendly postlady.
Wish it would be the 4Th of July everyday. A Safari from Bond's (i'll come back to this one on a further post),
and a Trooper from Ebay.fr.
Advertised as a military knife, so (reasonably) good value.
Checkered tablecloth sooo continental ^^

Ptisuisse · **Reply #193 on:** July 04, 2018, 02:01:47 PM

Quote from: Simyo on July 03, 2018, 05:48:12 AM

https://www.youtube.com/user/grenboerg This is his YouTube channel for those interested, we share mods on one of the Facebook pages.

This was one I posted earlier this year for someone looking for a 108mm rucksack. Full disclosure the only Vic parts are the scissors and the hook the rest are from cheaper 108mms while I waited for the real ones to come back from Vic.

Great mod. Relatively simple, and makes a lot of sense.
What keeps me to do the same is that IMHO the scissors look a bit "small" and "lost" in this bigger frame.
Has any one tried yet to adapt moderately larger tools from a 111 ? how does it look on the blade tang side ?

Ptisuisse · **Reply #194 on:** July 04, 2018, 02:14:19 PM

My online purchase directly on Bond's of Oxford Street went well.
I have no connection with those guys, do not wish to post a disguised ad,
but I must admit I was impressed. Here is a quick recap in pictures.

PART ONE...... stay tuned

Ptisuisse · **Reply #195 on:** July 04, 2018, 02:20:23 PM

PART TWO

Delivery was quick (does'nt mean it would be the same towards US or the rest of the world)

What impressed me most was the packaging : the small box is made from scrap from salvaged material,
the poly-styrene shims are home made as well. the small box wrapping is backing paper from adhesive labels.

Nothing gets wasted at Bond's. Well done chaps.

Small green plastic sheath is Vic. So is the plastic transparent owerwrap. No sawguard.

Barry Rowland · **Reply #196 on:** July 04, 2018, 03:40:33 PM

Very nice!!

Simyo · **Reply #197 on:** July 04, 2018, 06:10:50 PM

The downside to doing modding is you end up figuring out what won’t work long before you figure out what will work. One of the things I learned was the scissors and pliers are the same size at least on the slide lock 111mm as they are on the 91mm. They filled in the gap on the newer slidelock 111mms with the hidden Philips drivers. Maybe in the future we can figure out how to add tools to the other end of 108mms or just do custom springs to make things fit perfectly.

Ptisuisse · **Reply #198 on:** July 04, 2018, 06:43:12 PM

Quote from: Simyo on July 04, 2018, 06:10:50 PM

The downside to doing modding is you end up figuring out what won’t work long before you figure out what will work. One of the things I learned was the scissors and pliers are the same size at least on the slide lock 111mm as they are on the 91mm. They filled in the gap on the newer slidelock 111mms with the hidden Philips drivers. Maybe in the future we can figure out how to add tools to the other end of 108mms or just do custom springs to make things fit perfectly.

Love your introductory remark about modding...

One of the keys features of the 108 frame is precisely its one-end-only design who makes for a very simple, no-frills, one-type-of-spring-does-it-all knife.
If we start fiddling with that we are going to end up with something too far away from the original we all love.

captain spaulding · **Reply #199 on:** July 05, 2018, 04:17:14 AM

Quote from: Ptisuisse on July 02, 2018, 07:41:03 AM

Dear Simyo, can you confirm they re-fitted your original german army scales ? How solid is the fit ?

Here in France, scales are scarce, and some guys re-mold them out of poly-urethane resin.

This design below is a bit wild, (for sale on the Bay) but more sedate colours are also available.

Oh those are wonderful!

Ptisuisse · **Reply #200 on:** July 06, 2018, 09:04:58 AM

In my avid search for new 108's to beef up my modest collection, I sometimes come across surprises :
Hard to believe : Troopers were issued as advertising media. This one has been on sale on Ebay.de for a while.
It is most interesting, it combines a laser etching on the blade AND embossing on the scale.
The reason I have not bought it yet is that the blade is quite damaged by belt sander sharpening, specially in the tang area.

Nothing much you can do about it........

On the last pic, (apologies, poor pic) this Trooper bearing the Land Rover logo was offered on the Bay a couple of weeks ago.
An interesting theme for 108 collection, those advertising models. More on the way

Ptisuisse · **Reply #201 on:** July 06, 2018, 09:36:48 AM

Another very nice advertising model I stumbled upon on the Net :
MTU is a german firm who builds BIG engines/motors and the like.

Since the release of this knife their logo has changed a bit,
which confirms the knife must be quite old.

Mechanickal · **Reply #202 on:** July 06, 2018, 11:04:01 AM

Are these actual Vics??

glenfiddich1983 · **Reply #203 on:** July 06, 2018, 11:34:59 AM

Quote from: Mechanickal on July 06, 2018, 11:04:01 AM

Are these actual Vics??

Why wouldn't they be?

Ptisuisse · **Reply #204 on:** July 06, 2018, 01:08:49 PM

Quote from: Mechanickal on July 06, 2018, 11:04:01 AM

Are these actual Vics??

You bet they are - Oui, ce sont des Vic.
No doubt about it, specially the one with the red cellidor scales.
To the best of my knowledge no manufacturer outside of Victorinox made 108's with red scales.
Or any other color, for that matter. Army green is the only exception. Would love to be proven wrong.

Mechanickal · **Reply #205 on:** July 06, 2018, 04:20:34 PM

Yes, OD green has multiple manufacturers. Good point about the red scales.
Never knew these ad knives existed...

Ptisuisse · **Reply #206 on:** July 07, 2018, 07:28:52 AM

Quote from: Mechanickal on July 06, 2018, 04:20:34 PM

Yes, OD green has multiple manufacturers. Good point about the red scales.
Never knew these ad knives existed...

I found another advertising special run on the Net. Wish those three were mine........

Mechanickal · **Reply #207 on:** July 07, 2018, 07:43:35 AM

I wouldn't call Mausers "ad knives"

Ptisuisse · **Reply #208 on:** July 07, 2018, 10:32:47 PM

Quote from: Mechanickal on July 07, 2018, 07:43:35 AM

I wouldn't call Mausers "ad knives"

Neither would I dare to. It just so happens that this is the only pic of a Brookstone I could find on the Net.
And it just so happens that on this one pic, the Brookstone is overpowered by two menacing Mausers.

Next time I will Photoshop it before posting.

Mechanickal · **Reply #209 on:** July 07, 2018, 10:50:00 PM

Great idea!

Turn the scales black and put "Walther" on them!

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