Question about Crossbow on scales....

Rawhyde · **on:** November 03, 2015, 02:10:30 AM

I liberated several knives that had been stolen from their rightful owners by the TSA at the airport. These knives were tossed into bins and marked with various prices. Most of the 91 mm SAKs were in the $10 bin.

I identified one of these liberated knives as a Fieldmaster. It caught my eye because it didn't have the Victorinox cross on the scales, instead, it had a crossbow in a circle with the word SWITZERLAND in it.

The SAKWiki shows a knife identical to mine. (Mine has a screw in the scissors and a slit for a SPAM can in the phillips screwdriver.)

Now the questions....

Do all Fieldmasters have the crossbow scales?

Are the crossbow scales rare or worthy of being collected?

I like the knife, and would like learn a little more about it.

Thanks,

Rawhyde

Fattsgalore · **Reply #1 on:** November 03, 2015, 04:35:57 AM

Pictures please.

jazzbass · **Reply #2 on:** November 03, 2015, 03:37:47 PM

Let me guess - does it look like this:

Legend is that the crossbox/Switzerland inlay was made for certain markets where the Christian cross in the Victorinox logo might be considered inappropriate. This logo has appeared on various knives in the past, but by far the most common is from a run of Fieldmasters from the early 1980s. It's unusual but not super rare. Typically it'll get you $5 or so more than a regular Fieldmaster on eBay. So collectible-ish, but unless it's NIB it's not something so rare that you should feel bad about using it as an EDC.

Rawhyde · **Reply #3 on:** November 03, 2015, 04:18:44 PM

Identical to it. I'm at work, but planned to upload a pic of my knife when I get home.

Is there anything significant about the crossbow on the scales?

I'm almost too ashamed to tell it, but I found a SAK with a lighter in a $10 bin. I should have hidden it in my pile to buy, but someone else wound up with it. I don't know which one it was except that it wasn't the XXLT. Too thin for that model.

Etherealicer · **Reply #4 on:** November 03, 2015, 04:51:39 PM

Quote from: Rawhyde on November 03, 2015, 04:18:44 PM

Identical to it. I'm at work, but planned to upload a pic of my knife when I get home.

Is there anything significant about the crossbow on the scales?

I'm almost too ashamed to tell it, but I found a SAK with a lighter in a $10 bin. I should have hidden it in my pile to buy, but someone else wound up with it. I don't know which one it was except that it wasn't the XXLT. Too thin for that model.

The crossbow was used by Wilhelm Tell a legendary freedom fighter from Switzerland. He is famous for shooting an apple from the head of his son using a crossbow. Depending on how much you believe he killed Gessler (Austrian nobleman/oppressor to Switzerland) which in turn sparked a rebellion leading to the formation of the Swiss Confederation.

The crossbow is a symbol for Swiss Made

lichan · **Reply #5 on:** November 03, 2015, 07:22:11 PM

I'm curious about the purchase scenario. Was it at a gun show? Was the sale by the TSA or other government agency? It almost seems from your description that it was a sale at the airport put on by the TSA, which would seem to be a strange situation.

Rawhyde · **Reply #6 on:** November 03, 2015, 09:09:49 PM

Sorry about the confusion.

I bought the knives at gun shows from a vendor who bought a forklift pallet full of knives from a TSA auction.

I went to 2 shows a few weeks apart, but it was the same seller.

ThundahBeagle · **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2017, 02:31:56 AM

Many have mentioned on these forums that the knife tang crossbow and cross were marks of quality that 're no longer present on SAKs. I have some old ones with it and new ones without.

Can anyone tell us, what is the name and standing of the authority that once issued it to Vic? Is it a private entity? Government? Internal? (If internal, why would Vic take it away from itself) Something like ISO 9002 or something?

ThundahBeagle · **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2017, 02:36:59 AM

If the symbol is for Swiss made, and the knives are still Swiss made, why no symbol?

Also, are there any other non Victorinox items that would have this stamp?

ThundahBeagle · **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2017, 02:45:46 AM

So, Ether...this 18th November is 710 years since the apfel shot?

ColoSwiss · **Reply #10 on:** October 31, 2017, 04:04:02 AM

The crossbow shield occasionally shows up on a variety of Victorinox.

A similar shield was used by Wenger back in the 1930s-1940s.

The 'V' and globe was developed for sales in Saudi Arabia and other Moslem countries where the Christian cross isn't allowed.

high carbon · **Reply #11 on:** August 24, 2018, 08:42:17 AM

HI-

New guy here, just found the site from a link at All About Pocket Knives. I've been trying for the umpteenth time to find some information about a knife I inherited from my father. It's a Wenger with the Suisse crossbow shield. It's a fisherman type with a scaler/disgorger, 2 knife blades, bottle opener/flatblade screwdriver, can opener, awl and phillips screwdriver on the other side and removable tweezers. The original tweezers were brass but I lost them 40 years ago & replace them with an all stainless (no plastic head) tweezers.

I've carried this knife a lot over the years. I has honest wear but is otherwise in fine condition, everything works and it has good snap on everything except the two openers.

For the first time I see what looks like my knife, in your (ColoSwiss) second picture on the right.

Can you tell me anything about this model?

And are the old-style brass tweezers available anywhere?