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My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales

dks · 17 · 1320

cy Offline dks

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My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
on: April 06, 2021, 01:04:21 PM
Why can't Victorinox find a way to make the drawings on them permanent or at least more wear resistant?

You buy a nice limited edition knife with a pretty picture on the scales - could be  a drawing, camo paint, a flag and so on....

You buy it mainly because of the etching, not because you desperately need another Classic. You pay extra too.

You put it in your pocket and watch the etching fade away.

Yes you can get a sleeve for them, but how many put sleeves on keychain 58mm classics?

I am sure they could use some extra opaque coating, like a layer of varnish to make them more robust, but they do not.

So, you either use the knife and watch it fade away (its not character, I paid to have the etching on, all the time) or, you store it away and just look at it.

I want both -to use it and to visually enjoy it for many years!

Will the cost of a factory varnish be that high? I doubt it will even add an extra 5% of cost.



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se Offline RF52

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #1 on: April 06, 2021, 02:16:34 PM
:iagree:

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us Offline Aloha

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #2 on: April 06, 2021, 02:27:59 PM
 :iagree:

I keep mine in a leather sheath and worry. 
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us Offline Jim the Brave

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #3 on: April 06, 2021, 03:34:48 PM
Random wonderish thought.....

Could we apply some type of hardening clear coat to it ourselves? And have it look nice?  :dunno:
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sd Offline Andetto

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #4 on: April 06, 2021, 03:40:51 PM
 :iagree:
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Andetto


cy Offline dks

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #5 on: April 06, 2021, 06:29:50 PM
You could, but I would expect the factory to do it.
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pt Offline pfrsantos

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #6 on: April 06, 2021, 06:33:46 PM
C'mon, guys! Really?!

 :facepalm:

That's why you buy (at least) 3 of each: 1 to keep, 1 as backup and, from 3 up, maybe, a user.

 :pok: :pok:
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be Offline Top-Gear-24

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #7 on: April 06, 2021, 07:39:39 PM
C'mon, guys! Really?!

 :facepalm:

That's why you buy (at least) 3 of each: 1 to keep, 1 as backup and, from 3 up, maybe, a user.

 :pok: :pok:

 :imws:


pt Offline pfrsantos

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #8 on: April 06, 2021, 08:18:40 PM
 :D :D

 :cheers: :salute:
________________________________
It is just a matter of time before they add the word “Syndrome” after my last name.

I don't have OCD, I have OCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.

I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

Eff the ineffable, scrut the inscrutable.

IYCRTYSWTMTFOT



us Offline kamakiri

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #9 on: April 07, 2021, 09:36:16 PM
C'mon, guys! Really?!

 :facepalm:

That's why you buy (at least) 3 of each: 1 to keep, 1 as backup and, from 3 up, maybe, a user.

 :pok: :pok:
:iagree:

Both philosophically and in practice. If it’s a bit rare or spendy, two is the exception.

I think it’s a bit impractical for them to thicken the clear layers by much. I mean in general, they don’t look better once worn or damaged.

I’d rather they made replacement scales for such knives, even if for a nominal fee. Not really a practical solution for them.
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cy Offline dks

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #10 on: April 08, 2021, 07:24:19 AM
I think they make too many to be able to stock replacements - they make new classic LE every year, in addition to all the others.

For some, expensive ones, like very LE series it may be worth it, but then you may have people putting these scales on cheaper models and selling them as the expensive LE models
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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il Offline pomsbz

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #11 on: April 08, 2021, 10:30:57 AM
C'mon, guys! Really?!

 :facepalm:

That's why you buy (at least) 3 of each: 1 to keep, 1 as backup and, from 3 up, maybe, a user.

 :pok: :pok:

Yup and that's how they keep the money rolling in. It's built in obsolescence, a very successful marketing approach although somewhat distasteful but given the low margins they probably have to rely on it.
"It is better to lose health like a spendthrift than to waste it like a miser." - Robert Louis Stevenson


us Offline kamakiri

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #12 on: April 08, 2021, 07:26:00 PM
I think they make too many to be able to stock replacements - they make new classic LE every year, in addition to all the others.

For some, expensive ones, like very LE series it may be worth it, but then you may have people putting these scales on cheaper models and selling them as the expensive LE models

Yeah, I’m thinking it would only work if they did such replacements in-house to prevent the resale issue. Impractical and unlikely either way.
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Offline nolongerlurking27

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #13 on: April 17, 2021, 12:12:15 PM
I had the same problem this year when I got the scuba diving classic. I tried several sheaths that all added a lot of bulk and ended up making my own out of paracord and thinner twin. Even this added more bulk then I wanted and I ended up swiching back to my normal classic


Offline SwissMix2020

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #14 on: April 18, 2021, 01:24:00 AM
For it to last they would have to consider other materials besides plastic, but then weight could become a factor or if they did use protective coatings of some kind the cost of manufacturing would increase.

They appear to be a low margin business.  And almost went under after 9/11.  I saw some sales numbers they posted somewhere and the makers of WD-40 have more revenue and profit than Victorinox.

I think they also now make more Multitools or earn more revenue per multitool sold than a SAK.

SAKs are now more a nod to their heritage and past than the future for growth and survival as a company.


us Offline Jim the Brave

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #15 on: April 18, 2021, 04:41:16 AM
For it to last they would have to consider other materials besides plastic, but then weight could become a factor or if they did use protective coatings of some kind the cost of manufacturing would increase.

They appear to be a low margin business.  And almost went under after 9/11.  I saw some sales numbers they posted somewhere and the makers of WD-40 have more revenue and profit than Victorinox.

I think they also now make more Multitools or earn more revenue per multitool sold than a SAK.

SAKs are now more a nod to their heritage and past than the future for growth and survival as a company.

Well I certainly hope they aren't going away!  :ahhh
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nz Offline Sawl Goodman

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Re: My beef with pretty, etched, plastic SAK scales
Reply #16 on: April 18, 2021, 05:56:10 AM
Well I certainly hope they aren't going away!  :ahhh

If you mean SAKs, I doubt they will, although I expect the range to keep shrinking. They've been discontinuing more models than introducing new ones for a long time now.
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