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Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Victorinox Climber Collection

ca Offline mortonm

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I'd like to share my Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) climber collection, and maybe solve a mystery. MEC was an outdoor coop, similar to REI that ran for over 50 years. For well over a decade they offered the climber model in green with their logo inlaid.

I have two 91mm (different shades of green), a 40th anniversary (2011) in black as well as an 84mm climber in green. They did for sure produce 20th and 25th Anniversary knives (hoping to track them down!)

Here is where the mystery comes in. The first instance of these knives appearing in the catalogue was in 1990, and there is never another option listed for these scales except for the standard 91mm climber.

As you just read I habe an 84mm climber, and I have seen at least one more on the internet. I believe that the 84mm scissors models died in the mid 80s sometime ? So it is interesting to have a MEC model in this quite rare size.

Anyone have any insight into the 84mm climber and last production date?

I am wondering if they just weren't listed in the catalogue in the early days ? Any insight would be amazing.

Post pics if you have some too!

I have included a few catalogue clippings as I thought they might be of interest also!











us Offline jazzbass

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Re: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Victorinox Climber Collection
Reply #1 on: November 09, 2024, 04:13:43 PM
Here is where the mystery comes in. The first instance of these knives appearing in the catalogue was in 1990, and there is never another option listed for these scales except for the standard 91mm climber.

As you just read I habe an 84mm climber, and I have seen at least one more on the internet. I believe that the 84mm scissors models died in the mid 80s sometime ? So it is interesting to have a MEC model in this quite rare size.

Anyone have any insight into the 84mm climber and last production date?

Does your knife have the thinner 2.0 mm tang?

I have a very similar 84mm Climber - green MEC scales and all. The one I have was almost certainly made in the mid 90s as a special run for MEC by Victorinox. While 84mm scissors were officially phased out in the mid 80s, there are several examples I've seen of 84mm Climbers and  Golfer were made in the 90s. The main indicator for these is the thinner, 2.0mm tang of the main blade. This was a change made around 1994 for 84mm knives, and the MEC Climber I have has the thinner tang. It also has a non-grooved corkscrew, another early 90s change for the 84mm knives.

While 84mm knives with 2.0mm tangs exist, they are very much the exception and not the rule. I have over 100 different 84mm knives with scissors in them and count exactly 2 that have the post-94 thin tang, and both of these have branded scales. This indicates to me that Victorinox would still do custom runs for a while using old stock after pulling them from regular production.

Great catalog pics BTW - I don't think I've ever see those. Any idea what year those are from?


ca Offline mortonm

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Re: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Victorinox Climber Collection
Reply #2 on: November 09, 2024, 11:07:44 PM
The catalogues posted are 1990, 1993 and 1995 roughly. I have most of them digitized let me know if you have any interested!

Very interesting about the tang. I will have to go run and check.  Glad to hear that my thoughts of the entire line of MEC branded knives not existing before 1990 may still be true.

A one off run in the mid 90s would be quite interesting, and unusual ?


ca Offline mortonm

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Re: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Victorinox Climber Collection
Reply #3 on: November 09, 2024, 11:16:26 PM
Does your knife have the thinner 2.0 mm tang?

I have a very similar 84mm Climber - green MEC scales and all. The one I have was almost certainly made in the mid 90s as a special run for MEC by Victorinox. While 84mm scissors were officially phased out in the mid 80s, there are several examples I've seen of 84mm Climbers and  Golfer were made in the 90s. The main indicator for these is the thinner, 2.0mm tang of the main blade. This was a change made around 1994 for 84mm knives, and the MEC Climber I have has the thinner tang. It also has a non-grooved corkscrew, another early 90s change for the 84mm knives.

While 84mm knives with 2.0mm tangs exist, they are very much the exception and not the rule. I have over 100 different 84mm knives with scissors in them and count exactly 2 that have the post-94 thin tang, and both of these have branded scales. This indicates to me that Victorinox would still do custom runs for a while using old stock after pulling them from regular production.

Great catalog pics BTW - I don't think I've ever see those. Any idea what year those are from?

Well you are correct it is 2mm tang! I even checked one of my 84mms and it is indeed noticeably thicker.


us Offline Farmer X

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Re: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Victorinox Climber Collection
Reply #4 on: November 10, 2024, 01:57:31 AM
I can't be of any help with the history or approximate age of those SAKs...but they sure are fantastic! :like: :drool:
USN 2000-2006

Culling of the knife and multi herds in progress...

If I pay five figures for something, it better have wings or a foundation!


us Offline jazzbass

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Re: Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Victorinox Climber Collection
Reply #5 on: November 10, 2024, 02:06:36 AM
While 84mm knives with 2.0mm tangs and scissors exist, they are very much the exception and not the rule. I have over 100 different 84mm knives with scissors in them and count exactly 2 that have the post-94 thin tang, and both of these have branded scales.

Eesh. Some people really should proof-read things before they post.

BTW - these catalogs show another interesting aspect of 84mm vs 91mm tool evolution super, super clear - the hole in the awl. Notice all the 91mm and 111mm knives have it, and the 84mm does not, even well into the 90s like in the 93 and 95 catalogs above. You can even tell that all the knives in the catalogs pictures are from the 90s because of the parcel hooks on the 91mm models (i.e. these aren't old stock photos from the 80s used for a later catalog)
« Last Edit: November 10, 2024, 02:12:13 AM by jazzbass »


 

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