OOPS! - SAK Production Errors

[Huntsman]

^^^  That is completely bizarre - How could that possibly happen? - Double/treble QC errors!!
And how they actually put that thing in a blister pack is staggering
- I am assuming that the only way that could be - Is if the packing process is automated and somehow that duff SAK made it to the packaging machine.

You gotta save it / keep it - But send Vic the photos and ask for compensation.
Eg Another Huntsman -
 Trouble is I guess for that they'd insist on getting the old one back

@KK - Is that a stamping error? - I assume it's not wear and tear

[MiniChamp]

You gotta save it / keep it - But send Vic the photos and ask for compensation.
Eg Another Huntsman -
 Trouble is I guess for that they'd insist on getting the old one back

I expect that they will be happy to exchange this smoking gun in order to erase it out of existence, but find it hard to believe that they will provide any compensation for just photos.

I'm going to keep it, but find it frustrating that I don't really know exactly what's inside the pack (how bad is it?). Maybe I'll open it just to know. Maybe not. Blister packs can be VERY annoying.       

[jnoxyd]

I expect that they will be happy to exchange this smoking gun in order to erase it out of existence, but find it hard to believe that they will provide any compensation for just photos.

I'm going to keep it, but find it frustrating that I don't really know exactly what's inside the pack (how bad is it?). Maybe I'll open it just to know. Maybe not. Blister packs can be VERY annoying.      

This is really unusual.  I would visit the Victorinox store and open the blister with the staff.  It seems that the packer decided to update his knife.

[Gareth]

Never been quite sure about this one.  I bought it new something like 6-7 years ago so I know it's direct from the factory and was on a current card back.  I understand that the Sportsman sometimes doesn't have a keyring, but the missing sewing eye on the awl has me confused.   So; mistake or not?

[kamakiri]

This is really unusual.  I would visit the Victorinox store and open the blister with the staff.  It seems that the packer decided to update his knife.

Good suggestion...but I suspect the ‘Bay seller. Sincerely doubt this is a Victorinox issue.

Blister packs with card stock aren’t the same as those that are sealed by melting the two PE layers together at the perimeter.

[kamakiri]

Never been quite sure about this one.  I bought it new something like 6-7 years ago so I know it's direct from the factory and was on a current card back.  I understand that the Sportsman sometimes doesn't have a keyring, but the missing sewing eye on the awl has me confused.   So; mistake or not?

(Image removed from quote.)

Seems like a mistake to me, but there were other size models that the eye was deleted.

[Huntsman]

Very good point KK - As I said - Hard to imagine how that could happen at the factory
And there are some suspicious creases etc in the card.

@MiniChamp - Can you have a look at the pack card to see if it has been opened and re-glued?

If that is the case that is pretty dastardly deception by the eBay seller

[TonySal]

Very good point KK - As I said - Hard to imagine how that could happen at the factory
And there are some suspicious creases etc in the card.

@MiniChamp - Can you have a look at the pack card to see if it has been opened and re-glued?

If that is the case that is pretty dastardly deception by the eBay seller

  agree

[MiniChamp]

This is really unusual.  I would visit the Victorinox store and open the blister with the staff.

Interesting idea. Unfortunately, it's not something that is practical to do at my location.

I ended up opening the blister by myself. The SAK that I found inside can be seen in the attached images. What cannot be seen in the images is that the knife blades are dull and somewhat damaged from usage (they also have some scratches). To cut a long story short, it's a dirty used+abused SAK.

Blister packs with card stock aren’t the same as those that are sealed by melting the two PE layers together at the perimeter.

I have some familiarity with this generation of Victorinox blister packs. I tried to open such blisters "undestructively" quite a few times with no success. The card is very brittle and tends to get completely messed up. The only way I know how to open them while keeping the card in reasonable shape is to cut the plastic without touching the card at all.

@MiniChamp - Can you have a look at the pack card to see if it has been opened and re-glued?

I looked very carefully (with a magnifying glass, etc.), but found no signs of any foul play. It looked like a normal factory-closed blister pack. Also, suppose someone was talented enough to open and re-glue it in such a perfect undetectable way. Why didn't they bother to also make the SAK look more presentable by cleaning the outside dirt and tightening the loose scale? (Those issues were very visible with the closed blister; much easier to notice than the missing scale.) While I cannot completely rule out the possibility that such foul play is involved, I believe that it isn't very likely.

If that is the case that is pretty dastardly deception by the eBay seller

The eBay account in question exists since 2003 and has hundreds of 100% positive feedbacks. I find it a little hard to believe that they would intentionally do something deceptive of this sort.   

Hard to imagine how that could happen at the factory

Indeed. That is the $24.94 question. I wonder: What happens to open blister-packed SAKs that get returned to large US retail stores like Target and Walmart? Is it possible that they are sent back to Victorinox (the US branch) for examination and repacking of those of them that are in fact new? If so, it can put some messed up used SAKs just one human error away from being repacked as new. Is that possible? 

[VoetSak]

I found this one interesting. Not sure if it is a production error per se but I have not seen the shield and tang paired before. I assume one is economy line and one is regular so think it's odd?

[VoetSak]

Old Classic with cross cut file and no tang stamp

[kamakiri]

Didn’t notice how bad this was until I looked at it under a loupe.
Especially the part inside the teepee.
c. ‘76 Ranger

.

[TonySal]

...not a serious "error" but I noticed on a brand new Classic, scratches on the blade from the nail file blade?   

[kamakiri]

...not a serious "error" but I noticed on a brand new Classic, scratches on the blade from the nail file blade?   

That’s a bit disappointing...I’d return it if possible.

I do wonder if that would be checked by QC for 58mm production. Maybe it was scratched during the QC inspection.

[TonySal]

...well its a real little user so no real problem....

[Zanza]

On a silver alox Pioneer Apprentice in my little collection, I've a blade dated 03, like on a genuine Swiss Army knife of 2003....

[Sazabi]

On a silver alox Pioneer Apprentice in my little collection, I've a blade dated 03, like on a genuine Swiss Army knife of 2003....

That's not a production error, but instead, a nice find.  Victorinox isn't one for discarding usable tools, so you can find soldier blades on non-Soldier alox knives, as what you have. 

[Huntsman]

Hmmm - Yes

This is even mentioned in the Wiki - Bottom of the page
https://sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Soldier+1961#Related_Models

But still kind of an 'error' or at least unplanned / non-regular! Very nice addition to the collection

BTW - Did you know that the Soldier page is the most popular model / non-menu page in the Wiki   

PS. Zanza I like your footer and love your avatar

[Zanza]

Huntsman: yes I already had read it on the wiki in the past, but glad to have found one.
And it was really a factory produced one, as it came from a lot that a friend of mine working in an hardware store brought back. It was around 2010, confirming what you wrote in the wiki, as the year stamped is not related of the exact year it was produced. In this lot there were 3 or 4 Pruner and 3 or 4 Apprentice, but only this Apprentice had the year stamped.

Seeing your own avatar, I clearly understand why you like mine 

My footer is almost full (limitations of characters), so I will soon need to create a post/page depicting my small but slowly growing collection


P.S: BTW, I tried to register in the wiki but had the same message some other users already had: needing and admin to generate a password or something like that. Any help ?

[FolderBeholder]

Both of the knives are Manager's @work with the flash drive in them.
The nail file on the left one is formed incorrectly.  At first I thought it was a break, but after looking through a loupe, all sides of it are factory smooth.

[Huntsman]

No - Not an error - That's the new design for the nail-cleaner   

[FolderBeholder]

No - Not an error - That's the new design for the nail-cleaner   

Is it?  I can't tell if your wink means you're kidding or it means it really is the new design.
Here are a couple of close up shots:

[VICMAN]

Both of the knives are Manager's @work with the flash drive in them.
The nail file on the left one is formed incorrectly.  At first I thought it was a break, but after looking through a loupe, all sides of it are factory smooth.

Nice SAKs FB!

[FolderBeholder]

Nice SAKs FB!

Thank you Vicman! 

[fred2892]

Is it?  I can't tell if your wink means you're kidding or it means it really is the new design.
Here are a couple of close up shots:
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

Nice, it’s about time vic used the traditional style of nail cleaner.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Huntsman]

Wink means I am talking BS        

[FolderBeholder]

Wink means I am talking BS        

I thought it might.  Funny thing is, I like the way this one cleans fingernails though.

[Huntsman]

Exactly!!!

[kamakiri]

It’s cool either way, but I’d take surprising and rare over the loss of the SD.

[Rizio Il Ghiro]

  nice find! And surprisingly useful too!