Disappearing 111mm?

[Cleanser]

I feel like 111mm models - example in my case - outrider are becoming harder to find in the US. Few sellers on eBay.. limited on amazon too with increased prices.. are 111mm being phased out? Current supply chain issues?

Or am I going crazy...?

[Huntsman]

I doubt that the Swiss Soldier knife is going - So probably the latter 

They also just went through the big liner lock conversion a couple of years ago

[cody6268]

I would say supply chain issues, and Vic probably doesn't produce a ton of 111mm due to being illegal in most European countries, and many US cities (and a couple states).   My grandmother had to special order a Stihl FS70 weed eater close to a month ago. It showed up at the dealer Monday.  The day they got them in, the dealer said the other FS70 they had sold that day.

I was looking at Buck's website just last night--they are out of stock "backordered" on a lot of bread and butter products.

[Cleanser]

Makes sense that production volume is likely low to begin with. Never thought how limited the 111mm market is!

[SgtTowser]

It would have taken some reproductive organs of Swiss Steel not to have cut production a few months back.

The big reset was intended to cull the firm herd more than the people herd.

But as any mechanic knows, it often takes longer to reassemble and get a motor running smoothly again, than to take it apart.

Human beings in all producer segments have long since lost most of the critical paper manuals and operate on rote memory day to day. The e-backups always only include the manuals they could find, never all of them.

Highly centralized decision making involving complex systems by “strategists” who have never worked at lower levels of the system equal system sub-optimization always, and occasionally system-wide failure.

Hence the wisdom: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 😀

[SgtTowser]

P.S.: on 111

I will be sad, if the 111 market dries up because of nanny regulation.

The 111 series OHO Locksmith seems a good  balance of tools with a knipex 25mm (or OS) plier that could ween persons off the leather man style tools for the better. But the Locksmith seems utterly unavailable. The 111 work champ obsoletes a leather man, but is more tools than I need.

I really don’t understand why so many SAK models—especially 111s—lack a metal file/saw. I use mine often Just around the house.

Always thought locking blades 111s were unnecessary for work and destined to trigger the nanny state.

I just never need locking blades for any cuts I make with a pocket knife, or for sawing or filing either. I never cut myself with a blade accidentally closing during use. I cut myself only closing the blade with my fingers in the blade path (And then rarely). And that could be solved with a little more unsharpened blade.

Ah well, the market knows best, I guess. I am just one user.

[ElevenBlade]

I couldn't even hazard a guess as to why they're harder to get. 
I've only got one more to buy before I have all the ones I want (famous last words) but I will be would be unhappy if the line disappeared. 

I can safely say that on the list of multiools that I prefer... From Leatherman, Gerber and Victorinox, more than half are discontinued. 

[Huntsman]

 ^^^^  You'd wonder how that can be  - eh? 

I know there are a of of Vic SAKs that are discontinued - much to the chagrin of members here
Interesting you feel the same about LM and G  - Actually I do know many here miss the PST!

With clever (hopefully) product managers and market analysers - you would think that good and popular tools would continue.
So do we assume the tools we liked were not good sellers?   
Or is it the continuous desire to allegedly 'innovate' that makes them keep changing their product line. 

[ElevenBlade]

^^^^  You'd wonder how that can be  - eh? 

I know there are a of of Vic SAKs that are discontinued - much to the chagrin of members here
Interesting you feel the same about LM and G  - Actually I do know many here miss the PST!

With clever (hopefully) product managers and market analysers - you would think that good and popular tools would continue.
So do we assume the tools we liked were not good sellers?   
Or is it the continuous desire to allegedly 'innovate' that makes them keep changing their product line.

Or could it be that they really are messing with us?  I'm normally the last guy to buy into a conspiracy theory, and I'm not one to believe that the company is engaged in one-upmanship with it's potential customers.

As a company, Victorinox is probably less guilty than the others in this regard... Except for the glaring example of the disappearance of the nonserrated 111mm blade.  Now I can imagine that with their choice of blade shape they're really trying to combine aspects of the rescue cutter (serrated, blunt) to make the knife a bit more of a multitasker. And I've often pegged Victorinox with having the mindset that the customer doesn't know what they need a priori. But this sort of sweeping decision is one that will send the customer to look elsewhere.

Like Victorinox, but even more so, I think Leatherman trys to balance their product line with their innovation. Lately they seem to have the habit of introducing and then discontinuing every tool with a good set of scissors. I'm beginning to think that they're enticing the buyer with a new release, and then making them/me realize that I can't live without a Micra.

In terms of the 111mm line. Just like any gradual accumulation of multiools, one in a while an inventory and reorganizing is in order.  But then how would the company reorganize? A big question they would have is - are most of their sales to new users that need a "perfect" multitool, or are they to repeat customers that are looking for a tool to fill a niche, or are they sold to collectors?  I would think that their largest market share to repeat customers who aren't after a specific tool as we are.

I've seen some of the small SAKs disappear from the website recently, and it wouldn't surprise me if some of the big ones disappeared too. 

Then I wonder... If this didn't happen, would I be as interested?  Despite what I think I know about myself.... I'm getting the sense that I wouldn't.