Victorinox Passenger (vs recent Spartan and Explorer)

[bismouth]

Hi all,

I've recently been lucky, I've found this Passenger for a few euros...

I've made some shots of the SAK and then, I've compared some tools with the Spartan and the Explorer:

Close to new, just a few little scratches...




Take a little tour around the tools:




Here is a comparaison between the small blades and the can opener:



Then the awls and the large blade (really large one for the Passenger):



And then, for me the most important and maybe the response to my quest of finding the perfect phillips screwdriver in a SAK... The inline Phillips screwdriver of the passenger is longer and can take smaller screw heads than the "new" one:





Since I've found this big difference, my new project is to assemble an Yeoman with the old maglens and the old phillips screwdriver.
I've been disappointed by the new inline phillips screwdriver because I've mostly working on small screws.


Is there someone that could put a price on this SAK? I can't find any on the web and I'm looking for the old maglens and phillips layer... But maybe I should look for an old Explorer?

Again, sorry for my english and I hope that the pics will show as I've been uploading on an european server?

[Helvetica Bold]

I love that passenger as it is and personally I wouldn’t dream of taking it apart. I have just assembled a Yeoman and a scientist (combo tool version of your passenger) from old parts and for me the grey mag layer meets better in the middle with the Phillips whereas the clear mag glass leaves a gap which is unsightly on these smaller layer models. I would look for an old grey mag Explorer or Swiss champ and use that. Not sure of price for the Passenger but I think it’s a great example of a really cool knife. Might take my own advice in fact and build myself a passenger now. 

[Gareth]

Nice find bismouth.     It's a nice sized SAK isn't it?  For spare parts I'd look for some old Explorers.  Much more common to find if I remember correctly. 

As to the price:  It's simply not a SAK we see al lot of and so that suggests to me it really wasn't ever all that popular.  That probably still holds true today, sadly.   

[39hotrod]

 

[colt 1911]

Save the passenger,



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[39hotrod]

 

[VICMAN]

Hi all,

I've recently been lucky, I've found this Passenger for a few euros...

That Passenger is very nice bismouth!

[Myron]

Beautiful SAK, Bismouth.  If it were mine I'd keep it just as it is.  There are a lot of old Explorers and other sources for mod-fodder.

Thanks for sharing your Passenger with us! 

[kamakiri]

Nice find and good job posting clear pics!  The knife looks original to me and appears to be c.’81 construction. I wouldn’t use it for parts. I hesitate to estimate a price on it as these do not appear to have a very strong following. And without a box, I think many would suspect it’s not original.

But on the low side, I think it should be worth at least $50 USD. $100 would surprise me at auction, but it is not impossible to exceed that with two or more motivated bidders. It looks like it’s in really nice condition for being 40 years old.

Modded Yeoman knives aren’t hard to find (or build yourself) and seem to sell for around $60-$70 or so. I’d use parts from Explorers first before considering taking this one apart. 

As for the function, I completely agree with the utility of the older, longer Phillips. It’s just better all around. My first knife from ‘84 has it and the newer short style just doesn’t work at all on smaller screws.

Hope that helps!

[kamakiri]

Part of my price opinions come from watching the Alpineer variants.  They carry a bit of a premium because of their stainless inlay. Mine are 1979 construction next to a 1976 Passenger with a nickel silver shield.

[bismouth]

I love that passenger as it is and personally I wouldn’t dream of taking it apart. I have just assembled a Yeoman and a scientist (combo tool version of your passenger) from old parts and for me the grey mag layer meets better in the middle with the Phillips whereas the clear mag glass leaves a gap which is unsightly on these smaller layer models. I would look for an old grey mag Explorer or Swiss champ and use that. Not sure of price for the Passenger but I think it’s a great example of a really cool knife. Might take my own advice in fact and build myself a passenger now. 

My principal hesitation is with the can opener that i'm not using as EDC, so the Yeoman (custom) seems to match my needs.

Nice find bismouth.     It's a nice sized SAK isn't it?  For spare parts I'd look for some old Explorers.  Much more common to find if I remember correctly. 

As to the price:  It's simply not a SAK we see al lot of and so that suggests to me it really wasn't ever all that popular.  That probably still holds true today, sadly.   

I've already started looking for an old Explorer

Save the passenger,
(Image removed from quote.)

Nice scales! do you EDC it?

That Passenger is very nice bismouth!

Beautiful SAK, Bismouth.  If it were mine I'd keep it just as it is.  There are a lot of old Explorers and other sources for mod-fodder.

Thanks for sharing your Passenger with us! 

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Thanks a lot for the comments

Nice find and good job posting clear pics!  The knife looks original to me and appears to be c.’81 construction. I wouldn’t use it for parts. I hesitate to estimate a price on it as these do not appear to have a very strong following. And without a box, I think many would suspect it’s not original.

But on the low side, I think it should be worth at least $50 USD. $100 would surprise me at auction, but it is not impossible to exceed that with two or more motivated bidders. It looks like it’s in really nice condition for being 40 years old.

Modded Yeoman knives aren’t hard to find (or build yourself) and seem to sell for around $60-$70 or so. I’d use parts from Explorers first before considering taking this one apart. 

As for the function, I completely agree with the utility of the older, longer Phillips. It’s just better all around. My first knife from ‘84 has it and the newer short style just doesn’t work at all on smaller screws.

Hope that helps!

Wow amazing informations thanks ! I'll try to sell it on ebay in a few weeks if I need a little cash, otherwise I'll keep it with some others !

I just need to find an old Explorer to mod myself a Yeoman, then I'll compare the two.

thanks again!

[kamakiri]

Wow amazing informations thanks ! I'll try to sell it on ebay in a few weeks if I need a little cash, otherwise I'll keep it with some others !

I just need to find an old Explorer to mod myself a Yeoman, then I'll compare the two.

thanks again!

  Sounds like a good plan!

I wish you luck if you decide to sell it!  I suggest also clearly showing the ends and inside of the knife to show how clean and unused it is.

[theonew]

Nice score

Interesting observation on the phillips driver, I too would much prefer the narrower, longer one for smaller screws. Didn't even know they exist. The functionality of the inline phillips driver was what drove me away from carrying the Passenger and Scientist that I modded, and an Explorer mod I did which replaced the scissors with a saw.

Thanks for the heads up, now I have to start searching for one with the old phillips driver 

[Altis]

Nice score

Interesting observation on the phillips driver, I too would much prefer the narrower, longer one for smaller screws. Didn't even know they exist. The functionality of the inline phillips driver was what drove me away from carrying the Passenger and Scientist that I modded, and an Explorer mod I did which replaced the scissors with a saw.

Thanks for the heads up, now I have to start searching for one with the old phillips driver 

4 layers with no scissors?  I think by 3 layers, most typical buyers want scissors, which may be why the Yeoman and Passenger weren't as popular as the scissors models.

Something to consider... From what I understand, the newer inline Phillips is shorter to accommodate the larger magnifying glass (with the clear bezel). I'm not sure the new mag with old Phillips fit together.

[Rizio Il Ghiro]

Oops! A typo there, Altis, as the Yeoman does have scissors - not sure they were sold outside the American market much, I certainly made mine - and a nice toolset it is too, Explorer functions in 3 layers rather than 4!

[Helvetica Bold]

Oops! A typo there, Altis, as the Yeoman does have scissors - not sure they were sold outside the American market much, I certainly made mine - and a nice toolset it is too, Explorer functions in 3 layers rather than 4!

  but like my (made) 2 layer scientist even more for some reason...think I’m just into two layers at the moment though...probably be back to Swiss Champ next week!

[colt 1911]

My principal hesitation is with the can opener that i'm not using as EDC, so the Yeoman (custom) seems to match my needs.

I've already started looking for an old Explorer


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Thanks a lot for the comments





Wow amazing informations thanks ! I'll try to sell it on ebay in a few weeks if I need a little cash, otherwise I'll keep it with some others !

I just need to find an old Explorer to mod myself a Yeoman, then I'll compare the two.

thanks again!

Everyday


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[ddogu]

Wow I wasn't aware of this model! 

[Rizio Il Ghiro]

but like my (made) 2 layer scientist even more for some reason...think I’m just into two layers at the moment though...probably be back to Swiss Champ next week!

I keep thinking about making one of those too, but I’ll need to find cheap donors as it’ll work out quite expensive!

[Altis]

Oops! A typo there, Altis, as the Yeoman does have scissors - not sure they were sold outside the American market much, I certainly made mine - and a nice toolset it is too, Explorer functions in 3 layers rather than 4!

I was mainly referring to your Explorer mod with saw replacing the scissors  But you are correct, the Yeoman does indeed have scissors. 

A quick correction from me: I visually compared my old Woodsman and new Explorer... the old inline should actually fit based on my eyes (backspring permitting). There's a sizable gap between the new inline and new mag glass (which might not be much larger than the old one). It has since occurred to me that the shorter inline Phillips is probably for pairing with the LED 'Lite' module and they didn't want to produce two variants

[Swede-nox]

The Passenger in the "base" in my collection. I bought it in Wuppertal 41 years ago, my first own Victorinox.I do have an older Bijou that my father bought i Switzerland in 1966. It's still in mint condition.

[Myron]

The Passenger in the "base" in my collection. I bought it in Wuppertal 41 years ago, my first own Victorinox.I do have an older Bijou that my father bought i Switzerland in 1966. It's still in mint condition.

Incredible!  Congratulations on this fantastic heirloom.

[theonew]

4 layers with no scissors?  I think by 3 layers, most typical buyers want scissors, which may be why the Yeoman and Passenger weren't as popular as the scissors models.

Something to consider... From what I understand, the newer inline Phillips is shorter to accommodate the larger magnifying glass (with the clear bezel). I'm not sure the new mag with old Phillips fit together.

While I'm definitely in the minority, I will never understand the obsession people here have with scissors. There is just so much overlap between the functionality of scissors and a knife, so much. Whereas a saw really expands your tools capability. While people seem to think of them as only useful for cutting wood in the wilderness, I have use it for many things while living in New York City, cardboard, hard rubber, hard plastic, bone and sheet rock. I used it once to cut a laminated cardboard tube for my wife, in the middle of Times Square, while she was on a photo shoot. Having some keychain sized scissors makes sense for personal grooming tasks but a thick 91mm layer with a questionably useful back layer tool just does not make a bit of sense to me. Caveat: I'm a weiirdo

[kamakiri]

The Passenger in the "base" in my collection. I bought it in Wuppertal 41 years ago, my first own Victorinox.I do have an older Bijou that my father bought i Switzerland in 1966. It's still in mint condition.

Nice! Pictures please!

I was mainly referring to your Explorer mod with saw replacing the scissors  But you are correct, the Yeoman does indeed have scissors. 

A quick correction from me: I visually compared my old Woodsman and new Explorer... the old inline should actually fit based on my eyes (backspring permitting). There's a sizable gap between the new inline and new mag glass (which might not be much larger than the old one). It has since occurred to me that the shorter inline Phillips is probably for pairing with the LED 'Lite' module and they didn't want to produce two variants

That’s what I was trying to point out earlier.

For those interested in modding, the latest short style phillips ~’11+ are probably the easiest to mix with vintage parts. The early clear plastic magnifiers have a very different (larger) round of the tang, so those don’t mix easily with vintage gray magnifier/long phillips parts.

[Altis]

While I'm definitely in the minority, I will never understand the obsession people here have with scissors. There is just so much overlap between the functionality of scissors and a knife, so much. Whereas a saw really expands your tools capability. While people seem to think of them as only useful for cutting wood in the wilderness, I have use it for many things while living in New York City, cardboard, hard rubber, hard plastic, bone and sheet rock. I used it once to cut a laminated cardboard tube for my wife, in the middle of Times Square, while she was on a photo shoot. Having some keychain sized scissors makes sense for personal grooming tasks but a thick 91mm layer with a questionably useful back layer tool just does not make a bit of sense to me. Caveat: I'm a weiirdo

Fair enough! Seems like the metal saw might be well-suited to some of those tasks. I'm a big fan of the Victorinox saw, but I don't need it in an EDC, and arguably as others have pointed out to me, I don't really need it outdoors either (main blade can cut through pretty much the same thickness of wood, though with a less clean cut). Having said all that, I really like the humble little 84mm Walker model, and the Farmer X is my favorite overall, I think. 

Scissors have some distinct advantages, namely in their precision. Trimming a nail/hangnail, errant hair, loose thread on clothes, cutting paper... any precise cut as the forces of a scissor are equalized, making it inherently stable (unlike a knife). They also create far less concern when using them in a public area as compared with the main blade. I just find that by layer 4+ it's unusual to be missing such a fundamental tool, and I suspect many others do as well, explaining the popularity of the Explorer over the Passenger. I wonder whether the Yeoman or Passenger sold better over the years. 

[theonew]

Disagree on the precision of scissors. Nose hair and finger nails I get but unless there isn't a backing surface to cut against, I much prefer a knife for precision cutting. Also I do love the metal saw/file and another favorite mod of mine is a Ranger from which I removed the scissors layer. It is a very slim four layer SAK, with four back layer tools.

[Altis]

Disagree on the precision of scissors. Nose hair and finger nails I get but unless there isn't a backing surface to cut against, I much prefer a knife for precision cutting. Also I do love the metal saw/file and another favorite mod of mine is a Ranger from which I removed the scissors layer. It is a very slim four layer SAK, with four back layer tools.

I see what you mean. Certainly the knife is more precise for many tasks provided you have a backing surface, especially for longer cuts. However, I don't often find a suitable backing material when on the go, or the object being cut is fixed, etc... and I can get very good control over small cuts with the scissors, and it's less likely to damage something. For example, cutting zip ties off something you don't want to scratch, or while freeing a new item from it's packaging (whether zip ties, those H-shaped plastic tags, etc).

The knife and scissors aren't interchangeable though there's obviously overlap. It's all about choosing the tool set and size right for your needs of the day and preferences  (which is why I have about 25 models  )

[theonew]

I get it and generally have some type of keychain scissors on me. But a 91mm layer of scissors just doesn't make sense to me 

[kamakiri]

I get it and generally have some type of keychain scissors on me. But a 91mm layer of scissors just doesn't make sense to me 

    

 

As someone who now carries a 58mm on a regular basis, I understand how somebody could say that better. I still think of using the 91mm for most scissor needs, but can’t think of a single instance when the 58mm ones couldn’t have done the job. 91mm versions are only better to me as a matter of preference.

[Altis]

I get it and generally have some type of keychain scissors on me. But a 91mm layer of scissors just doesn't make sense to me 

That's one of the reasons I love the Classic SD Alox... It has a nearly-negligible carrying cost and opens up carrying scissor-less models as a primary, like the Cadet, Tinker Small, and Walker.