Did the Electrician, Pruner and Rancher get withdrawn?

[Huntsman]

Hi Knights,

I thought we had better get the Alox Wiki page updated with current availability - Following on from NeleDo's fabulous posters of course - and in line with the other 'size' summary pages.

So I checked the Vic site and they now only have five 93mm Alox models there - Which I have reflected on the page
Does that mean the Electrician, Pruner (SA 2) and Rancher were withdrawn?           
Would be really surprised about the Electrician - As that blade is completely unique in the Vic range and I thought was always pretty popular.
 
I know we have had the problem in the past when, for some strange reason, Vic do not show all current models on their website
- Although I thought that had been fixed - or at least has been better in the last couple of years.

It does not help that the current catalogue displayed on this site is only from 2017

Any of you folk with good Vic connections got any intel for us   

Thanks all

[guibur]

Hi Knights,

I thought we had better get the Alox Wiki page updated with current availability - Following on from NeleDo's fabulous posters of course - and in line with the other 'size' summary pages.

So I checked the Vic site and they now only have five 93mm Alox models there - Which I have reflected on the page
Does that mean the Electrician, Pruner (SA 2) and Rancher were withdrawn?           
Would be really surprised about the Electrician - As that blade is completely unique in the Vic range and I thought was always pretty popular.
 
I know we have had the problem in the past when, for some strange reason, Vic do not show all current models on their website
- Although I thought that had been fixed - or at least has been better in the last couple of years.

It does not help that the current catalogue displayed on this site is only from 2017

Any of you folk with good Vic connections got any intel for us   

Thanks all

I had a post about this, based on VicSpain video (YouTube) The Rancher was discontinued in 2021. ( https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,86517.0.html )
Then I rectified it because I "met" a retailer (Swiss retailer) of Victorinox, She has been selling Victorinox knives (and only that) for 15 years. I asked another retailer the same question.
Both told me it's nonsense about all these models being discontinued, also about the list that Victorinox manufacturer sends to every retailer with discontinued model for the new comming year (source was VicSpain).
Here the post where I rectified : https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,86517.msg2211538.html#msg2211538

Both retailers told me the only way they know for discontinued models is via invoices where there is a note "discontinued model".
The first retailer gave me her opinion concerning the models I asked her about (which is in the post where I rectified) :

- Classic red transluscent : I doubt it!
- Classic blue transluscent : I doubt it!
- SwissLite : Possible!
- Midnight Manager : Possible!
- Every model "@work" : Possible!

- Traveller : This is more likely!
- Traveller Lite : This is more likely!
- Expedition Lite (Expedition kit) : Discontinued september 2020!
- Spartan Lite : Possible!
- Swiss Champ XAVT : Possible!

- Swiss Army 6 (Rancher) : It's more likely (we've been talking about it for 5 years!)

(I asked her about elctrician too and she doubt it)

So this is two different sources VicSpain and the retailers, so now anyone is free to trust whom they want.
I think retailers are a reliable source and the only one that is threatened to be discontinued is Rancher based on what she said but isn't yet apparently (maybe won't).
Based on any sources anyway Electrician and Pruner aren't discontinued, so...

Another important information from the retailers the official Victorinox website isn't the manufacturer Victorinox.
It's a retailer like the others. They are just allowed to use the name "Victorinox" and take care of sales worldwide (we only see that in Switzerland). It's a totally different company.
So I don't think items being absent on the Victorinox website necessarily means it was discontinued (enven though VicSpain suggested this too).

[DavZell]

[...] 

Another important information from the retailers the official Victorinox website isn't the manufacturer Victorinox.
It's a retailer like the others. They are just allowed to use the name "Victorinox" and take care of sales worldwide (we only see that in Switzerland). It's a totally different company.
So I don't think items being absent on the Victorinox website necessarily means it was discontinued (enven though VicSpain suggested this too).

I'm not sure about that last part.  The site itself says:


Legal Notice
This website is operated by:
Victorinox AG
Schmiedgasse 57 6438
Ibach Switzerland
Tel. +41 41 81 81 211
For questions, suggestions and/or information, please refer to info@victorinox.com
Trade Registry Number: CHE-105.977.463
VAT Number: CHE-105.977.463 MWST

[guibur]

I'm not sure about that last part.  The site itself says:


Legal Notice
This website is operated by:
Victorinox AG
Schmiedgasse 57 6438
Ibach Switzerland
Tel. +41 41 81 81 211
For questions, suggestions and/or information, please refer to info@victorinox.com
Trade Registry Number: CHE-105.977.463
VAT Number: CHE-105.977.463 MWST

It's something I was told (by a reliable source for me) but I'm not 100% sure of course.
Operated doesn't mean it's owned by Victorinox AG though, of course they must operate the website it represents them officially. But by the website being another company I meant shareolders are totally different than those of Victorinox AG.
Plus if you look under what you posted you'll see there is something like Victorinox Retail AG with another post address. For Europe the items you buy come from Germany (or your country sometimes) never from Switzerland.

Example for France : https://www.victorinox.com/fr/en/Legal-Notice/cms/legal-notice

I don't exactly know how it works but Victorinox never manage sales themselves to the public, only with retailers so it just means they don't manage the website.
For the rest of the world it is not specified in the legal notice but maybe someone could tell us, if they bought something from Victorinox out of Europe, what is the shipper address?

[Mechanickal]

Victorinox shipping from Germany is just a way to avoid customers to end up with import duties.
Also, sending an email through the contact page from the website brings you in contact with a customer service worker from Victorinox themselves.

And different shareholders for the website compared to the actual business seems rather far fetched to me to be honest.

[guibur]

Victorinox shipping from Germany is just a way to avoid customers to end up with import duties.
Also, sending an email through the contact page from the website brings you in contact with a customer service worker from Victorinox themselves.

And different shareholders for the website compared to the actual business seems rather far fetched to me to be honest.

I don't know but there really is a company called Victorinox Retail AG from which items are shipped in Europe (maybe world?) and I don't think Victorinox is managing orders then sending them to Germany (for import tax I think most countries in Europe don't tax Switzerland).
And this company Victorinox Retail AG has a CEO : Patrick Hardy
For the contact page even if Victorinox wouldn't manage the website it doesn't surprise me that you can be in contact with Victorinox themselves.

[Huntsman]

Yes saw your other post about the withdrawn models Guibur

For sure there are several other companies operating as Victorinox for legal, tax or logistics reasons - Not even always called Victorinox
For instance Swiss Army Brands (SABI) was the US 'Victorinox' for ages.
I know in Australia the importer is the face of Victorinox here
There are also country specific flavours of the website

But I do think the Vic.com website is operated by Victorinox themselves.
A few years ago I sent a 'Contact Us' email about some inaccuracies in the website and actually got a reply from one of the Elseners (Robert I think) 
He said that 'we' are updating the website in response to my email
- Gotta say I was pretty thrilled to be speaking to an Elsener - even if their website has so many inaccuracies (not all the probs were fixed!!)
Anyway back to the OP - I just noticed that the Farner X is not there               And we know that is a current model!!
But what about those others?          

[NeleDo]

It seems I'll have to make some new posters 

[guibur]

That would be great if you can do that 

[Mechanickal]

A contact of mine living in Switzerland confirmed the Swiss Army 6 being discontinued.
He says Vic Switzerland considers it's obsolete since the 7 is the same tool, just with added saw.
He thinks it's a strange way of thinking since that would mean we don't need a Pioneer any more either

According to the same source, the Electrician is never offered on the website but has always been in stock in just about any store. So not discontinued, but not actively offered either.