Anyone have experience with Victorinox service?

[tjfarrington2000]

I have a late 1950s Victorinox that’s in great shape, other than for the half missing main blade. I’d like to have the blade replaced but I’m not sure what it would cost or if it’s even possible on such an old knife. I’d attach pictures if the knife was with me but I’m back at University.

TL/DR- has anyone ever used Victorinox service? If so what did it cost?


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[DavisNikolov]

I remember seeng an advertising video of their about repairing even such old knives so it must be possible. As for the price 
Keep us posted, I’d be interested to know how it went.

[Barry Rowland]

There should be just the regular surcharge of $10 USD.  If they can fix it, it's covered under the lifetime warranty.  I've had excellent experience with Victorinox service.  Once, I sent an older Wenger Fly Fisherman for them to repair.  They couldn't fix it, but they sent the knife back to me along with a new Angler. 

[austin83]

I just submitted a 111mm with a tool that wouldn’t snap shut and a Craftsman with weak backside tools (both new and unused).  I submitted both at different times so I don’t know if they combine their fees if you submit them at the same time, but I paid $5 with each submission.  I selected the option for sentimental for the Craftsman in hopes they repair it instead of replacing it with a similar current model.  Simply fill out their online form, print it off, and mail it off. 

[Farmer X]

The TL;DR version: I'm happy enough with their service, but I'll be more detailed and specific when submitting future repair requests.

I recently sent two SAKs in for repair. The first was a NoKR Spartan with a bent corkscrew. They did not replace the corkscrew. I can think of three reasons why that was: that request didn't get to them, they determined it wasn't bent badly enough to warrant replacement, or they would have ruined the existing scales in the process. (I'd have been a lot more upset if it came back to me with new scales.) However, it did get cleaned and oiled, and now has good snap on all tools.

The second was a Bijou with a broken blade and horribly worn scales. It did indeed get a new blade...as well as new scissors and a key ring. (It didn't occur to me to specify that I would not want a key ring added.) The new scales are standard red, so I'm guessing that's all the repair department keeps on hand or that's all they had at the time of service. The old blade, scissors, and scales were returned to me. Maybe I'll be able to recreate the inlay some day. As it is, I have a perfect little user SAK.

The best part? I only paid for shipping both ways. Not getting charged for the service, especially when I figured that was a given, was a pleasant surprise.

I also don't know if they'll consolidate orders received at different times into one return shipment.

[MFS]

I know this is thread has been dormant, but I figured I would share my experience with Victorinox service.

I sent in my Wenger/Eddie Bauer Backpacker to see if they could repair or replace the scissors. I have had this knife for probably 20+ years (since I was a kid), and one half of the scissors broke off while I was cutting something. I figured they could either rivet on a new half or replace the entire scissors. I did check sentimental on the online submission form and had to pay about $5 to mail it to CT via USPS.

The turnaround was quick, but that is because they did no work on my knife. I received an Evolution S14 as a replacement (essentially the same knife but with the terrible Eco scales), and I was charged a $5 service fee.

Upon review of my knife, I noticed several “R”s engraved on the blade, on the nail file, and next to the corkscrew. I was surprised that they didn’t perform the requested service (for which I was willing to pay) but that they did do this unauthorized engraving.

I emailed Victorinox customer service to better understand what happened. They no longer service Wenger knives, and their policy is to return the knife with a replacement knife. To prevent people from sending in the same knife repeatedly, they engrave “R”s on the knife to show it has already been submitted for repair. It isn’t too large or deep, but it is in multiple, visible areas. Personally, I am surprised they feel comfortable performing this unauthorized modification to a customer’s property.

Overall, I am pretty disappointed with the experience, but I am only speaking as a Wenger owner. Had I known their policy, I wouldn’t have sent my knife in. Had they contacted me when they received my knife, I would have asked that they send it back unaltered and kept the replacement knife.

Now, I have a sentimental knife that is permanently altered. One could argue it is worse than when I sent it in. I guess it’ll always remind me of the disappointing experience. I also now have a new knife that I don’t want. While it is nice of them to send me a $56 knife for only $10, I don’t like the Evo series. Since they already altered my knife, maybe I’ll use the Evo for parts and try to repair my knife myself.

[cody6268]

I sent three off about 4 years ago.

1990s V2 SwissTool with half the tools damaged in some way ("good vintage condition" my arse!)--replaced fully. Not marked sentimental.

1970s OC Pioneer with bent blade and snapped awl--replaced with new red Pioneer (not marked sentimental).  New one became EDC, kept the old one as a work knife.

1960s 84mm Craftsman: NOTE: I did mark this one sentimental, as I thought that if a tool was replaced under warranty, they would keep the broken one like Leatherman and Gerber have done.

Scissors were missing spring and were being held together with a crude repair of a piece of brass wire smashed in the pivot--completely replaced.

Heavily scratched main blade--replaced.

Original pen blade with engraved last name of the original owner--as with all tools not replaced--highly polished.

Scales were also replaced--and all broken bits were sent back to me. I plan to put the scissors in a custom build after I replace the spring and screw. The original aluminum-tipped tweezers wouldn't fit in new scales, but were put in another SAK on which they were missing. The original main blade will be kept on hand if I decide to try my hand at SAK repair--it's badly scratched, but otherwise not worn or damaged.

I also think they replaced all the liners, since they are prone to cracking on older SAKs.

The two damaged knives that were returned to me without repair had "W" engraved deeply on their blades.


HOWEVER, despite How Do They Do It and similar having shown their employees in Switzerland restoring M1908 Soldiers, they told me they'd probably just send the 1942 I had back untouched with a modern M2008 since they don't have any parts or tools to deal with them in CT. I'm emailing Roethlisberger in Switzerland to see if they'll put an new blade in it and replace the warped and cracked fiber scales with staghorn.