Victorinox going bladeless

[Doc Dan]

Woke is going to make them broke. Victorinox is caving and will start making their Swiss Army Knives without knife blades. They will still make current models with blades, they say. Here is one of the articles I read on the subject:
https://gizmodo.com/swiss-army-knife-vi ... 1851461947

[Ankerson]

Woke is going to make them broke. Victorinox is caving and will start making their Swiss Army Knives without knife blades. They will still make current models with blades, they say. Here is one of the articles I read on the subject:
https://gizmodo.com/swiss-army-knife-vi ... 1851461947

Ah, no...

Looks like they are actually trying to expand their customer base to me.

“We are in the early stages of developing pocket tools without blades,” a spokesperson for the company told CNN. Though it won’t be discontinuing its bladed version, the company has been trying to figure out how to serve customers in places — specifically England and some Asian countries — where knives aren’t as welcome a pocket sight than in other markets. The British government, for example, is considering new legislation on carrying blades in public.

[James Y]

I thought that Victorinox had already been making a "bladeless" model that was intended to circumvent anti-knife blade rules on planes. It was basically a Classic without the knife blade.

As long as Victorinox also continues making their bladed models, I don't see it as such a problem to gnash my teeth over. What are they supposed to do? Victorinox wants to stay in business. There are a LOT of countries where carrying even a tiny slip joint pocketknife is heavily restricted. Those laws are not going to go away.

The problem isn't Victorinox. The problem is the heavily restricting anti-knife laws in many countries. Some of which have had such laws for awhile, long before 'woke' meant something other than getting out of bed.

I don't like it at all; I think those laws are lame and do absolutely nothing to increase public safety. But it's where much of the world is at now.

Jim

[RustyIron]

The title is misleading. Victorinox is not going bladeless. Victorinox will begin selling bladeless "knives" in markets where bladed tools are not allowed. It seems like a sound marketing decision. Spyderco makes knives to meet the requirements of different regions--it makes sense.

[Doc Dan]

You both may be right. I see it as an indicator of the insanity in which we are forced to live. Here, knives are verboten.

[TomAiello]

I have a bladeless multi tool that I use for travel (because it can be carried in the cabin and I rarely check bags). It's a useful piece of gear. My usual habit is to buy a relatively inexpensive knife whenever I get where I'm going, and then just leave the knife behind when I head home.

[Scandi Grind]

You both may be right. I see it as an indicator of the insanity in which we are forced to live. Here, knives are verboten.

Yeah, knife laws, obviously bad, but this decision makes sense as far as Victorinox is concerned. I imagine even if the U.S. was the last customer standing for bladed models, that would still be enough reason to keep making blades. They are incredibly popular here in the U.S. What I am more afraid of is just laws making it illegal to carry knives in more of the U.S., which has obviously begun happening in many places, or laws in Switzerland saying Vic can't manufacture knives any more, neither of which should be considered impossibilities with the way things are going.

[aicolainen]

I read an equally poorly written news article about this on the train this morning.
With such bad journalism as we have today, it's hard to really know what's the real story behind what you just read, but my interpretation of it was similar to Rusty's. It makes sense to add bladeless options (to the existing bladed lineup), and it's quite frankly something all the MT makers should have been doing more of already.
For one it opens up new markets, but beyond that obvious business case I've been wanting more bladeless options for my own use as well. I always carry a dedicated knife, so in most cases the blade layer on a MT is a waste of space that could be better used for other implements or left out altogether.
I'm not arguing that bladed MTs don't make sense, but I would definitively like more options - the MT space has been starving for innovation for many years. We don't have a lot to go by atm, but I choose to read this as good news until proven otherwise, and think this is a sign that we'll see updated more relevant toolsets from Victorinox in the time to come. Hopefully the other makers will catch on (if they're not already on the ball).

[Mk-211]

The article I read was about getting on a plane and not having to deal with TSA.

How's TSA going to look at all the other tools on the SAK? Little to early to stick one in your pocket and play clueless.

[TomAiello]

I've had a TSA agent physically open and inspect _all_ of the tools on my (bladeless) multi-tool before.

[ChrisinHove]

I have a Vic Jetsetter, which is the Compact without a blade. It’s a stress free option on flights, international trains and urban venues, and better than nothing.

Except where I expect scanners, I also keep a Bantam in the zippered coin section of my wallet, however, which never gets checked.

[Doc Dan]

I have a Jetsetter. Except for the scissors, it doesn't do much. I can't cut my food, or peel an apple. But, it is better than nothing and the scissors work well.

[aicolainen]

As far as I can tell, the Jetsetter is a Rambler without the knife layer, so it loses the file/flat head as well.
It’s hard not to like the Rambler, in my opinion it’s the obvious choice over a Classic, but hardly gets anywhere near the same attention.
But even with the knife blade in place, this is a very limited tool. I’m not sure I’ve ever used the knife blade. I find the knife blade on 58mm’s pretty useless and consider it more of an aid to pull splinters etc. than a cutting implement.

As charming as the Rambler is, there was no place for it in the spotlight and after a while it found its place in my travel Dopp kit, where it fits the bill perfectly.

Depending on how and where I’m traveling, I very often bring my LM Style PS as well. It’s a rather great bladeless little tool that pairs well with the Rambler. But looking at the Jetsetter, that’s an even better pairing if you want to optimize for maximum compliancy and minimum tool redundancy.

Unfortunately LM discontinued the Style, and even more unfortunate - mine just broke and was replaced with a Micra. I was rather disappointed about that. Replacing a bladeless, pliers based tool with a plierless, bladed tool is in no way a functional replacement IMO, but my complaints were to no avail. As expected.

Anyways, for legal reasons or otherwise, the world needs more bladeless options. At least as long as we don’t get them at the expense of their bladed siblings.

[Doc Dan]

As far as I can tell, the Jetsetter is a Rambler without the knife layer, so it loses the file/flat head as well.
It’s hard not to like the Rambler, in my opinion it’s the obvious choice over a Classic, but hardly gets anywhere near the same attention.
But even with the knife blade in place, this is a very limited tool. I’m not sure I’ve ever used the knife blade. I find the knife blade on 58mm’s pretty useless and consider it more of an aid to pull splinters etc. than a cutting implement.

As charming as the Rambler is, there was no place for it in the spotlight and after a while it found its place in my travel Dopp kit, where it fits the bill perfectly.

Depending on how and where I’m traveling, I very often bring my LM Style PS as well. It’s a rather great bladeless little tool that pairs well with the Rambler. But looking at the Jetsetter, that’s an even better pairing if you want to optimize for maximum compliancy and minimum tool redundancy.

Unfortunately LM discontinued the Style, and even more unfortunate - mine just broke and was replaced with a Micra. I was rather disappointed about that. Replacing a bladeless, pliers based tool with a plierless, bladed tool is in no way a functional replacement IMO, but my complaints were to no avail. As expected.

Anyways, for legal reasons or otherwise, the world needs more bladeless options. At least as long as we don’t get them at the expense of their bladed siblings.

Yes, I have broken a couple of LM Styles, myself...and for no apparent reason.

[SaltyCaribbeanDfly]

I’ve sent this LM Style in twice for broken scissors and the second time they sent me a new one but it’s been a minute…I had no idea they discontinued it so from now on I’ll be using the Vic Manager scissors, it’s basically a Rambler with a pen and they include a toothpick and tweezers so you can choose which one to carry…I installed the toothpick in the Style’s body…I would be perfectly happy with a knifeless SAK because I always have a knife in my pocket

[zuludelta]

I, for one, am really interested in more knifeless multitool options. I carry a pliers-based multitool (a Leatherman Charge+) for work but I never use the included knives (a plain edge 154CM blade and a serrated 420HC blade) because I always have a dedicated folder with me that is better suited for doing knife things, so the knives on my multitool are just so much dead weight and wasted space. I know Leatherman makes a knifeless Rebar but it doesn't have quite the toolset I need & is on the discontinued list AFAIK. I do have a Leatherman Style PS, which is another knifeless pliers-based multitool, but it is entirely too small & too limited in its toolset (it's a TSA-friendly keychain multitool) for my purposes. What I really want is a knifeless Leatherman Wave+/Charge+ or a knifeless Leatherman Surge.

I'd totally be in the market for a knifeless version of the Victorinox Spirit X (which has a toolset that is close enough to the Wave's) if they end up making one.

[Mk-211]

This was the latest article that I've read about the SAK.

https://qz.com/swiss-army-knife-victori ... 1851461754

"We are in the early stages of developing pocket tools without blades,” a spokesperson for the company told CNN. Though it won’t be discontinuing its bladed version, the company has been trying to figure out how to serve customers in places — specifically England and some Asian countries — where knives aren’t as welcome a pocket sight than in other markets. The British government, for example, is considering new legislation on carrying blades in public.

[Brock O Lee]

I think Victorinox is chasing an untapped market and revenue, which makes sense from a business perspective.

I’m disappointed however how they phrased the news.They basically agreed with the loonies that a Swiss Army Knife is a weapon, instead of a tool. They could have communicated this a lot better IMO.

Regardless, I’ll probably buy one for my trips into the city. In the state of Victoria, Aus, I’m not even allowed to carry a tiny Vic Classic 58mm in a public place or on transit “without a good reason”. Apparently none of my reasons are good enough.

[Doc Dan]

It solves problems for a lot of people, I guess, but it makes me wonder about the psychopaths that came up with such laws and their motivations, but I digress.

This is likely a good marketing scheme and other makers are sure to follow their lead.

[James Y]

Even without a blade, I don't think I would try to even take a tiny Classic-sized "bladeless" model onto an airplane with me, either in my pocket or in my carry-on. They still might label a nail file with screwdriver tip, or a tiny pair of scissors, as a potentially "deadly" weapon. Nothing would surprise me.

I remember the news story many years ago of a person who was having a medical emergency on an airplane, and the crew asked if anyone was a doctor. One passenger was a doctor, and he was able to save the person's life by performing a tracheostomy to his or near neck with his SAK. Nowadays, that person would have passed away.

Jim