I am a huge fan of the company Victorinox. Aside from making the best knives, they are a great company. After 9/11 when the sales went down, they didn't lay off there staff but look for placement in other companies for them. When sales of the knives went up again, they simply got their trained and highly motivated staff back.
@@goreobsessed2308 Agreed! My dad worked for an engine manufacturer from 1929 until 1971, who during the Great Depression arranged to keep its workers by cutting back their hours, rather than letting any go. No Social Security then, of course, so even the oldest stayed on. Mom took County/State/Gov't Welfare to fill in, but they'd always had a garden, which helped. She learned to squeeze each Nickel until the buffalo bellowed for mercy, but always thought highly of Dad's employers.
That’s pretty amazing, pretty sad when a company does something good and it’s so highly praised because of how rare it is, but that’s pretty great they did that.
Back in the early 80’s I talked with a Swiss contractor who came to install his companies equipment for the US government. I asked if they really did use these knives. He smiled and pulled out his “officers model”. He pointed out that he was required to be in the reserves for many years to come. A great knife! A great video!
Sonic Cookie all knives of any quality need sharpening. a well-sharpened cheap knife is better than a badly sharpened expensive one. victorinox uses pretty good steel by stainless standards, but it's on the soft side for woodworking, meaning that it is faster to sharpen but also faster to dull.
@@soniccookie655 All of them get dull so quickly. I've even snapped one which should not have happened. Then the hinge off an other one. I prefer them for the tools like a Phillips head and all that. Heck the tool for threading can be used as a great punching weapon like a brass knuckle. The knife though IMO is weak, thin, and dulls quickly. It depends on the model. but a longer Swiss army knife with a thick long blade that tapers down would be amazing! It doesn't need to have 373830 tools.
I have mine Victorinox knife for almost 20 years now and someone has to explain to me, why the scissors on it are so good, I have not found a better nail scissors yet, they all tend to really quickly get some sort of wobble and get unreliable, It is not particularly comfortable to hold or use, but they just cut better than most dedicated scissors I got.
@@OutsideTheTargetDemographic Thanks. Yeah I think that even dedicated scissors do not have the pin tension right... It is just weird that the multitool scissors are so good.
I'm amazed that Simon was able to consistently mispronounce both manufacturers' names all the way through the whole episode ... even as the names were spelled out all over the place. Well-done!
They didn't reveal it until late in the seried. I remember watching that episode as it aired. I was a big fan of the show, and they made a huge deal about it. Richard Dean Anderson was on Regis and Kathie Lee that morning, and Regis jokingly asked if the name would be Regis. Anderson said no, but it was five letters and ended in "s." I still didn't guess it.
@@joeisabella6811 that's right, I remember now. Seems like they were setting up the possibility of a sequel series with the son. Didn't they attempt some feeble reboot a couple of years ago?
@@footofjuniper8212 I think they did try a reboot if I'm remembering correctly. I always joked with my friends back in the day that they should have done a MacGyver the college years where he just party's the whole time making bongs out of everything 🤣
@@joeisabella6811 I think they did a flashback episode to his childhood where he developed his aversion to guns due to a friend being shot or something. But yeah, a tongue-in-cheek "College MacGyver" would be brilliant. Solving crimes on campus while using his skills for partying and getting test answers early. His nemesis Murdock could be from a rival fraternity.
It's quite simple I can explain it, He grew up in a house with several women and learned during the one opportunity when none of them are talking he must say everything he needs to save for the next 30 days because itll probably be longer than that before he gets an opportunity to say anything again.
@@1683clifton I jumped the gun on my comment cause I noticed it too, right after I pressed send. Haha. Gotta admit that was a hell of a list though, I’m surprised Simon didn’t miss more.
I’ve collected Swiss Army Knives for over 30 years. As a long time subscriber of Simon’s many channels, I commend his effort here. Yes, he made some pronunciation mistakes as well as a few others, but all in all the video was well done and it’s good to see something I’m very passionate about presented by one of my favorite RU-vidrs. Cheers Simon.
When moving from "Tiger Cub" to "Cub Scout", ever single boy entering the troop, was given a Victorianox Swiss Army Knife. I still use (what is left of) mine. That was over 30 years ago. 🇨🇭👍
I'm an avid knife owner. Not a collector, just a buyer of knives I like. I've had many, many knives in my like, but the only ones that were never bad out of the box were swiss army knives. Every single one I've ever had was perfect out of the box.
Honestly, that’s just how Swiss-made tools are. For screwdrivers, I have yet to find anything superior to PB Swiss. Erem cutters and tweezers are second to none.
@@tookitogo US and German tools are usually what I gravitate to, other than some awesome files I can't think of many swiss made tools I have. I think I'm gonna have to make an effort to change that.
I owned both Wenger and Victorinox decades ago. I believe Victorinox bought out Wenger. I have Swiss Army Knives in my pocket, in the stock of a .22 "survival" rifle and first aid kits. "The" Master of the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife is Felix Immler, another Swiss genius! I stand corrected. Wenger still sells knives.
It's well known across all of Simon's channels that he is not perfect at saying things, and doesn't really care as long as he gets the point across and it is understandable enough for the story
Victorianox and Wegner..haha Today I found out Simon seems to like to troll swiss army knife companies by mispronoucing their names, Victorinox and Wenger
@@owenshebbeare2999 Every American I've heard may not pronounce the names like the Swiss would, but we at least pronounce the names according to English pronunciation rules.
@@owenshebbeare2999 That's neither here nor there. Simon just fucked up yet again, and he doesn't care. As long as the money is still coming in at the same rate, he's not going to change.
First pocket knife I every had was an Old Timer. After I used that up, a swiss army was the go-to. I was 12 when I received that knife from my dad for my birthday. I'm 36, and still have it. It doesn't see as much use as it once did, but it is stowed safely in my family's camping gear, because you never know
@@salvagemonster3612 the dude made a comment about his first knife, if you dont like it, just scroll along, why are you criticizing him for it? What do you gain?
I hate to break it to you Simon, but you mispronounced the company name every time in this video. There is no A in Victorinox. I winced so many times... 😅
Swiss Army knives are the best. I’ve had mine for close to 30 years. Lent it to a friend who broke the tip off the knife. Sent it to victorinox. They charged $5 to look at it, then replaced almost everything in the knife for no extra charge. ❤️❤️❤️ that company.
The Swiss Champ on my belt was purchased back in the early 80's. I've taken it everywhere, though the number of places I'm allowed to take it to is getting smaller (not by much, but noticeable). It is so handy. 😁
I've had the same Swiss Army knife for over 30 years. I've had several other multi-tool knives over the years too, they've all broken or fallen apart. That authentic Swiss Army knife though is still as good as the day I got it.
I have had the same knife on my keychain for 20+years. If Im not wearing it, it means I'm sailing, with a German navy knife in my pocket. It is probably better than a Swiss navy knife.
You forgot to mention that the knives made for the specifically for Swiss Army issue have the army crest on them, not the manufacturer's logo. It's a more plan shield with the same cross so a lot of people miss the detail, but it's there.
Leatherman is the only company making multitools that hold up. Victorinox may have an interesting history but the product doesn't justify the attention.
Great video. I got my first Victorinox Swiss Army knife when I was 12 years old for Christmas. I’m 40 now and still have the same one. It was cool when I was twelve and its still cool now.
I got my first Swiss Army Knife when I was 13 in 1969. It was all I wanted for Christmas. I had that knife until I was 30 yrs old and I wore out the front pockets of hundreds of pairs of jeans over the years.
Yes, but as a child all I wanted was the biggest one with a billion gadgets. All my friends had the big cool ones, but I had the shitty basic one. I didn’t even get the toothpick and scissors one!!! They ruined my childhood dammit!!!!
Absolutely. That thing on the officer's knife originally designed for picking stones out of horses' hooves is one of the most useful tools ever. Recently I managed to use that (and a pair of scissors, the scissors mostly for leverage after boring holes with the Swiss army thing) to open up a coconut when we didn't have any other remotely appropriate proper tools handy.
That red color is very helpful. I lost my first Swiss master on my family’s farm and my dad found it three years later due to the red color. By that time I had gotten another Swiss master. I carried it everywhere. I got called a MacGuyver a few times but didn’t know the exact reference. I knew of the character but we didn’t get CBS so I never actually watched the show. I have retired my Swiss knife of 20 years as I have been issued 2 Leathermen and a Gerber by the military on my Deployments overseas. I like the thumb release of the Leatherman knife the best. I also had a huge multi tool knife from my uncle from the 1940’s or 50’s that included a full size fork and soup spoon (plus all the usual Swiss army tools). It was unusable as it was huge and the fork tines kept poking and catching on everything.
Cool story. I was also called McGuyver for having one in the '80s. My friends didn't believe I owned a real Swiss Army knife, being I lived in the USA and the S-A knives sold there all had a different look with different mechanisms. I still use mine after 35+ years as I have taken care of the blades and always kept it away from dirt and other people.
I've had a Swiss army knife of some form in my pocket since I was 10 years old, the Huntsman is by far my favourite, and I have recently gotten my better half her first, a tiny Classic SD.
I had one when i was a kid as well!! Most often times i had to hide it though cuz its canada.... and im a kid, and i had a knife, not on display of course, but i believe mine was the hunter it had wood scales with carves on it saying banff national park, it was expensive but i lost it somewhere in 2015 and since then i have resorted to a stanley fatmax and while it gets the job done yesterday i pulled the trigger on a swiss champ mainly because of nostalgia and because i feel its time, when i was a kid i didnt even know that the word cargo pants existed i didnt appreciate the knife i just looked at it like it was just any other tool and i treated it like sheet until i lost it, little did i know the thing still helped me out way even after i mishandled it ( kids do stupid things and i was none the wiser) the fact of the matter is, these swiss army knifes have a history spanning over a century with little to no change in how they look, and they revolutionized not just knives but everyday essentials in a tiny enclosure, every single person who has had one at some point in their lifes know that they arent just carrying a pocket knife... they are carrying a little piece of history with them, and me watching this video has made me realize that i was a piece of sheet to that knife, this video has made me realize what i couldnt as a kid, and not always am i gonna have the luxury of having a swiss army knife there when i need it, and since 2015 that has been the case, the truth is i should have gotten another one the very next day, no instead i was busy studying for a history test, its funny, i can remember the history test but i cant remember the knife huh :,(
I have a Swiss Army Knife addiction and have purchased many of them. I just love the various tools they have come up with. They're useful too, as I have used things like the can opener or scissors when a better tool isn't around.
About the use of it in the Swiss military: Besides the tableware set every solider gets (in swiss-german called the „Gamelle“) there is only a fork and a spoon included. For cutting meat the idea is that you use your swiss army knive and not a separate knive
Thanks Simon for another great vid. I have the Swiss Champ and its one of the best (being the biggest practical SAK) items to have no matter what your doing. I'm sure that any day now we'll see a SAK with built in phone and internet :)
Aaah, VictoriAnox.... I never knew there was an A in there :p Seriously though, I used to live about 5 min from that factory (my parents still do) and it's cool to be around something so iconic (the factory in itself is not that eye catching and the shop is small, but I love that it's still around :D tourists are usually more familiar with the shop in Brunnen (about a ten minute bus ride away), where you can have things engraved onto the knife and there's also a little museum. On another note: I really miss the ones with a USB stick, those were quite cool. My mom still has a few of those, before they got out of stock and never returned again. My most treasured Swiss Army Knife comes in a form of a card was awarded to us from our high school, as it turned 150 years old when we graduated. I still have and use it 15 years later. The victorinox backpacks aren't too bad either.... I feel like a sales person lol
Today I found out that Simon has 9 other channels, 7 of which are better than tifo. And the other two are equal. Keep up the rampant RU-vid channel production Simon and stay safe. Only 89% of the whole of RU-vid left to conquer.
22JUL2021 - My friend, who is Swiss, returns from Switzerland tomorrow. He's bringing me an official Swiss Soldier's knife, paid for in Swiss francs, bought in Switzerland. As Crocodile Dundee would say, "Now that's a knife!"
This. Unless Victorinox call them something else, on their own products, for somr distinct reason. With how many they've done over the last century +(++), there may be some staple brand leniency to be had.
This is the late nite bedtime content I live for. Drifting in and out of consciousness while you explain to me the fundamentals and history of a Swiss Army knives, Sign me up!!
Bloody brilliant bits of kit, I've had as small one for over 36 years, I've never sharpened it, and It's the perfect small tool for packing in a washroom bag.. Scissors, nail file/manicure tool/orange peeler/flat blade screwdriver, small blade, big blade, toothpic,tweezers and having just checked it, it also has a plumb-bob function that I didn't know about.. So, Today I Found Out about something I've had for years.
At 10:20 you say something like "producing 34000 knives a year generating annual sales of 500 million dollars. That is a whopping $ 14706 per knife. Looks like you got your figures mixed up.
Cool! Since my army days, i haven't left the house without a multitool on my belt. Great to know the history of the Swiss Army Knife (even if the type i carry would be marketed as a "Swiss Tool" by Victorinox. And yes, i paused the video to check their shop).
I was surprised when I had a layover at Zurich airport in Switzerland and found that you could buy Victorinox knives inside the security area. I never figured out how that worked as I already had one and no need to buy one. This was in 2007 or 2008.
I’ve had a small Swiss Army knife on my keys for at least 20 years. I feel naked if I don’t have it on me. I currently use the Manager, because having that ballpoint pen has come in handy countless times.
Look forward to seeing Simon's new videos every day.......I think I am addicted. I know you already make a ton of content but........could you make more please. And rotting turtle is amazing mine came in yesterday very pleased.
@@salvagemonster3612 lol I enjoy his content and presentation of said topics. And I do read a lot of historical books and drive my family nuts because I enjoy documentarys as well. I am always looking to learn more doesn't matter if it is of history or theatrical.
My favorite is the Manager. Small but tremendously useful. Standard blade, small scissors, bottle opener, wire stripper, Phillips screwdriver, nail file, flat screwdriver, flashlight and ballpoint pen
Every time I see something interesting in my suggestions, there you are! You are everywhere! And your content is fascinating. Thank you for all your work on all your channels.
My father was a radio/radar engineer for several different airlines over the years. He always kept a small metal box labelled "707 Repair Kit" in his work overalls (the Boeing 707 being one of the last planes he worked on). Inside the box was a Swiss Army Knife and a Parker Fountain pen. He'd often grumble that he spent more time doing paperwork with the pen than airplane repairs with the Swiss Army Knife. Sadly, the box vanished sometime before he died - so I didn't get to inherit it...which I greatly regret.
i've literally never heard of any defects or complaints with a SAK. Anyone EVER heard of any production errors or problems with manufacturing?? these are made flawlessly down to every single blade, no? anyone heard differently?
my parents recently got me the new SAK shown in the video and my biggest complaint with it is that it is in my opinion quite obviously a knife made for left handed use... (i am right handed) while the thumb hole is easily usable with any hand, the liner lock is to the right of the blade which means that its painfully awkward (if not nearly impossible) to release the blade singlehandedly with your right hand. i dont get why they design a folding knife that is obviously made to be opened with one hand in a way that is not possible to properly close it with the same hand. and nowhere on the manual, package or website they declare it to be a lefthanded version and as far as ive seen there is NO version of this particular knife that has the linerlock on the opposite side to accomodate righthanded people... this is a huge oversight considering that the majority of people is righthanded and would use a knife with their strong hand
All knifes have unlimited warranty. You can literally just walk to the production and they will fix, sharpen, and polish it. After this treatment, it is undistinguishable from a new one.
I thought i had lost my sak (that id owned for decades) while duck hunting. I mourned for weeks thinking it was at the bottom of the marsh. It was later found under my decoys in the garage. I laughed at myself being so relieved and so attached
@@flightmaster178 Doesn't even have to be anything fancy. I carried a three blade buck folder for years and now carry a Kershaw and a leatherman that's about as old as I am. I use them multiple times a day. The leatherman in particular is real useful when I dont want to go looking for a screw driver to swap a hdd or pliers to strip a wire. I have made shims and quick wooden parts to get something working with a pocket knife, usually because getting to my scroll saw was more work than using the knife. I dont think I could function efficiently.
@@shannondove9029 Swis army knives are great for an emergency or very lite work. The steel just doesn't hold up. Neither sharpen well but that's fine since I have a separate folder for cutting. I have used the file on my leatherman to get a chip out of an axe but the one on swiss army doesn't work well on my fingernails. Having actually usable pliers and wire cutters is probably what wins it for leatherman. Somehow they survived cutting barbes wire in a hurry. A big hurry because I was trying to line up a shot on a coyote. Mine really should have fallen apart by now.
A few weeks before lockdowns started, I accidentally got mine into the Social Security office. Forgot I even had it in my backpack because I was only worried about having my sgian dubh confiscated and picking up charges for having a large blade on me on federal property...and the security guard didn't even dig into my bag. He just had me unzip it and shined a flashlight inside for like 0.000042 of a second and told me to take a number. I realized it like 15 minutes later waiting to be called and had a smidge of panic. As soon as I was out in the elevators, I frantically dug into my bag to find it and just couldn't stop laughing. Oh, and my sgian dubh was also in the one pouch. Had the security guard been doing his job, I woulda gotten handcuffs for attempting to bring weapons into a federal building. Carrying knives is necessary living in a big city, but always check your backpack thoroughly before going to a government building. Risk your life for a few hours and not get arrested.
I bought mine at the factory store in Schwyz many years ago. And it is an important tool, no travel without my Swiss Army knife (except when I fly hand luggage only, then I do not pack it)
All the advancement by the military are phenomenal, the tin can, the can opener, the Swiss Army Knife. Without them, we would still be living in rural communities with wooden or bone tools, like some sort of armageddon D and D scenario.
Don’t see how this episode can be complete without any mention of The Tick animated series, where The Tick fights the Swiss Army, armed with giant Swiss Army knives.
That's comparing apples to oranges, as both tools were designed for different intensities of work. Using an SAK where a Leatherman is needed would be inefficient, and using a Leatherman where an SAK is needed would be overkill. SAK=light general utilities Leatherman=light to medium work
@@danielthompson6207 Yeah, that's why I carry both... In addition to a folding clip knife... I don't know why my brother thinks that I have knife fetish... I just like useful tools. :-D
@@helenbunnehmummeh5154 Leatherman fangirl spotted! Apart from the fact that they are ridiculously overpriced outside the US (a Charge TTi will set you back around $300 in UK/Europe) they are rust magnets. A Victorinox can be left outside in wet weather for decades and won't have a spot of rust.
I feel that pain. I hate being forced to part with my tools. "You can't bring that in here" b...but....I might need it....I might need to help someone....
As someone who lives in America, it seems amazing that the two companies not only worked together to get the government contract back from Germany, but also were okay with having their logos being so similar with seemingly no nastiness between them. In America I'm sure they would have sued the other company for having DARED to use the country's flag in their logo because they had "done it first"
Big fan of Victorinox. I fondly remember my father giving me my first Swiss Army knife as a kid. I carry one to this day, along with other blades. I even have a very handsome Victorinox wrist watch. And I can vouch for those tiny little scissors featured in some of their knives. They are no joke. Cleanest and sharpest cutting scissors I've ever seen. I've literally performed surgery on myself with them.
On my first trip to Europe in 1977, I used all my leftover European money to buy the biggest Swiss Army knife I could afford in the duty free shop at the airport. It wasn’t the largest but I was delighted to have it and considered it money well spent. I still have it and a smaller one inherited from my cousin. They both are still in great shape are welcome tools to have on hand. I used to carry one in my “ mom purse” because it was useful to snip things, cut fruit, pull splinters, tighten screws etc. All the things a busy mom runs into in a day, while raising a gaggle of kids. Like I said money well spent.
@@frogger2011ify I wasn't really asking. But, if there is a ruler in another pocket-sized knife that they do sell, I am curious- would both systems be etched on opposite sides or only metric?
On my SAK, which was purchased in the Victorinox store in Paris, France almost 30 years ago, has two scales - on one side, an imperial scale - inches, marked in 1/8th inches from zero to two and 7/8th inches...on the other side, centimeters - marked in 5mm intervals up to 7cm.
When I was about 4-5 my great grampy had a bag of basically junk and one of the things I found was a swiss army knife. My moms didnt want me to have it but my pops told me to take it and I used it for a lot of things until I was about 11 or so. Many years of throwing it into trees and chairs really wore her out and broke the sides off :(
I've sworn by Victorinox for over 3 decades now. Got my first Swiss Army knife at 7, my first chef's knives were Victorinox, my most recent set has lasted 8 years now. Just bought a new Swiss Army knife for myself when I bought my son his first. Always a dependable tool.
Best investment I ever made! My poor Swiss Army Knife has been abused horribly ... and it shows ... but it keeps working. Because why lug around all of the right tools for the job when you've got a Swiss Army Knife in your pocket? LOL
Calling someone a Swiss Army Knife is an insult. It means they suck at everything. Every part of the S.A.K. is terrible-- the scissors barely cut paper. The blade is flimsy. The corkscrew is often too small to open a wine bottle. It's something better in theory than in practice.
Growing up my parents got me some of the knock off Swiss army knives that many Americans think are real Swiss army knives. They're fine, until you find or buy a real Victorinox Swiss army knife. The standard of quality is massively different. I'm sure there are some good copies out there, but compared to the copies I have, the Victorinox, though having less tools for the same price, has substantially better quality steel and construction and fit. All the knock off ones I have are full of imperfections. The basic Victorinox I have is near flawless. It really is one of those things you should pay a little extra for the real deal. A true Swiss army knife is a tool that might never fail you. A copy of a Swiss army knife is a tool will fail you more than succeed.
My dad went to Switzerland a few years ago, he came back and gave me a Swiss Army knife as a gift. I think it was the one that was not that huge honking ass one, but the one that was bigger than most of them it was pretty bad ass.
I remember an interview with Richard Dean Anderson in "TV Guide" where he told of locking himself out of his house. The interviewer asked if he used his Swiss Army Knife to let himself in, but Anderson replied, "No, I used my Swiss Army Bench." He picked up the small bench on his patio and threw it through the window next to the door! Even in real life, MacGyver was resourceful.
