COLLECTION: Victorinox Windsor 74mm (1970s)

The 74mm model line up is another interesting sub-collection that I want to pursue more seriously as I complete my 84mm collection.  For this post, I present to you the Victorinox Windsor.  This is a single layer-74mm SAK with machined Stainless Steel scales that have the same tool set as the Ambassador but without the scale tools.

This particular model in my collection is from the 1970s as evident in the single leaf spring scissors.  The $9.60 price was quite expensive for a 74mm model considering it was more expensive than the 91mm Alox Sturdy Boy (aka Pioneer) which was only $5.70!

It was available in the sales catalogs until the 1980s but was most probably discontinued during the 1990s.

From a Victorinox 1970s catalog

References:
Victorinox 1970s Catalog
www.sakwiki.com

REFERENCE: Victorinox Swiss Army Knives Sizing Chart

This is an extract from the Victorinox 2012 Catalog.  It's a cool way to see in one glance all the current Victorinox models.  All rights reserved to Victorinox. I just want to share.

Reference:

Victorinox 2012 Catalog

REVIEW: Victorinox Executive 74mm (2000s)

The Victorinox Executive brings all the SAK goodness in a compact, not-too-small, not-to-big, just-right- 74mm package.  It has a main blade, small blade, orange peeler with flat screwdriver tip, scissors, nail file with pointed tip that can be used as a nail cleaner or philips screwdriver, tweezers and toothpick.  

I think the only thing missing in this set-up is a removable or retractable ball point pen and LED light (or not); and it will be a perfect key-chain EDC tool. Victorinox - please, remove the toothpick and tweezers on this model and make it more relevant by adding the removable ball point pen and the white LED light.

COLLECTION: Victorinox Director 74mm (1970's)

The Victorinox Director is the Stainless Steel scale version of the Victorinox Executive.  It has stainless scales, usually with patterns called Guilloché pattern.  The earliest catalog I've seen where the Director was listed was on a 1970s.

My Director has the same pattern as the one shown in the 1970's catalog below!

more photos:

REFERENCE: Victorinox Scales & Liners Thickness

I wasn't able to find these easily by searching the internet.  So I did some measurements using a digital caliper.  I'll be updating this list constantly as I dismantle more SAKs.

Victorinox

Scales & Liners Thickness Measurements

91mm Cellidor

Scales: 3.30mm

Y2000’s Outer Liner: 0.70mm (from an Explorer)

          Older (Y1980’s) Outer Liner: 1.00mm (from a Master Craftsman)

          Inner Liner: 0.70mm

93mm Alox:  2.80mm

84mm Cellidor:

            Scales: 3.30mm

            Liners: 0.70mm

74mm Stainless Steel:

            Scales: 1.50mm

            Liner: 0.40mm

58mm Cellidor:

            Scales: 2.40mm – 2.50mm

            Outer Liner: 0.50mm

58mm Stainless Steel:

            Scales: 1.35mm

COLLECTION: Victorinox Ambassador Hoffritz 74mm (1970s)

My second 74mm Ambassador which is also from the early 1970s.  This time it is the co-branded, Hoffritz version.  

Hoffritz brand is the shortened version of its proper company name Hoffritz for Cutlery which was a specialty cutlery retail chain stores business in the metropolitan area of New York which started in the 1930s.  According to the CEO of one of its suppliers who started supplying them with Swiss Army Knives since the 1940's, "In the minds of many New Yorkers, Hoffritz was the first place people thought of when they wanted to buy a pocket knife".  Sadly, due to financial difficulties the company eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1994.  The Hoffritz brand was then acquired by its current owners the Lifetime Hoan Corporation.

References:
Hoffritz for Cutlery wikipedia, accessed 6 August 2014.
NY Times: Trying a Jump-Start at Hoffritz, accessed 6 August 2014.
NY Times: Company News; Lifetime Hoan Buys Hoffritz Cutlery Brand Name, accessed 6 August 2014.

COLLECTION: Victorinox Escort 74mm (1960s)

This is one of the thinnest 74mm models of Victorinox at only 4.85mm (0.20 inch) thick.  It is a single layer, 2-bladed model with stainless steel scales, usually ribbed.  This model has the earlier style of the Long nail file usually seen in 74mm models.  It has a dual slotted textured file on one side and a standard crosscut file on the opposite side.

My SAK has the Victoria (w/ crossbow) tang stamp on the main blade which suggests this SAK may have been produced between 1960-1970.  The condition of the scales is still good even after almost 50 years.

I did some research on the company etched on the scale "RHG Electronics Laboratory, Inc".  It was a company founded by Arnold Rubin "R", Ron Hirsch "H", and Robert E. Gruber was the "G" in RGH.  They manufactured log amps and mixers along with associated products used in the microwave and RF industries.  They started in Farmingdale New York in 1960, relocated to Deer Park New York some time after 1970 when they needed larger facilities.  They were subsequently sold to other companies including M/A-Com.  Their products are still available for sale today.

References:
www.sakwiki.com
Victorinox Tang Stamps
http://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedia/wherenow.cfm accessed 17 July 2014.

COLLECTION: Victorinox Ambassador 74mm (1970s)

This SAK came as a nice surprise when I received a recent ebay lot.  The item was described as "7 Assorted Victorinox Swiss Army Knives Airport Confiscation Lot".  Looking at the photo I saw five Executives and two "classics"-looking bigger knives.  I did not mind it then as I was buying this lot to fill the weight for my package.  This purchase was only a "filler" to my main purchase which was also an "Airport confiscation lot" but I saw an 84mm Golfer.  But that's for another post.

Back to the "7 Assorted... lot", I inspected it immediately after I received it as I usually do for all of my eBay purchases.  Amid the Executives, there were two Ambassador models and one in particular had a different tweezer.  I remembered reading it from SAAM's website where he indicated that before 1978 Victorinox used Aluminum tipped tweezers. Bingo!  

It also had the old style crosscut nail file and brass spacers.  Another thing to note which will further date this SAK to about 1975 and earlier was the use of single spring and screw joint Scissors. Score!  Not bad for a $3.50 buy.   

I'm not sure if my dating process is correct as most of the reference websites use mainly 91mm models.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

So I have my first 74mm SAK for collection... before storage, I cleaned the knife thoroughly.  I gently removed the scales as the tweezers will not come out.  It had a lot of gunk and a sticky-glue like substance underneath the scales that prevented the tweezers from being pulled out. I also polished the scales to a like-new shine finish.

Nickel-Silver Victorinox Shield 

"VICTORINOX SWITZERLAND STAINLESS ROSTFREI"

Aluminum-tipped tweezers

Single spring-screw joint Scissors

Crosscut Nail file