All About Pocket Knives

I received this large Victorinox Swiss Army knife from a gentleman at church. He knows I like pocket knives and gifted it to me. Does any one know what Model it is? And maybe a date range? I have a Spartan Light but this one is much thicker with a few more tools. I dont know alot about SAK's other than that the come in handy at times. I appreciate any help. Thanks fellers.

Is this what you have?

https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php? ... bleshooter

just bob wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 1:54 am Is this what you have?

https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php? ... bleshooter

That's it!! Thank you Bob!! really appreciate your time and efforts!!

The hook under the scissors was added in 1991, and the scissors went from a screw to a rivet in about 1992. There is one other way you might be able to date it, but it's probably easier for me to explain with photos. I'd say your Troubleshooter is most likely from the 1990s. Most SAKs aren't dated, so a range of possible years of manufacture is often the best we can do.

By the way, if the wear and/or the Marlboro logo are objectionable, the scales can be easily swapped once you get a new set. I can walk you through the process and steer you toward sources for new scales if you'd like.

A great little gift...congratulations!

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 4:29 am The hook under the scissors was added in 1991, and the scissors went from a screw to a rivet in about 1992. There is one other way you might be able to date it, but it's probably easier for me to explain with photos. I'd say your Troubleshooter is most likely from the 1990s. Most SAKs aren't dated, so a range of possible years of manufacture is often the best we can do.

By the way, if the wear and/or the Marlboro logo are objectionable, the scales can be easily swapped once you get a new set. I can walk you through the process and steer you toward sources for new scales if you'd like.

A great little gift...congratulations!

Dan, thank you for sharing your knowledge with me on the SAK. I always appreciate hearing from you. Hope life finds you well my friend. Appreciate the info on the date range. I appreciate the thoughts on the new covers as well and will keep that in mind. Nice to know you know how to do this. I might just keep it original for now. Again, thanks Dan!! Always appreciate good ole knife knowledge and learning!!

As soon as I saw Marlboro I knew it was likely from the 90’s. Each pack came with a logo, and you could save them up and there was a huge catalog to order from.

I remember my friends were all going crazy with it. I used to ask them if they saved enough points for an iron lung yet?

eveled wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 9:05 am As soon as I saw Marlboro I knew it was likely from the 90’s. Each pack came with a logo, and you could save them up and there was a huge catalog to order from.

I remember my friends were all going crazy with it. I used to ask them if they saved enough points for an iron lung yet?

Take alot of points. I quit smoking 30 years ago. Wasted knife money.

Yep. A lot of points indeed. Ok if you we’re finding them or if they were given to you. I never bothered. I’d just buy what I want without the logo.

Congratulations on quitting. I saw what my parents went through quitting and the health issues they dealt with.

Hearing my mom coughing all night was more than enough to keep me from wanting anything to do with smoking.

I have an Outdoorsman myself.

I wanted a Woodsman (basically Explorer plus saw), but they were not produced long, and extremely pricey. I figured the fish scaler would be a handy addition (I use it as a probe, and always magnetize the hook remover--so far, I haven't scaled a fish with one), and at $30, it was a no brainer.

I have the Champion and SwissChamp now, but I still prefer the Outdoorsman. I can actually carry it in a pocket, compared to the other two.


The Outdoorsman and Troubleshooter both saw a little use outside the Marlboro line, but the Trail Guide never did. These were all really nice tool sets in my opinion.

eveled wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 2:29 pm Yep. A lot of points indeed. Ok if you we’re finding them or if they were given to you. I never bothered. I’d just buy what I want without the logo.

Congratulations on quitting. I saw what my parents went through quitting and the health issues they dealt with.

Hearing my mom coughing all night was more than enough to keep me from wanting anything to do with smoking.

Sorry to hear about your parents. It seems like everyone smoked back in the day. Glad you never started. It was a tough thing to put away. I would hate to know what I would feel like now at 62 if I would have kept smoking.

cody6268 wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2023 2:36 pm I have an Outdoorsman myself.

I wanted a Woodsman (basically Explorer plus saw), but they were not produced long, and extremely pricey. I figured the fish scaler would be a handy addition (I use it as a probe, and always magnetize the hook remover--so far, I haven't scaled a fish with one), and at $30, it was a no brainer.

I have the Champion and SwissChamp now, but I still prefer the Outdoorsman. I can actually carry it in a pocket, compared to the other two.

KIMG2181.JPG



The Outdoorsman and Troubleshooter both saw a little use outside the Marlboro line, but the Trail Guide never did. These were all really nice tool sets in my opinion.

Cody I like your Outdoorsman. This Trouble shooter will be nice to carry in a tackle box or a backpack. I think it's a little thick and heavy to make it an EDC. I might try it for a couple days, but I usually carry a thinner knife. I do carry a Tinker and a Spartan Light. The Spatan Light can be a little much for me sometimes. I appreciate your comments. If I had to carry 2 knives only I believe one would be a Case (sowbelly, 47, muscrat, 18, trapper) and one would be a SAK (tinker, Spartan).

Glad I could help. You are very welcome, woodwalker!

Looks like this thread has died out so I'll post another SAK question here. Pretty sure this is a SAK Champ made after 2008. What I'd like to know is what does the location of the corkscrew indicate? On this knife it is on the maker's side and when I was looking at these, I noticed most commonly that the corkscrew was on the opposite side. I suppose the blade / tool configuration is the same, though I didn't spend much time comparing them. Comments appreciated. I'm very impressed by the knowledge many of you have on SAK's.

just bob wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 12:06 pm Looks like this thread has died out so I'll post another SAK question here. Pretty sure this is a SAK Champ made after 2008. What I'd like to know is what does the location of the corkscrew indicate? On this knife it is on the maker's side and when I was looking at these, I noticed most commonly that the corkscrew was on the opposite side. I suppose the blade / tool configuration is the same, though I didn't spend much time comparing them. Comments appreciated. I'm very impressed by the knowledge many of you have on SAK's.

Typcially, it means the knife was designed to have a company logo printed/inlaid into the front scale. While often seen on advertising knives, I've also seen them sold blank, and I know for certain colors (like 91mm blue), it's the only way you can get them.

Thank you for posting that info. I would have never figured that out by looking at the pictures.

just bob wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 12:06 pm Looks like this thread has died out so I'll post another SAK question here. Pretty sure this is a SAK Champ made after 2008. What I'd like to know is what does the location of the corkscrew indicate? On this knife it is on the maker's side and when I was looking at these, I noticed most commonly that the corkscrew was on the opposite side. I suppose the blade / tool configuration is the same, though I didn't spend much time comparing them. Comments appreciated. I'm very impressed by the knowledge many of you have on SAK's.

That's a beauty Bob!!

Cody nailed it. Bob's SAK was likely intended to get a logo, but for whatever reason, did not. I have a white Tinker with "reverse cross" and no logo. Will post some photos if anyone would like to see it.

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 5:14 am Cody nailed it. Bob's SAK was likely intended to get a logo, but for whatever reason, did not. I have a white Tinker with "reverse cross" and no logo. Will post some photos if anyone would like to see it.

Please do Dan!!

woodwalker wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 6:18 am Please do Dan!!

Here you go! It's obviously been carried, as evidenced by slight yellowing. I put its date of manufacture between about 1993 and 1998; maybe as late as 2001. Kind of surprising, as I received it in 2009, and it was unused. Guess it sat around for 10-15 years?
When I examined the white Tinker prior to taking the photos, my eyes immediately went to the cap lifter. Around 1999, they added a "locking nub" where it contacts the spring when opened. Hopefully my photo will show it okay. The white Tinker does not have the nub, while the black Tinker does. Like other cutlers, Victorinox used existing stocks of parts until they were gone, which typically took two or three years. So an SAK without the nub on the cap lifter could have been early 2000s. Your Troubleshooter looks to have the nub.

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 6:36 am

woodwalker wrote: ↑Fri May 12, 2023 6:18 am Please do Dan!!

Here you go! It's obviously been carried, as evidenced by slight yellowing. I put its date of manufacture between about 1993 and 1998; maybe as late as 2001. Kind of surprising, as I received it in 2009, and it was unused. Guess it sat around for 10-15 years?

White Reverse Cross Tinker (1).jpg

White Reverse Cross Tinker (2).jpg

When I examined the white Tinker prior to taking the photos, my eyes immediately went to the cap lifter. Around 1999, they added a "locking nub" where it contacts the spring when opened. Hopefully my photo will show it okay. The white Tinker does not have the nub, while the black Tinker does. Like other cutlers, Victorinox used existing stocks of parts until they were gone, which typically took two or three years. So an SAK without the nub on the cap lifter could have been early 2000s. Your Troubleshooter looks to have the nub.

Cap Lifter Comparison.jpg

Thanks for the info Dan! I like your white Tinker. I have been carrying my green Spartan Light for the last week and will continue to carry the Spartan Light for a while. I have a black Tinker that I've carried since 2007 when I bought it new. But the Spartan Light is my favorite at the moment. I tried carrying the Troubleshooter but it's a little thick and heavy for me to carry in my pocket. It's a good bench knife for my shop though. I have a Mini Champ I bought at an antique store but it has alot of tools I dont find very useful for me. I have a Day Packer that I use at work. Great knife for a 6 dollar knife bought new at Menards a few years ago. I like SAK's. Guess it's because i had a Wenger and a Vic Tinker back in my 20"s that i used to clean rabbits and squirrels and fish with when I was fishing and hunting alot. The Wenger was red and about the size of a Tinker except it had a corkscrew. Dont know what it was called, but I would like to have another, if I could ever find one. Thanks for showing your Tinker and the valuable knowledge on the SAK's. Appreciate ya.

You are very welcome, and glad you enjoyed seeing the Tinker! I've never tried one of the SAKs with an LED, but I do have a couple of MiniChamps. They do have a peculiar assortment of tools, some of which were designed for doctors and pharmacists.

Your Wenger was most likely a Commander. Wengers are great. However, their scales are more easily damaged than Victorinox scales, they used a few different methods of attachment, and replacements (as well as replacement toothpicks and tweezers) are hard to come by. Some of them have really neat art on the scales, too.

Dan In MI wrote: ↑Sun May 14, 2023 5:14 am You are very welcome, and glad you enjoyed seeing the Tinker! I've never tried one of the SAKs with an LED, but I do have a couple of MiniChamps. They do have a peculiar assortment of tools, some of which were designed for doctors and pharmacists.

Your Wenger was most likely a Commander. Wengers are great. However, their scales are more easily damaged than Victorinox scales, they used a few different methods of attachment, and replacements (as well as replacement toothpicks and tweezers) are hard to come by. Some of them have really neat art on the scales, too.

Thank your for the info on the Wenger Dan! Your knowledge on SAK"s is appreciated and valued. Have a great rest of the weekend!!

My pleasure!