this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2024
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A few weeks ago, I sent my 1985 Swiss Army Knife back to Victorinox for a broken blade replacement.

It came back today, fully repaired, cleaned, polished, lubricated and in a new box.

Total cost: £10 + return postage.

They sent the knife back with an invoice. I didn't have to pay a penny before the job was done.

A product that's been out of production for almost 40 years, repaired at very little cost by the original manufacturer.

I'm stunned. Happy, impressed, grateful and stunned.

I have at least a couple of victorinox Swiss army knives, I will keep this in mind!

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 2 days ago

This is refreshing. Someone clearly took pride in their work.

[–] vortexsurfer 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Zippo also have lifetime warranty / free repairs. I got mine repaired some years ago, from what I remember I only had to pay postage (from Norway to the US in my case).

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

Got one with a bent hinge and was thinking about it but they bent so easily that I'm not even sure it's worth the effort.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 days ago (2 children)

They also make an excellent all-rounder kitchen knife that only costs 5€. It’s super sharp despite being in use for years. Best purchase ever.

[–] xpinchx 12 points 2 days ago

I have the same knife I think, I sharpen it every couple of months and it's still my go-to after 5 years despite the shutty plastic handle. Great steel for the price.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

I used to hate these knifes because of the plastic handle that felt a bit cheap and stubby. Then i found one in a store marked town to 10 bucks or something and i bought it for things that i wouldn't use my nice knifes for. I really started to like it, super sharp and easy to resharpen

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I don't know if its only here in eu - but if you go to a knife shop that carries victorinox knives in order to buy "the springy think" that makes the scissors work - they won't - they'll just fix it for free.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

The springy thing has actually been broken for years in mine, I'll definitely go look for a nearby store

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

I swear if I try to do this they'll be very contused and proceed to ask me to bugger off

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Did they send back the original blade as well? I suppose they may as well since they have no use for it and it may be sentimental for the owner.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 days ago

I think this is good practice from repair people: my motorbike mechanic would always keep the old parts when replacing them, to show me the status when I was taking the motorbike back. It's a sort of transparency move that I actually appreciate.

And moreover, the old part is still yours, so it makes sense to give it back to you, unless you explicitly say otherwise

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Unless those red plastic side covers are broken.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You mean they don't repair the plastoc covers?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 days ago

They do not. Those covers are no longer made, at least not for mine, which I believe is the same model as the one pictured.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Edit: Disregard everything I wrote below! The new knife was from a different manufacturer, Swiza!

Back when I was a kid, one difference in quality between Vic knives and all the cheap knock-offs was obvious to everyone, even if you had no clue about sharpness, holding an edge, manufacturing tolerances, etc.

On a Vic knife, the corkscrew held its shape.
On the cheap knock-offs it unwound and lengthened if you didn't screw it into the cork all the way.

Unfortunately, now that I'm 40 years old, on the newest model of Vic knives, the corkscrew lost its shape after a couple uses and can't be folded back into the knife.
To some small part of my soul that still retained its childhood values, this feels as if Superman died.