Passenger
If you are a hoarder, I mean collector, of Swiss Army knives, you may be aware that some desirable models of those knives are no longer manufactured. Like for example the Victorinox Passenger. The Passenger is a Victorinox Explorer minus the scissors tool. So theoretically, one could take the scissors out of an Explorer (a current, widely available model), rebuild the knife, and wallah, Passenger. So that's what Crumby did.
Here is the semi-finished result. Note the dimples on the scale where Crumby didn't hammer the replacement pins sufficiently. Yet those are the scales that came off the original Explorer, so they are of doubtful utility in the first place.
OK. Messing around with these knives is lots of fun. But there are a couple of major downsides. The scales are a downside. Chances are, when you pop the scales off, you damage the attachment points so they no longer snap on. So you either glue the scales back on, or purchase replacement scales at $10-12 a pop plus postage. The other downside is the bushings. On a typical 91mm knife there are six bushings (three sets) which sit on either end of the pins, holding the knife together. The only way to get replacement bushings is from another similar knife. So if an average knife refussticator (sic) like Crumby busts a bushing or two during dis assembly, he must take apart yet another knife to get more bushings. It's a waste of knives I tell you!!!!
Another goofy issue is, Why would anyone want a knife without scissors versus an otherwise identical knife with scissors? Well. Turns out, for Crumby, three layers of knife is the pants pocket maximum (ppm) that's tolerable. And in this case, the scissors make four layers. Course, any one of the four layers could be sacrificed. Like the can opener/bottle opener layer or even the knife layer could be sacrificed. But if the knives got sacrificed, the result wouldn't be a knife. Would it?
Oh! Crumby almost forgot. The play in the tools and the "snappiness" can not be distinguished from new, or thereabouts. Matter of fact, Crumby's Outdoorsman is fixing to get worked on next. Cause that Outdoorsman we are now discussing has never been right.
Here is the semi-finished result. Note the dimples on the scale where Crumby didn't hammer the replacement pins sufficiently. Yet those are the scales that came off the original Explorer, so they are of doubtful utility in the first place.
OK. Messing around with these knives is lots of fun. But there are a couple of major downsides. The scales are a downside. Chances are, when you pop the scales off, you damage the attachment points so they no longer snap on. So you either glue the scales back on, or purchase replacement scales at $10-12 a pop plus postage. The other downside is the bushings. On a typical 91mm knife there are six bushings (three sets) which sit on either end of the pins, holding the knife together. The only way to get replacement bushings is from another similar knife. So if an average knife refussticator (sic) like Crumby busts a bushing or two during dis assembly, he must take apart yet another knife to get more bushings. It's a waste of knives I tell you!!!!
Another goofy issue is, Why would anyone want a knife without scissors versus an otherwise identical knife with scissors? Well. Turns out, for Crumby, three layers of knife is the pants pocket maximum (ppm) that's tolerable. And in this case, the scissors make four layers. Course, any one of the four layers could be sacrificed. Like the can opener/bottle opener layer or even the knife layer could be sacrificed. But if the knives got sacrificed, the result wouldn't be a knife. Would it?
Oh! Crumby almost forgot. The play in the tools and the "snappiness" can not be distinguished from new, or thereabouts. Matter of fact, Crumby's Outdoorsman is fixing to get worked on next. Cause that Outdoorsman we are now discussing has never been right.
posted by ray pistrum at Friday, December 27, 2013
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