It’s an Explorer - the Spartan doesn’t have the magnifying glass/Philips screwdriver
The steel is great - easy to sharpen and takes a good edge. Glad you have resurrected it.
I came upon my old Victorinox Swiss Army knife this morning while cleaning some drawers out. I wasn't long turned 20 when I bought it, so it's about 42 or 43 yrs old. I used to have it on a cord in my pocket at work, then when we got the gas tight suits I got a more sturdy Leatherman in case I ever had to get out of the suit in a hurry. I gave the pivots an oil, cleaned it up and sharpened the blades on my Lansky with a 20 degree bevel. The steel is excellent, whatever it is, the blades have taken a fantastic edge, hair shaving sharp. I think the model was called a Spartan. Although I have a Leatherman Micra on my keyring I'm putting this Lands End Squarerigger shoulder bag that I carry around with me. I ordered a spring for the scissors too.
F.T.F.A.
It’s an Explorer - the Spartan doesn’t have the magnifying glass/Philips screwdriver
The steel is great - easy to sharpen and takes a good edge. Glad you have resurrected it.
They're great tools, and the steel is really easy to keep very sharp (but it does lose an edge fairly rapidly too).
What you have isn't a Spartan; it looks like an Explorer but you don't have the parcel hook...not sure therefore what it is!
I'd recommend getting the mini screwdriver that fits into the worm of the corkscrew, and don't forget a needle that goes into the small hole near the corkscrew recess.
I remember receiving the very same model on my 10th birthday, 38 years ago.
I'd love to know where it went, but my abiding memory is slicing my finger open while closing it and not getting the digit out of the way quick enough.
It was a bloody and painful lesson learned.
Whatever it was called when I bought it, it's now officially an Explorer, and it'll have it's first outing tomorrow when I go for a pint, wearing of course my 1016 Everest . . . ;-)
F.T.F.A.
I'm not au fait with SAK-lore, so it could (like the hook) be a more recent addition. It's been extremely useful to have one to hand for desplintering when the tweezers can't dig deep enough, and handy for sewing a quick repair with the inner strands of the inner core of paracord.
Looks like you have two features particularly attractive to the SAK connoisseur.
Phillips Screwdriver.
The Phillips screwdriver is normally a back tool. The inline Phillips doesn’t appear on many models. It’s the preferred configuration. The added bonus is that yours looks to be the more elegant, longer variant. It was shortened at a later date to pair up with a light module on some models. Looks a bit stubby these days.
Magnifying Glass
I think yours is probably grey plastic with a glass lens. Mmmmm nice! All clear plastic these days and a bit of a cheap look and feel.
Otherwise:
The Explorer
https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Explorer
The hook
https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Hook
The pin
https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.p...e=Straight+Pin
No hook? See what essential tasks you are missing out on. Top tips from Switzerland.
https://youtu.be/srbipWJYOGM
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The lens is indeed the glass variant.
F.T.F.A.
I have a old victorinox butchers knife must be over 60 years old
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I just remembered the Leatherman that replaced the Victorinox on my hip, date stamp 04/98 inside the tool.
F.T.F.A.
My everyday carry for work is a modified ‘Explorer’ (scissors removed) which technically makes it now a ‘Passenger’ model, saved me so many times when working out on site.
You can see how much thinner it is without the scissors in the comparison shots, also what an Explorer looks like in striped down component form.
Dizz - nice rebuild, the scissors make that model for me though.
Magirus - how old is the Leatherman? I have one from about 1991 and the blade isn’t serrated. I’ve somehow lost my Leatherman but the case is a work of art - very slim design
If you take a look through the Leatherman pages on SmartKnives you should hopefully be able to ID your tool.
F.T.F.A.
It says here that the Rally is available in black, that or you could change the scales yourself which is an easy operation..... https://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Rally
You can get the scales though so a quick swap over and you're there.... In fact there's quite a choice of colours
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/8521...=1&frs=1&col=1
I've just this minute swapped out the old red scales on one of my SAKs, an Explorer, to the upgraded "Plus" scales which have room for the pen and pin in addition to the tweezers and toothpick. A handy upgrade and done in a matter of a couple of minutes....
Just fitted a new spring to the scissors on my oldie and also noticed the Araldite repairs done on each end many years ago after being dropped, along with my Brigade number that I marked all of my kit with.
F.T.F.A.
Both blades razor sharp now courtesy of my Lansky kit . . .
F.T.F.A.
The first major, and very important task for the newly resurrected Victorinox ;-) . . .
F.T.F.A.
I got the Deluxe set from Blades.co.uk . I've now done all of the kitchen knives, from small paring size up to 8-9 inch chefs knife, several Leatherman tools, even the diminutive Micra and all are shaving sharp. To be fair the Micra blade is too narrow to fit in the holder so I did it freehand and guessed the angle. I stropped them on an old belt, but have a paddle strop and compound en route. Once sharp a quick touch up with the fine and/or extra fine is all that is needed.
F.T.F.A.
Thank you! That's an excellent price, there'll be one of those heading to Cornholio Towers soon ☺
I had no idea Leatherman's were date stamped! I've just dug out my first Leatherman PST which is still in perfect condition including leather case like the one above, seems it's of June 1996 vintage.
Sharpening wise, I use a Spyderco sharpening kit which is very similar to the Lansky kit mentioned in this thread.
I just bought a paddle strop with a small block of compound from Ebay, for £5.97 it was worth trying. I touched up the blades on the Victorinox with the Lansky yellow extra fine stone as they'd been lightly used, then stropped them. An already very sharp knife is now even sharper!
F.T.F.A.
I also use the Lansky TornBox for sharpening my Victorinox knives, it works very well on the Victorinox blades.
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Thanks for posting...it's inspired me to buy my 1st one..went with the Hiker and the leather holder too. Let's hope it lasts as long as yours.
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Last edited by Red Steve; 19th September 2020 at 14:42.
I have this exact Victorinox 'Salesman' model, apparently these are pre-1968.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...Nl0NZIEgXYXuP9
Very sought after by collectors.
Last edited by bobbee; 19th September 2020 at 17:07.
The now high polish of the bevel after sharpening made the blades look really tatty, so I spent 2 minutes with some Solvol and a cloth to gauge what might be done. I'll be able to get them back to a like new mirror finish with the Dremmel, but I think a decent hand polish will be enough, and more in keeping with a well cared for old tool. 15 minutes tomorrow should be enough.
Before . . .
After . . .
F.T.F.A.
I've now brought the old girl up to date with a little addition . . .
F.T.F.A.
Had mine for 35 odd years. Not sure of the date, but I know I got it in Oban at an outdoor shop.
You can still just make out where the logo was
It’s had a lot of use. The liner round the saw blade is especially worn.
Still used regularly, it’s like an old friend.
Dave
clean it up with some warm water and a razor or tooth brush,then a drop of oil and you will get the nice snap back.
you can easy fit some new scales,with plus scales you can add a pen and pin.
when the Vic stores reopen you can go in and they give you fitted new ones for free and you can send them of to get refurbished just pay postage.
jelly red is nice as is the white and non threatening.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...acat=0&_sop=15
https://ukoutdoorstore.co.uk/shop/vi...rinox-handles/
It gets an occasional clean and oil. It’s never getting “restored” - Part if it’s charm is the honesty of use, and I know where each ding and dent came from.
Both my kids have a newer version of the same knife to mark their 10th birthday. Not as a present, but at the grand sum of a penny. Old tradition in my family - never gift a knife, it will cut the friendship. Selling it cheap is however fine...
I did buy myself a couple of other knives about 2 years ago when the local outdoor shop was closing:
The SAK is the same without the saw - they only had one with, and that was destined for no2 child. It’s my daily knife now, as I rarely need a saw at work, but a knife is often handy.
The Swiss tool was a bit of an impulse buy, partially because it was a steal at the price and partially because I’ve often thought about getting a leatherman. Unfortunately because of the lock, which makes it a safe tool it’s also not as uncomplicated to carry all the time. As a result I’ve not really bonded with it, although it’s a fine tool and useful in a climbing rucksack or a dive kit box.
Dave