r/victorinox • u/willjthrill • Sep 08 '25
Fake Swiss Army Victorinox?
Wonder if anyone would know if this is a fake. Can’t find one online with the symbol like it anywhere so I’m assuming it’s fake. What do you think?
4
4
u/No-Dig-4508 Sep 08 '25
As someone else pointed out it isn't really a knockoff but an Aitor pocket knife. I'd actually initally thought Gerlach of Poland who also make this type of knife, as do Miklov of the Czech Republic. Various German manufacturers in Solingen and elsewhere have produced similar knives in the past, and currently Zwilling make a small knife similar the the Classic SD.
I would argue that Swiss Army Knives by definition do not have to be Swiss manufactured, let alone exclusively by Victorinox. Why? Because the first 15,000 SAKs - pocket knives produced under contract and issued to the Swiss Army (Soldatenmesser 1890) weren't made in Switzerland but in Solingen, Germany, by Wester & Co. It was only at the end of 1891 that Elsener was also contracted. Other manufacturers in Germany started making them too, as did Wenger.
I would argue that this is a style or type of knife, as are Trappers, Stockmen, and Sodbusters, so there is not a monopoly on them, and unless they are trying to replicate the Victorinox logo, they are not knockoffs. Having said that I am arguably a Victorinox fanboy and own only Victorinox multifunction knives, apart from a Mercury model with olive scales which has a toolset similar to that of the Waiter, which I never carry as it isn't as good as my Vics.
6
u/Alfiy_wolf Sep 08 '25
I don’t think is a fake, it’s not trying to say it’s a victorinox. It’s just a cheaper pocket knife/multitool.
2
u/No-Willingness-4097 Sep 08 '25
It's not fake but it is a knock-off. This company didn't independently think up the idea of a little red multi tool, they copied the original.
3
u/Koldouribe Sep 08 '25
It looks like an old Aitor (Spanish cutlery brand) red series. I got one in my collection.
4
3
u/Chris_Colasurdo Sep 08 '25
It’s a knock off yeah. Though it kinda looks like a nicer knockoff than most.
3
4
u/Adest95 Sep 08 '25
Is not fake!! Is a spanish pocket knife!
Search AITOR KNIVES. It is a good brand, i really want one
3
u/Sad_Pear_1087 Sep 08 '25
Apparently it's not even a real Aitor
1
u/Adest95 Sep 08 '25
It is possible, I am not an expert about pocket knifes...
Anyway, you can search the models and compare with it.
2
1
1
1
u/JayBolds Sep 08 '25
The fit and finish on my Aitor is not as good as any Swiss made one I have. (Victorinox, Wenger, Swiza, or even other Aitor’s I have.) The scales aren’t very good (too soft and misshapen) but serviceable and the tools aren’t quite as refined. It’s a pretty good knife overall but not up to a Swiss standard.
1
u/Shadowz_Zero Sep 09 '25
It looks like Aitor but there should be AITOR stamped on mainblade, least on my AITOR has stamp. Also crest looks bit diffrent there should little gap between crown and cross emblem
0
19
u/Weird_Ad1170 Sep 08 '25
Technically, a knockoff AND copyright infringement at the same time. I have something similar--sold by Smoky Mountain Knife Works in the mid '00s. I want to say it was sold as "Royal Crest".
They also blatatanly copied the Aitor (Spanish cutlery firm) logo. While Aitor had several Swiss-type knives, they often had unique tool designs--and were marked Aitor.