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New Swiss Army Knife Grades
We purchase new Swiss Army knives, both from the original
manufacturers (Victorinox and Wenger), and from various resellers
who handle older, retired models.
Our new knives come in two different grades:
- #1 New-- Knives in their original, undamaged
box or packaging, suitable for gift-giving.
- #2 New-- Knives in distressed packaging
or without a box. These are still new knives, but you'll
need to repackage them if you plan to give them as a gift
to someone.
Used Swiss Army Knife Grades
We carefully clean, oil and inspect all of the quality
used Swiss Army knives sold by SmartKnives.
Nearly all the knives we purchase come from airport confiscations,
and as you might expect, the conditions vary widely from one knife to another.
Some are practically brand new, and some have been used or abused by their
owners.
To make life easier for buyers, we separate our used Swiss
Army knives into eight grades, listed below. Click the
links for example photos and more detailed specs.
- A+ Grade--
Top quality used knives that are nearly new. All
of the blades still have their original mirror finish, with
no visible wear. The plastic scales are shiny, with only
a small amount of wear.
- A Grade--
Top quality used knives. Most or all
of the blades still have
a mirror finish. None of the blades have been
sharpened. There may be slight scratching, staining
or wear on one or two of the blades. There is some
"pocket wear" on the plastic scales but no cracks, gaps or
deep gouges.
- A- Grade--
A bit lower quality than A grade, but still an excellent
knife. There may be some minor scratches,
staining or wear on the blades. The scales may have
some small nicks or gaps, or there may be a little stiffness
in the blade action. But overall, this grade is still
"nearly new".
- B+ Grade--
Very good quality used knives that show some wear, but that
are still completely functional. They may have a few of
the following minor problems: scratches or stains on the
blades, blades that have small nicks, slightly broken tips
or that were lightly sharpened, reduced
"snap" when opening and closing blades, small gouges or
gaps in the shells.
- B Grade--
The lowest grade that we sell, for most models. Decent knives
that have some serious cosmetic problems, but that
are still completely functional. They may have broken
blade tips, bent or gouged blades, or blades that were heavily
sharpened. The scales may have some gaps or gouges. Some
blades may be sticky.
- C+ Grade--
These knives may have broken springs, missing blades,
or other serious problems. We use this grade
only for large, vintage or collectible knives that are
rare enough that someone might still want them,
despite their flaws.
- C Grade and
D Grade--
Knives with missing or completely broken blades, badly cracked
or missing scales, frozen blades, or other serious problems.
We either discard these knives, or sell them in bulk on eBay
for use as "parts knives".
NOTE-- We grade based on overall condition. If
one tool has a slightly broken tip but the rest of the knife
is in excellent shape, we'll call it a B. If the rest of
the knife shows overall wear, we'll call it a C+ or
C.
Used Knive Accessories
 All
of our knives come complete with tweezers and toothpicks
(unless the model does not include them).
Knives that include a ballpoint pen will have one that
writes.
Knives that include an LED light or other powered features
come with
working batteries.
In all cases we'll use the original accessories that came
with the knife, if possible. If they are missing or defective, we'll
replace them with new items. |
