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Trooper

Trooper The Victorinox Trooper (a.k.a. the Safari Trooper) is the civilian version of the 108mm German Army Issue knife, better known as the GAK. The Trooper has the same olive-drab (OD) coloured scales, but without the German Army Eagle emblem.

There are four different variations based around the original GAK, each version has the same compliment of tools: Main blade, wood saw (with integrated can/bottle opener and screwdriver), corkscrew, and a reamer/awl; but with different scale options - See below.

The GAK was discontinued in 2003 in favour of the new 111mm one-handed opening GAK. However, some models from the 108mm line had continued availability for some years after that.

Layer Tools

Safari Trooper catalogue entry - Note incorrect scale description !
Safari Trooper catalogue entry - Note incorrect scale description !

The saw had a reputation as one of the best wood saws, although tests conducted by MTo members have questioned this.
Some variations include a match striker on the side of the saw.

Back Layer Tools

Scale Tools

The Trooper and other 108mm models do not have any non-blade tools such as the typical toothpick and tweezers.
This is typical of the military Swiss Army Knives, but rare for the civilian models.

Scales

Olive-drab (OD) green Nylon, or red Nylon for the Safari version.
Note the incorrect scale description in the catalogue extract above!!

Variations

There are four variations built around the German Army Issue model:

  • German Army Knife (GAK): The offcial German Army issue with OD scales and a military crest
  • Trooper: OD scales w/o military crest
  • NATO Trooper: OD scales with NATO  stenciled in white letters
  • Safari/Safari Trooper: The civilian version with red scales and a Swiss Cross crest

History

All the Victorinox 108mm knives are related to the original GAK, which was the first 108mm model that was manufactured to specification under contract for the German Army.

Discontinued by Victorinox in 2003.

Physical Specifications

  • Length: 108mm
  • Width: 15mm (Trooper)
  • Weight: 84.5g (Trooper)

Identifiers

  • 0.8770: Red Safari (5400)
  • 0.8770.04: Olive-drab green Trooper (5420)

US model numbers in brackets

Related Models

  • The GAK - The German Army Issue Knife
  • Hunter - Adds a gutting blade; different scales
  • Mauser - Adds a clip-point blade
  • Pathfinder - Removes the backside tools, awl and corkscrew

Other Victorinox 108mm Models

External Resources


Created by Fred. Last Modification: Thursday 03 of August, 2023 04:51:41 CEST by Huntsman.

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