Anyone in Canada who spends any time biking, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, or camping is probably familiar with Mountain Equipment Co Op. They are a large outfitter up here in the Great White North, and a usual shopping spot for me. In fact, they have been the supplier for a number of articles here in the past- articles like the Wenger Sharpener for example.
This year Mountain Equipment Co Op (aka MEC) is turning 40, and is a true success story. Before they opened their doors on the west coast there weren’t really a lot of outlets for quality outdoors gear, and most folks had to order things from the US. Now it’s a different story as you can see in their video:
As part of their anniversary they released a 40th Anniversary Victorinox Climber, which I have been patiently waiting for a couple of months now. I could have ordered it through their site at www.mec.ca, but I wanted to buy it in store. It finally arrived this week and I pounced on it! The funny part is, the girl behind the counter didn’t even know the knife existed until I showed up looking for it!
From the photos I’d seen online I assumed that the logo was pad printed on, but when I opened the box I realized it was even better than I’d expected. The logo isn’t pad printed, it’s metal inlaid into the scale, similar to the shield or the old Camping logo. And, like a lot of Corporate Markets Division knives, it has the Vic shield on the back scale.
There’s nothing else to differentiate it from any other black scaled Climber- no blade markings, no special packaging, but it’s still a great keepsake for any SAK collector or MEC member- although membership is a bit pricey at $5.00 for a lifetime!
For more info on MEC's 40th anniversary, CLICK HERE