Industry: Whitby & Co


The Ueli Steck Knife; helping retailers to scale new heights?


Whitby & Co has the UK distributing rights for the Wenger Ueli Steck Knife. SGB investigates what impact this will have on the outdoor goods industry.


I


t is 10 years since Ueli Steck, the Swiss mountaineer and speed climber, came to the attention of the climbing media


following his ascent of the east face of Mount Dickey. He has since negotiated some of the most demanding routes in Europe. His impressive CV includes setting world records for speed ascents of the north face of the Eiger, the Matterhorn and the Grandes Jorasses. Steck has since joined forces with Swiss Army


knife manufacturer Wenger to create a multi- functional tool designed for climbers, mountaineers and backcountry skiers. The Ueli Steck Knife has been designed to Ueli’s exact specifications. This is a major coup for Whitby & Co who will act as UK distributors of the product. The Ueli Steck Knife has a suggested retail price


of £109.95, weighs 100g and features a partially serrated blade offering two cutting options. The wide blade design integrates three hexagonal keys and is suitable for adjusting crampons. Tools on the device include a large locking flat


and Philips head screwdrivers; ¼ inch hex bit which integrates into the handle for binding alterations, can opener, cap lifter, wire bender, metal saw and key ring. Talking about his new partnership with


Wenger, Ueli says: “I wanted to create a knife which would be suitable for a range of challenging outdoor activities. Each of these requires a different set of tools so we’ve designed a knife whereby some tools such as the screwdriver bits can be removed or added depending on whether they’re needed or not.” “Whether I am climbing the north face of the


Matterhorn or backcountry skiing in Switzerland, I have a different set of requirements so I wanted a knife which could adapt to different situations. I am confident it will offer mountaineers, climbers, hikers and backcountry skiers a lightweight, strong and versatile tool.” Garry Woodhouse, Sales and Marketing


Director at Whitby & Co, is equally delighted with 6 www.sgboutdoor.co.uk


the new collaboration between Ueli Steck and Wenger. “This product is a fantastic collaboration bringing together one of the most respected makers of outdoor knives with one of the world’s greatest climbers. By involving Ueli so closely in the design, Wenger has been able to create a knife which will stand out in the market place. We believe this is set to become the knife of choice for mountaineers, climbers and backcountry skiers.” Increased interest in outdoor activities such as


hiking and camping has meant the knife market has increased in scope with individuals seeking knives and multi-tools to help them survive outdoors. Television programmes such as ‘Man vs. Wild’, a survival television series featuring Bear Grylls, has increased people’s interests in survival themes and led to the belief that by having a knife, survival in the wild can be achieved. However when SGB spoke to retailers it


appears that sales of knives and muti-tools have remained static. For instance, Sue Hare of The Outdoor Shop in Milton Keynes and a spokesperson for planetFear in Keswick, stated that sales have remained unaffected despite the increase in profile of survival television programmes and with the onset of Christmas. Retailers should perhaps make more attempts to cash in on the public’s fascination with the ‘art of survival’ with products such as the Wenger Ueli Steck Knife helping them boost sales.


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