Our B grade used Swiss Army knives are good knives that will give you many years of service, but they have flaws that knock them out of the higher A grades. In most cases they still are fully functional. Grade B knives may have wear on the blade, on the other tools, and/or on the scales and body. Grading is based on overall condition: there may be one serious problem, several medium-sized flaws, or many small ones.
Here are some examples of typical blade scratching in B knives:
B knives may have some bending or twisting in one or two blades, and they may have nicks, ripples or gouges on the edge. The tip may be broken, but only if there is a maximum of 1/4" / 6mm missing.
The blade shown above has about the worst possible wear that we'll accept in a B knife.
Many B grade knives will show signs of use on the screwdrivers and other tools. However, everything is still usable. The most common problems are twisting on the tip of the small screwdriver, and scratching on the tool sides. Next most common is wear on Phillips and flat screwdriver tips, and corkscrews that are bent out of position. Files will often be darkened, especially on older knives that use a harder and less stain-resistant steel. The scissors still cut paper but may be a little rough at it.
Grade B blades move freely, and most of the blades still have acceptable "snap". All tools can be opened with fingernails. In some B knives, a few of the blades or tools may be sluggish, and may not snap when opened or closed. The openers and small blade are usually the first to lose their snappiness. If snap is poor, then we will expect better condition in the rest of the knife, to rate a B.
B grade knives will always have "pocket wear" on the plastic shells-- usually in the form of many small scratches. Most of the B knives have shells that are completely intact, but some may have small cracks or gaps in the shells. Occasionally the case may be stained, gouged, roughened or slightly rippled from heat or solvent.
If initials or a name are carved into the knife, it will rate a B or lower.
NOTE: Usually we sell named knives on eBay, so there is a sliver of hope that people can retrieve their favorite named knife that was nabbed by TSA. However, we see only a small fraction of all confiscated knives, and are simply not able to search for specific knives. The best we can suggest is to contact your local airport and/or state surplus agency, or keep an eye out on eBay.
B grade knives may show a little corrosion or damage on the liners, but it is not enough to affect the knife's performance, and they will be in generally good condition.
Grade B knives will always have toothpick, tweezers and key ring (if they are included on the model). We replace any broken scissors springs. Models with pens will write properly. Models with flashlights or electronics will be in working order.