I cannot locate any Kahles scopes for sale other than e-bay. Is Kahles out of business? They make an excellent scope...I'm just wondering what is going on. I have a chance to pick one up but I cannt find a price point....

Swarovski NA stopped importation a couple of years ago and they were picked up briefly by Legacy Sports in Las Vegas then the economy tanked and I guess they dropped them.

CDNN bought Swarovski NA's remaining inventory and has been liquidating them at giveaway prices.

http://www.cdnninvestments.com/kahlesscopes.html

They are still in business and Swarovski is still offering support (I sent one back a while ago, a pleasant Austrian gentleman named Hermann is their NA rep and takes care of all Kahles support for Swaro). I assume they will have a new importer in the future, they are fantastic glass.

quote:

Originally posted by Dark Continent:
Swarovski NA stopped importation a couple of years ago and they were picked up briefly by Legacy Sports in Las Vegas then the economy tanked and I guess they dropped them.

CDNN bought Swarovski NA's remaining inventory and has been liquidating them at giveaway prices.

http://www.cdnninvestments.com/kahlesscopes.html

They are still in business and Swarovski is still offering support (I sent one back a while ago, a pleasant Austrian gentleman named Hermann is their NA rep and takes care of all Kahles support for Swaro). I assume they will have a new importer in the future, they are fantastic glass.

Good tip! I have 2 Kahles 4x12x52 MultiZeros and an older 3.5x10x50 AH TDS and love them all. If I needed another scope right now I would jump on that MultiZero from CDNN!

The 2 Kahles 4x12x52's I have are the brightest and clearest scopes I have and are right there with my Zeiss Diavari 2.5x10x50. Last hunting trip there was a morning hunt, very overcast, and I could make this deer out crossing the sendero when my spotter had a hard time with his Swarovski 15x56 binoculars


and little Miss Piggy (210#) didn't come out till it was almost black dark


The other MultiZero is on my 338RUM and is doing well after 200 shots or so.

Love'em

Was told by a Swaro rep that they're being/will be imported again by Gamo. Focusing more on the police and military market.

i just bought a cl 4x12 52 for my 300wm and am mounting it tomorrow. got it for $740 on ebay new in box.

What we understand in Europe is that Swarovski owns Khales in its entirity and have been for a few years

There is conflict of brand image
Unofficailly Khales is for sale

One avenue they try to pursue is to try new ideas on Khales first if successful in the market place then it will be marketed slightly differently under the Swarovski brand.

If the new idea is NOT successful then it does not damage the mother brand.

aka

Multi zero - Multi click turret
Solenoid illuminated
Ranging reticule
night mode on Z6

However if one looks inside the actual mechanism of the 02 brands the similarity is alarmingly close

There is also a tendency to market Khales towards law enforcement and Swar towards the luxury end of the market.

quote:

Unofficailly Khales is for sale

Not anymore ! Swarovski cant find an investor only for the plant without brand name so the decided to continue on.

Seloushunter

The last I heard there is an Indian consortium evaluating the buy out. Dont know any truth in that. That was juist before christmas.

quote:

The last I heard there is an Indian consortium evaluating the buy out. Dont know any truth in that.

Let's hope not.

quote:

Originally posted by Dark Continent:

quote:

The last I heard there is an Indian consortium evaluating the buy out. Dont know any truth in that.

Let's hope not.

Why does the origins of the money matter if someone can buy it and keep the quality and service the same or improve upon it?

I would love to see Kahles becoming a major player in the optics business again even if it gets the funding from Martians.

Subsequent to Swarovski looking to sell the Kahles factory in Vienna (not the brand name), the story is that they did not find a buyer, and they would continue production there. It seems their parent company Swarovski has had a tough time and laid an estimated 550 workers off in 2008 and the recession in 2009 did not help one bit either.

Currently Kahles scopes are being discounted in the USA and are being sold for 40% off list price. The expectation is that they will withdraw in the USA market and RSA hang in the balance as well, but at least our local dealer in South Africa is still selling Kahles scopes for the time being. It offers basically the same quality as Swarovski and Zeiss scopes, but at a lower and more affordable price. It would be a pity should Swarovski decide to discontinue the Kahles brand, but so far it seems it is still business as usual.

Warrior

Here is the German report:

04.09.2008 | 14:03
.Swarovski Optik verkauft Tochtergesellschaft
Nach Angaben der Zeitschrift "Format" will Swarovski Optik eine Tochtergesellschaft verkaufen. Bei der kolportierten Kahles handelt es sich um den weltältesten Zielfernrohrhersteller, der zwischen zwischen 8 und 10 Millionen EUro bringen soll.


Mehr zum Thema.
Swarovski baut weiter Stellen ab
..Der Tiroler Kristallkonzern Swarovski reagiert nun - nach der Ankündigung von weiteren Mitarbeiterkürzungen - auf den wachsenden Kostendruck mit dem Verkauf seiner Tochtergesellschaft Kahles, des ältesten Zielfernrohrherstellers der Welt. Die Angebote liegen zwischen 8 und 10 Mio. Euro, berichtet das Wirtschaftsmagazin "Format" in seiner morgen, Freitag, erscheinenden Ausgabe.

Zu den Interessenten sollen laut dem Magazin die Waffenhersteller Glock, Beretta und Steyr zählen. Der Deal sorge in der Branche für Aufregung, da der Kristallkonzern nicht vorhabe, den Namen Kahles mitzuverkaufen. "Den lassen sie lieber sterben. Swarovski hat Angst, dass der Käufer aus Kahles eine große Firma formt, die Swarovski Optik Konkurrenz macht", hieß es laut "Format" aus Branchenkreisen.

Kahles wurde 1989 in Wien gegründet und setzte im Vorjahr mit 50 Mitarbeitern rund 5 Mio. Euro um.

Mitte August hatte Swarovski angekündigt, seine 25-prozentige Beteiligung an der tschechischen Jablonex-Gruppe bis spätestens Anfang des Jahres 2009 verkaufen zu wollen. Auch der Stellenabbau soll fortgesetzt werden: Bis zum Jahresende sollen weitere 100 Jobs gestrichen werden. Erst im Mai sparte Swarovski in Wattens 450 Arbeitsplätze ein.

2007 erzielte Swarovski mit 22.000 Beschäftigten nach eigenen Angaben einen Umsatz von 2,56 Mrd. Euro. Am Standort in Wattens befinden sich auch die "Kristallwelten". Darüber hinaus gehören zum Konzern der Schleifwerkzeughersteller Tyrolit, Swareflex mit der Produktion von Reflektoren für den Straßenverkehr und die Swarovski Optik.

(APA)

Topic: SWFA Scope Scale Discussion Thread (2009)
Posted: April/05/2009 at 14:42
The scale below was formed by SWFA sales staff, customer service, pro-staff and owners using personal experience, customer input and facts supplied by the manufacturers.

The ranking system is based on the following criteria:
51% Optical Quality - How bright and clear the scope is.

15% Specifications - Field of view, eye relief, weight, adjustment travel, etc.

15% Durability - How do they with stand the test of time.

12% Special Features & Options - Proprietary items (reticles, design, turrets), Zoom ratio.

7% Warranty & Customer Service - How good are they.

In order to maintain the scale's simplicity we are not listing every single manufacture and only major manufactures will have several of their brands listed. This scale also does not have discontinued brands or products like the old U.S.A. made Redfields, Japan Tasco or Japan Simmons Aetec. This scale is heavily weighted toward HUNTING as being the application the scope will be used for.

This scale will be kept current with changes that the manufacturers are making that affect their rank. Many of the lower end companies have been bought and sold a lot recently and while the names have stayed the same......the product has not.

2009 Riflescope Rating Scale

Leica ER, Swarovski Z6, Zeiss Victory
Kahles C - CL & CSX, Premier Reticle, Schmidt & Bender
Kahles KX, U.S. Optics, Swarovski PH & American Lightweight
Bushnell Elite 6500, Leupold VX-7, Nightforce NXS, IOR Valdada, Vortex Razor
Bushnell Elite 4200, Leupold VX-3, Nikon Monarch & Monarch X, Zeiss Conquest
Leupold Mark 4, VX III & VX-L, Meopta, Nikon Monarch Gold & Titanium, Sightron SIII & S2 Big Sky, Vortex Viper
Burris Black Diamond Signature Select XTR & Euro Diamond, Pentax Lightseeker, Trijicon Accupoint, Weaver Grand Slam
Bushnell Elite 3200, Leupold VX-II, Millet Tactical/Buck Gold, Nikko Stirling, Nikon Buckmaster, Sightron SI & SII, Vortex Crossfire & Diamondback, Super Sniper Fixed
Burris Fullfield II & Timberline, Leupold Rifleman & VX-I, Leatherwood, Mueller, Nikon ProStaff, Simmons
Barska, Sightmark, Swift, Truglo
BSA, Tasco, Yukon
ATN, Leapers, NcStar

Edited by Chris Farris - April/05/2009 at 14:51