Wenger S14 vs Vic Climber; some musings.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Yesterday my first 'standard' size Wenger arrived in the post; an Evo S14 (non-grip scales).  I really like this little SAK a lot, and even though I've only carried it a couple of days now, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on it, particularly in comparison to it's closest Vic cousin, the Climber.

Blade(s):
-I really like the Wenger's blade.  Just a tad shorter than the 91mm Vic blade, it's more leaf shaped, which appeals to me, if for no other reason than aesthetics. 
-It also doesn't have the distal taper the Vic blades do, and while I doubt it'll make much practical difference, I think it'll give it a bit more lateral strength.  It doesn't seem to affect its performance either; it slices just as well as any 91mm Vic blade I've used.
-The 91mm Vic blades' edge doesn't have as much belly which I think makes it better for certain utility tasks, and makes it slightly easier to sharpen.
-The big difference here is the locking mechanism on the Wenger; really nicely done and very useful.  Very easy to use, and it doesn't get in the way as much as I thought it might when actually using the blade.
-Overall I prefer the Wenger's blade, some just because of aesthetics, but the locking mechanism really puts it over the top on the Vic blades.

-For the small blade/position in the knife, the Wenger has the nail file with a deeply pointed end instead of the small blade most Vics have, and I can't remember the last time I used the small blade on any 91mm Vic I have.
-The Wenger's file could be a bit larger in terms of how much of the implement the rough surface covers; it just feels a little small compared to the overall size of the tool.
-The point is fairly deeply curved and can easily be used as a 2D phillips for smaller screws; I have tested it specifically yet, but I guesstimate it could be used reasonably well on anything between size 00 and 2.
-Overall, I like this usage of this position in the tool better than the small blade. 

Scissors:
-This is my most used implement on any tool I carry, and any EDC pocket tool for me must have scissors.  Simply put, I love these scissors; they feel smoother overall than any Vic scissors I've experienced, seem to have less friction in them.
-I really like the "spring" mechanism; I guess technically it's a "lever" rather than a spring, but either way it definitely seems to be more robust than the little spring Vic uses in their scissors.
-I really like the way they always open to their max width when using them.  Vic scissors can be annoying sometimes because I have to manually open them all the way some times.
-The serrations are a nice touch; they definitely seem to grip the work better and cut just as well as any pair of Vic scissors I've used.  I'm not completely convinced they're really "self sharpening", and because you can't open them wide like you can with Vic scissors having to sharpen them might be an issue in the future. 
-For now though, they're very nice and work very well; overall I think I prefer them to the Vic scissors.

Cap-lifter/Flat-head Driver:
-This thing is sheer genius; the way it locks into place only when you press down in it is a great little feature.  I'd avoided using the large flat-head driver on the bottle opener on Vics because of its tendency to collapse under lateral loads.  This alleviates that problem and makes using it in a cramped space much more confidence inspiring.
-The one drawback it has is no 90º stop, so you can't really use it perpendicular to the body of the knife (at least with any real confidence) to break a tough screw loose.  Given that's the typical situation you'd use it for in that position, I don't see myself every trying to use it at a 90º position.  Here I have to say the Vic cap-lifter is better.  Maybe once Wenger is completely absorbed into Victorinox, Vic will add the locking action to their cap-lifter and we'll have the best of both worlds.
-Overall I like the Wenger implement better, but the lack of the 90º detente is a glaring omission.

Can opener:
-First, this is a very well made implement; the F&F on it are excellent, just a hair short of first rate.  I say that because the inside of the tool isn't polished like the Vic can openers are. 
-I'm probably biased by having had Vics for so long, but I think the Vic implement is better.  The forward action seems smoother and easier to do for me, and I think it leaves a smoother edge as well.
-Although I rarely use it, the lack of the small flat-head driver on it is a notable omission; Wenger gives up a small bit of functionality here.
-That said, Wenger makes up for it because the end of the tool is very well suited for use as a gougey/scrapey/pokey tool.  Not only the shape of the tool, but the thicker metal in the blade of the tool compared to the Vic implement gives Wenger this advantage.
-Overall I'd say I prefer the Vic can opener, although for myself, I prefer Vic's Combo-Tool to both openers.

Corkscrew:
-Love it or hate it, it is what it is.  Don't want one?  Then get an S16 instead which has the backside phillips. 
-Functionally identical to the Vic tool; nothing much more really to say about it.

Awl:
-Here's one area where I think the Wenger clearly falls short of the Vic.  The awl is just that, a pointy/pokey device with no sharp edges on it.
-The Vic has the reamer edge on its awl tool, which I find more useful; I'd hate to be stuck in the woods and needing to bore a hole in something with just the Wenger's awl.  Having the edge does slightly compromise it's use as stitching tool, but if I think I'm going to be in a situation where I'd need a stitching tool, I'm more likely to have a needle and thread or string with me.
-Here I think Vic beats Wenger, hands down.

Anyway, that's just my musings on this little gem of a knife.  I like a lot of the things about it compared to how they're done on the Climber.  The shortcomings of it aren't significant enough for me that they'll limit the usefulness of the knife for me, and the strengths it has over the Climber definitely make it more appealing to me than a Climber.

Thanks for reading all this, and I look forward to hearing (reading) all of your thoughts and comments.   

[North Man]

thanks for review

[kirk13]

The Super Tinker and Explorer may just be my favourite Vic SAKs.The Wenger Evo16 is an almost perfect alternative to the SuperTinker.I take your point about the awls,and while I love the Wenger scissors,they're not as good as Vic ones if your cutting a long stretch of something.The nail file is great.

Being in the UK,I've never considered the locking option on the Wengers,but if I pull the trigger on a S557,guess I'll have to find out.

I re clothed my Evo in Realtree Blaze,which is so so pretty,but if I had to choose between the SuperTinker and the Evo16,prices being equal,the Evo scales might just tip the Balence in Wengers favour.If it was an EvoWood...?

[Mr. Whippy]

 

I agree on every single point!

The main blade isn't much difference to me in terms of shape but I definitely LOVE the Wenger lock.

Vic can opener is better for my purposes.  Hands down.

I also agree that the Wenger nail file is sort of small and only good for fingernails. Victorinox file is good for metal and plastic too.

  Good review (Because it agrees with me.  )

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks for your thoughts Paul  Here's a few thoughts in return 

NOTE: I should start out by saying the Traveller (classic version of the Evo14) is my fave Wenger for EDC 

I think the Vic cap lifter needs the half stop not just to enable extra torque on stubborn screws, but because you can't bear down on it in the inline position like you can on the Wenger without fear of collapse ... so with the Wenger locking open and giving more confidence to give it some gonads, is a half stop really needed?

Nail file ... I agree! I don't tend to use the smaller blade either, unless the main blade is serrated - in which case the small blade becomes my pencil sharpener and such. Never tried using it as a Phillips, purely because I've never needed to as I've always had something else to use when the need arose

Scissors. I think the self sharpening comes from a looser pivot and the chamfer on the lever contact points which gives a crinking effect to the blades. In effect, even if the blades wear they will be forced against each other to ensure a decent shear action. The serrations also prolongue effectiveness of this. I like them too but they do leave your nails rough, so the inclusion of the file becomes quite important

Awl - yup!

Main blade ... locking  You'll genuinely need to help me out here ... you've said the lock is quite useful, and that it really puts it over the Vic blades .... why? I've never wished my SAKs had locking blades, and indeed have disabled the lock on my one and only 111mm knife. Problem is (I'll be completely honest) I am totally blind to other views having used slippies in this format for so long, and never letting it be a problem to me, even on penetrating cuts. Can you shed some light on this for me?
(also - do you find it impares scissor access like others have said?)

Can opener - I can open cans with either, and never use the mini driver on the Vics. I have a slight preference for the Wenger, although I can now open a can slightly quicker with a Vic as that's what's been in the kitchen for the last 9 months to back up a rather dodgy store bought crank opener

Overall, a lovely pocketable knife which we should really compare with the Climber Small, and for me it's certainly the stronger of the two 

[kkokkolis]

Heinz's and 50ft reviews' review.

Both are good reviews but I have to give them a low score because there are absolutely no photos! None! A very serious omission that deserves extreme disapproval.

[AimlessWanderer]

  There's three in this lot ... 



Brushed stainless, coffin scaled (metal 50), and part serrated 

[Mr. Whippy]

Heinz's and 50ft reviews' review.

Both are good reviews but I have to give them a low score because there are absolutely no photos! None! A very serious omission that deserves extreme disapproval.

Ding.

[colt 1911]

Nice review, guess thats why i buy both, i have been leaning towards Wenger .

[colt 1911]

There's three in this lot ... 

(Image removed from quote.)

Brushed stainless, coffin scaled (metal 50), and part serrated 

Nice minigrips !!  Just a awesome tool.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Okay guys, I'll try and get some pics up this afternoon.  Shouldn't be too hard, but I've been procrastinating today...     and have a lot of things to do...   

Al, I hadn't thought about the locking vs half-stop issue that way.  Point taken and well made.  I think it might still be an issue in cramped spaces though...  Either way, I'd like to see both features together on one knife.  I can see how it might not be possible to make the tool lock in both positions, but as long as it did lock in one of them, that would be enough.  And, now that I think about it, perhaps locking in the 90º position would be more useful than locking in the fully extended position. 

As for the scissors, I hadn't thought about that either.  I've noticed the blades on Vic scissors tend to be slightly bowed to insure the edges meet when cutting, but didn't think to look at the Wenger scissor blades until just now... Seems like they're not as curved as what I've experienced with my 91mm Vics.     Regardless, again a point well made.  I guess what it boils down to is simply having to wait and see how they'll hold up over time.

One thing I did think about, and realized now that I forgot to mention about the scissors, is the Wenger's handles are a bit thinner than the Vic's; I can easily feel the difference when using them.  Not a big deal for the occasional small jobs SAK scissors usually get, but if you were pressed to use them for longer times or bigger jobs, the thicker handles on the Vic scissors would be more comfortable. 

As for the lock on the blade, I just like locking blades...  I haven't had much of a problem with my Vics not having locking blades, but it does occasionally present a small issue for me.  In general, I think having a locking blade is just safer overall, and gives an appeal to a wider base of potential users.  After all, most people who buy SAKs aren't seasoned users such as we all are here, and therefore have a greater risk of accidentally injuring themselves with a non-locking blade.  As a case in point, my son is very apprehensive about handling folding knives that don't have locking blades; I gave him a Recruit when he earned his whittling chip in Webelos, but doesn't like using it because the blade doesn't lock.  His response when I showed him the locking blade on the S14 was "Cool!"  Again, this really is an issue of training and practice, and for a population such as Scouts, particularly those in Cubs, I now think it's a better option.

Anyway, I'll try and get some pics up soon.  I honestly can't remember where my Climber is though; I may have gifted it...  If so, I'll only be able to do pics of my S14, so advance disclaimer given!   

[jerseydevil]

Nice review Paul.    My regular SAK is the Evo16, non locking with the Phillips driver.  I carried the Super Tinker for quite a while, but in the end just liked the Wenger a bit better.  One thing I did which a number of others have as well is filed the tip of the nail file flat to approximate the small driver on the Vic can opener.  Thought I had a pic of it somewhere but can't find it.    Overall though I really do live the Evo16, and nine times out of ten that's the SAK I have in my pocket.  The Wenger can opener seems to be a bit easier for a lefty to use, and that's important to me.  I use it all the time opening tint cans at work, several a day.  At home my can opener sucks, so a Wenger usually does the honors.  I would prefer the Vic awl, but the Wenger one puts new holes in my belt just fine as well (in a good direction!  ).  The locking feature on the large driver is great.  I've used it a ton, not always as a screwdriver/bottle opener...    Enjoy the new toy, and use it well! 

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Thanks Tom!    I didn't really intend it to be a review, but I guess that's how it came out... 

Just wanted to let you guys know that I haven't been able to do pics yet, and I don't think I'll be able to in the next few days.  We're going camping Fri - Mon at Pinnacles National Monument and I have to get all our gear out, organized, and packed up tomorrow so we can leave early Friday.  I'm pretty sure I won't have cell coverage there either, so after tonight I'm going to be away until at least next Tuesday.

[Wootz]

Good read guys 

I just got a new Wenger S557 with padlock (my first one). I do have issues with the lock.
No pics atm, but the spring with the locking mechanism is pushing on the other end the corkscrew out. You can see it clearly moving if you push the lock. It's kind of annoying, the corkscrew digs in the palm of your hand, more then on a Victorinox. It's a lump sticking out on an otherwise very nice flush backside. And another lump for the lock I rather do without.

I have a few more remarks about the S557 (mostly positive), perhaps later.

[Northern Geek]

Never having owned a Wenger knife I'm a bit curious as to how their locks work. Do you just push it down like a button when you want to close the blade?

Some pictures demonstrating the process would be most welcome.

[Beery]

Just found this review, had to comment, so I've joined the site. Hopefully members won't mind a necro post, as I don't really have anything to say that's worth a new thread.

Great review! Glad to see the S14 and Climber getting compared - in my view they are probably the most useful knives of both brands.

Regarding the can opener. in my view it's better than the Victorinox version - it has more blade to it so it gets the job done faster (at least it does for me). The Victorinox opener is less likely to jam, but it takes about 10 seconds longer to open a can in my experience. Once you get the hang of the Wenger can opener (once you get used to moving the can forwards rather than moving the opener forwards, and once you figure out how to clear the jams - it just requires a lateral twist), it's a much better tool than the Vic.

As for the screwdriver end on the Vic, it does work great as a Phillips head driver, but in my experience it's not good when used as a flat head driver - it's always been hard to position well on the screw when I've tried it - it slips off because the driver doesn't lay on the centerline of the handle. The Wenger works better for me for both flat head and Phillips head screws. I find that the Wenger flat head driver (which is slightly smaller than the Vic) fits more of the screws that I'm likely to need a screwdriver for, whereas the Vic is too big. For Phillips head screws, I just use the Wenger nail cleaner - it seems to work fine, so there's no need for the driver on the tip of the can opener. The nail cleaner could be made better in this regard (and still work fine as a nail cleaner) by grinding the end down a bit and adjusting the angle.

The one thing that I think makes the Wenger S14 the better tool is that it fits in a nail file, whereas the Vic has a second blade. Personally, I think one blade is enough.

[Huntsman]

As for the lock on the blade, I just like locking blades... ....  In general, I think having a locking blade is just safer overall, and gives an appeal to a wider base of potential users.  After all, most people who buy SAKs aren't seasoned users such as we all are here, and therefore have a greater risk of accidentally injuring themselves with a non-locking blade. 

Had to smile when I read the comment about locking blades being safer.
As of course in the UK (and maybe other countries) these are the blades that are illegal!!

BTW - I agree with this comment - and I do like the Wenger 'S' range
It does feel safer to me and I feel more confident using the blade.

PS. Nice comments and reviews guys
I have been using a Vic blade for many many years and you do get used to it - But you always have to be careful to use it in a way so that it won't fold up - Not the case for your Wenger S's.

[Danjo]

I'm only reviving this thread because it seemed relevant. The above review brought up several points about the respective strengths and weaknesses of the s14, and I feel that the new Vic Evogrip 14 solves them. It really is the best of both worlds. The blade, scissors, nail file, and cap lifter are Wenger, while the can-opener, reamer and T&T placement are Vic. Makes for one awesome little tool.

[Faddy Daddy]

I know this thread is waaay old but GREAT JOB Heinz 

I think you make some great observations. I especially liked some of the chat about the small blade vs file and vic vs wenger scissors to name a few.

I currently own an evowood 14 which is pretty similar to the Wenger but I am thinking of expanding my horizons. I had been considering the grip 14 with the dual composition scales but after reading this I'm considering the S14 (only available in red celidor scales I think?). It has the locking blade. Besides having the lock partially hinder access to the scissors I don't see any disadvantage.

Really happy to have found the 85's and especially the 14's. They are nearly perfect in my eyes, well, except no hook, ho hum.