So... I finally found a Wenger and a Victorinox that are about as similar as possible to do a side by side comparison. So... here we go.
Scales The scales on both are a very attractive red cellidor. Unfortunately, by the time of this review, both are a bit pocket worn. For consistency, I'll try to use width to refer to the distance between the outsides of the scales and height as distance from the back layer edge to the front layer edge. Personally, I prefer the Victorinox shield over the Wenger. As far as I can tell without using calipers, the two knives are the same width even though the Wenger LOOKS thinner. I attribute this to the Wenger having scales that cover the outside liners. On the whole, the Wenger scales look more refined. The Wenger scales are also taller. Again, I attribute this to having scales that cover the outside liners. The Victorinox is an 84mm model and the Wenger is an 85mm model.
I prefer the shield on the Victorinox scales, but I prefer the more finished look of the Wenger scales as they cover the outside liners.
Tweezers The Victorinox tweezers are longer and easier to remove. The Wenger tweezers are shorter and more difficult to remove, but seem a little "grabbier". Overall, I prefer the Victorinox tweezers for the ease of removal.
Toothpicks The Victorinox toothpick is longer, thicker, and less bendy. They were equally difficult to remove.
Keyrings The keyrings appear to be identical between the two knives. The keyring is attached to a spring on the Wenger and to a liner on the Victorinox. I prefer having the keyring in the spring.
Main blades Both main blades are highly polished, well sharpened, and easy to maintain. The Wenger is slightly longer, noticeably thinner, and has a bit more belly. The nail nick on the Victorinox is deeper. I prefer the straighter, thicker blade of the Victorinox; but many will prefer the thinness and belly of the Wenger blade. Both had very snappy springs.
Can openers The Victorinox can opener is a forward cutting can opener with a screwdriver tip. The Wenger can opener is a backward cutting can opener. While the Wenger does not have a screwdriver tip, some people claim that it makes a better improvized digging tool than the Victorinox. Personally, I prefer the Victorinox can opener, but I'm reasonably comfortable with either. I'm slightly faster with the Victorinox. The springs on the Victorinox were much snappier.
Bottle openers The Victorinox bottle opener is longer, thicker, and wider. My Sportsman lacks the 90 degree stop feature. The Wenger has a locking feature and seems to be a slightly better shape for opening bottles. They both make perfectly acceptable screwdrivers. Both feature the "wire bender" notch. If the Sportsman had the 90 degree stop, it might be a tossup; but I find that I prefer the Wenger bottle opener. The spring on the Sportsman bottle opener is noticeably snappier.
Nail files The nail files on these two are, of course, very similar. The main difference being which side of the blade has the nail file surface. The nailfile on the Victorinox faces the main blade and sometimes drags against the main blade when you open it. The nailfile on the Wenger faces away from the main blade. This means that you aren't scraping the nail file against the main blade... but it also means that the nail file is on the same side as the nail nick. The nail file surface is a bit shorter on the Wenger to accommodate the nail nick. The nail file surface seems to be a little more aggressive on the Wenger. The nail cleaner is slightly pointier/sharper on the Victorinox. Both have very snappy springs, with the Sportsman being slightly stiffer. I don't have a clear cut preference here.
Awls The Wenger awl does not have a sharpened edge, but it does have a pointy tip. The Victorinox reamer has a sharpened edge that cuts well. It also has a sewing eye. I can't say I've used the Wenger awl yet, but it seems useful. I've used the reamer a bit and it works well. The springs on both were less snappy than those of other tools.
Corkscrews The corkscrews appear to be identical and work equally well. The Wenger corkscrew seems to be a slightly tighter spiral. I cannot put the Victorinox eyeglass screwdriver into the Wenger corkscrew. The Wenger corkscrew is *VERY* snappy.
ConclusionOverall, I find the two knives are nearly identical in fit, function, and design. On a few of the blades, I find that I have a very slight preference for the Sportsman. I really wish mine had the 90 degree stop on the bottle opener. I prefer the bottle opener, scales, and tweezers of the Commander.
I prefer the blade, can opener, and nail file on the Sportsman.
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