'Got the Ranger 78 yesterday. It's an absolute BEAST

[Smaug]

First Impression:

Like someone told me, the size is surprising the first time one handles it, despite the fact that specs are published online. The grip feels the same size as my full size fixed blade Buck hunting knife with the 6" blade.

The one-handed opening and closing is brilliant. (for righties)

The saw is brilliant too.

The T-handle Phillips is ... adequate. Most of the time. The awl is typical Wenger. The can opener will make a good pick or scraper, I think. It may never open a can.

The flat screwdriver is kind of small for a common American size flat head screw. I like the auto locking feature, but one has to press pretty hard to engage it. Victorinox's screwdriver/bottle opener is better, IMO. Stronger, and the lock is a sure thing. But the one on the Wenger can easily be closed with one hand, so maybe that counts for something. It seems like Wenger just took their existing bottle opener from the smaller knives, slapped it in there, and called it a day. Victorinox, on the other hand, designed a new one from the ground up.

What up with the lack of T&T? There's certainly room for it, and I cannot think of two more useful tools when in the great outdoors.

The grip is good, even without the "Rangergrip" panels. The top 1/3 or so is knurled, so that helps. The bottom 2/3 is a bit slick, but nothing to worry about unless I'm trying to chop wood with grease on my hands.

The blade is big enough that it could be pressed into service as a weapon, and big enough for convenient food prep.

Pix later. I packed it in my bag, along with a bit of paracord to tie a lanyard, but then left my bag at home today. 'Been up since 1:30 AM, and I can already tell it is going to be a long day. Luckily, I still have two knives to get me through; the Rambler and the EvoGrip S16. I guess that's a lesson to other absent-minded people. If you have a knife in your EDC, you should also have something on your person, or you will eventually be caught empty-handed.

Edit: Here's a stock picture to tide you over:

[Sidhartha]

wenger rangers are fantastic knives, i only complain about the rubber inserts of the rangergrips... they are terrible  , beside that i love them, my next one will be a ranger blaze 55 

[Smaug]

next one will be a ranger blaze 55 

I'm thinking about a 73 Electrician (has pliers and a small "wire scraper" blade instead of can opener) or a 72 Gardner (has shears instead of pliers, but seems to be discontinued).

[Syph007]

I too really want one of the blaze series rangers, but they are too pricey so far.

[Currahee]

I've had the 178 RG for a year or two now and I absolutely love it! The saw blade is outstanding and gets a lot of use. I carve walking sticks and that saw is great for when I'm out harvesting new limbs. Compared to my Vic 2008 Soldier knife the Ranger Grip is at least twice as large. Quite the handful! You're right, it is a Beast!

Here is my RG 178 next to the new Vic Soldier...


And here with the addition of the S18 WPER...




I think those pics illustrate the tremendous size of the Ranger Grip compared to some other familiar SAK's. Congratulations, and enjoy your new knife. Like me, I'm sure you'll really love it!

[Smaug]

Great pix, currahee. Those pix illustrate the difference in length well. What was shocking to me was how much thicker the Ranger is than the (also three layer) Soldier.

[jzmtl]

Yeah the soldier omitted many liners ti save space, where wenger is fully decked out in with steel and aluminum liners, plus super thick scales.

I would actually prefer if wenger did the same thing as vic.

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Jeremy, glad to hear you like your 78.  Any other thoughts on the blade?  I don't have a 78 so I'm curious how different it is from a 111 mm Vic blade or the Wenger CE blade.

Currahee; great pics, definitely!  How does the Ranger compare to the Soldier?  I decided against any of the liner locking 111 mm Vics because of the backwards (for righties) liner lock release. 

[Currahee]

Currahee; great pics, definitely!  How does the Ranger compare to the Soldier?  I decided against any of the liner locking 111 mm Vics because of the backwards (for righties) liner lock release.

They're both really good knives. For ease of handling, as far as deploying the blade, the Vic Soldier is a little more manageable. I had shied away from it for a while myself using the very same argument about the backward liner lock. I'm really glad I went ahead and got one anyway. With a little practice I have learned to close the blade in my right hand with no problem. Besides, that's no reason not to get this knife. IMO, it's a really great piece of kit.

Trying to compare them is difficult. They each have certain things I like, one more than the other. But, on the whole, I like them both equally!

The Ranger has a much better saw simply because it's bigger. They each have inline flathead screwdrivers. Only the one on the Vic has a liner lock on it. No locking screwdriver on the Wenger. In fact, no half stop on Wenger's screwdriver, either. No big deal for me.

I greatly prefer Wenger's can openers on all on their knives. Probably because I got used to using a P38 in the Army opening C Rations, so clockwise seems more natural to me. Where the Ranger's can opener lacks the small driver that is found on the Vic, it has instead a very sharp pointed end that could actually be used to inflict some seriously nasty wounds if need be in a self defense posture, using only that if it was necessary. Plus, that sharp pointed end of the can opener is quite useful to dig or gouge out any number of materials, like an awl, when a blade isn't practical.

If you'll look at the pictures I posted you will notice that the blade on the Vic is primarily serrated with only a small portion at the back, toward the handle, a plain edge. In my opinion this is where the nod goes to the big blade on the Wenger. They put the plain edge at the tip, the first 1 3/8", and the wicked-nasty serrations in the middle where they belong. Another thing that I love on the Ranger is the way you simply depress the logo and push the spine of the blade with your fingertip in the direction of the handle, and that big boy goes back to bed. Bam!

Wow! I didn't intend to do that much of a comparison. And now my favorite show is on the boob tube. So I will close by saying get them both. You'll be glad you did! 

Commercial break! I forgot to mention that on the back layers of each knife you'll find a Phillips SD and a punch. The punch on the Vic is also a reamer, but has no eye-hole for sewing as found on the Ranger. The Ranger lacks the sharp edge of a reamer and is simply a punch with an eye-hole.

Okay, show is back on -- later!

[MultiMat]

I recently got a 78 as well & I love it. It would be perfect if it had scissors instead of the can opener for me  . I like the PE blade  , the lock release button Swiss cross is quirky but works fine. Also for me the scales are a little too thick 

My 78;

[Smaug]

Jeremy, glad to hear you like your 78.  Any other thoughts on the blade?  I don't have a 78 so I'm curious how different it is from a 111 mm Vic blade or the Wenger CE blade.

I don't have a Wenger serrated blade, (SE) so I can't give you a direct comparison. But I'll tell you what: the longer the blade is, the thicker the rope has to be for the serrated edge to actually be an advantage. A serrated edge might be better for harder materials, like poly rope, but for nylon ropes of any everyday diameter, the plain edge is just as good.

To me, it opens about the same as the Vic's or maybe a bit easier. The hole isn't as tall, so one has to press one's thumb in a little harder. On the other hand, this means the blade doesn't bulge out of the grip as much when the knife is closed. This makes it more comfortable to use the saw or bottle opener/screwdriver, for example. But the Wenger's is in the edge of the stack; correctly positioned for righties. The Wenger will be frustrating to lefties, because the lock isn't ambidextrous either.

The grip traction of the Soldier is the best in the business, in my opinion. They put the rubber in areas where you don't have to grab the knife hard to get purchase, instead of just burying them in the scales. It is far and away a superior grip to the 111 mm "civilian" SAKs. I have an Adventurer (locking Tinker) and while the grip shape is good, there's no traction. It's just a shame we have to choose between that grip and T&T.

How does the Ranger compare to the Soldier?  I decided against any of the liner locking 111 mm Vics because of the backwards (for righties) liner lock release.

The thing about the Vic Soldier is just that it takes longer to close it. It is not HARD to close it one-handed, it just takes more motions and more time than Wenger's set-up. For righties, at least. I was pretty critical of this at first. But if you consider it from an army standpoint, the priorities might run thus:

• Partially serrated
• One-handed opening
• Ambidextrous

The Vic opens equally quickly for right or lefties. Closing speed isn't really an issue, right? It's more of a convenience. And for a soldier, Victorinox got it right too. That blade is perfect for food prep and weapon duties.

You should get one. They're flatter than the Wengers, but also more grippy and just as comfortable in the hand. To close it, a righty simply press the liner lock with the index finger, rather than the thumb. Then close the blade with the thumb, either using the thumbhole or spine of the blade. One has to do this in two steps, to avoid chopping into the finger.

With either of these knives, there are two very good ways to carry them on one's person:

a) In a belt pouch
b) on a long lanyard, around the belt, such that the knife is kept vertical in the hip pocket. The pocket bulkiness is only an issue when it falls to the bottom of the pocket and turns horizontal.
c) If you're outdoors, and don't mind it flopping around a bit, on a lanyard "Boy Scout Style."

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Thanks for the info guys.  Currahee, thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your response to my question. 

I've been thinking it would be nice to have something smaller than my Work Champ that also has an inline phillips driver and a saw with a OHO blade.  I find the opening on my Ranger 179 to be a bit finicky, and requiring a fair amount of muscle to do it smoothly.  But I suppose that could just be because I've been spoiled by the Spydercos I own.   

If a OHO blade would fit into a "standard" 111 mm frame, I'd just swap out the PE blade an Outrider has for a OHO blade from a Trekker or Soldier, but alas, they're not compatible so modding that way isn't an option. 

Regardless, thanks for the info.  For now I'll have to settle with my 179 and Work Champ for outdoor activities, and I think I'll be good for the most part with both of them.  If my 179 had an inline phillips driver and scissors, I could conceivably not carry my WC for outdoors activities.  But I find they compliment each other very well actually; the 179 is best for larger or heavier duty cutting jobs, and the Work Champ better for smaller tasks requiring more precision and the wider range of tools.  As in the other thread, as nice as the 179 is, if I had to choose just one, I'd still go with the WC.

[Smaug]

FWIW - I find that I never need a Phillips for outdoor activities. That's the situation where I'd be more apt to need a corkscrew than a phillips.

[Sidhartha]

 

[Currahee]

Currahee, thanks for your thoughts, I appreciate the thoughtfulness of your response to my question. 

I find the opening on my Ranger 179 to be a bit finicky, and requiring a fair amount of muscle to do it smoothly.  But I suppose that could just be because I've been spoiled by the Spydercos I own.   

Did you say Spyderco!?!?!

Lookie! Lookie! what my postman just left me...

A new Black Pioneer and a brand spanking new Spyderco Military!!! I already have the Titanium version of the Millie. As well as a Paramilitary 2 wearing the same clothes as my new Millie -- DLC Digicam. You know it's gonna be a good day when you receive new knives from both of your favorite manufacturers on the very same day! Yippie Skippie!

[Smaug]

Here are a couple of comparative shots. Look how THICK this thing is compared to the (also three layer) Hiker:





Note the two "lanyards."

The square sinnet one is more of a fob. When I use that one, the fob hangs outside my pocket, looking all fancy, and keeps the knife vertical in the pocket. (more comfy, less lumpy)

The REAL lanyard goes around the belt loop and keeps the knife hanging vertically in the pocket. When I need it and it can stay at waist level, I won't even need to take it off my belt. Lastly, this would be a wrist strap, so I have the option of dropping it to free up that hand momentarily, then reach down and grab it, still open later.

[Thisjk38]

(Image removed from quote.)

What model ranger is this?

[Syph007]

I decided after handling my 78 that the first mod Id do to it would be Ti scales.  Those plastic things are way too thick and im no fan of plastic to start with.  But imagine how nice it would feel to be 30% slimmer... id love it!   You are right about the philips not being necessary in the woods much, but I havent figured out what to do with it.. i still prefer it over the coskscrew.

[Sidhartha]

ranger 79 it is 

[sergemaster]

Amici,
Out of curiosity, how do you all carry your Ranger 78 since it's a tad on the large side. Do you pocket carry, pack, or pouch it?

Cheers,
Serge

[Smaug]

Out of curiosity, how do you all carry your Ranger 78 since it's a tad on the large side. Do you pocket carry, pack, or pouch it?

Did you see my comment on the lanyard in my last post there? That's a good way to carry it.

Pocket carry would be OK in the woods, where we don't care if we look weird. Pouch carry is good, if you can tolerate wearing stuff on your belt.

In the woods, back pocket carry might be a good option, too.

Coat pocket carry is fine, of course.

The only thing that is taboo is hip pocket carry in slacks.