Anyone mod a Wenger Ranger?

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Okay all you crafty modders out there... any of you ever mod one of the big Wengers?

I love my PER 179; it's my dedicated go-to hiking/camping knife, although I'd still rather have a PE blade on it.  I also really like those big scissors that are in the other model... the 172?  I'd love to have a pair of those scissors and a PE blade in my 179.

Any info would be great, thanks!

[Syph007]

I've taken the scales off, but that's about it.  I have one with no scales that needs some kind of a mod done to it, but nothing has come to mind yet.
 
From what I can tell the rivets are steel and aren't going to be as easy to remove as on the standard SAKs. 

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Thanks for the pics, Syph!!!  Looks like I won't be planning a mod on one of those for a while! 

[Gareth]

I can't remember seeing any in pieces before Heinz, sorry.   Every chance I'm wrong though.

Very cool pics BTW Syph.

[papercut]

How do you feel about the combo blade after much use?  I just picked up the 172 but have yet to receive it.  The knife seems awesome and the ultimate SAK cutter with huge saw, huge sheers, and the big combo blade (almost like a serrated 85mm plus a PE 85mm combined), but I can't help feeling like a 78 plus sheers would be more ideal (or perhaps even the 71-Euro only though).  An awl for the phillips would seem to have been more optimized as well.

I did get a great deal on the 172 .  I feel like I would need to carry it with the SI/Soldier to have all my bases covered if outdoors.  It does make a devastating Gardener Sak (thus the name).

[Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

How do you feel about the combo blade after much use?  I just picked up the 172 but have yet to receive it.  The knife seems awesome and the ultimate SAK cutter with huge saw, huge sheers, and the big combo blade (almost like a serrated 85mm plus a PE 85mm combined), but I can't help feeling like a 78 plus sheers would be more ideal (or perhaps even the 71-Euro only though).  An awl for the phillips would seem to have been more optimized as well.

I did get a great deal on the 172 .  I feel like I would need to carry it with the SI/Soldier to have all my bases covered if outdoors.  It does make a devastating Gardener Sak (thus the name).

My PER 179 has been a great knife.  I've gotten a lot better at opening it one-handed, and the pivot in the main blade has smoothed out noticeably from when it was new.  The biggest drawback of it is the combo edge blade.  It's great for cutting cord, straps, etc., all the things you'd want a serrated edge for, but that also means it's more or less worthless for any kind of wood carving, other than boring holes in something.

My 179 lives in a MaxPed Single Sheath on the left hand strap of my "adventure pack" a Mountainsmith Approach 3.0.  Even if it didn't have the combo edge, I'd still carry a fixed blade for bushcrafty type uses though, so in practice it's only a slight disadvantage over having a regular full plain edge blade.  The only thing I think I'd like to change about it from the way it is now would be for it to have a pair of those big scissors the rangers have.  Then it'd be not just great, but totally awesome as an outdoors knife.

[papercut]

I know what ya mean about the scissors. The 172 seems so awesome, but it is missing the opener layer and an awl. That is prob ok, one can compensate with a small sak or soldier/Si if needed.

Still, they are absent.

[Syph007]

I heard the 172 is already discontinued, but I cant confirm that.  I do want to pick one up though before they are impossible to find.  Still looking for a good price on one.

[voi666]

the 172 is still up on wenger's website -> http://www.wenger.ch/ranger-172-1-077-172-000
they would have taken it down if it were discontinued (i think).

[AimlessWanderer]

I do like the idea of the scissors models, and have been tempted several times, but based on the chunkiness of the Rangergrip 90 (particularly the fat scales) I think I'm going to pass. I do have some fancy scissors on my Business Tool though to keep me entertained  in fact they came in very handy for wrapping some pressies at Christmas (alternated with my X-Tract Essential) 

[papercut]

There was a one day clearance on the 172 online for $32 a few days ago, I picked up an extra one if ya want it for the same price plus CA shipping.

[Syph007]

There was a one day clearance on the 172 online for $32 a few days ago, I picked up an extra one if ya want it for the same price plus CA shipping.

Cool! PM'd!

[Syph007]

I do like the idea of the scissors models, and have been tempted several times, but based on the chunkiness of the Rangergrip 90 (particularly the fat scales) I think I'm going to pass. I do have some fancy scissors on my Business Tool though to keep me entertained  in fact they came in very handy for wrapping some pressies at Christmas (alternated with my X-Tract Essential) 

I completely agree, im not a fan of the scales at all.  They are going to get custom made scales when I have the capability to texture Ti or Al.  Nice thin scales on those knives will make them some outstanding woods knives IMO.

[papercut]

That sounds awesome!  How will you handle the thumb lock jutting up? 

[Syph007]

That sounds awesome!  How will you handle the thumb lock jutting up?

Oh it doenst have to bend up anywhere near as far as it is now, and that plastic part wont be staying.  I'd make a metal upgrade piece.

[D. Somerset]

Hmm? I wonder if anyone has actually modded a ranger since this thread started, and I'm not talking about scales only, that I have
seen  (Hanes modder, being the only one who has actually taken the steel rivets off as far as I know). I'm talking about adding/exchanging/eliminating tools. The reason, I ask, is because I have a a Rangergrip 88 rescue and a (recently acquired) Rangergrip 178, and something in-between like a Rangergrip 86 (east ranger) with the Mike Horn reamer/awl or a phillips instead of the corkscrew, might be just perfect (the pliers work really well but they take up more than 2 layers, which makes the 88 rescue a bit too wide (largely in part due to the very thick scales). Of course, making thinner scales would be another option. Just wondering ....