What can Victorinox learn from Wenger?

[Spatha]

It is a very sad turn of events that has lead to Wenger soon stopping production of their wonderful Swiss army knives.  The world will be a poorer place without them.     I only wish that I had really discovered them sooner.  I'm trying to work out which ones I should try to get hold of before stocks dwindle.   

I suppose Victorinox now own all the intellectual property that used to belong to Wenger, such as designs and patents, not to mention the physical means of production.  That being the case, what designs do you think Vic should incorporate into their future SAKs?  I have a few thoughts, but I only have a couple of Wengers so I'm sure those with more experience of using their tools, and those with larger collections will have more ideas.  I'll kick things off with the notch in the scale that makes it so much easier and less nail breaking to open the awl.     I would love to see this on Vic SAKs.

[tosh]

I've been pondering the same thought too.

Like you say Vic now has ALL of Wengers patents as well as Bear Jaws 

If they can't come up with something to shake the tree, then god help them!!

As for what to get???

I've been on a  M A S S I V E shopping spree over the past few weeks (well all year actually!!).

They really were radical, a breath of fresh air when one looks at the bland and banal offerings from their parent company Victorinox.

I ended up simply buying what I wanted, regardless.

Here's hoping I made the right choices!!

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The wrench and pliers were really excellent IMO

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[nate j]

Well, I'm really more of a Vic man, but there are a things they could stand to pick up from Wenger:

• The self-locking flat screwdriver/bottle opener on the 85mm knives is simple but brilliant, and should become the standard for 91mm knives.
• The hollow-rivet-with-bail arrangement (as found on the SI) should replace the existing key ring attachment on all 93mm knives.  It is an attachment point for those that want one, but very easily removed for those who don't.
• The widespread availability of the nail file in place of the small blade on many 85mm models is something I would like to see carry over to the 91mm series.
• I would love to see Vic, like Wenger, offer at least some models with brushed or polished stainless steel handles.  I have a Wenger Traveler with the brushed stainless, and it looks great and feels very nice in the hand.

[Spatha]

The wrench and pliers were really excellent IMO

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Yeah, that wrench looks pretty handy.  The open end might make it useful in more situations than the pocketwrench, for smaller nuts at least.  I've seen the slip joint pliers on a youtube video and I was impressed.   

I was looking for a Wenger with those tools and it seems like the S557 would be the easiest one to get hold of.  Looks like a very useful toolset, but it's a pity the blade is locking so precludes EDC.   

[Spatha]

Well, I'm really more of a Vic man, but there are a things they could stand to pick up from Wenger:

• The self-locking flat screwdriver/bottle opener on the 85mm knives is simple but brilliant, and should become the standard for 91mm knives.
• The hollow-rivet-with-bail arrangement (as found on the SI) should replace the existing key ring attachment on all 93mm knives.  It is an attachment point for those that want one, but very easily removed for those who don't.
• The widespread availability of the nail file in place of the small blade on many 85mm models is something I would like to see carry over to the 91mm series.
• I would love to see Vic, like Wenger, offer at least some models with brushed or polished stainless steel handles.  I have a Wenger Traveler with the brushed stainless, and it looks great and feels very nice in the hand.

I think I'd agree with most of that.     I think it would be nice to see more bails.  Why have they gone out of favour?  Does the hollow rivet make the pivot weaker?  Is it cheaper to manufacture the split ring arrangement?     I do quite like having both the small and the large blades but it would be good to see the nail file as an alternative, in the same way that some Vic SAKs have a corkscrew and other models come with a back side Phillips.

[Fruitbat]

I would love to see more models with lock blades.

[Mr. Whippy]

I'm going to be radical here:

Vic should add the alligator wrench to many 91mm including the Swisschamp and cybertools.

Vic has a huge opportunity to add a USEFUL one piece tool into the 91mm SAKs ala the Wenger Large Mountain Bike removable combo wrench

Vic should switch to the backspring design for the scissors and pliers

I also prefer the Wenger slipjoint pliers

 

[ironraven]

Vic should add the alligator wrench to many 91mm including the Swisschamp and cybertools.

Truth. This is the ONLY thing I can see being worth salvaging from Wenger.

Lessons-
-If a man can't your scissors to trim his beard and cut moleskin on the same day without gumming them up to the point that they never open again, you fail. That was my first Wenger.
-If it isn't comfortable in the hand, you fail. Their 120mm line and their Evos.
-When you backspring snap reminds me more of glass slapping together than metal moving smoothly into place, you fail. Every 85mm Wenger I've handled.

I carry one of their 65mms becuase I think it's tool set compliments my Compact and Rebar nicely, but it doesn't have the fit and finish I expect from a Victorinox. Less is, don't make junk, and don't stop making your good models. You know, like most of the Alox's that have been killed off.