Wenger: Things I like

[Caseman601225]

Like most of you, I own more Vics. I don't know enough to even know which model this is, but I put it in my pocket today, and made some observations. I prefer Vic's can opener. I miss the little screwdriver. But I love that with the big screwdriver on the Wengers, a firm push locks the tool open. I've once or twice had a Vic close on me when using the big flat head.

I don't think 91mm is big for pocket carry. But 85mm is a nice size. I've never seen a difference in fit and finish between the two though I've read of others who have. I'm not a big serrated edge guy but I can't imagine anything short of steel plate that this thing wouldn't cut.

My Dad loved Wengers best for the simple reason that they DONT get the love Vics get. He was big for the underdog. Lol. And I guess some of that got passed down. My only truly non-changing edc is a Wenger SI he gave me. Other things come and go. That one's always in the left front pocket. Both brands have things to recommend them. I think I'll edc this one for a week or two and see if there are any further observations. At the moment I'm just bored, and thought I could drag you all down with me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[magentus]

Nice post Caseman - Wenger has many tools that Vic should be incorporating into their line now. The locking SD is a prime example. As much as I love Vics, the SI is the pinnacle - the quintessential SAK and the one I would keep if someone mean and horrible said I could only keep one.

That's a sweet Wenger BTW 

[Mechanickal]

Nice post Caseman - Wenger has many tools that Vic should be incorporating into their line now. The locking SD is a prime example. As much as I love Vics, the SI is the pinnacle - the quintessential SAK and the one I would keep if someone mean and horrible said I could only keep one.

That's a sweet Wenger BTW 

You should pic the largest blade and stab that person with it.
Just this once


On topic, I like the belly of the blade on Wengers.
They did use the same blade shape in the Evo line which I think is a good thing.

[TennTexan]

I never owned any Wenger knives until I got deep into collecting SAKs.  I was always a Vic guy starting with my first Tinker back in the 80s, but I knew some guys growing up who owned Wengers and seemed to like them.  They remind me a lot of the 84mm Vics in terms of pocketability, for obvious reasons.  The locking flat head screwdriver is a nice feature.  I'm on the hunt for a Wenger with the locking inline Phillips.  The fit and finish on the Wengers I own is every bit as nice as Victorinox, but I must say that the tools on the Wenger don't seem to be quite as "snappy" as the Vic tools.  I think it's cool how Vic is still producing some of the Wenger designs to this day.

I just missed out on a beautiful 1979 Wenger Professional 95mm on fleaBay.  Gotta keep my eyes open for another one to pop up.

[Rich S]

I prefer the Wenger clip point small blade and the can opener to Vics. I carried an old Wenger Tradesman for years before retiring it and now carry a Vic Tinker in pocket at home and a Vic Deluxe Tinker (same type of tools as the old W.Tradesman) in a belt pouch when out and about. I do like the slightly larger size on the Vics of similar models to the old Wengers.  DO NOT like the Evo line at all! I find the grip on them very uncomfortable.

Rich

[smiller43147]

I consider myself a Vic guy, but there is something about the 1 and 2 layer 85mm Wengers.  Just a real nice size.
I have always considered that the quality on the Wengers is not quite up to Vic's, but they are hardly junk!

[ThePeacent]

I was a Vic guy all my life and unfortunately discovered Wenger when they were going down,
so I could only handle and find a few models. 

That being said, I prefer their blade to Vic's (and the reason why I like the EVOs so much), their locking flathead is excellent and its wrench is an odd but great tool that Vic lacks  . I've also grown to like their adjustable pliers over those from Victorinox, 

they are loved and cherished, especially now that they're gone!   

Oh and the Pocket Tool Chest is a king SAK in that size, really a well thought out tool

[theonew]

Things I prefer:

85mm size, just feels more comfortable in a pocket than a 91mm SAK
Main blade, the size and shape seems to cut better than Vic's main blade
Small clip point blade, so thin and pointy it is great for opening clamshell packaging as well as making careful detail cuts
Locking screwdriver, a very nice touch
Can opener, adds functionality as both a pokey thing and a scrapey thing, opens cans just fine


Things I'm not fond of / miss:

Evo scales, as I tend to carry SAKs for more time than I actually use them, the Evo scales add senseless thickness
Awl, hard to drill holes with and not as pointy as Vic's awl. (I did mod one with a Dremel and it made a big difference though)
Pen and pin, I miss having them on a SAK.

[getahl]

I like both brands, although my number of Victorinox far eclipses my Wenger knife by a factor of 3 or 4. I've never really noticed any difference in quality between the two, although I didn't start collecting since 2007, supposedly after Wenger's lull in quality. On the Wenger side, I really like the variety of tools, the belly on ALL of the blades, regardless of size, the general awesome that is the Pocket Tool Chest, specifically the bail on the Standard Issue, and the orientation of the blade on the 65mm series - it opens AWAY from the keyring, as nature intended. I was really sad to see Vic did not carry this over, because the Delemont Executive 81 is basically now a longer Classic, with no SD tip. I'm still, and probably always will be, on the fence about whose scissors are better. The alligator wrench tool is neat, but fairly worthless (to me), the ginormous scissors and pliers on the 120mm series Rangers are awesome. Maybe the best thing about Wenger is that they have/had three distinct sizes, the small 65mm, medium 85mm, and the large 120mm. Sure, there's the SI, but that's in its own category. Vic, with its 5 or 6, has quite a bit of overlap. The 74mm is the red headed step child of the bunch, and hasn't seen an update in lord knows how long. The 84mm, alox and cellidor both, has too much duplication in the 91mm line.Vic already has the tooling and the materials, so there's no reason to phase them out, but they've always seen a touch unnecessary. 

[Lynn LeFey]

As someone who got their first SAK only like 5 years ago, I don't feel like I have a dog in the race, or long sentimental brand loyalty.

I like the main blade shape on the Wenger over the Vic. I do NOT like Wenger locking blades, particularly on models with scissors, since the unlocking tab is exactly in the wrong place to access the nail nick for the scissors.

I do not like the Wenger scissors, at least in comparison to the Vic's. They are good. Vic's are great.

I LOVE the locking flathead on Wenger. WHY didn't you keep that, Vic? WHY?!?! 

The awl is... an awl, in the sense that it's made to punch through leather or canvass or whatever. It's okay, but not the absolutely amazing Vic awl.

Can opener. I prefer the Wenger style, but honestly, as a more generally useful tool, the Vic's has more function... unless you're trying to make a hobo stove out of an old used can.

I've had regular scales, evo scales, and evogrip scales. If space is an issue, I prefer the regular scales. Otherwise, I really like the look and feel of the evogrip. Yellow/black in particular are beautiful.

[smiller43147]

I was a Vic guy all my life and unfortunately discovered Wenger when they were going down,
so I could only handle and find a few models. 

That being said, I prefer their blade to Vic's (and the reason why I like the EVOs so much), their locking flathead is excellent and its wrench is an odd but great tool that Vic lacks  . I've also grown to like their adjustable pliers over those from Victorinox, 

they are loved and cherished, especially now that they're gone!   

Oh and the Pocket Tool Chest is a king SAK in that size, really a well thought out tool

+1 for the Pocket Tool Chest.