The Big Swiss, Ranger 58

[jzmtl]

 


Some first impressions.

• It's huge!
• Quality wise, it's good, but not perfect. I don't have an OHT so can't compare.
• Maybe I'm just spoiled by my tac folders but the blade grind is not quite up to my standard. And the main blade definately should be thicker on knife this size.
• One handed open/close feels kinda weird, maybe it's because it has both backspring and lock.
• OH blade does make using rest of tool a bit uncomfortable, but I guess that's unavoidable.
• The gutting blade is sharpenable on tip to make it into a full hawkbill blade, not sure why they didn't do it.
• Saw is longer than knife blade, backspring holds stronger than rest of tool.
• No toothpick and tweezer, those thick scales can easily accomodate them, could've come in handy picking wood splinters on this ourdoor oriented knife. Or the scale could've been made thinner and still have the same ergonomics.
  
• When looking at the specs I thought it would be the perfect knife if pliers were included, but now I'm not so sure. The cross section is already a square, plier would've made it too wide to use comfortably.
• The awl is really a punch.
• I'm probably talking out of my butt here but this strike me as a good fistload. It's long enough to protruding out of both end of my hand, and with phillips driver extended it can throw a nasty punch. But then again, there IS a 4" blade on it, that's quicker to deploy even.
• Did I mention it's huge?

[Gareth]

They are good aren't they?  I've got a 78 (like yours but no gutting blade) and I'm now glad I didn't go for anything bigger.  The ergonomic scales seem bigger than they need be but do give a comfy grip.

[jzmtl]

I would go with 78 if it's avaliable here. If I want a OH blade and a saw unfortunately this is the only option.

[Gareth]

To be honest I don't suppose the gutting blade adds too much extra, but I do think the pliers would be too much for me.

[jzmtl]

It only adds about 3.5mm, but since I don't hunt it's not really that useful.

I did sharpen the tip and made it into a hawkbill blade in effort to improve its usefulness.

[donvito]

Does the gutting blade have a nail nick to pull it out? or was that unsharpened area needed to get the blade out? Looks good, hope it grows on you. 

[jzmtl]

It has a nail nick on the other side. The tip is recessed deep in handle so sharpened will not change anything. It's pure speculation but maybe they left it like that so when gutting stuff it won't slice up any internal compartment you want to leave intact? 

[donvito]

Ah I see, yeah that actually makes sense, this way you can put some pressure with the tip and not cut the intestines and get the gunk all over the good meat or fur.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Great initial impressions mate

Now when's the full review

[Swiss Man]

I owned one for about a week and Def loaned me his OH Fireman to do a comparsion. 

What I would have like to seen done differently was both the blade and the gutting blade was the same style (PE on the Wenger and serrated on the Vic) I found that redundant.

I was thinking they should have serrated the gut blade and made the main blade an PE. 

After playing with them I wasn't impressed and I sent both of them to Def.

(By the way Def don't you owe me something?)