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Wenger Scout Knife

Offline damota

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Wenger Scout Knife
on: March 11, 2007, 12:49:36 PM
I was looking at the Official Scout Knife that has been brought out by Wenger to celebrate the 100 years of scouting and it made me wonder what Baden Powel would make of the UK now, because the official knife can not be used here in the UK. It has a locking (illegal) 4"" (also illegal) blade. No kid under 18 (I believe) can own a knife of any sort here, so their dads would have to go to camp with them.
Makes a pure laughing stock of the country that invented the Boy Scout movement.
Still I think it makes a nice collectors piece.

Dave
Wenger-Ranger-Scout[1].jpg
* Wenger-Ranger-Scout[1].jpg (Filesize: 32.65 KB)


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Wenger Scout Knife
Reply #1 on: March 11, 2007, 01:08:29 PM
I agree with you about Baden Powell rolling over in his grave.  I grew up with scouting, and at one point my mother was chairperson of the Baden Powell committee than handled all the scouting organizations in our area.  Which, considering we were way the heck out in the middle of no where isn't saying much, but it was still a big thing to her and to us!  My mother, who is from Scotland originally, was surprised to hear that the knife laws in the UK have changed so much over the years, and become so painfully oppressive as to outlaw kitchen knives.  In fact, I don't think she believed me at first, and had to send an e-mail to a friend living in Scotland still!  Sure enough, her friend backed up what I said, but also pointed out that no one really enforced it, which I guess is about par for the course in Scotland!

At any rate, that model is normally known as the Mountaineer when it doesn't have the Boy Scout decorations.  I have had one for years, and it is quite large.  It's part of Wenger's 120mm Ranger Series and dwarfs Victorinox's 111mm series.  I know, it's only 9mm (less than half an inch difference) bigger than the Trekker model, but the blade and saw are that much bigger as well, and it does make a difference in use.

You know, just in case anyone wanted to know!

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


Offline I'm Still Bison

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Re: Wenger Scout Knife
Reply #2 on: March 13, 2007, 06:15:35 AM
Well Def what else would you expect of a Scotsman ! We can be a disputatious bunch..I know ;) I'm A McClain( McLaine of Lochbuie).Lax enforcement of the law is likely another way to get a dig in at the English !!!
 When I first came on board at SOSAK,I noticed that our brethern from the Great White North,were more favorably inclined towards Wenger,than us Yanks. But it seems we're catching on.
I


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Wenger Scout Knife
Reply #3 on: March 13, 2007, 11:48:19 AM
McLaine eh?  My Scottish half is Buchanan. 

Wenger makes a great product but in my experience their lack of popularity stems from their lack of availablity in most cases.  They don't have the same kind of distribution network that Victorinox had.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Wenger Scout Knife
Reply #4 on: March 13, 2007, 11:30:03 PM
Wenger makes a great product but in my experience their lack of popularity stems from their lack of availablity in most cases.  They don't have the same kind of distribution network that Victorinox had.

Def

Ironic. I don't mean to take this OT, but I can't help but note the "distribution advantage" that makes Victorinox SAK's more popular than Wenger SAK's is the same thing that works against Victorinox in the multitool market. Despite producing what are arguably the best quality tools, most folks in the U.S. do not even realize Vic makes a multitool. Leatherman and Gerber (and to a lesser extent SOG) simply dominate the retail outlets.
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Wenger Scout Knife
Reply #5 on: March 13, 2007, 11:43:58 PM
One certainly can't undermine the value of the "Made in America" label, despite the success and world renowned quality of Victorinox.  Also, the price point that the SwissTool was introduced at put a lot of people off as well.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline J-sews

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Re: Wenger Scout Knife
Reply #6 on: March 14, 2007, 12:38:00 AM
What's odd though is that I do see Vic knives in several stores, and I even see Wenger knives in two stores, but I never ever see plier multitools from either company in ANY stores. Regarding prices, the SwissTool when introduced was indeed marked higher than most all other multitools, but many others have now far surpassed it in the cost catagory.

In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Wenger Scout Knife
Reply #7 on: March 14, 2007, 12:43:49 AM
I don't think you will see too many Wenger pliers as they weren't imported to North America due to the price issue.  Compared to prices on tools even now the Wengers are expensive.  The smaller Pocket Grip lists at $100 while the SwissGrip is supposed to be listed at around $150-180 I think.

The expensive launch of the SwissTool is probably what killed it for distribution.  Sure it costs less now, and there are successful tools at higher prices, but once something gets labelled a certain way it often sticks.

Plus, the more expensive tools also have "cutting edge" (no pun intended) materials that tend to drive the price up somewhat.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


 

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