They're both great knife manufacturers and, in my opinion, of equal quality.With that said, I prefer Victorinox. The reasons are that Victorinox has a wider variety of tool configurations available, and I simple prefer the can opener/screwdriver tool on the Victorinox. The small screwdriver on the Victorinox can opener is perfect for turning phillips screws, and I can't bring myself to carry a Wenger because it is lacks this tool. Wenger and Victorinox both offer in-line phillips drivers that can be used instead, but Wenger only offers it on large, bulky models.
I do like locking tools but like you mentioned, it could be a problem for some countries/states.
I wouldn't worry about that if I were you:Future of the SoldierDef
question; How long is Wengers Warranty?
I think one of the problems with Wenger in their weakened condition