Introduction:
This is a large knife, built in Wenger's largest frame. I bought it because I was originally looking at the new RangerGrip 90, but eventually decided I would never need the saw and pliers in the same knife, so there was no point in getting such a fatty. I got this as more of a technical tool knife, and the 78 as the more outdoorsy knife.
Knife blades:
A big blade, nothing fancy. This doesn't have one-handed deployment like the 78 and 90 do, but remember, this is more of a tool knife. I guess I would use this blade mostly for food prep. That is one advantage to this big blade, is that it doesn't fall short for food prep, like most SAK blades do.
The usual can opener is replaced by a hawkbill blade. I'm not sure why an electrician would want that kind of blade. This blade is also chisel ground. (only sharpened on one side) I think this is kind of dumb, and as I touch it up from time to time, I'll sharpen it more on the other side, and won't worry about losing the curved tip of the blade. If it eventually gets ground into a sheepsfoot blade, that'd be fine with me.
One neat thing about the large knife blade is that it gives the knife a slimmer profile than the one-handed-opening Rangers, because it doesn't have that big hole, and accompanying lump in the blade. Just a tidy little nail nick.
The liner lock is the best in the business. One can quickly snap the blade shut in just two motions of the fingers, with no fear of guillotining them. Just push in on the shield with one's thumb, and use the forefinger to snap the blade shut.
Pliers:
Wenger nicknames it the Electrician. The needlenosed pliers w/ wire cutters, flat head and phillips screwdrivers support this. Maybe the bottle opener too, for after a hard day on the job.
Right, back to the pliers. These are the best needlenose pliers I've experienced on a SAK. They're right up there with the original Leatherman pliers, but the tip is finer, and they have a nice firm spring, so we don't need to do any acrobatics with the pinky finger to pull it back open. Also, the wire cutter is the pincher type, instead of the usual-for-multi-tools slicer type, and really works well. The only penalty to them is that they take up 3 to 4 layers' worth of the tool stack. You'll have to decide if having a wonderful needlenose is worth it to you. Personally, I think these pliers justify the long length of the knife better than a big blade and saw.
The pliers snaps open and closed in two stages. I feel like the extra $30 or so Wenger charges for these pliers is justified. They are REALLY good.
One thing that's hard to tell from the photos is that the pliers handle is a single piece of steel. The end is folded over to make a flat portion that is more comfortable to grip, and also act as a tab to pull it out of the knife's handle.
Screwdrivers:
Usual Wenger stuff. The tip of the flat head could be a little wider (ala Victorinox) but it is fine as-is. The Phillips is a T-handle, so it won't work if the screw is up against a wall of some kind. But to be fair, the shank is as long or longer than the shank on my SAKs with inline phillips' so it will reach down into a recess even better.
Summary:
I feel like this would actually make a good electrician's knife; a better one than the Victorinox Electrician, as a matter of fact. They both have a beefy main blade and a utility small blade. I prefer the small sheepsfoot blade on the Vic to the hawkbill on this one. But this model adds a pliers, and no electrician would ever be caught without pliers. Or a phillips screwdriver, for that matter.
Now I'm not an electrician, but an electrical engineer, and formerly an electrical technician, so I've done my share of wiring. What would I realistically carry on the job? Probably a proper lineman's pliers, a 6-in-1 screwdriver, and this. It has a couple of nice blades that will come in handy, and a needlenose is a great compliment to a lineman's pliers. Also, the screwdrivers on this knife could either be viewed as a back-up, or as versions that will work well in tighter spaces.
Photos:
Top to bottom: Victorinox Minichamp, Wenger Ranger 73 "Electrician", Wenger Evolution S557. One may notice this three layer model is as thick as the 6 layer S557 on account of the thick scales and thick pliers layer. It is also worth noting again here that the S557 is remarkably compact for its impressive tool set:
Wonderful needlenose pliers:
Pliers in the hand, ready for action:
Open tools shot:
Donations
Community Links
