One Wenger Alinghi Negative

[BIG-TARGET]

As most of you know, I love the Wenger Ranger series.  Especially, the Alinghi!!  Whoever designed it for the ALinghi World Cup team, definately put alot of thought and LOVE in it!!

BUT I noticed one significant "negative" with the Alinghi. The pliers do NOT open very wide!

NOTE>>> Just to show I'm not prejudice against Wenger, I'm using other Wengers for my "test group"

To start with, I measured the opened pliers of the ALinghi, at the tip, and it measures to 5/8 of an inch.

Then I measured the pliers of a Wenger Grip SAK.  And the were 1 1/8 inches.

Then to the Wenger Mini-Grip.  They were 7/8 of an inch.

And lastly, the Wenger Evogrip "pocket tool kit".
Ironically, though it the smallest size pliers on Wenger SAKs.  It opens the WIDEST!!  It measured out at 1 1/4 inches!!

[Anthony]

I had a Wenger Ranger 73 (I think that was the number), and as far as I can tell the plier design is the same as on the Alinghi...very small, smaller than the Juice series if I remember.

They are decent pliers but there's so many more options out there that are overall smaller than the ranger series and have better pliers.

[Gareth]

5/8" isn't very big at all is it.   My only Ranger is a 78 so I don't have the pliers.  At three layers it is quite big enough for my hands.

[jzmtl]

Wow 5/8 only? That sure changed my plan of getting a new ranger with pliers.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That is pretty small

[BIG-TARGET]

The irony is that the dinky Evogrip pocket tool kit had the widest opening pliers
http://www.wengerna.com/evogrip-s54-red-and-black

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The irony is that the dinky Evogrip pocket tool kit had the widest opening pliers
http://www.wengerna.com/evogrip-s54-red-and-black

Yep there great pliers for there size

The one's on the Alingi seem a tad pointless to me 

[BIG-TARGET]

Wow 5/8 only? That sure changed my plan of getting a new ranger with pliers.

if you have little dinky bolts, no problemo

[BIG-TARGET]

The irony is that the dinky Evogrip pocket tool kit had the widest opening pliers
http://www.wengerna.com/evogrip-s54-red-and-black

Yep there great pliers for there size

The one's on the Alingi seem a tad pointless to me 

Though my tests were not imperical science.  These measurements are definately more than anecdotal.
If a spook from Wenger is reading this.  Maybe the time has come to make an ALinghi MKII

Its moments like this that shows the world the true value of MT.org/SOSAK

PS- I just ordered a Ranger 172. Since the scissors use the same spring mechanism(what I believe isn the source of the pliers narrow opening)as the pliers. I'm still hoping the scissors open a bit wider than the pliers.

[jzmtl]

Narrow opening scissors actually isn't bad, if you can't fit whatever you are cutting into 5/8" of opening you probably should go get a saw. 

5/8" at the TIP of the pliers is really small thou, so at where you can grip a nut it'll be even smaller. I dunno, I'll have to use one to get a final decision, too bad they don't make one with plier (or scissors) and one hand blade other than alinghi ($$$).

[Dunc]

I don't care , I still want one 

Dunc

[J-sews]

BT is right, the Wenger plier opening is a bit on the minimal side.   The ones shown below are opened to the max. It doesn't matter on the scissors, but it does limit the usefulness of the pliers.

(Leatherman Juice for comparison)

[Benner]

Wow    That is small. 

[jzmtl]

Hmm, now that I've seen the size of that plier, it's actually not bad, if you can't fit stuff in there it's probably too heavy duty for it anyway.

I still want one with plier and one handed knive that isn't $$$ like alinghi.

[AndyTiedye]

Felinevet has the Alinghi for $95,  which isn't tooo bad considering it comes with a sheath.

The pliers are needlenose and quite precise.   Slipjoint pliers (like the 85mm Wengers have)
would be less precise, but can handle larger stuff.

A full-sized slipjoint pliers as an option in the Rangers would be nice.
I suppose they would get more warrantee claims from people abusing them though.

[Sea Monster]

Too bad you have to be Andre the Giant to hold on to one of those things.
I got frightened with a single layer ranger!

[jzmtl]

Felinevet has the Alinghi for $95,  which isn't tooo bad considering it comes with a sheath.

Price is not the only downer, it also has the combo blade that I dislike. Marlin spike is also not useful for average joe like me.

[J-sews]

Felinevet has the Alinghi for $95,  which isn't tooo bad considering it comes with a sheath.

Price is not the only downer, it also has the combo blade that I dislike. Marlin spike is also not useful for average joe like me.

I wonder how many SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

[Sea Monster]

I wonder how many SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

That's a bit saying Sak-Owners-Per-Million using the butter knife.

It's only on 2 or 3 models!

As much as I would love to claim that the "Skipper" is the SAK for me, I'm not sure the SAK marlingspike is a patch on a BAK. (course, a BAK only has four functions, such is life eh)

[J-sews]

I wonder how many SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

That's a bit saying Sak-Owners-Per-Million using the butter knife.

It's only on 2 or 3 models!...................

Point taken.

Edited for accuracy:  I wonder how many marlinspike-equipped-SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

[Sea Monster]

For genuine, marlin-spike activities?

Hard to say.

I'm sure it gets used as a "Well none of these other tools worked, maybe if I poke it with this bit" frequently enough.

[jzmtl]

I wonder how many SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

That's a bit saying Sak-Owners-Per-Million using the butter knife.

It's only on 2 or 3 models!...................

Point taken.

Edited for accuracy:  I wonder how many marlinspike-equipped-SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

If I had it I'd probably use it to poke things more than untie knots.  Although there are times it would've come in handy when untie paracord knots.

[stressmaster5000]

I was looking through SwissBianco's photos on Photobucket.com and several of the alox knives with a spike were labeled as a "sacking needle". The tool looked similar to the marlinspike. I wonder- By the way, there were some awesome photos in there.

[AndyTiedye]

Too bad you have to be Andre the Giant to hold on to one of those things.
I got frightened with a single layer ranger!

Nah I'm only 5'6", but it helps to have big hands.

Perhaps you'd like the Aitor Alligator or Fisherman.  Those are 108s, not 120s.

The Aitor pliers design completely removes the limitation on how far you can open it.
It is 1 1/8" to the detent,  but it can be opened further without stressing anything.

[AndyTiedye]

I was looking through SwissBianco's photos on Photobucket.com and several of the alox knives with a spike were labeled as a "sacking needle". The tool looked similar to the marlinspike. I wonder- By the way, there were some awesome photos in there.

The "sacking needle" is the same tool as the older style marlinspike.

[J-sews]

Hmmm, somehow that sacking needle is far more appealing to me than the current design marlinspike. Its just pokier looking I guess.

[Sea Monster]

I think they were on the Handwerkers too?

Its just pokier looking I guess.

That it is.
For actual ropework though the wider spike is probably more useful as it gives you more room to do your thing.

[AndyTiedye]

The only handwerker I have seen with a marlinspike (which naturally I HAD to purchase) has a totally different marlinspike from any other SAK I have seen.
It is in the middle, between the saw and the main blade, and has no cut-out.

[BIG-TARGET]

I wonder how many SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

That's a bit saying Sak-Owners-Per-Million using the butter knife.

It's only on 2 or 3 models!...................

Point taken.

Edited for accuracy:  I wonder how many marlinspike-equipped-SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

Dunc might

[Dunc]

I wonder how many SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

That's a bit saying Sak-Owners-Per-Million using the butter knife.

It's only on 2 or 3 models!...................

Point taken.

Edited for accuracy:  I wonder how many marlinspike-equipped-SAK-owners-per-million actually use the marlin spike?  (I'm betting its in the single digit range)

Dunc might

When I had my Vic Skipper I used the spike about once I think but I did use the combined shackle wrench alot and it worked very well .

Dunc