Do you feel ucomfortable / unhappy buying from the Delemont range ?

[dks]

I have several Wengers and appreciate them for what they are, good or bad.
I have, however, never bought any of the Victorinox made new Wenger style models.

I have seen and played with several of them and I am aware of the whole history of how Victorinox bought Wenger and then after a few years eliminated the Wenger name and now sells them under a sub-brand. I have no issues with that,from a business or quality point of view.

I however just feel that they are not "real",  when the Wenger name left the spirit also left... I just have no desire to  buy them.

Is it just me?  Are newer buyers unaware of the original Wengers? Are you just buying the knife and if it suits you you are happy, irrespective of the history... Just blabbing now , I know.

[Gareth]

If no-one buys them, then the old Wenger factory gets shut down, and all the old Wenger employees are out of work. 

[dks]

I am sure they are selling

[Singh]

I don't like how wenger/delemont scissors bobble in your hand when you use them.

Vic replaced Wenger's can and bottle openers with ther tools when they took over the Wenger line. They should do the same with the scissors. Do that, and you'll have me interested.

[BPRoberts]

I don't like:

1. The Evo scales (and thus lack of plus scales.)

2. The fact that they're consistently more expensive.

3. The lack of hook on scissors knives.

[Rich S]

I've several old Wengers (flat scales) and they are very nice knives. Got one Wenger (Tinker like tools) with hump-back (Evo type scales) and just totally dis-like it. Restricts grips use. Blade lock gets in the way; question it's safety. No more Evo's for me. I'll stick to good old flat red cellidor and Alox SAKs.

[Explorer]

I really like this one
use it all the time
it’s the Nail Clip 580 

[kamakiri]

Can’t say I’m ‘unhappy’, because I’ve never bought one of those new. I wish they would bring back more of the unique and quirky tools. Like the spoke wrench/10mm or the hook sharpener.

But I do wish they would focus more on their 84mm line, particularly the Alox, but I think the 85mm lineup likely detracts from that and for all I know might put the whole 84mm line at risk for discontinuation.

While I’m thinking out loud…putting a Victorinox style scissor in there would do wonders for their sales. 

[rvlulu]

The saw, the line of the blades and the style.

 That's why I prefer the Rangers to their almost original Vixtorinox equivalents.

[Barry Rowland]

Bring back the PTC and I'm in!

[cody6268]

My biggest problem is that some of the more interesting Wenger models aren't offered, but several parallels of 91mm models are. It's confusing.


I would buy more of them IF they'd start offering them without EVO scales again and without locks.

And, of course, bring back the PTC!!! I finally found one that wasn't buggered, but I don't carry it as much as I want to as they're kinda pricey 9 times out of ten.  Other models I'd like to see return are the Bottlemate and Esquire. I prefer the Esquire to the Classic SD (bigger, easier to use), and plan to buy a few. Swiss Knife Shop has some new old stock Esquies and Bottle Mates, and while I'm buying them, I won't carry them.

Rangers don't need to be messed with, however. They're perfect when it comes to big multifunction folders.

[Tasky]

I find the history of both manufacturers' models quite intriguing, with all the oddball tools they came up with, and I certainly have a couple of Delemonts on my wish list... but they're ones I'm likely to get around to as part of the collection rather than any particular desire to make use of.

[Fireman]

There's an Evogrip S18 on my list.  Does that answer the question?    

[rvlulu]

There's an Evogrip S18 on my list.

, me too.

[hsherzfeld]

Wenger had just stopped production by the time I became interested in SAKs. I’ve never held an original Wenger, but I did buy a Delemont Evolution S111 (basically a Tinker-equivalent toolset with a locking main blade). I like the clip point small blade, but I’m not a fan of the Evolution scales, the lack of a straight pin slot, and the awkward placement of the lock release lever.

[smiller43147]

I like the two layer (Highlander) and three layer (Teton) Wenger's with the traditional scales.  The Evolution scales bulked up the knives with no real benefit (IMHO) and when Victorinox retooled them I believe they made the scales even thicker.  I also liked the way the older Wenger's had flat smooth backspring tools, like a worry stone.  Just a nice little pocket tool. 
Go back to that original design.  If you want to retool something, how about scissors?

[Helvetica Bold]

I really like this one
use it all the time
it’s the Nail Clip 580

Agree this is a great keychain tool.

Not a massive fan of Wenger scissors but do like the locking screwdriver.

Like others I don’t understand why they are so much more expensive too.

Would never really consider a modern Wenger over a Vic.

[Jackpine54]

I think Wenger was constantly coming up with new tools. It also seems like they made quite a few very specialized knives with specialized tool sets. I like the Wenger blade shape, but not more/or less than Vic. That said I never thought they felt as solid as the Victorinox knives.

I still buy a few of the new delemonts, but mostly because they are different.

[Simon_Templar]

The Delemonts are the answer to a question nobody asked.

I never had an original Wenger, but out of curiosity I got the Evowood 14 and 19. Both have no equivalent in Victorinox' other offerings, which made them interesting to me. The Evowood 14 is essentially a Sportsman X, the Evowood 19 has particular pliers and a wrench.

While I wouldn't call the Evowood 14 a disappointment - the wooden scales feel nice and everything works ok - there's no getting around the fact that it's unnecessarily thick on account of the Evo scales and that the scissors aren't as nice as Victorinox'. Also, it's noticeably more difficult to get the implements out, resulting in more stress for the fingernails when compared to handling a "normal" Victorinox SAK. So I carried it for a while but quickly lost interest. Given how thick it is, you might as well accept the additional millimeters of the 91 mm SAKs and just get more of everything for less money.

The Evowood 19 is just a stinker. I really wanted to like it, thought it might be the perfect alternative to the CT34 and Deluxe Tinker. But it isn't at all. The wrench is awkwardly placed towards the middle of the knife's body so that you cannot reach any bolts with it. The pliers are fiddly, have no real-life advantage over "normal"  Vic pliers and don't close perfectly at the very tip. The latter might be a detail, but it is annoying when you are used to the perfection of "normal" Vic pliers. It annoyed me so much I returned the first Evowood 19 and got myself another from a different vendor, which however had the same issue. So I just kept the second one because I assume it's a general quality problem with Wenger-style pliers and I wanted an Evowood 19 for my collection regardless. After carrying the Evowood 19 for a few days, I then discovered it's REAL problem: this thing should be named the "Fingernail Factory". Some of the implements are so hard to get out that I stopped toying around with that SAK for fear of hurting my nails. What the heck?

So now I keep the Evowood 19 as a memento for a) just how good real Victorinox SAKs are and b) why I am not surprised Wenger went belly up. Assuming the general quality has not deteriorated under Victorinox' control, they simply deserved it.

[tosh]

I have 2 of the Ranger clones
They were listed as Wenger but I received the Vic version. At the time it really angered me, not so much now.
To me the Vic Rangers will always be “copy’s” of the original Wenger Rangers. That’s just how I see it. Like the mini car is not really a mini at all. Yes it’s better some may say, but it’s not a genuine mini.
As for the 85mm line? I echo what I said above. Luckily I have most of the Wenger 85 Evo line and there’s no way I would consider buying the Vic version. But if Vic brought out a new 91mm I’d probably buy it, especially if it was on the Explorer theme   
 

[Jazz]

I would buy more of them IF they'd start offering them without EVO scales again and without locks.

Exactly. Those locks are horrible pocket catching/wearing out things. My wife bought me a beautiful wood one - S577, or something, but I just had to send it back because of the lock. Also, the plain scales would be nice. Not so fat in the pocket. I have an old Wenger, but never use it because if I drop it, I can't replace the scales.

[SteveP]

The Evowood 19 is just a stinker. I really wanted to like it, thought it might be the perfect alternative to the CT34 and Deluxe Tinker. But it isn't at all. The wrench is awkwardly placed towards the middle of the knife's body so that you cannot reach any bolts with it. The pliers are fiddly, have no real-life advantage over "normal"  Vic pliers and don't close perfectly at the very tip. The latter might be a detail, but it is annoying when you are used to the perfection of "normal" Vic pliers. It annoyed me so much I returned the first Evowood 19 and got myself another from a different vendor, which however had the same issue. So I just kept the second one because I assume it's a general quality problem with Wenger-style pliers and I wanted an Evowood 19 for my collection regardless. After carrying the Evowood 19 for a few days, I then discovered it's REAL problem: this thing should be named the "Fingernail Factory". Some of the implements are so hard to get out that I stopped toying around with that SAK for fear of hurting my nails. What the heck?

I've got a Delemont S557 and have the same issues with the wrench in the middle of a 5-layer SAK, pliers that don't close at the tip, very tight tools, plus scissors that sometimes cut and sometimes don't, and the blade lock catches on everything. I got it as the tool load looked really useful. In practice, not at all.

[Farmer X]

I have an Evolution 23. The scissors excepted (they work well for some things, but Victorinox scissors suit my frequent uses better), I like it pretty well. I wouldn't buy a model with Wenger-type scissors to use as a carrier, but otherwise, I have no reservations or qualms about them (aside from the price).

I would like to see some of the old Wenger models with standard scales make a return. However, a lot worse could have happened to Wenger. See Schrade as an example.

[Fast Bill]

Bring back the PTC and I'm in!

Well strictly I do have a couple of Delemonts ... but if we're talking about tool substitution would it be too much to suggest the Wenger 85mm scissors in an 84mm Sportsman?

[Simon_Templar]

Well strictly I do have a couple of Delemonts ... but if we're talking about tool substitution would it be too much to suggest the Wenger 85mm scissors in an 84mm Sportsman?

Scissors of any kind in a 84mm SAK would mean instant death for the Delemont line.

[MacGyver]

Scissors of any kind in a 84mm SAK would mean instant death for the Delemont line.

 

and i don't think they are thinking on killing the Delemont line just yet...

[kamakiri]

Scissors of any kind in a 84mm SAK would mean instant death for the Delemont line.

Nah. Just move the tooling and manufacturing for the Vic 84mm Scissors to Delémont. Give them a raise while they’re at it. 

[Simon_Templar]

Nah. Just move the tooling and manufacturing for the Vic 84mm Scissors to Delémont. Give them a raise while they’re at it. 

Smooth move

[Altis]

I quite like the 130mm formerly Wenger models. The blade needs a choil, though. I like the 65mm more than the 58mm as well, with the blade being taller and thicker.

The 84mm are a bit funny but I do prefer the more bellied main blade shape and that locking is an option. I'd really prefer if the locking mechanism was like the 130mm where you push the emblem to unlock it instead of the awkward piece that sticks out and gets caught.

And I really would like to see the yellow/black grip scales available again 

But I do understand the sentiment that they don't quite feel like the SAK we've come to know and adore. They are close enough for me to be able to like, though. I like the old-style can opener that looks like a velociraptor claw.   

[kamakiri]

Some other discussion reminded me about the mechanical issue with 85mm scissors. They are (IMO) only ‘appropriate’ for a double backspring layout like they are found with in the 65mm frame. Those scissors don’t ‘bob’ like they do in the 85mm frame, which frankly, are irritating and sometimes frustrating to use.

So I’m cutting some stainless shim material…I grab an Esquire. Not even a second thought about getting an 85mm like my user S557 for this simple task.

Single backspring is a fail with this scissor design. Victorinox should fix this issue and release it with a double backspring.