# Victorinox or Wenger?



## andrew123

I don't really know which SAK is better, victorinox or wenger? I have seen lots of both at stores. Which do you prefer?


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## andygold

I can't speak for how these knives are made today, but from experience with older versions of both, I would pick Victorinox.

The main reason is as follows.....Victorinox knives have metal supports that run from end to end, making the knife stronger. If you were to open all of the blades at the same time you would see all of these metal separators that space out the blades. The spacers come up to the very edge of the knife or at least very close. With the older Wengers (maybe today's production too, but I don't know for sure), there were no supports running end to end. When the knife was fully open, you could just about squeeze the plastic scales together and make them bend inward quite easily.

Granted, I understand that you will never have all of the blades open at the same time and hope to use the knife, but i mention this for the sake of speaking to the Victorinox' better structural rigidity. The above may have changed over the years, but about 30 years ago when I bought my last Victorinox, it was a much stronger built knife than the Wenger. That knife is still going strong although it does have some tarnished/pitted metal on the separators (all blades are still clean chrome looking). It was an EDC for about 10 years (still carried today, but less frequently), and used every day during that time. With all of the abuse it's gone through, I've only had to sharpen the two main blades maybe two or three times. They just hold a remarkably sharp edge for a remarkably long time. I also like the way the scissors cut and felt in the hand compared to the Wenger. I would have to say that the blades have held their edge better thaqn any knife I've had over the past 30 years, and I've had quite a few!!!


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## guyg

in my experience, VIC has better steel and holds a better edge. And better QC. Wenger has some neat stuff and the ERGO series is cool, but I trust VIC in a pinch.


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## carrot

Both are excellent. Wenger is more willing to try new designs and ideas which is always a plus. Some really cool things have come of this, like the locking pocket-size SAKs and the EVO grips. Victorinox is far more traditional but quality is a bit higher. You are likely to hear fanboyism from both sides but Victorinox really is more popular overall.


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## american lockpicker

I like Wenger but Victorinox is equally good.


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## Dan FO

Victorinox is the only SAK I would buy. Their Alox models are superior, I have been using an Alox Soldier for 30+ years.


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## ypsifly

I thought I read somewhere that Victorinox bought Wenger a few years ago....

For years I preferred Wenger because of the scissors. I've had several of the "hair pin" levers on the Vics break off. Annoying but they are still quite usable. The Wenger does need to be tightened once in a while but I liked that over having a piece of the knife break off.

The pliers on Vics have more gripping surface as they are fatter than the Wenger, so I like that, but again...the hair pin.

My current EDC is a Wenger that has a fish scaler/hook remover and was discontinued a few years ago. Before it rubbed off, there was a fly painted on the shield side of the handle. Looked like a Pacific Steelhead/Salmon fly...Skykomish Sunrise or something like that. Would love to find another to give to my Dad.


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## carrot

Victorinox bought Wenger when they were in a spot of financial trouble rather than let ownership go overseas. They are keeping product lines and production apart, and intend to keep it that way from the last press release I saw.


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## Styerman

Vic. build quality and F/F are superior . The onlw Wenger i like is the SI ( Soldier equivalent ) , in some ways it's superior to the Soldier . Wanger has tried a few cool things , just that the quality isn't there .

Chris


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## jzmtl

I like both. Not sure where the talk of wenger's lower quality comes from but the couple I have are very much on par with vic. They also have some very nice innovations like ergo handle, rubber insert/coating, locking blade on pocket sized SAK (the lever actuate the back spring which lock the blade same way backlock does).


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## PhotonAddict

I like both. Like ypsifly, I tend to prefer the scissors on the Wenger - I've had the leaf springs on the Vic's scissors break on me on more than one occasion. I haven't bought either one for a few years though so I can't pass judgement on any of their recent products.


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## StriderSMF

Victorinox hands down.:thumbsup:


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## 2manybikes

StriderSMF said:


> Victorinox hands down.:thumbsup:


 

Yes, the quality is higher and more consistent.


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## DaveG

I have both brands,all well made but Victorinox is my personal favorite.


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## TKC

*I prefer the higher quality of Victorinox!*


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## Phredd

Wenger scissors are much better. The spring on the Victorinox is unreliable. I'm surprised that Victorinox didn't incorporate the Wenger scisssors now that they own them.


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## american lockpicker

Also the Wenger Swiss cross is better its anodized aluminium.


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## 2xTap

Overall I say Victorinox. I prefer their smaller and medium sized SAK's, and their ALOX to the Wengers. But in the larger OH patterns I'll take the Wenger Rangers over the 111mm's from Vic.

2xTap


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## AFAustin

I also prefer the Vics, but I do like the 65mm size of the Wenger Esquire---the larger blade in a pocket knife is very useful (and sharp as the devil---cut a very large slice in my finger while being a bit careless :mecry.


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## ozner1991

i prefer wengers. i like the belly on the wenger blades, i like that they are smaller, i like that they have good ergos and i got mine for cheap years ago (about 10 euros for an basic model)

i like my vics to i just prefer wenger


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## cfromc

Victorinox seems to have a never-ending selection of models, colors, etc. I simply determined my needs and then looked at both brands and found the Vic came closest. There were a couple Wengers that were close but they were too thick for front pocket carry in dress clothes. 

My EDC watch is a Wenger though and I've never had a problem with it. I've been wearing it for years. A GST field autoquartz.


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## flipe8

I tend to like Wenger a bit more for the the lock on the 85mm knives and I've had one for ten years without any issues. Just a solid and tight as the day I bought it. Love the Victorinox Cadets, though.


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## Pellidon

Vic's are easier to find around here in stores. I became a Vic fan by default in the pre internet days. Y'all remember those days? :nana:


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## Desinho

Wenger have 85mm models with serrated main blades: "serrated master" for exemple!


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## amstone

Vic, all the way. Better feel and finish IMHO


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## PCC

The very first SAK that I had ever bought was a Wenger, probably about 20 years ago. I used it for a few months then decided to try a Victorinox. I think I've bought about 12-15 Victorinoxes over the years compared to that one Wenger that I gave away or lost some years ago. I might try a new Wenger to see if things have improved in recent years, though.


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## BREAM

Victorinox for me as well


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## PCC

PCC said:


> I might try a new Wenger to see if things have improved in recent years, though.


After posting this I checked out Wenger's website and could not find anything that would be a suitable replacement for my trusty, beat up, broken old Victorinox Explorer that looks like it's been to hell and back a few times.


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## evilive138

+1 for Victorinox. IMHO better quality.


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## shelm

another vote for the Vinox sent from my iphone using tapatalk 2


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## Burgess

Exactly 100 Votes now !


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## JemR

You have awakened a thread from the dead shelm. Up until recently I would have said Victorinox as that is what I have. But I got me nephew (13) a Wenger EvoGrip 16 recently and really liked it. Oh! he does too. The grip inserts make it seem just a little more secure to handle. So Wenger today for me, help them out a bit in the poll. 101 votes now Burgess, more to come maybe??.


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## Charley

I worked at an industrial plant for over 32 years. When anyone needed their knives sharpened, they always broght them to me. The steel in Victorinox knives is way better than Wenger. The Wengers always felt cheap compared to the Victorinox. I would climb over a pile of Wenger's to get to one Victorinox!

Charley


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## ikeyballz

awesome old thread bump, but I was thinking of this a few months back. I decided the victorinox looks much classier so I went with them. I really like the vic. accessories too.


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## RBR

.....


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

I haven't had hundreds or even dozens of both brands to form a REALLY strong opinion...

But I voted Vic and tend to prefer Vic in most cases. My Alox Cadet is a work of art! And I prefer the scissors on a Classic to the somewhat serrated ones on a Wenger.


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## GunnarGG

RBR said:


> I would never voluntarily buy a classic SAK.
> 
> Had a few as a kid, all Victorinox, and found these are really poor quality for the price.
> 
> But if i had to buy one, with a gun in my back, i would pick the Wenger as i would think it could not come worse than Victorinox.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> RBR





Just a few days ago I thought about how impressed I was about Victorinox quality in relation to the price.

I had a Cadet alox that I recently have lost, hopefully it's somewhere in my house and will show up some day.
That's a really great knife to pocket carry.

I bought a Vic Electrician as a gift and liked it so much that I had to get one for my self also.

My older Vics are with red plastic scales and are in very good shape, but one (20-25 years old) has a small piece broken off from the scale.
That doesnt matter for it's function.

About the Vic vs Wenger I don't know but I thought they had the same blade steel, maybe I was wrong

Edit: I found it! My lost Cadet was in my sofa.


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## tethien

I like Wenger knives . It's simple.


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## potpot

For my usage, I tend to use the Wenger more so I guess it's Wenger for me.


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## Slazmo

from what I read a few years back that Victorinox was the Military focused version of knives and Wenger was the Civilian focused knife - hence why they're lesser quality structurally, compared to Victorinox and usually lesser in price... 

Similar to Spyderco and its secondary company Byrd - to which I am very fond of due to their quality and hugely lesser price point in comparison to Spyderco!

Each to their own I guess - horses for courses...


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## JemR

I voted for Wenger last month but, I just got a Victorinox Alox Cadet. It is superb. Great little knives SAK's. I feel a collection coming on.


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## Burgess

Perhaps a year ago . . . .

Bought my father a Victorinox Cadet (silver alox), and he Loves it !

He carries it *every single day* ! ! !


Replaces the "free" (promotional item) *Totally JUNK* "tiny folding knife" 

which he had carried for several years. :green:


I gladly threw that Piece of Sewage in the Garbage !


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe

Is it just me or are the little blades of a Classic a bit harder to sharpen than larger blades?


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## JemR

PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> Is it just me or are the little blades of a Classic a bit harder to sharpen than larger blades?



Yes. I think you might be right. Mine seem slightly sharper aswell. Weird.


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## REDLINEVUE

Not sure what your goint to use it for but I love both my Victorinox.... I have an EDC and one that stays in my desk drawer. As you can see in the picture I don't clean or maintain them very well and they still operate great. Im currently also shopping for a new SAK for edc and when compared side by side, Im 100% certain my third will be a Vitorinox.


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## PointSpecial

My wife's uncle got me a Wenger "Swiss clipper" for Christmas probably about 5 years ago. He has since passed, and this is what I carry with me every day.






It has served me very well, but my only critique is that the locking mechanism for the nail clippers is attached to the hole that the split-ring attaches to (and in my version, at least, it's plastic). It appears on the picture I grabbed from their website, this is metal and it appears that it might be a fixed piece.

Anyway, because the split-ring is attached to the locking mechanism, it's possible for the nail clippers to unlock in your pocket and come loose.


This particular piece has sentimental value because it's from my wife's uncle, so I'll continue to carry it, but a few years ago, I removed it from my key ring to avoid the above problem.


I know that doesn't necessarily answer the "Victorinox vs Wenger" question directly and I didn't choose this, as it was a gift, and I won't get rid of it for some time... but, by default, it's Wenger for me!


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## Tsportmat

I'd say Wenger for a couple of reasons:

1) I've owned a Wenger Spartan since I was about 10 (+-3 years), I'm now 23. It still snaps open and shut like it's new. My girlfriend has owned a Victorianox for a similar amount of time, but the other day she told me she couldn't open some of the tools. I have since cleaned/oiled it, and it is much better, but the knife slipjoint doesn't snap shut like mine does. I'll note that this may not be a good test; it's probably due to neglect and lack of maintenance on her part...

2) They have a locking screwdriver.

3) I like the logo better.

4) The new Evo and Wood designs look nice (although I don't have one).

Ultimately it's just my preference; probably both equally good, just Vic is more popular. I don't know if anything has changed since they were taken over by Vic either.


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## whill44

*In Summary........Victorinox all the way baby!! :twothumbs*


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## DrGadgetstein

I guess this is a good place to make my first forum post. I purchased a Victorinox Climber when I was a teenager and it has served me flawlessly over the years. Since then, I've added a few more that have equally impressed me. I've never owned a Wenger so I can't comment on them. 

The image on the right is my faithful Climber that has made many backpacking trips more enjoyable. The two on the left both have LED lights.


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## Halfpint

Back in the late '60s early '70s I received a Swisschamp from my father so that I wouldn't always be `borrowing' his. Over the years I've since picked up 3 more of them, either new or with very close to unused, as `backups' for the one my father gave as I discovered that they were starting make changes, which I really didn't `appreciate', to them. While I still have those backups `salted away' I'm still using my original one even though I accidently chipped the end of the file/metal saw blade and modded it. (The `mod' to the file/metal saw blade's tip, unlike the original tip, actually now is a very useful fingernail cleaner that I'd probably go nuts not having it if I had to pull out one of my backups for use.) My original one has been dropped, run over by cars, pickups, ensilage trucks, and assorted tractors and with only the aforementioned `dinging' of the tip of file/metal saw blade and assorted `bruises' to the scales has kept on `keeping on'. The original leather holster, with the `cut in the back' (I hate the newer sewn on ones!) belt loop along with, of course, the knife has been a fixture on my belt every day since I bought it with the knife. The *very few* times I have had to forego carrying it on my belt I've literally felt `stark naked'! (Carrying the pair any other way, like in my leather shoulder bag or the knife alone in my pocket is only *slightly* less bothersome. {WAN GRIN!})

Now days I also have CyberTool 34 that I carry with me in my shoulder bag whenever I am possibly going to have to do any work that my SOG Power Pliers (The *Original* model with the wide jaws *not* the one with the `needlenose' jaws!) or Kershaw locking plier tool can't do as `neatly'. 

A while back my teenage daughter was out shopping and came home with a Wenger that she thought was `like your SAK'. After comparing it to my old beat up SAK the next day she went back to the place she bought it, actually managed to get them to give her a refund and went to another store and, using one of my `spares' bought a Victorinox SAK. (As she currently isn't home yet, and I or SWMBO cannot find the packaging, I cannot say what model/version it is. But, with a few exceptions it's awfully similar to my SwissChamps.) My teenage son hasn't, yet, expressed a desire for a SAK of his own but I expect that he'll end up getting one eventually. SWMBO also has a smaller `Vic' SAK that hangs off of her keyring but hasn't really expressed a need/want for a bigger model, yet. (I've got a feeling she's holding out hoping that Victorinox comes out with a model she can use for her sewing as she isn't doing any turntable/tapedeck repair work like she used to do these days. Until then she'll probably just ask, like she sometimes does, to borrow mine or one of the children's SAKs *if* she needs something more than the one on her keychain.)

Oh, BTW, even though this is an SAK thread, I'll admit that I also sometimes carry either a Kershaw `speedsafe', usually a Leek w/G10 scales, or a ZT, usually a 0150, fixed blade knife either concurrently with or instead of my SAK depending upon what I'm doing or where I'm going. While I am not yet a `certified' "Flashaholic" per se I've pretty much always carried at least one flashlight, currently a Sunwayman V10-Ti, along with at least one knife as both are `basic useful' `tools'. Besides they go together like the proverbial `horse-n-carriage'. Especially if one lives out in the country on a farm. {VB GRIN!}

Just an `Olde Fart's 2¢ worth? {CHORTLE!}


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