A Wenger Knife with a BIG design defect???

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Nov 4, 2005
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131
I recently bought a Wenger Snowboarder. Pretty cool knife, with the right combination of tools to do last minute screw tightening and quick adjustments for both skis and snowboards. It's a knife I remember seeing many many years ago in a shop in Switzerland. Since then, I think Wenger might have discontinued this line (which includes a mountain biker knife, IIRC) or supplemented it with another tool that has "Snowboard" in its name.

Tools include main blade, screwdriver holder, detachable screwdriver tool (with hex and Philips heads), detachable multi-size wrench, multi-purpose tool (can opener, bottle opener, and slot head screwdriver).

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FLAW 1: If you look carefully below, you'll notice that there is a small section on the metal layer divider underneath the main blade that is scratched. This is because the tip of the main blade hits it when it closes, and the pressure one exerts on the main blade (when you grasp the nail nick to open it) causes it to wobble and scratch the divider some more.

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The main blade stops closing when the tip hits the metal divider. As a result, the blade, about 1 mm away from the tip, dulls more quickly, and the metal divider is slightly scratched. This is an inelegant solution to stopping the main blade, which many/most/all manufacturers have solved by placing a stop rivet that the non-sharpened "hinge area" (where "Wenger" is stamped on the metal blade) hits to prevent the blade from "bottoming out" and hitting the inside of the handle.

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FLAW 2: Note how the spring is not strong enough to close the blade all the way.

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I got this knife for around $12 from Felinevet, and for the money, it's not bad because it gives me a compact "toolbox" I can keep in my snow pants for a quick tune up on the slopes. However, I expected more from Wenger. Overall, I'm disappointed at the fact that the main blade scratches the liner/divider and the fact that the blade doesn't close all the way due to the weak backspring. :barf: I'll still carry it, but won't rely on the blade to stay sharp because it'll dull each time I try to open it.

Does anyone have thoughts as to whether this is a latent design flaw (possibly from the earlier days of Wenger before they were bought out by Vic) or if I just got a lemon? :confused:

Thanks for listening to my first semi-review :)
 
I don't know if it's typical, but when I close any slipjoint, I follow the blade all the way down, that is, I guide it gently to close. Many of my slipjoints have very strong springs, and if I don't guide them in, they will snap with real force. Guiding them also makes sure no finger is near that guillotine! :p
 
I know what you mean, and I do the same thing. The thing is, if I snap it, it'll close all the way, but if I guide it in slowly, it'll stop 1 millimetre from closing all the way. It's as though the backspring is way worn out or something.
 
I've had the same problem, occasionally. On my Vic Huntsman, the large blade does exactly as you describe, but the small blade doesn't. Using the liner as a blade stop on the large blade, like some of the blunt tools? I never understood that design element. Actually, as far as the blade bottoming out, several of my SAK's do that. Eventually, after several years of sharpening, the blade point is worn just far enough back to not make contact anymore, unless I'm using another tool and holding the handle tightly.

For the blade not closing: does the blade 'snap' open, toward the end of it's opening travel? If it does, there may be something (lint? Other crud?) inside the joint when it closes, or it may be the joint is compressed. (Right word?) If you take another SAK, with a blade of the same thickness, and use the spine to sort of wedge the joint open a little more behind the closed blade, it might help the closing.

I'm in the process of cleaning a bunch of TSA auction knives for the boys in our summer campout next month, and most of the opening/closing problems I fix by doing what I said above. 90% of problems are fixed by popping of the scales, opening all the blades, & running them through the dishwasher.

thx - cpr
 
yep... the blade does have a snap when it opens, and it snaps when it closes too. just that the spring isn't strong enough if i guide it in, almost as if the spring has lost a lot of its 'springiness'. i'm going to give cleaning it a bit of a try, but it's a brand new (in box) knife so i don't expect there to be much crud in there.

interesting that you menation the huntsman... i have one of those too and will compare the two knives' liners. i didn't realize that other SAKs use liners as blade stops... i always assumed there was a 'stop rivet' that hit the part where "victorinox" or "wenger" is stamped. kind of a weird design quirk that those swiss army knife engineers would make it so that the knife blades would dull more quickly.
 
...Thanks for listening to my first semi-review :)

Thanks for posting it!

i didn't realize that other SAKs use liners as blade stops... i always assumed there was a 'stop rivet' that hit the part where "victorinox" or "wenger" is stamped.

I took a look at one of my Swiss army knives (Victorinox) and the tip does not hit the liners.

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Trying to see what's stopping the blade is a bit like trying to watch the light go out in a refrigerator ;) but it seems like it's being stopped by the kick hitting the back spring -- that should not cause any wear to the edge of the blade. The Kick is quite far from the rivet so I assume that it must hit the back spring.

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I do have a Mercatur K55K which closes on the blade tip. I have to be careful closing the K55K so that the blade doesn't get dull. I don't have a Snowboarder but I don't recall seeing such a problem on my other Wenger and Victorinox knives. If you think that you got a dud, you could return it or send it in for replacement or repair. http://www.wengerna.com/content1964
 
It's not a design feature to have the liner stop the blade... it overextended the spring when you let it snap shut and the blade hits the liner. Most of my vic saks do this. I have gotten used to guiding the blade closed.
 
Supratentorial is correct. The blade's kick hitting the backspring should be stopping the blade.
I just looked at my two Wengers, and they work the same way as my Vics.

I think you have a defective knife, and you should return it to Felinevet.
Felilnevet's reputation is 1st rate, and I am sure he will make it right.


--Mike L.
 
Thanks for the replies. As this was a brand new knife, I'll ask Felinevet to compare my problem with any Snowboarders her might have in stock.

I've had a look at all my other SAKs (and I have a few of them), and this problem is only apparent on an old Huntsman. All the other SAKs have the blade's "kick" (?) hitting what I presume to be the rivet inside the knife, visible when the knife blade is open.
 
I've had the blade of one of my slipjoints not fully closing like what you described, but after I cleaned it, it worked nicely again with a nice snap when closing and opening, it turns out that it was filled with pocket lint.
 
well.. thanks for all the responses. i emailed felinevet and he was so kind as to offer to refund me my money. this wasn't a particularly expensive knife, so i declined as i'm sure the money can be put to better use with his charity. he also forwarded me the wenger warranty contact info, so i'll shoot them an email and see what happens.
 
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