SAK scissors

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siguy

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Aug 26, 2006
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just been thinking about SAK scissors, and the difference between victorinox and wenger.

i have a Classic from wenger with the little scissors, and i love them. the microserrations are great for really gripping into whatever they are cutting, and they cut well for such small scissors. i also really like the spring on the wenger scissors...it is much sturdier and more permenant than those of the victorinox, that are likely to pop out at inconvenient times.

i have one of the larger models from victorinox with scissors, and i just don't like them as much. the blades are straight, and have a tendency to slip off of whatever you are cutting if it much thicker than a couple of peices of paper (and, granted they aren't really designed for much larger tasks than cutting paper and hangnails, but...) and also i feel that the spring is weak, just a thin bit of metal tension fit in there...

so just wanted to share a few thoughts on the differences between the scissors.

what do you guys think about this issue?
 
Personally I like Victorinox' scissors a lot better for opposite reasons, I prefer no serrations because if they ever need a quick sharpening I could do that myself. As far as the springs go I have a couple of extra lying around and if I were going into something that was important enough to have the spring work without fail I'd just toss an extra spring in my pack. If the wenger spring fails what are you going to do?
 
DreamHawk said:
If the wenger spring fails what are you going to do?
Click to expand...

Just curious, has anyone had the Wenger springs fail? And if so, under what circumstances? (Not saying that it doesn't happen, just wondering how.)

One of my first big SAKs was a Wenger which I had used for years (until it was stolen :( ) The scissors on it cut pretty much anything I threw at it (many things not meant to be cut with scissors like thin copper sheet and wire). I never had a problem with the spring or anything else on the scissors.
I've never had trouble with the little ones on my classic either (they never see nearly as heavy use as the big ones saw though).

Since that Wenger was stolen I have mostly had Vics as EDCs, and frequently have problems with the scissors. I've only had one spring actually break, but have had several of them get bent out of alignment so that they either prevent the scissors from working properly, or prevent the scissors from folding back into the unless you adjust it. The other problem I have had is the scissors' pivot screw getting loose, stripped, and/or stripping the hole it goes into. I know I should be able to get them fixed, but I usually use it as an excuse to retire the knife and get a newer, bigger model. ;)
 
The Wenger scissors are good but to me they have a few 'fatal flaws'.

1. Serrations - while good, can't "run" through materials for quick clean cuts and can't be properly sharpened.

2. Spring - I have never broken the spring on either a Vic or a Wenger but I don't need to point out which has less impact on the rest of the tool and which is easier to replace.

3. General sharpening - it's just so much easier with the Victorinox..
 
I.V said:
The Wenger scissors are good but to me they have a few 'fatal flaws'.

1. Serrations - while good, can't "run" through materials for quick clean cuts and can't be properly sharpened.

2. Spring - I have never broken the spring on either a Vic or a Wenger but I don't need to point out which has less impact on the rest of the tool and which is easier to replace.

3. General sharpening - it's just so much easier with the Victorinox..
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%!

- Tim
 
I.V said:
The Wenger scissors are good but to me they have a few 'fatal flaws'.

1. Serrations - while good, can't "run" through materials for quick clean cuts and can't be properly sharpened.

2. Spring - I have never broken the spring on either a Vic or a Wenger but I don't need to point out which has less impact on the rest of the tool and which is easier to replace.

3. General sharpening - it's just so much easier with the Victorinox..
Click to expand...

1 is definitely a valid point and besides not being able to "run" through stuff, depending on the material being cut it actually leaves a tiny corrugated pattern.

For 2, it definitely is easier to replace the Vic spring. But on the other hand, it is much easier for the Vic spring to be damaged (I've definitely broken or mangled a few.) I would think that you are about as likely to break the spring on Wenger scissors (or pliers for that matter) as you are to break any of the back springs on the knife.

I agree with 3, how the heck would you sharpen Wenger scissors? (I never actually needed to sharpen them, though.)

A couple of other advantages for the Vic.
The Vic's scissors also have the advantage of a longer actual cutting edge for the same size knife.

The Vic's don't move up and down as you cut like the Wenger's do.

One more thing I think is an advantage of the Wenger.
The Wenger's have a stop so they can't accidentally flip forward, the Vic's don't have the stop. You wouldn't think that should be a problem, but I've had the Vic's flip the wrong way when closing (especially when the spring has gotten messed up.)

I think both types of scissors have their advantages and disadvantages.
I'd be happy if Victorinox would use the Wenger spring and stop on their scissors.
 
I like Vic's scissors,especially the newer ones,the ones with a rivet instead of a screw.

They seem sturdier and as others have said are easy to sharpen when needed.
 
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