Soldier/SI

E

embeth

Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
70
I may buy a Wenger SI as the Vic Soldier is no longer available. I've heard that the bail has a tendency to fall out, & the springs are brittle. Is this true? Should I just buy a Vic Pioneer instead?
 
Wenger SI - Bail does tend to slip a bit. Blade can close on bail, causing a nick in the blade. VERY sharp awl. IMHO, better blade heat treatment than Victorinox.

Picture080.jpg


Vic Pioneer - Keyring can't interfere with blade. Some complain about grip discomfort due to keyring.

415SR6AGEDL._SS500_.jpg


US MILK or DEMO knife - Brittle springs. Wickedly strong bail. Very rough fit and finish. No screwdriver tip on can opener.

Picture080.jpg
 
embeth said:
I may buy a Wenger SI as the Vic Soldier is no longer available. I've heard that the bail has a tendency to fall out, & the springs are brittle. Is this true? Should I just buy a Vic Pioneer instead?
Click to expand...
I/ve had a SI for 20 years, and I haven't babied it. It's just fine, the bail is still there, and the springs are not broken. The SI is made tot he exact same specs as the Vic soldier, as both were standard issue to the Swiss Army.

The knife with brittle springs is the U.S. made MLK knife. That is one crude piece of junk compared to the Swiss knife, either soldier or SI.

Carl.
 
The Wenger Soldier Knife is imo not as good as the Vic. The blade uses to get some patina. My Wenger is lying in the kitchenbox, without using it. My whole Vic collection is in my EDC-rotation, without getting patina...
It´s your way to decide, but I think, you should get the Vic...
 
[/B]
embeth said:
I may buy a Wenger SI as the Vic Soldier is no longer available. I've heard that the bail has a tendency to fall out, & the springs are brittle. Is this true? Should I just buy a Vic Pioneer instead?
Click to expand...

I just checked a well known auction site, and there are alox Vic Soldiers available. Ships to Canada, also.
 
Last edited:
Buy either with confidence , ditto for the pioneer ( Soldier with Civilian cross and sheild and key ring ) , aii good !

Chris
 
Another good option is the Vic Pioneed Harvester.

I had a wenger made SAK a number of years ago and the blades were MUCH softer than the Vic's. Haven't bought a Wenger since.
 
wildmike said:
I had a wenger made SAK a number of years ago and the blades were MUCH softer than the Vic's. Haven't bought a Wenger since.
Click to expand...

The Wenger SI may be worth a look from you. My feelings about the majority of the Wenger line are the same as yours. But the Standard Issue is built to an entirely different spec. It's hard to believe it's a Wenger. A very nice knife.
 
Get the SI. I snapped a blade closed on a Ulster Scout knife bail 40 some years ago, never done it since then. If you don't like the bail, just remove it. The hollow rivet still gives the option of using 2mm cord for a lanyard.
I have 7 SI's and 15 Soldiers. Quality is the same on all, first class.

The US mil pocket knife has very inconstant quality (poor to so-so). I have a dozon or so, seen many with broken springs.
 
Last edited:
I'll have to check out that S1 if they are anywhere near as good as Vic's quality. Plus I like the bail. Makes it easy to attach a lanyard.
 
The Wenger Standard Issue is one of the few Wengers I own and it's good, just like the Victorinox Soldier. And I like the bail, it reminds me of the old Victorinox Soldiers.

04-WengerSI.jpg
 
All solidly build and reliable... if you use it right, it would last a lifetime....

but i personally love the alox soldier... i just love the shield and knowing that its the standard soldier knives... i have only good experiencce with the alox soldier... got several back-up, they will outlast me...

the alox soldier is a perfect slipjoint for me.... it just works... versatile and nicely pocketable...
 
My SI is as solid and rugged as any alox SAK. I removed and discarded the bail though, as it tended to get in the way.
 
The alox Victorinox Soldier that I bought in 2002 was my first alox SAK ever. I wasn't into knives back then, just needed a new pocket knife for a camping trip. A local shop sold SAKs and after trying a few, I bought the Soldier. It looked tough, had all I need and the blade of the Soldier is a bit longer and wider than on say a Spartan. I didn't know that I bought an icon. Now I do of course and in my collection there are several Soldiers now, from different years and also a few Soldiers that were issued to the Royal Dutch Army. Here's a picture of a Dutch army Soldier that was issued in 1985. As you can see it has a bail.

Later in the 1980's the Dutch army started issueing the Pioneer. Not sure why, but maybe Victorinox removed the bail on the Soldiers in those years?

IMO, the alox Soldiers, Pioneers, Farmers, etc. are among the best pocket knives ever made.

DAK.jpg
 
I just broke out a Wenger SI and a Vic Soldier from my collection, and compared them. The Soldier was an 03, the SI was an 04.

Using digital calipers, the thickness of the blades directly behind the cutting edges, in multiple spots, measured identically. So I doubt there's any difference in cutting efficiency. For those who care, the thickness behind the cutting edge averaged around .019" near the belly, and .021" in the center of the straight. This is thinner than many of my other modern slipjoints.

I've read that the SI has a brass liner, and the later-made Soldiers have an aluminum liner. Both knives that I compared had brass liners.

The Soldier's knife blade is obviously crinked, where the SI's is not. I doubt that the crinking would produce a functional difference, but it's there nonetheless.
 
I have an Alox Vic Soldier that gets carried daily to work,easily one of my favs.While I have both the Alox Farmer and Pioneer Harvester,the Soldier gets way more pocket time.If I need a saw,I usually carry a Huntsman in a leather sheath on my belt.
 
Hey Buzzbait, can you tell design-wise why the Vic is crinked and the SI is not? Is the Vic blade thicker at the back than the SI so it has to be crinked?
adam
 
SAKsRCool said:
Hey Buzzbait, can you tell design-wise why the Vic is crinked and the SI is not? Is the Vic blade thicker at the back than the SI so it has to be crinked?
adam
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why the Vic blade in crinked. I'll make an educated guess though. I'll bet that the crinking is to keep the awl from scratching the blade so easily, when opening the awl. You see, the point of the Victorinox awl is like a chisel grind, so the point of the awl would easily scratch a blade when rubbing. The Wenger awl has a v-grind at the end, to keep the awl tip from scratching the main blade. When in the closed position, the Wenger awl sits dangerously close to the main blade, where the Soldier shows a definite gap between the awl and main blade. Two methods of achieving the same goal.

Here's the Soldier:
soldier.jpg


Here's the SI:
si.jpg


In use, I've found the Vic method to be more effective at keeping the knife blade from being scratched, but the Wenger implementation produces a sharper and more functional awl tip.
 
Buzzbait said:
I'm not sure why the Vic blade in crinked. I'll make an educated guess though. I'll bet that the crinking is to keep the awl from scratching the blade so easily, when opening the awl. You see, the point of the Victorinox awl is like a chisel grind, so the point of the awl would easily scratch a blade when rubbing. The Wenger awl has a v-grind at the end, to keep the awl tip from scratching the main blade. When in the closed position, the Wenger awl sits dangerously close to the main blade, where the Soldier shows a definite gap between the awl and main blade. Two methods of achieving the same goal.

In use, I've found the Vic method to be more effective at keeping the knife blade from being scratched, but the Wenger implementation produces a sharper and more functional awl tip.
Click to expand...

Buzzbait, much thanks for the analysis & pics! :thumbup: And "thank you" to all who contributed their pics & opinions! I have the Soldier but not the SI. They have the SI in stock at a big box sporting goods store nearby, but I never bought one 'cause I figured it would be redundant. I can see now that I need an SI! :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top