Wenger one-hand opening Rangers any good?

T

tholiver

Joined
Feb 22, 2003
Messages
3,513
I love my Victorinox OH Trekker but the Wenger Rangers look interesting.
Anybody here own one or have any experience or comments on them?

So the lock release on the Ranger is the Swiss Cross symbol? How does that compare to the lock on say the Vic Rucksack or Outrider?

I am looking at buying a 61 Ranger or a Ranger that duplicates the tool setup of the OH trekker (except i prefer the corkscrew over the philips). Basically a Ranger 61 with a saw would be ideal.
Actually scissors would be nice as well but the only rangers i see with scissors are non-one hand openers.
The Ranger 57 looks good as well but might be a tad too thick. I also i don't need/want the serrated blade layer.
However a Ranger 57 with scissors instead of the serrated blade might be an idea.
:D
 
somniloquist said:
Check out this page:
http://www.sosakonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=243&Itemid=35

They did a nice comparison between the Vic Fireman and the Wenger Ranger 57. Decisions decisions! It can be so hard to choose sometimes...
Click to expand...
Thanks!
Yeah that article helped inspire this thread actually.
I posted a similar thread on the OTHER knife related forum about this as well.
I was looking to find a Wenger one-handed Ranger that duplicates (except with a corkscrew instead of the philips) the Vic OH Trekker.
According to Felinevet the Wenger 57 Ranger is the closest Wenger equivalent. But i really want to keep it at 2-3 layers and i don't want/need that serrated seat belt cutter blade thats on the Wenger 57 Ranger.
I might get the Ranger 51 or just wait and see if they expand the Ranger line.
 
Mostly i was just looking for hands-on feedback/perceptions from forumites on the new one handed Wenger Ranger.
I have a Vic OH Trekker already which i am happy with but the Wengers longer blade, evo-grips and corkscrew has me itching to try it.
:)
 
Wow i know most people like Vics better (me included) but i figured someone here would have some opinion of the Wenger Ranger.
Interpreted one way the silence could mean there are no major beefs with the Rangers, or maybe they just haven't been around long enough to garner any nay or yay feedback.
Its so quiet in here i can almost hear crickets... hey theres an echo too, funny i never noticed that before!
:D
 
Without having examined the Wenger rangerhands-on, I'd say it appears to be at least as good as the OHT, provided they improved their steel to the same standard as the Victorinox knives. Anecdotally speaking, I don't find them to hold an edge as well as the Vics.

Sorry, I wish I could contribute more :o
 
Victorinox is much more popular then Wenger so I think that's why people aren't responding. It's a bit like asking what people think of the girl that nobody pays attention to. ;)

I've had Wenger Swiss army knives since I was 6 years old so I have a fondness for them. But I also prefer Victorinox Swiss army knives. I haven't tried the Rangers. In general, the fit and finish of Wenger Swiss army knives is quite good but not as good as Victorinox.

They have a new Ranger coming out that also has a folding pliers. But the pliers are a bit small and the handle is bulky.

16306E.jpg
 
I have handled the entire new Ranger series and I give them an A+. The quality is great and every bit as good as the Vic OHT IMO. I like the extra length and the new button lock system.
 
Thanks for the replies. Yeah Wenger doesn't seem to inspire fervent loyalty like Victorinox.
I have two older Wengers and 50+ Vics. The Vics are excellent quality but the Wengers are just "ok". However i bought the Wengers used so its not fair to really compare.
I think i'll order a Ranger next week just to see what they're like for myself.
Nows a good time to buy anyway as the Canadian dollar hit 1.10$ U.S today, woohoo!
 
tholiver said:
Thanks for the replies. Yeah Wenger doesn't seem to inspire fervent loyalty like Victorinox.
I have two older Wengers and 50+ Vics. The Vics are excellent quality but the Wengers are just "ok". However i bought the Wengers used so its not fair to really compare.
I think i'll order a Ranger next week just to see what they're like for myself.
Nows a good time to buy anyway as the Canadian dollar hit 1.10$ U.S today, woohoo!
Click to expand...

Wenger's innovative new models will do a lot to improve it's reputation. It has had to deal with it's major drawbacks (IMHO) of weaker back springs and more fragile scales (due to the wraparound the liner method of application which makes them more subject to chipping and breaking). Quality is dramatically improved of late. Wenger has always been more innovative than Vic in that it has locking blades on smaller models, snap shackles, self sharpening scissors, etc. Even though Vic and Wenger remain completely separate companies while owned by Vic. it seems like the quality enhancements have occured lately since the buy-out.
 
tholiver said:
...I think i'll order a Ranger next week just to see what they're like for myself.
Click to expand...

I'll be interested in hearing your opinion about it. Although you can find some of the Cellidor models at K-mart, the local stores in my area don't have the Rangers.

tholiver said:
Nows a good time to buy anyway as the Canadian dollar hit 1.10$ U.S today, woohoo!
Click to expand...

Rub it in!!! :grumpy: ( :p )
 
Maybe it's a little off-topic but IMHO Vics are generally of better quality than Wenger. I have however not tested the mentioned model so it may be better than the (few) Wengers I have tested.

I recently bought a small Wenger Evo because I liked the new look but I must say I was disappointed with the quality. The blade was ok but the rest was not at all as robust as Vic so I only use the Evo occasionally at home, when leaving home I make sure to always have a Victorinox in my pocket.
 
supratentorial said:
I'll be interested in hearing your opinion about it. Although you can find some of the Cellidor models at K-mart, the local stores in my area don't have the Rangers.
Click to expand...

Hopefully i'll be ordering one in the next week or so. When i get it and play with it ...ummm er "test it" (:D) for a while i'll post my opinions here.
:)
 
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