wenger or victorinox??

Joined
Jan 20, 2001
Messages
401
I'm confused, who is the real sak producer? I've noticed the wenger ones have what looks like a painted on logo and the victorinox ones have an inlayed silver looking logo. Plus the wengers are much cheaper. Are they different companies? I can't find too much on the web, except wenger is the "origional" and victorinox is the "authentic" or something like that.
 
Victorinox was actually the first to produce the Swiss Army knives, then several years later (around 1908?) the Swiss government split the production for SAKs for the army 50-50 between Victorinox and Wegner, as Wegner complained it wasn't fair for V-nox to have a monopoly.

So both Wenger and V-nox are real Swiss Army knives. I personally prefer V-nox, as I feel the quality is a bit better, and the models seem more sleekly-designed. Also seem to have better fit and finish.

Oddly, I've always thought it seems like Wengers are more expensive. The V-nox's are a lot easier to find in general. In some stores you can buy them brand new almost dirt cheap, and the awesome quality and QC of V-nox makes for an incredible value.
Jim
 
Both are authorized to use the term "Swiss Army" as the prior poster indicated. Also I agree that the Victorinox brand is of somewhat better quality. For some fun, try www.victorinox.com for an interesting graphic and a chance to play Tetris for a knife.
 
I have owned at least a half-dozen Victorinox knives and they have all been excellent. My one experience with a Wegner was unsatisfactory. Wegners strike me as inferior in design, materials, and workmanship. On the other hand, the are usually less expensive.
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--Bob Q
 
I own quite a few of SAKs made by both brands and the quality and finish are equal in my opinion.
The Vics are slightly longer on average and tend to fit your hand alittle better.
The Vics also give you a small screwdriver tip on their can-opener, the Wengers don't.
The Vics have stronger toothpicks and tweezers but the Wenger's are better placed (they're on the outer edges of the Vic scales and get lost easier).
The Wengers have a screwdriver/cap-lifter that locks when pressure is applied.
The Wengers have a better designed scissors and pliers (IMO). The springs have eventually broken on every Vic I have owned.
The reamer on the Vics awl is handy but the Wenger's awl makes a better punch.
Most of the Wengers come with a nail file which I like.
The key-ring part on the Vics is too thin and sharp and tears holes in my pockets.
The Vic Soldier and the Wenger Standard Issue are the same except the Wenger has a lanyard bail (even the can-opener on the Wenger is the same as the Vics).
Otherwise I feel they are extremely close in all other aspects.
They are addictive too.

[This message has been edited by allenC (edited 02-14-2001).]
 
Victorinox was FIRST... They have a good finish to their line of fine blades. I'd give an A+ to Wenger for innovation!! They are the ones that came up with a SAK that carries a laser pointer!
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Sam

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have spydies
will travel...
AKTI Member #A001148
 
Too bad Wengers blades don't hold an edge for spit (based on the personal experience of myself and several friends).

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Stickfighter2
"I Used To Be Disgusted But Now I'm Just Amused"

"The More Corrupt The State, The More Numerous The Laws"

Publius Cornelius Tacitus
Histories III c.110 A.D.

[This message has been edited by Stickfighter2 (edited 02-14-2001).]
 
I've never had that problem, all the Wengers I own sharpen up real easy and they hold the edge well also (certainly as well as my Vics, but maybe I'm just lucky). I just don't see enough difference to choose the one brand over the other, so I just try to pick the ones with the tool combinations I like best.
 
Victorinox is by far and away the first and finest SAK, IMHO. I've had 3 Wenger SAK's, two of which broke within several weeks under light or moderate stresses. I have about a dozen or so Victorinox models that service my needs rather well. They keep performing any reasonable task I ask of them and resharpen easily when they need it.

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It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.
 
I have a little of both. I think that the quality is slightly better on the Victorinox. I have seen spectacular deals on Wengers at SMKWs. I just got a Wenger that is made for Puma, that is the same basic knife as the Tradesman. I got it for $16.99. I have a Wenger watch that is going on seven years old, it has been through one battery, and four bands. It has also stood up to lots of extreem heavy .45Colt & .44Mag loads(I shoot left handed). I also think that Wenger has an edge in ingenuity. They have a great lock system, and the pocket grip is an awesome design. RKBA!
 
There is NOTHING wrong with Victorinox, and there is nothing RIGHT about Wegner.

I love Vic SAKS, but I wouldn't own a cheap POS Wegner.

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Tráceme no sin la razón, envoltura mi no sin honor
 
Well, I don't much like the steel in either of their knives, but I really do like the Victorinox Swiss Army Watch. Their tritium on their numbers and hands seem very much better than the tritium on the Wenger watch that I have. They both keep excellent time.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh Fuller
 
Both are contractors for the Swiss Army. The issued knife is the one with 4 blades (cutting blade, punch, can opener, and combination screw driver and cap lifter) with silver colored aluminum handles.

This knife is just like our "Boy Scout" or utility style pocketknives. (I own one of each make - Vitorinox and Wenger). This is an excellent pocketknife. I wish the US Army issued a pocketknife to every soldier. I carried a similar one, actually issued to the military, made by Camillus - a good knife.

My opinion is that Wenger knives are better constructed, stronger, available in more models and Wenger is more innovative. Wenger is also usually less expensive. They even have a design your own knife program where you can pretty much specify which tools you want on a knife.(I am not sure if Victorinox has such a program).

Personally, I own several SAKs of each make. I have more Victorinox than Wenger but usually choose to carry a Wenger.

The SAK that I carry daily is the SwissBuck TaskMateII. (SwissBuck is a joint venture between Buck Knives and Wenger - Wenger makes the knives and Buck markets them). The SwissBuck TaskMate II has exactly the tools I need and only cost me $35. Not bad.

Most knockoff look-a-like SAKs are not even worth considering. The one exception is the line that was made by Rodgers in GB in the 70s. They had maroon handles and were pretty decent. Most cost under $5. I have a complete set of the series in my collection. Carried one for a while too.


<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by gitarmac:
I'm confused, who is the real sak producer? I've noticed the wenger ones have what looks like a painted on logo and the victorinox ones have an inlayed silver looking logo. Plus the wengers are much cheaper. Are they different companies? I can't find too much on the web, except wenger is the "origional" and victorinox is the "authentic" or something like that. </font>



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Your survival knife is the knife you have on you when a survival situation arises.
 
I can understand having a personal preference, but to call a Wenger a POS really undermines your credibility.
Compare the Wenger Standard Issue with the Victorinox Soldier, then give some reasons why one is better than the other.


[This message has been edited by allenC (edited 02-15-2001).]
 
Hi Allen,
Fair enough, I have to say I don't own either model you refer to, I have a Vic Tinker and a Vic Hunter.
I've HAD three or four Wegners over the years, all given to me as presents, and my reasons are that the Wegners have never been as durable or as good a quality as the Vics.
Nowhere close.
To me, I can hold up one of each, side by side and SEE the very apparent difference in quality. The fit and finish on the Vic is superiour to the Wegner, the Vic holds an edge much longer, I've never had a handle crack or break on a Vic, but it seems like ALL the Wegners have. The Wegners in my experiance have also exhibited a tendency to loosen up and get sloppy when you apply torque while using a tool, this has never been a problem for me with the Vics.

The confusing thing to me, is that Wegner and Victorinox ARE both contractors to the Swiss Army. You'd think they'd both be held to the same "mil-spec" and I'd guess they probably are now that I think of it.
It's just that Wegner MEETS spec, Victorinox EXCEEDS it.
Big difference.

So okay, maybe I was a bit strong in refering to Wegners as POS, but I can't ever be convinced that they're as good a quality as a Vic.


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Tráceme no sin la razón, envoltura mi no sin honor
 
I can't argue with that.
Besides, overall, I also prefer the Vics (I usually carry the Electrician or the Cadet). I just wish Victorinox had Wenger's spring system for their scissors and Wenger's pressure-lock on the screwdriver/cap-lifter.
 
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