Wenger Standard Issue vs. Victorinox "Old" Soldier

[montitaz]

I got a slightly different version of the Soldier one in 1983 recruits' school. It's got a hole too, but without the loop. We were taught to use the SAK as a pendulum weight by attaching a string through the hole, and get the right angle for doing arc shots of anti-tank grenades with our AR. Add a feature by drilling a hole in the tool. Nice.

Well, these grenades were later replaced by other weapons, and you had no use for a pendulum any more.

[1jump2many]

@montitaz: I've seen some of the older Vic Soldiers that have the lanyard hole in them. They are highly collectable. Interesting use of the hole. With all the fire and forget weapons in use today you were definitely doing things "old school". Thanks for sharing, interesting information.

[Pattas29]

Awesome video I am trying (with great difficulty) to get my hands on a Vic Soldier. Hopefully I will find one and i can compare myself. You are a fan any ideas where i might locate one?. Awesome vid mate

Take Care

[1jump2many]

@Pattas29: They come and go these days. Besides eBay, check out edcsource(dot)com. I noticed they have some "pre-owned" ones on there currently. I imagine you would want a new one, so check there from time to time. Also check out Multitool(dot)org. It's a great site with a lot of people that are very knowledgeable about SAK's and multitools. Good luck.

[anotherchannel0]

I was looking into getting this knife but wasn't sure about the quality, so thanks for making this vid!

[rookerzzz]

Hey man great vid, Im also die hard victorinox over wenger, but I have to agree I like the standard issue better too, but not because of the lanyard ring, I like the shape of the blade over the soldier...but..I love both knives ;p

[2kargarage1]

Nice

[SCAREDBANANA]

That wenger is my favorite edc tool. the only negative thing is that the loop can get between the blade and the handle and chip the blade if your not careful. But still it´s grate knife.

[1jump2many]

@SCAREDBANANA: I like the Wenger SI. It's a solid alox style soldier but readily available. I own a couple of them. One of them I replaced the steel bail aka lanyard loop with a piece of Kelty Triptease through the holes. The Triptease works great, and won't damage you blade should you accidentally shut the main down too early

[quick1911]

You mentioned the blade width but does the Wegner have a thick blade like a Solider, Pioneer or Farmer? Thanks.

[1jump2many]

@quick1911: Yes. The blades are very close in design but that is not to say exact. The knifes were built to the Swiss Army's specifications and when the alox versions were first produced the contracts went to both independent companies. As we all know now, Victorinox bought out Wenger in 2005. Like I mentioned, they are not exact but the difference in blade shape isn't enough to be concerned about.

[SadFaceTV]

so glad i was able to pick up an 'old' soldier this summer. my fav EDC knife

[QWERTYOLOGABLE1]

My First SAK was a victorinox

[INTHEHONOROFROCK]

I think I'm buying a wenger if I can find it if not it's going to be the pioneer which I will buy anyway

[INTHEHONOROFROCK]

How many soldiers do you have?

[AusTactical]

i closed the wenger knife on the bail within the first hour of buying it -.- fail

[five5masters]

Find an older Vic Soldier. I have an 83 that my dad gave me its got the lanyard hole and the k+ quality mark. I carry it everyday.

[rookerzzz]

Great video. Love both knives.

[Pattas29]

I thought all the soldiers knifes were wenger as the symbol for Vic is different?

Anyway awesome video mate

Take care

[1jump2many]

@Pattas29: Victorinox started producing the "New Soldier" in 2008. They stopped producing the alox Soldier then. You can still find Victorinox alox Soldiers on eBay and other sites. But they are becoming harder to find.

[pg9168]

@Pattas29 The logo on the Soldier knife is actually the Swiss national coat of arms. It's different from both the Wenger and Victorinox logo. (Wenger is a cross in a square with rounded corners.)

[avgas115]

Your assumption is correct. The specs came from the Swiss army. The knife is specified to have all the tools to take the Rifle (SIG 510) apart. Since the mid 90's the Swiss army changed the rifles. Don't know - I'm now RET - but I guess this turned the "Soldier" into the "Old Soldier". BTW, a lot of soldiers hat two of these. One to use and one to show on inspection how 'clean' it is. These knifes have also a bit of a problem if it gets very cold (below 0), they 'jam' a bit.

[mjhaskell]

Not tru theyr the same company

[ITproduct1on]

Wenger made a copy of Victorinox. That's not better, they took Victorinox knife, change some things, added better steal and they got Victorinox Solider 2 .

[trollgoal]

Ya know... Vic bought Weg in 2005...it's Wegtorinox now...

[1jump2many]

@trollgoal: Yes, that was addressed in the video and earlier posts.

[IFixGuns]

Yes they did.

[nardmanman]

haha pronounce it Venger not Wanger

[1jump2many]

@nardmanman: Read below, that issue has already been addressed.

[nardmanman]

@1jump2many No kidding, it's a swiss-french brand...I didn't know that well pardon my last comment, sorry for any offense :( 

[surferstapleton]

I just got an "old" soldier for $14 =D Gotta love eBay =P

[Slash28ACR]

Why is the Pioneer differeint to the Soldier?

I thought they were EXACTLY the same..?

[1jump2many]

@Slash28ACR: They are, with 3 very small differences. The shields are different, there is an engraving space on the Pioneer and the Pioneer has a keychain ring. Those are the only differences, very minor for the most part.

[Slash28ACR]

@1jump2many That's very helpful, thanks a lot!

[jezzafox]

the only downside with the Wenger is that the blade can snap shut on the lanyard ring thing if it is in the wrong position. I've done that a couple of times and have a little notch in the blade as a result

[gertsafari]

Did you happen to notice the difference between the bottle openers come flat screwdriver? I appears to be in the execution of the wire stripper.

[CanItAlready]

I only have one full-sized Wenger and it seems to have a bit more of a belly than the Victorinox knives I have, but the blade's a tad shorter because the knife itself is only 84mm. Or maybe the pronounced belly's just an optical illusion.

[NFCRFX250]

Nice Sak´s.....those 2 are a must have by the way.I have those in box......no outdoors, not even minor paper cut for testing.....The Wenger is a 2003 and have 3 Victorinox 2008 model.Nice videos.N. Ferreira from Portugal.

[1jump2many]

@NFCRFX250: The Wenger SI's are still easily found in the US. But the Victorinox alox Soldier's are becoming less and less available. It's a good idea to keep them in boxes, especially enlight that you are a collector. I love alox SAK's.

[NFCRFX250]

@1jump2many I search the Victorinox Soldier in my last trip to Switzerland (10/2010) and did not found a single one...But the Wenger still could be found there easily.

[1jump2many]

@NFCRFX250: I still see the alox Soldier show up in new condition on eBay from time to time. Also a great place to get hard to find SAK's is Felinevet(dot)com. It's a US site but he does ship International. He has some interesting SAK's on his site. Click on the "Hard to Find & Discontinued Swiss Army Knife Models" link in the left column. Good hunting. :-)

[drewzimmm]

im a fan to the red wengers

[CutleryNovice]

Ahh the old Victoriniox vs Wenger,look up cutlerylovers review on his new Wenger for some cool info

[sphonaut]

The military spec. the knife and the companies send there quotes in... that simple.. bye the way.. the new army knife is in my opinion better.

swiss guy

[1jump2many]

@sphonaut: I like the 08 Soldier, it's definitely a better design for it's purpose. The addition of a saw, larger blade and ergonomics are huge advantages. I don't understand the continued need for a can opener though. Does the Swiss Army still use rations in cans and not MRE type rations?

[SuperSchwebel]

The "W" is pronounced in Wenger, it is not a pronounced like a "V". The Wenger's are made in Delemont Switzerland, in the French speaking section of the country. Less than 3% of the population there are German speaking. It is almost 90% French speaking. In fact the German word for Delemont is Delsburg, which is not inscribed on the blade. Sorry it just irks me when people are quick to point out things that they have no idea about. I like the Wenger soldier better. The bail is a nice feature.

[1jump2many]

@SuperSchwebel: I take it you are posting this comment to crimsonspade308? Irregardless, the way the company pronounces the name is spoken in their video. Search YouTube for "Wenger Brand Video (German)". I speak English, I don't pronounce my W's like V's.

[mclmatty]

@1jump2many god that guy is a douche bag lol

[TrekkerPro]

@SuperSchwebel agreed

[crimsonspade308]

VAGNAR! It's not pheonetic man.

[1jump2many]

@crimsonspade308: I speak English and don't pronounce my W's like V's. I was stationed in Germany twice so I have an "idea" what Deutsch sounds like. Not to mention it's not "Vagnar", as you suggest, but pronounced "Venger" in Deutsch. I suggest you watch the video on YouTube titled "Wenger Brand Video (German)".

[crimsonspade308]

@1jump2many I've been corrected by so many german exchange students that it is engraned into my head now.

It now bugs me to hear it pronounced wrong

[1jump2many]

@crimsonspade308: Yes, I know what you mean. I have an Irish last name but it is also a common German word. The 5 years I was stationed in Germany they always pronounced it their way and I would correct them, but it didn't matter. I also notice Victorinox is pronounced a couple different ways, depending on where the person is. I hear it pronounced "Victoreenox". I guess it's just all in the interpretation.

[crimsonspade308]

@1jump2many Yeah it sounds obnoxious when things are mispronounce, it just irks me.

[V6outdoors]

@1jump2many ugh, people try and jump on me for pronouncing "Wenger" with a W instead of a V. i dont say Folksvagen either, but if you want to be sure...

search for a video called "Wenger Brand Video (English)" and hear the CEO of Wenger pronounce it with a W and not V.

i take his word for it.

[1jump2many]

@V6outdoors: Yes I agree about the pronunciation of the "W". I brought the subject up in an earlier post with SuperSchwebel. I thought he pronounced it with a "W" and not a "V". I was stationed in Germany twice so I know how the language is spoken. Everyone seems to have their own idea. :-)

[jatrias]

Thank you very much!

[jatrias]

Hi! I have a Victorinox 08 alox soldier and a Wenger 06 standard issue . I 've noticed that ,on the Wenger ,the spine of the blade is thicker all the way to the tip and the Victorinox is thinner near the tip. Also i would like to know if you have noticed any major difference between the blade steel used by both brands? Great knife collection and reviews! Finally, did you ever got around to make a video on the Rough Rider 4 bladed scout pattern knives? Are they any good for any real use? Thx U!

[1jump2many]

@jatrias: Victorinox's stainless steel is proprietary. I would imagine Wenger's was/is too. I have a .pdf by Victorinox titled "Everything you need to know about Multi-tools and cultery" that gives some information. I can't seem to remember where I found it. Try SAKWiki or SOSAKonline they might have it. I did buy a Rough Rider scout knife but haven't used it yet. One of these days I will do a video on my Camper/Scout knives. I'm still partial to Case Campers though.

[flashdamingo]

Its interesting , camping stores always stock vic , but keycutters / shoe repair guys always have wenger

[HaloHamstur]

So wenger a victorinox are the same company? its confusing

[1jump2many]

@HaloHamstur: Don't let it confuse you. Victorinox bought Wenger out in 2005. According to a Victorinox release entitled "Two brands - two strategic directions" they state that the Wenger brand will be "Active Outdoor" and the Victorinox brand will be "Practical Luxury". It sounds to me the quality emphasis will be on the Victorinox SAK's.

[HaloHamstur]

@1jump2many thanks for replying clears things up they make things confusing though both sites dont link in any way

[labrat7357]

Hi, Both companies claim to be the "Original" Swiss army knife and apparently both companies have conflicting documents to prove it. I have a lot of the soldier and farmer models. The only real difference I have found is in the earlier 1970s models the blade on the Vic was plated (Yes it is plated, not cheap nasty chrom but the industrial hard chrome )) and the Weg was not at that stage.I have a vic where the plating is lifting, That was the only way I picked it also you can see a lineif you try

[chjens5]

Same can opener...?

[1jump2many]

@chjens5: Yep 

[chjens5]

@1jump2many Ow that have always benne the main differences i did check it and they have youse the victorinox one on bouth witch is great

[swissue2]

Although it feels somewhat blasphemous for you to prefer a Wenger knife over Victorinox, 200+ vs. 2 is a good measure of your preference! That ratio is pretty analagous to worldwide opinion as well!

[diocleziano01]

is the wenger a fake victorinox, or was it used in swiss army too?

[1jump2many]

@diocleziano01: Wenger used to be it's own brand. And a very successful brand too. You will find many people prefer Wenger over Victorinox, although IMO more people like Victorinox better, myself included. Victorinox bought Wenger in 2005 and kept the Wenger name. From my understanding, the Swiss Army issued both the Victorinox Soldier and the Wenger SI. Today they issue the Victorinox 2008 Soldier, aka "new Soldier".

[diocleziano01]

@1jump2many ok thanks, so both brands were producing two different knives with the same specifications for the swiss army.. i didn't know.

bye

[cretinkiller9000]

@1jump2many

they still issue both Victorinox and Wenger

despite them both been owned by Vic there

is still dispute which started first so not to

offend ether they have 50/50 knifes in the

swiss army.

[1jump2many]

@cretinkiller9000: From my understanding the issue knife now is the 2008 Soldier which is a Victorinox branded knife. When the Swiss Army issued the silver alox model it was both the Wenger SI and the Victorinox alox Soldier. I have a .pdf I found online titled "Two brands - two strategic directions" that explains the sales directions for both brands. Check out SAKwiki, they have a lot of great information.

[zippo9211989]

good info

[Synaesthesiae]

Wenger was always superior, especially on knifes with scissors.

[LedZeppelin13k7]

I was stationed in Germany for a while. We'd take trips to Switzerland and every person we asked always prefered Wenger over Victorinox and so do I.

[bclark11]

I have the Wenger Standard Issue... The only problem that I see with the "Bail" is that you have to be careful not to close the main blade on it... I have dont this several times and dinged up the edge.... I wound up just removing the ring and running a peice of hollowed out paracord through the hole.

[1jump2many]

@bclark11: Yeah, I did the same to one of the SI's I have but used Kelty Triptease instead of hollowed out paracord. Vic Soldier models stamped 92 or earlier have a hollow rivet for the purpose of adding a lanyard. I'm not sure why they went with a closed rivet after 92.

[FTA4evr]

Are there any other Wegners marked as Victorinox?

[FTA4evr]

I have both knives: Wegner '88, and Vic '06. Both are marked Victorinox. Why are some Wegners, such as the Standard Issue,  marked Victorinox and other models are marked Wegner?

[1jump2many]

@FTA4evr: Was the "88 Wenger SI marked Victorinox purchased brand new or was it used? It could have been a mod if you purchased it second hand. In 2005 Victorinox bought Wenger but still maintain the Wenger brand name. They still make the Alox SI by Wenger but the Victorinox Soldier has been replaced by the 2008 Soldier aka "new Soldier".

[GhostInTheShell09]

i just saw on amazon the wenger standard issue is avaliable for purchase price of $19.50 seems like a great deal. And the discontinued Victorinox soldier, well they had one for $141.13 !!! i think i'll pick up a wenger standard issue always wanted a soldier but now they are hard to find it seems. thx for posting this review. it really helped me figure out what i want and what i can get.

[1jump2many]

Glad my video was helpful. $19.50 is a great price for the Wenger SI. I see them at Gander Mountain for $34. If you also want a Vic Alox Soldier check out Felinevet. He has a 08 "Final Production Run", NIB, for $35. At least he does right now. Just Google Felinevet for the URL. It's a great place to buy SAK's. 

[walshk6079]

The only problem I have with the Wenger version is the lanyard loop can accidentally get caught in the snap close position, and dents the main blade.... thats what happened to mine anyway.

[1jump2many]

Yeah, I've accidentally closed the main blade on the bail before too. I've got other knives with bails on them too like Case, Camillus, Bear Cutlery, etc. They are Camper/Scout style knives. I try to remember to make sure the bail isn't in the way but it doesn't always happen. :-)

[UBERGRIMKVLT]

The ring on the Wagner is nice for putting it on your keychain. However, if you don't put something on it, it has a tendency to block the blade and get dented. I bought the Wegner after my vic soldier was lost. All in all they perform the same, but the keyring can damage your blade if you're not careful.

[NunoCRFX]

i have one of both those kives,and never realize that they had those diferences!!!!

[MrZotZot]

I personally think they should have kept the same relative build for the soldier. I'm not too big a fan of the new design. I would have liked to see a thicker version of the "old" soldier with a larger thicker blade that has liner locks in it. I think that would have been more efficent. In my personal opinion the new one is too bulky. Keep it sleek and compact.

Awsome vid...Don't worry you're not raising any hairs lol.

[nottoshaby]

go vic

[nenecherie65]

As for the new 08 soldiers knife, the contract was given to VIC for 2 simple reasons. The first is that the knife was slightly cheaper and the second was that it can also be used by left handed soldiers. Quality-wise the Wenger RangerGrip 178.823.X which was up against the VIC 08 soldiers knife, is of greater quality and can be fully used with one hand for the opening and closing of the main blade, which for an infantry officer like myself, is much more useful in training and combat situations.

[1jump2many]

Thanks for the information. I've got several of Vic's One-Hand Linerlock knives. I've always thought the left handed liner lock had something to do with the knife laws in Europe. I am a big fan of Vic SAK's and particularly Vic Alox SAK's. If you have any interesting Alox SAK's that you want to sell or trade let me know. Thanks for your input.

[nenecherie65]

Regarding the above Swiss Army 1970 soldiers knife, which I received in recruit school, I confirm that the technical specifications were imposed by the Swiss Army, reason why both executions, Victorinox and Wenger are identical.

[nenecherie65]

For your edification, Victorinox does not own Wenger. It's the Victorinox owners (the Elsener family) who own Wenger. The Wenger and Victorinox groups are seprate profit centers. The factories are independant, as well as the technical, marketing and sales divisions.

[MrZotZot]

I personally feel that Victorinox soldier is waaaayyyy better quality than the Wenger.

I think there's a reaason that the Swiss Millitary chose Victorinox..My 2 cents because you can't rival the fit and finish, the durability, and the overall attention to detail. The Victorinox just seems more well made. I had a Wenger and through camping expeditions it broke under moderate use. My Victorinox is still goin strong after 12 years with no problems.

Great comparison 5*****

[1jump2many]

As I mentioned in the video, I have a bias for Victorinox. Actually Victorinox bought Wenger in 2005 so they are no longer separate companies. I have 102 SAK's and all but 9 are Victorinox. IMO the Wenger Standard Issue is the only Wenger SAK that is comparable to a Victorinox SAK. And that is because the specifications for both the Wenger SI and Vic Alox Soldier were from the Swiss government. Most people I know favor Victorinox.

[mindsmirror]

Quick comment on the reamer:

They both appear to have a 90 degree angle on the inside of the reamer, where it counts. What's different is that the Victorinox's reamer has been rounded off at the rear, which helps you avoid scratching up the main blade when you take the reamer out or put it back into the handle. The Wenger's reamer is NOT an improved reamer, it just isn't machined as much and is a sign of laziness, not higher quality.

You also didn't mention the rivets or the emblem color son!!

[gaymenlikeme]

ok i lied, but i still think you wrong

[gaymenlikeme]

its WEGNER not WENGER

your driving me NUTS

[tierrylinokingt]

victorinox own wegner

i even have an older one than the one u have from Wegner

[WAFFLES081]

Doesn't victorinox own wegner? I remember hearing that somewhere, oh well.

Also the rivets seem different between the two.

[1jump2many]

Yes, Victorinox bought Wenger in 2005 but they are retaining the Wenger name. I don't know how much longer Wenger will continue to produce the Standard Issue in Alox though. I've heard rumors that, like Victorinox, they will discontinue to make an Alox version.

[mindsmirror]

Yeah, I hate to see any SAK with the Alox scales go away, but it makes sense that they'd discontinue the Soldier because most people can't see any difference between a Soldier and a Pioneer. The two models compete with one another too much and since the military contract on the classic Soldier is done there's not much reason for the company to continue selling both the classic Soldier and the Pioneer.

[zhlub4321]

"I have probably 50 Swiss Army knives" When you said that, my blood ran cold. I think I have the same disease. My sock drawers and other junk repositories are filling with these (and Leatherman tools ) I wonder, will there eventually be an organization for guys like us called "Multi-tool collectors anonymous? " If so, see you there my friend! Lol!

[1jump2many]

I have even more SAK's than I did when I posted this video. I have around 60 Multi-tool's not including SAK's. You should check out Multi-tool (dot) org. It's a great forum and from the sounds of it you would fit right in. :-) Lots of discussion on various SAK's and MT's. Although it's not the place to go if you're trying to kick the habit. :-) Thanks for watching.

[wolfie83]

I like the wenger, was after a vic soldier and couldnt find one...poked around and found a SI and love it, its now my main EDC, love the bail and as said in the vid its perfect for some 550 paracord. If you hike do a longer hangman knot lanyard so you have some backup cord if you need it. Best $20 I ever spent on a knife frankly.

[marsax4411]

Hi, nice video.

Just a few infos. An additional minor difference. All soldiers (Vic) and Standard Issues (SI-Wenger) have a year stamp one the mainblade tang. The numbers on SI are a bit smaller than the Vic numbers.

Vic soldiers build before 1993 have also the hollow rivet at the bottom and you could attach a bail or push a thin cord or wire trough it ;-)

I'm pretty sure the SI distributed to the Swiss soldiers didn't have the bail.

[1jump2many]

I'm glade you brought the date stamp point to my attention. I have two SI's and one has a date stamp the other doesn't. The one in the video is the one that doesn't. I knew about the alox Soldier date stamps. I also knew about the rivet on the early alox Soldiers. If you have one in unused condition let me know. It would be a great addition to my collection. I didn't know the SI that was issued to Swiss Troops didn't have a bail though. Thanks for the information, I appreciate it. :-)

[hapciupalit]

thanx for the video, but i think i'll still remain faithfull to victorinox :P

[fredhart]

5 star video, thanks for the info, I just bought the Wenger

[CTS2412]

i like your vids you should do a vid on all of your saks

[Twnewby]

Is it worth buying the Wenger for the bail?

[1jump2many]

I like the bail, you can tie paracord to it or some other type of lanyard. The Victorinox Soldier doesn't have even a keychain ring on it, so no place to add a lanyard. Price wise, they are both about the same. Maybe a slight edge to the Soldier because there seem to be more Vic knives on the market. Check out eBay, they are pretty close in price.

[Twnewby]

thanks

i will keep that in mind

[Twnewby]

which is better for the price???

[KalConduitman]

great vid man you should make more!

[DagAndersEriks1]

dean take wenger

[photolabguy]

How about the can opener? Are both can openers identical? I dislike the Wenger can openers.

[1jump2many]

The can openers are identical. The bottle openers are also very close to identical. There may be a slight angle difference going toward the large screw driver blade on the Wenger. But not really enough to mention in the video. I'm not a fan of Wenger when it comes to SAK's but I was very surprised by the Standard Issue.

[KalConduitman]

your right. the army asked for only essentials. if soldiers wanted a cork screw they would need to bye it them selves. but it funny because we Americans the swiss army knife it was called the swiss officers knife but Americans in WW2 called it swiss army knife for short :)

[QuietBearr]

Wenger and Victorinox are the same company now.

Ever since 1995 Victorinox bought Wenger and now everything is Victorinox.

[1jump2many]

Yeah, I was aware of that. Actually it was April of 2005, but Vic kept the Wenger brand. I guess it was for those who are Wenger fans.