Hello and welcome to my channel
Today we are talking about a knife from the famous manufacturer Wenger that attracts little attention
Very few will know it. I also discovered it by chance
It is very similar to the Victorinox Spartan or the Victorinox Standard
I've already made a video about it. I link you here.
It is particularly similar to the Victorinox Tourist ...
and even more similar to the Victorinox Tourist 1973
And no, it's not about the Wenger Commander or the Classic
It's about this ...
Sounds complicated, but it is kind of like that
Wenger was bought by competitor Victorinox in 2005. That's a shame, but actually quite good...
It was a friendly takeover, so to speak, ...
to prevent Wenger from being taken over by buyers from the Far East. Victorinox absolutely wanted to avoid that.
In this respect it went well.
Unfortunately, a lot of creativity has also been lost due to the takeover. You have to say that.
Wenger was very brave; they brought things onto the market that others would not have dared to do.
Well, now about the knife
This knife has two predecessors. On the one hand the Wenger evolution S101
which also appeared as the Victorinox Evolution S101
Incidentally, one of the few Victorinox models with 85 mm
... and on the other hand the Wenger Classic 101
And this is called Wenger Viking
As I mentioned earlier, it's complicated. But now it finally starts
The Wenger Viking has been around for a very long time. I have a model here from the 1940s / 1950s
... about which I will make an extra video
This Wenger Viking comes from the 1970s / 1980s
... and is a promotional knife with the barely recognizable imprint
"FLEISCHMANN, DIE MODELLBAHN DER PROFIS"  [FLEISCHMANN, THE PROFESSIONAL MODEL RAILWAY]
I'll show you this in the pictures later because I can't capture it on video
FLEISCHMANN was a Nuremberg company that focused on toys and model trains
and I think it's really nice that it has returned to its hometown, so to speak.
The condition is used but OK
Wenger knives from the secondary market are rarely available with handle scales that are undamaged.
Most of the time there is a flaw somewhere.
This is a shame because the handle scales no longer exist.
This knife is fine so far. There are only very small flaws in it, but really nothing dramatic.
Speaking of handle scales ... the successor to the Viking,
the Classic 101 has toothpicks and tweezers built into the handle scales.
this is the only different
This constant name change is perhaps also the reason why hardly anyone here knows this model.
As a manufacturer, I would have kept the name Viking. it sounds better than Wenger Classic 101. My opinion.
what is so special?
It is similar to the 1973 Victorinox Tourist.
The Viking is much more similar to the Tourist, the Spartan or the Standard
than, for example, the Wenger Commander or the Classic, which is often used for comparison.
... it has a nail file instead of a blade
and now it comes
We have a little blade here. And in a pike blade or clippoint shape
This unites these knives ... and the old Victorinox Standard also has a clip point blade
This blade shape is relatively rare at Victorinox.
There is still a gardening knife and some older models, but overall very rare.
Below is the Victorinox 1973, above is the Wenger Viking from the 1970s / 1980s.
Stunning similarity.
Dimensions and weight are very similar. I will put the specs in the video description.
You can read about it there.
There are a few differences, of course
for example
... Wenger has given the blade a slightly more bulbous shape than Victorinox
There's a little more material there
this also applies to the small blade ... this is a bit higher
minimal, maybe 1mm or so
But there are still a few differences. Take Wenger's can opener, for example.
This one is completely different. I have to say that Victorinox has the better system.
We still have the small screwdriver here at Victorinox. I always miss that a little at Wenger.
Otherwise, the awls on these models are very similar.
In both models, the hole is missing to describe it as the correct sewing awl.
The Wenger also has a small shape for the nail groove
That is a little more comfortable. Sometimes you have to fumble around with the Victorinox, to become the awl out of the handle
but they are very similiar
the awl at is slightly sharpened at Victorinox. That is missing from Wenger.
But the shape is very similar. Victorinox on the left, Wenger on the right
Then there is a very big difference, I think
It's about the handle scales
With Victorinox, the handle scales are pressed onto the riveting of the tools and lie directly on the liners
In my opinion, this is the better solution.
At Wenger it is the case that there are small cut-outs on the liners...
these are bent a little higher, then the handle scales are pressed directly onto the liner.
In addition, the liners are overlapped by the handle scales
Overall, Wenger handle scales are a little more vulnerable if the knife falls on the floor
A corner then usually breaks away. That is the small disadvantage.
As mentioned, Wenger no longer offers any handle scales.
Maybe you can still get some on the second market, but that's a matter of luck.
The Wenger Viking can still be found relatively often on the secondary market.
This is definitely interesting for Wenger collectors.
I especially like the clippoint blade, which is rarely found on Swiss knives
This is a beautiful model with a history that goes back a long way. 70, 80, 90 years...
Unfortunately, it has had to endure too many name changes over this period.
In a way, my channel shares this fate ;-)
Well...
For me, an absolute buy recommendation, if you see that somewhere.
The quality is slightly higher at Victorinox, but it is a collector's item.
In addition, it only weighs approx. 50/52 grams and it is a nice size
If you don't want an off-the-shelf Victorinox tourist, you can look around for this knife
The Viking is definitely easier to find than the Victorinox Tourist 1973
I wanted to show you that.
A few pictures following
Then I thank you for your attention, I wish you all the best, very good health.
Until next time
Psssst...it's not over yet
I have a little video reply to the channel STUFF WE DO: knife related. from South Africa
He made a video about the okapi knives. These are these traditional South African knives.
For a while these were also produced in Solingen.
I got hold of a cheap model of it at a flea market.
For € 1.00 a few years ago
I didn't like it at all.
There was a sheet metal on it, which was supposed to represent the moon and the stars.
I tore it down immediately.
Otherwise I shortened the handle a lot.
I filled the end of the handle with a small piece of wood from an ice cream stick
The metal spring on the back of the handle actually goes almost to the end of the handle.
That thing is about that long. I have also shortened these.
I worked on the whole handle with a file.
This had a little more volume
Then I replaced this sheet metal ring with paracord
Sheet or what do I know ... that was some kind of ring.
And...
... I shortened the blade about 3 to 4 cm. It is now a Wharncliffe blade
I like the knife much better that way. It's small, handy, practical.
You get the blade very sharp.
I wanted to show him that, I promised him
This is a little bit clunky.
Nice thing
And as I said, that's what I made of it.
Good, greetings to South Africa
