Your opinions on the Wenger EvoGrip S16, please?

R

Rminio

Joined
Oct 2, 2010
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Good evening, I'm looking for a good quality, office friendly and meat-and-potatoes multitool knife. Started considering Victorinox, then ran into a video of the Wenger EvoGrip S16 and I liked it - however, being my first multitool knife, I wonder if anyone on the forum could offer his opinion on the actual quality (materials, build, fit and finish) of this knife.
Thanks! Erminio
 
I don't have experience with that particular model, but my experiences with Wenger are that they make good quality Swiss army knives. I like Victorinox a bit better; their knives have a stronger back spring and I prefer the way they made some of their tools. The EvoGrip scales on the Wenger knives are really nice and comfortable.
 
It may have been my video, further down in this forum you saw? It compares the Wenger EvoGrip S16 to the Victorinox Super Tinker.

  • The quality is very good
  • It only has one blade, the large one. Is that OK? It has a nail file/flat #1 Phillips instead of a small blade
  • The locking blade is a nice feature, but the lock release obstructs the scissors nail nick a bit. Not a problem if you don't chew your nails down.
  • The shape and grip of the scales is far superior to Victorinox's offerings in this size range
  • The serrated scissors are great, especially for cutting tougher materials. They really grab ahold of the material you're cutting. The internal spring is better too, than the external leaf spring Victorinox uses. It seems to be much more durable.
  • The awl is not sharpened on the side, so it is not as good as Victorinox's for drilling holes in something.
  • The scales are molded of a more durable plastic than Victorinox's Cellidor plastic
  • Victorinox's springs are stronger, and the tools are usually a bit thicker. Victorinoxes work better when you've let them fill up with pocket lint than Wengers do.
  • The locking flat head screwdriver is a great design.
  • It's shorter in length than the equivalent Victorinox: 3-1/4" vs. 3-1/2"

They're both good knives.

As an office-type knife, you might consider the Small Tinker. It is a 3-1/4" knife, and is only 2 layers thick. You lose the scissors, but if you work in an office, you probably have scissors in your desk anyway. This is a much smaller knife to carry in a pants pocket than a 3 layer model, but big enough to get at least 3 fingers on the grip.
 
Thanks for your detailed answer, Jeremy - it was indeed your video I saw, a good one.
Follow up question if you don't mind: in the "folder world" I came to expect a blade aligned as a sign of quality - as I wrote, I'm a newbie with SAKs so I wonder: should I expect in the Wenger tools aligned with the scales or this isn't usually the case even in quality SAKs?
Thanks again! Erminio
 
Rminio said:
Thanks for your detailed answer, Jeremy - it was indeed your video I saw, a good one.
Follow up question if you don't mind: in the "folder world" I came to expect a blade aligned as a sign of quality - as I wrote, I'm a newbie with SAKs so I wonder: should I expect in the Wenger tools aligned with the scales or this isn't usually the case even in quality SAKs?
Thanks again! Erminio
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure what you're asking here. It sounds like you might be referring to the backsprings being flush with the liners and scales, is that right?

If so, only SAKs with no tools on the back will have the backsprings being flush with the liners and scales. A couple examples are the Victorinox Pocket Pal and Recruit. So in SAKs, this is not really a factor. Victorinox and Wenger SAKs are both massed produced in precision manner, and they have no problems making everything flush.... when they want to. But adding back tools throws that out the window in the interest of more functionality.

I think it is because when a back tool is open, it might cause the spring to be riding higher, and not be flush.

This is only really an issue when whittling, when the difference in height of the liners and backsprings makes the back of the knife a bit more abrasive to the hand during extensive high pressure use. I spent an hour or two whittling with my Victorinox Tinker yesterday, doing the heavy material removal. I have two blisters on my hand now. So I have a Recruit on the way to hopefully alleviate that with the flush backsprings. :)
 
Thanks again Jeremy, I was actually just referring to the main (only, in the Wenger case) blade being aligned and not touching one side or the other of the liners.
Regards, Erminio
 
Rminio said:
Thanks again Jeremy, I was actually just referring to the main (only, in the Wenger case) blade being aligned and not touching one side or the other of the liners.
Regards, Erminio
Click to expand...

The quality and f&f of the Evos is very good.
Generally blades and tools are well aligned, as are the tools.
This is true for most any Wenger or Victorinox.
 
I don't have a 16 but do have an 18 and love it. I have an evo 18 and an evowood 18. I like both swiss companies but prefer Vic scissors over wenger. I cut a lot of paracord and the wengers don't give as clean and flush cut as the vics. That's due to wenger scissors being serrated but they are also self sharpening.

Sent from Ash forum mobile
 
The thing with the blades is they have to be slightly crinked to one side to allow space for the small blade or nail file to fit in the same layer. It is quite common to see a blade with "rub" marks from hitting either the other tool in the layer or a liner. Not all do as its a quality control issue. If you are looking for perfection in a folding knife best bet is a hand made one from a master cutler.
 
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