Wenger Ranger – Swiss knives info

Links for collectors

By Marsax | 26. January, 2020 - 21:19 |26. November, 2020 Overview

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The Online Encyclopedia of the Swiss Army Knife. Tons of information.

A place to discuss tools from Victorinox and Wenger. Discussions with kind knife enthusiasts from all over the world.

Info about 91mm tools. Great help for dating knives. Info about the 108mm models.

A page of an old Victorinox catalog from 1970 with an overview of all Alox models with names and numbers.

My knife pictures, fotos, pictures, photos, fotos, pictures, photos, fotos, pictures, photos……

A german knife forum with kind knife enthusiasts mostly from german speaking countries. Custom made and serial knives discussions.

Pdf Flyer describing in german Wenger’s limited knife serie 2013 “United Woods”.

Wenger Ranger Model 38

By Marsax | 16. August, 2014 - 16:09 |16. August, 2014 Wenger Ranger

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Wenger’s Ranger serie in 120 mm was introduced in 1990 and manufactured at least til the end of 2007.

In this post I want to show two special models produced in 2011. Probably these knives where made out of spare stock parts to consume old stock. The blade is from the Alinghi 177 model.

The two models have the identification numbers 1 92 38 36 and 1 92 38 38. The only difference between these two is the phillips screwdriver added to model 38 38.

Wenger United Woods

By Marsax | 10. November, 2013 - 19:35 |17. December, 2013 Limited Edition

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In October 2013 Wenger released a Limited Edition set called “UNITED WOODS“. It’s limited to 2013 sets worldwide and contains six knives.

Five of the knives have scales made of different types of wood. Each wood represents one of the five major continents of the world. The sixth knife has red evo scales and represents Wengers’s home, the Swiss canton Jura.

The set comes in a nice wooden box. An included book contains info about Wenger, the knives and the wood used for the scales.

The Box and the Book (click on the images to enlarge and to see all)

Europe Evolution 17, Olive wood

America Ranger 60, Maple wood

Oceania Ranger 55, Jarrah wood

Asia Nail Clip 580, Makassar wood

Africa Evolution 14, Thuya wood

Delémont Evo S557, Wenger Switzerland/Jura

Info about this Limited Edition Set see also Limited Edition Flyer.

Wenger SwissEvo serie

By Marsax | 16. March, 2013 - 17:05 |16. March, 2013 Wenger 85mm

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Wenger has released a nice serie of 4 Evo10 knives. Each knife has scales with a typical Swiss motiv.

Swiss chocolate, Swiss cheese, Swiss cow and Postauto.

Switzerland’s chocolate is the best in the world.

Emmentaler is a yellow cheese that originated in Emmental, Switzerland. It has big holes and is known as “The Swiss cheese”.

Swiss cows produce the fine milk for the fine Swiss cheese and chocolate.

The yellow buses from Swiss PostBus. The leading bus company in Switzerland.

Soldier model 1961

By Marsax | 27. January, 2013 - 19:28 |22. March, 2020 Soldier

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Victorinox and Wenger have produced the Soldier model 1961 from 1962 untill 2008. This model is 93mm long and has Alox scales. It was officially issued to the Swiss Army during these years. Victorinox knife is also called “Soldier’s knife”. Wenger’s knife is called “Standard Issue” (SI). Each knife has the year of production stamped on the tang of the backside of the main blade. Untill 1987 each knife carries a WK-stamp on the frontside scale. WK stands for Waffenkontrolle. This is the quality inspection stamp of Swiss Army.
During this long period of time, the knife was changed a few times. Most of the changes concerned the scales.
In this article I describe 5 variants of the model 1961.

Model 1961

Model 1961 started with red Alox scales and was issued between 1962 and 1965.

It has a mainblade, an awl, a cap lifter with screwdriver and wire stripper and a can opener with small screwdriver.

Picture: Soldier model 1961, Elsener 1962

Picture: Soldier model 1961, backside, Elsener 1962

Pictures: Cross with W-K stamp and tang stamp Elsener and Wenger Delemont

The year stamp on the Victorinox knives is deeper and bold than on the Wenger knives.

Pictures: Year stamp on an Elsener 1962 and a Wenger 1963

Model 1961 Variant 1 (1966 – 77)

From 1966 the scale color changed. They were no longer red, but silver. The main reason was that the anodizing was not very wear resistant. Therefore Swiss Army renounced the red color and the scales were anodized in silver.
During a few years (1965 – about 1975) the soldier was still produced with red scales simultaneously with the silver one. Probably because the two companies had red scales on stock and didn’t want to waste the material.

Picture: Soldier model 1961, Variant 1, Wenger 1966

Pictures: Tang stamp and Cross with W-K stamp, Wenger 1966

Model 1961 Variant 2 (1972 – 1977)

1972 the W-K stamp was rotated 90° to the right. The reason is unknown.

Picture: W-K stamp from 1972 rotated 90° to the right

1976 (maybe 1975) Victorinox changed the tang stamp from ELSENER SCHWYZ VICTORIA to VICTORINOX SWITZERLAND STAINLESS ROSTFREI

Picture: Victorinox tang stamp since 1976

Model 1961 Variant 3 (1977 – 1987)

Between 1977 and 1987 new scales with a red shield and Swiss cross were used. The W-K stamp was placed at the bottom of the knife above the hollow rivet into a quadratic spot.

Picture: Soldier model 1961, Variant 3, Victorinox 1979

Picture: Swiss arms Picture: W-K Stamp

Model 1961 Variant 4 (1987 – 1993)

In 1987 Swiss Army decided that it was no longer required to put a W-K stamp on each knife. After Victorinox and Wenger delivered so many years high quality knives, Swiss Army stopped quality inspections. Victorinox and Wenger than produced new scales without the spot for the W-K stamp.

Picture: Soldier model 1961, Variant 4, Victorinox 1991

During some years (1987 – about 1990) both companies still used their old stock Alox scales with the W-K spot for the soldier knife simultaneously with the new scales. These knives did not longer have the W-K stamp, but a blank spot.

Picture: Soldier model 1961, Variant 4 without W-K stamp, Wenger 1988

Picture: Empty quadratic spot

Over the years Wenger produced knives with a bail attached to the hollow rivet. But these knives were not issued to the Swiss Army, they were produced for the privat market only.

Picture: Bail on a Wenger

Model 1961 Variant 5 (1993 – 2008)

From 1993 Victorinox replaced the hollow rivet with a usual rivet like the other two rivets. The cap lifter became a notch to bend wire and the wire stripper was eliminated.

Picture: Soldier model 1961, Variant 5, Victorinox 2004

Picture: Cap lifter before and after 1993

2008 Victorinox and Wenger produced the last soldiers model 1961.

Picture: Final Production Run, Victorinox 2008

Wenger continued with the production of this model untill 2013, but without year stamp on the tang. It was sold to the privat market only.

Picture: Commemorative knife, Wenger 2011

2008 Victorinox started with the production of the new Soldier model 2009. This new Soldier is no longer an Alox 93mm model, but a modern 111mm knife.
Wenger is no longer a supplier for the soldier’s knife to the Swiss Army.

Tag Archives: Wenger Ranger

Links for collectors

Wenger Ranger Model 38

Wenger United Woods

Wenger SwissEvo serie

Soldier model 1961

Model 1961

Model 1961 Variant 1 (1966 – 77)

Model 1961 Variant 2 (1972 – 1977)

Model 1961 Variant 3 (1977 – 1987)

Model 1961 Variant 4 (1987 – 1993)

Model 1961 Variant 5 (1993 – 2008)

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Model 1961

Model 1961 Variant 1 (1966 – 77)

Model 1961 Variant 2 (1972 – 1977)

Model 1961 Variant 3 (1977 – 1987)

Model 1961 Variant 4 (1987 – 1993)

Model 1961 Variant 5 (1993 – 2008)

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