Victorinox buys Wenger

http://www.europastar.com/europastar/headlines/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000904500

Victorinox has bought the other SAK company Wenger. Wenger apparently had been in financial trouble. The article mentions the SAK business has been hurt by the ban on carrying SAK's on airplanes. Sigh.

I thought the big deal was that there were two companies to maintain that whole "Neutrality" thing. Who's V-Nox going to be neutral with now?

I remember reading something about the huge legal fights those two companies would get into. There were two firms because one invented the knife that earned the adoration of the troops when they bought them personally, but the other was a cutlery manufacturer who was actually in a position to deliver the quantity required when the Swiss military decided to start procuring them directly.

I don't know why two firms were needed for neutrality with pocketknives. I know they've had to do that with guns, the "SIG" in SIG-Sauer is the Swiss company, and Sauer is the German one that was required to get around their laws so they could produce and sell SIG's designs, but I don't think it applies to knives?

From the article linked, it seems like Victorinox had the SAK contract for the Swiss armed forces, making it the "official" SAK, does that mean historically it was Wenger that came up with the design of knife that was popular with the troops, making them the "original" SAK?

I think that because I recall reading that was the terms of the settlement they finally reached, one was "official" and the other was the "original"…

The Swiss army, being diplomatic, bought knives from both Victorinox and Wenger. "La Place de la Concorde Suisse" by John McPhee is an entertaining book (written in English except for the title) about life in the Swiss army, and touches on SAK's and their history.

I view this as potentially good news. Personally, I've always liked Victorinox products more; slight edge on fit and finish and more innovation, such as their small knives with pens in them, or USB thumb drives. Wenger had a better pair of scissors, but that's about it. Hopefully, we'll be seeing some new products that capitalize on both companies strengths.

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AJ_Dual said:
I think that because I recall reading that was the terms of the settlement they finally reached, one was "official" and the other was the "original"…

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Victorinox is considered the "original" swiss army knife and Wenger is considered the "genuine" swiss army knife.

I didn't realize that there was even any problems with Wenger until I read this post. As Solstice said, though, I also prefer Victorinox SAK's.

-Brad