Customer Reviews

Wenger 16520 Standard Issue Swiss Army Knife

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I bought this knife about six months ago, just before the Christmas holiday. I'd never really had a Wenger swiss army knife before, only Victorinox. I didn't really know what to expect. I'd heard that the build quality wasn't as great. I'd heard that the fit and finish were not up to standard. I'd also heard that the backspring wasn't nearly as strong as a Vic. Rather than steer completely clear of Wengers, I decided to give them a shot. I bought this and an EvoGrip 18.

First, a little background on the knife. It has four tools on it; a knife blade, can opener, cap lifter, and an awl. It's the spitting image of the Vic Soldier, except it has a bail on the end (effectively a D-ring attached through a hollow rivet). The Soldier has nothing to attach it to anything, but it makes it more pocketable. The bail gives the Standard Issue a larger profile as well. Fortunately, I like being able to attach it to a key ring or lanyard, if need be.

First off, the build quality is superb. The fit and finish are every bit as well built as the Soldier, and even offers a few advantages. I came to find out that the profile of the blade was a little different from the Soldier. It's rounder, with a little more belly. I like cutting with it more than I do the other. The awl is pointier too. That might not make much of a difference, but it's made me rely on this knife more than I have most others in my collection.

The cap lifter is great for light prying and opening up a frosty brew. It hasn't loosened at all, and has become one of my favorite tools on the knife. The can opener is the same you'll find on any Vic knife; if you look at Wenger's standard opener, you'll see it's more of a hawkbill shape. While neither are inherently superior for opening tins, this style opener works as a makeshift phillips driver at the drop of a hat. I've used it before, but wasn't thrilled with it for this purpose. It works though.

The silver scales are spectacular as well. Unlike the colored alox on many Vic knives, the silver color will not fade. It's more or less age proof.

I would recommend this knife to everyone who is looking for a reliable, sturdy knife. It may not have one-handed opening and a fool proof lock, but it's a SAK; it's not meant to.

I bought this knife about 5 years ago. I was carrying a leatherman super tool at the time but felt like i was carrying a lot of useless stuff around when all I used it for was the blades and the screwdriver. (don't get me wrong, the leatherman is an A+ tool, but a bit much for and EDC.) This knife covers all the bases for day to day. The blade stays sharp and has no "wiggle" in it at all, the bottle opener has been used to crack open many a refreshing beverage and the large flat screwdriver works well for large screws and prying things like battery panels or whatever. It also locks in a 90-degree position (swiss army trademark, BTW) for more leverage. I don't really have much use for the can opener, but the small screwdriver located on it comes in handy for small screws and phillips-type screws. The item that I thought was superfluous, but I've found I can't do without is the awl/scraper..it comes in handy for punching holes in leather and such as well as acting as a make-do "drill" when you need to punch a hole in something quick..it's great for making pilot holes for screws. There's also a wire stripper located on the bottle opener, although I never realized what that little notch was for originally. The alox (aluminum) sides are take more punishment than the composite-handled SAKs, those usually fall apart in my pocket. (I could break an anvil with a rubber mallet). I've carried this Knife every day for five years (minus the time I was on a plane!) and it shows no sign of letting up. If you're looking for a no-frills workhorse SAK without all the useless gadgets, flash drives, and corkscrews(the swiss army must like the vino!) This is the knife for you.

The only negative that I can relate is that the bail (the loop on the end of the knife for a key ring or lanyard) may flip up and accidentally get in the way of the main blade when it is closing, resulting in damage to the blade..this has happened to me only once, and after a little work with a sharpening stone and steel, it was good as new and razor sharp. Also, this bail is the ONLY difference between the wenger and victorinox that I can find. They are both quality knives. (I'm sure there may be a few minute differences, but I'm not that picky.)

Also, this knife is the actual knife that is issued to swiss soldiers. The design of the knife allows the blade, bottle opener/screwdriver, and awl to be open all at once so that they can clean and re-adjust their weapons. Now don't go saying you didn't learn anything today. Cheers!

I purchased this knife on sale (actually 3 of them, 1 I carry, 1 is a spare, and one ended up as a gift) for $15.00 at sports authority several years ago. Being a bit of a pocket knife collector I have carried numerous knives over the years. When I was in the Marine Corps I used all kinds of leathermans, fancy spyderco knives etc. For everyday utilitarian use it is unbeatable. Light and slim enough to fit in everything from jeans to suit pants. The simple spartan design is functional from cutting whatever to making a hasty repair, to opening a beverage. Mine is a Wenger, one of my friends who spent 7 years in the army has the victorinox version (same exact knife with a minor difference). He carries his all the time as well. You cant go wrong with this knife.

I was given one of these knives as a gift from a man that I worked with in Switzerland. The tang on his knife was stamped with a number and it did not have the key chain fop.
These are the standard issue military knife that all men get when they go through the mandatory army training in Switzerland. I lost the one that was given to me. I was heart broken so I bought another one because of how simple and practical this knife is. Every tool works great the Awl, the two sizes of screwdriver and the bottle and can opener. The blade holds a great edge and is easy to resharpen. I always have this knife in my pocket and use it a lot. It is a good choice to give as a gift and you can tell the story about it being the standard issue Swiss military knife.

I bought this to compliment my existing Victorinox Soldier model. I wanted a Wenger as well. It is all but identical to the Victorinox other than the lanyard loop on this model. Other than that there are only tiny differences that you wouldn't notice unless you looked really really hard at them side by side.

I like the lanyard loop, I use it to attach keys to. Its intended purpose is to attach a strap to it, for attachment to your belt or something, or just to leave the strap hanging out of your pocket for quick access. The knife is a bit heavy for EDC use carrying lots of keys, but if you only have a couple of keys to carry, this knife can be linked to them without worrying too much about them tugging down on your ignition key and damaging your car's ignition. If you are looking for a knife to attach ALOT of keys to, as a big spares key chain (ie not for EDC pocket carry), this is a great choice for use in a drawer or something.

If you don't need the lanyard/key ring, then you could go for the much easier to find Victorinox instead if you'd like. Both otherwise are identical from more than a few inches away.

Another alternative to consider for keyring use would be a Case Jr Scout pocket knife.

It's not a 3.25 in. It's a little larger but very well made and light. Great pocket knife if you don't mind a little bit of extra length.

Very nice knife that is slim and easy to carry. The alox construction results in a stong, solid knife and the shackle allows for attachment to a lanyard. This knife and the Victorinox Soldier (same except for the shackle on the Wenger) were the official knives given to the Swiss Army. Since they have recently adopted a new larger knife, I would pick one of these up soon since they may be discontinued.

This SI has the basics of the SAK - can opener & bottle opener with the screwdriver ends, very handy awl, and of the course the main blade. Great knife and highly recommended as a versatile, but still thin and easily carried, SAK.

I used to carry the now discontinued Victorinox Soldier of this model as a second EDC knife but switched to the Wenger Standard Issue after purchasing and haven't been disapointed with it yet. It is of the same quality of the Victorinox and has an added lanyard attachment but I don't use that as it sits comfortably in the bottom of my jeans. I have since moved the Victorinox to my collection of other previous EDC carry pocket knives only because if I were to lose this one I can just buy another but the Victorinox Soldier was upgraded in 2009 to a new larger model and I'm not sure if they make the old soldier anymore, plus my Victorinox was made in 03; the year I was in the sandbox where it rode in my DCUs and there's some sentimental attachment there to that. I have the new Victorinox Soldier but it's too bulky to carry as an EDC and is reserved for in the field or hunting.

Overall, I'm happy with the Wenger so far with the quality, I haven't been able to get as fine of edge as the Victorinox yet but it will come. But it's a good replacement for something that I've carried for years and years. The added lanyard attachment makes it look more like a military EDC knife as well--that's where the dummy cord goes.

I was heartbroken when I accidentally packed my Victorinox soldier in my carry-on instead of my checked bag and had to throw it out during a recent trip through airport security. I immediately wanted to replace it. Problem is that Victorinox (who also owns Wenger) stopped producing the 93mm 1961-style alox soldier in favor of the bulkier and more complex 111mm soldier as the Swiss standard issue in 2008. I was dead-set on an older soldier because of the simplicity, thicker main blade, reamer and overall solid construction. I was ready to e-bay it when I found the Wenger 16250 Standard Issue. Upon receiving it, I was very happy to learn that this knife has EXACTLY the same specs with an added bonus - that being the bale to string on a dog chain or small carabiner. The bale is different than the protruding keyring that exists on some SAK's that ruins pocket linings - and is overall irritating to carry. The bale is a useful addition and does not feel odd in your pocket. If you wanted an older soldier, you'll be pleased that this knife still exists in the Wenger Standard Issue.

This metal handeled Swiss Army Knife is the only one I think is tough enough to be considered a "real" knife. Way tough, a real tool, Not just a "pretty" for girly guys.