Customer Reviews

Wenger 16966 Evolution 63 Swiss Army Knife Ergonomic Handgrip Design

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I wanted an inexpensive picnic knife (blade, bottle opener, and corkscrew) that was big enough to be useful, while still small and light enough to carry around in my pocket every day.

There are two brands of "real" Swiss Army knives: Victorinox and Wenger (both brands are now owned by Victorinox). The Wenger Evolution (Evo) 63 above is the equivalent to the Victorinox Waiter. I discovered it on-line after I bought the Waiter and got curious. The Wenger is more expensive, but in its pictures this Evo 63 looked more solid with a contoured grip and had what they call a "patented locking screwdriver". I couldn't find it in a local store so finally figured "what the heck" and ordered it. I was surprised by how much nicer the less expensive Victorinox was. The edges of the Wenger 63's noticeably hollow handle don't line up flush with inside metal knife housing (by design). It's a bit thicker than the Waiter and has a more bulky (less pocket-friendly) feel. The Wenger blade doesn't have the luster of the Victorinox (though the edge is good) and the bottle opener is thinner. Their "patented locking screwdriver" feature refers to the shape, not to any locking in place ability. In sum, the Wenger feels noticeably cheaper in comparison ("in comparison" - it's still an OK knife).

So, having owned both and compared them back to back, I recommend getting the Victorinox Waiter and not this knife. The Victorinox Waiter has ended up being being my favorite carry every day knife by far from a size, usefulness, and price combination standpoint (even though I have some "nicer" and much more expensive small blade-only knives).

I'm fussy -some say obsessive about some things like flashlights and in this case a pocketknife. This is the best knife for me. It is light , small so you can carry it in your slacks pocket yet it has a blade,corkscrew (for that wine bottle that you open in the evening with someone special) a tweezers to pull those hairs off the front of your nose with, toothpick and a bottle opener for the imported beer. Need I say more? Just lost mine and getting another. I'm lost without it!