Difference Between Wenger and Victorinox

The Swiss Army Knife is a multi-purpose tool that is more sort of a pocket knife. It was after World War II, this term came into existence.

The Karl Elsener company started producing the knives after winning its contract from a German manufacturer in 1890. This company later came to be known as Victorinox. Again, in 1893, the contract of producing the knives was provided to yet another company named the Swiss cutlery company Paul Boèchat and Cie.

After 1891, Elsener, the owner of Karl Elsener company faced a bankruptcy situation, which he overcame by manufacturing an improved design of the knife in 1896, specially designed for officials. But the Swiss Army did not approve of it for marketing, therefore, the knife was sold Internationally which helped restore Elsener’s popularity.

In 1908, the contract got split by the Swiss Army between the two companies. After which Victorinox’s slogan was “Original Swiss Army Knives” and Wenger went with “Genuine Swiss Army Knives”.

This resulted in Victorinox becoming the supreme supplier of the knives to the Switzerland Military. But still, the two companies continued manufacturing other products including watches and travel tools separately.

Key Takeaways

1. Wenger and Victorinox are two Swiss brands that produce high-quality knives, but Wenger focuses on outdoor and camping knives, while Victorinox focuses on pocket knives.
2. Another difference is that Wenger uses a more traditional and rustic design, while Victorinox has a more modern and sleek design.
3. Lastly, Wenger is the official supplier of the Swiss army, while Victorinox is the original supplier and creator of the Swiss army knife.

Wenger vs Victorinox

The difference between Wenger and Victorinox is that Wenger is a company that manufactures larger and slightly heavier Swiss Army knives, whereas, Victorinox knives are more compact and travel-friendly. The former got acquired by the latter in 2005.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Wenger	Victorinox
Establishment	Wenger was first established as a Swiss cutlery company in 1893.	Victorinox was first established as Karl Elsener company in 1884.
Founder	Paul Boèchat is the founder of Wenger.	Karl Elsener is the founder of Victorinox.
Size	The knife is slightly larger.	While the knife is a little more compact.
Weight	It is a little bit heavier.	It weighs less.
Versatility	It is more versatile, containing around 87 tools with 140 functions.	Whereas it comes with basic tools only, not being very versatile.
Complexity	Having more number of tools increases the complexity factor here.	It is a lot simpler in comparison.
Lock System	It comes with a basic lock system.	While it has a dual lock system.
Ease of Use	The blades and tools of the knife opens up more smoothly.	Here, the tools are not that flexible.
Warranty Period	It provides a three-year warranty.	Whereas it provides a two-year warranty.
Pricing	It comes with a premium pricing.	It is more on the affordable side.

What is Wenger?

Wenger is a Switzerland-based company that was first founded as Swiss cutlery Paul Boèchat and Cie company in 1893. Paul Boèchat is the founder.

In 1893 itself, Wenger was provided with a contract of making the Swiss Army knives from the Swiss Army. It was the second company to have received the contract after Victorinox.

The 9/11 attacks brought a bad phase for Wenger. This crisis resulted in the acquisition of Wenger by its competitor company Victorinox in 2005.

After Wenger’s relaunch event in 2016, the company modified the slogan to “A Swiss Company Since 1893”. This slogan continued for decades.

The Swiss knife produced by Wenger is slightly larger than its Victorinox counterpart. Although it does not have a dual lock system, it comes with 87 different tools which make it much more versatile.

What is Victorinox?

Victorinox is a knife and watches manufacturing based in Switzerland. It was first founded as Karl Elsener company by Karl Elsener himself in 1884.

Victorinox was introduced to the Swiss Army Knife business by the Swiss Army in 1891. After the split of the contract between Wenger and Victorinox, the latter came up with the slogan “Original Swiss Army Knives”.

In 1972, Victorinox developed a distributor of its own for the United States. During the 1980s, the company acquired even more shares and set a trademark in the USA.

Till that time, Victorinox had started producing timepieces, compasses and sunglasses too. It became successful in expanding its business over major parts of the world.

The Swiss Army knife as the best product manufactured by Victorinox is widely used. It has a compact size which makes it even more portable.

Main Differences Between Wenger and Victorinox

1. Wenger knife is larger and heavier than the Victorinox.
2. Wenger knife is more versatile yet complex.
3. Victorinox knife has a two-year warranty, while Wenger has three years.
4. Victorinox knife has a dual lock system.
5. Wenger knife is more expensive than that of Victorinox.