Sosakonline Archive

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With all the nice, juicy photos of the OHT this month, I'd be remiss if I didn't show off another new toy of mine, the Wenger Ranger 178, which is the Wenger equivalent of the OHT- at least in basic features.



Like the OHT, the Ranger 178 features a one handed opening, locking main blade, saw, can opener, bottle opener, awl and phillips screwdriver. On paper, the Ranger gives up a flathead, toothpick and tweezer to the OHT, but makes up for it with it's larger frame and more comfortable handles.


The blade is the first place that you notice a difference between the Ranger and the OHT- it's been described as a folding machete in the past, and this one is no exception. The extra inch or so of blade is nice on the larger 120mm frame. The partially serrated blade is serrated at the base of the blade, unlike the OHT's serrations, which are closer to the tip. They are also more aggressive than the Victorinox style serrations.


As usual with the Ranger series, the blade lock is disengaged by pressing in the shield, which moves the liner lock out of the way and allows the blade to fold.


In fact, all of the tools on the 178 are “standard” fare for Rangers, and the only real difference between it and the other models is it's configuration, which mirrors that of the popular Victorinox One Handed Trekker. Of course, once you get past the standard features the 178 really shines with it's most prominent feature, the EVOGrip style scales, which are amazingly comfortable to hold and use.


As the weather gets warmer and I venture farther and farther out into the woods (I hate cold!) I will most certainly have the 178 with me. What I mentioned about the blade regarding the extra length goes for the saw as well- the extra inch makes a world of difference with a saw. I'll post more in depth details on this one as it sees more use, but I didn't want to keep it all to myself any longer!