Posted by Will the Wenger Ueli Steck Special Edition Knife turn you into a “Swiss Machine”? Well maybe not, but it certainly has some useful features to help climbers, mountaineers and outdoor enthusiasts when out on the hill…
Performance ****
Style*****
Value for money ***
In the climbing world, Ueli Steck needs no introduction. The man known to many as “The Swiss Machine” is a legend. Speed solo ascents of the North Faces of the Eiger, Matterhorn and Grand Jorasses names just a few of his awe inspiring accomplishments. If the Swiss nation is already famous for it’s precision and efficiency, then Ueli has wholeheartedly embraced both within his climbing.
So,the Wenger Ueli Steck Special Edition Titanium Knife is all the quality you’d expect of a Swiss instrument. Well finished, well packaged and well thought out. Light (100g) and strong. The locking blade is ferociously sharp and just as at home slicing through abseil tat as it is through a block of Emmental cheese. Fitted into the locking 65mm partially serrated blade (50% thicker than standard blades) are 7mm, 10mm and 13mm hexagonal spanners. None of these actually fit my ice tools or crampons though so I must admit I have not used them a great deal. The blade also features a 14mm large flat screwdriver complete with safety lock and into the body slots a 1/4 inch bit adapter which comes supplied with Flat head screwdriver bit (0.6mm x 4.5mm, 50mm) and Philips head screwdriver bit (#3, 50mm), both of which I’ve found to be indispensable for tinkering jobs both on and off the hill.
Other than the blade itself, the features I’ve found most useful are the file which is great for sharpening axes and crampons on route or at a bivi, and the bottle and tin opener! The former being crucial for getting the top of those celebratory post-route bottles of Leffe!
Other features include a wire stripper and bender, key ring attachment which I use to clip it to my climbing harness with a micro-biner, a lightweight pouch and Titanium handles with striations. The whole package is neatly put together in a gift box and includes a North Faces Trilogy DVD documentary about Ueli’s famous speed ascents. These things are nice touches and could make it the perfect Christmas gift for your geeky climber loved ones!
So to conclude, the Ueli Steck Special Edition Knife is a well thought out piece of kit and has lots of useful features for the climber, mountaineer and outdoor enthusiast. It’s not the lightest if you just want a blade for cutting tat and it’s probably not the cheapest either, but the quality and features cannot be faulted. Could be a perfect Christmas present too!
- Price: £133.95
- Find out more at the Wenger website
- UK Stockist – Snow and Rock
- Distributed and available from Whitby and Co. Find out more at the Whitby and Co Website
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