The Swiss Army knife was first manufactured in Switzerland in the late 19th century. First manufactured for the Swiss Army, it is now the most common type of pocket knife globally. Victorinox and Wenger, the producers and proprietors of the copyrighted term ‘Swiss Army knife’, still supply the Swiss Army with about 50,000 of these knives each year. With an extensive number of attachments, the Swiss Army knife is favoured amongst travellers, army personnel, hikers, campers or those just looking for the perfect gift for someone. With their globally recognized name, they are one of the most well known products in the world.
The founder of Victorinox, Karl Elsener, was the first individual to design and make the Swiss Army knife. After realising the Swiss Army were utilising knives made in Germany, he was determined to produce his own product to make sure locally manufactured products were supplied to armed forces. As well as Victorinox making the knives for the Swiss Army, another Swiss company named Wenger was also allowed to manufacture these knives. These two companies still own the patented term ‘Swiss Army knife’ and produce the knives for the public and Swiss Army today. The name ‘Swiss Army knife’ was actually first utilized by soldiers from the USA in the Second World War, as they couldn’t say its Swiss name.
Basic instruments on the Swiss Army knife include multiple sized blades, pair of scissors, tooth-picks, tweezers, corkscrews and many more. Larger models contain a number of application-specific instruments such as screwdrivers, pens, saws, magnifying glasses, scalers, pliers and can openers. The latest models, termed ‘Victorinox Cybertools’ feature a digital clock, MP3 player, optical laser pointer, altimeter, hex screwdriver and even a USB flash drive. The knives come in a number of sizes, with the Common model being about 9 centimetres long and the smaller models about 6 centimetres long. ‘The Giant’, manufactured by Wenger, was the longest ever made. It was over 22cm long and featured 85 unique tools.