History and origins of the Swiss Army Knife...

- Original Swiss Army Knife -

History:

The Swiss Army Knife is produced by two Swiss companies, Victorinox and Wenger. Karl Elsener (Victorinox founder) supplied standard issue knives for the Swiss Army around 1891. The army had only just introduced a new rifle which required a screwdriver as part of it’s general maintenance, so the knives included one also a can-opener.

He legally registered the "Officer's and Sports Knife" in 1897 and began to achieve success when army officers bought the knife for themselves in cutlery shops.

Victorinox (founded by Elsener) and Wenger (originally Paul Boechat & Cie) were both awarded contracts for supplying knives to the Swiss army to promote competition. Victorinox knives are now identified as 'The Original Swiss Army Knife' while the Wenger ones are labelled 'The Genuine Swiss Army Knife'.

Worldwide distribution of the Swiss Army Knife became apparent during World War II, when they were available in American stores and were called the "survival knife". Victorinox (which has taken over Wenger) still supplies some 50,000 knives to the Swiss army each year, and produces 30-odd thousand Swiss Army Knives per day in over 100 different models. Some examples of these modeals are: Handyman, Deluxe tinker, Craftsman, Ranger and Explorer, different tools for different needs.

The New York Museum of Modern Art and the State Museum for Applied Art in Munich have selected the Swiss Army Knife for their collections of 'excellence in design'.

Developments:

Victorinox has also introduced loads of new knives - a kids' Swiss army knife; a blade-free air-travel version; and - most successfully- one with a USB port that allows you to link your knife up to your computer.

The firm is keen to promote the surprising uses of the knife - which has been used to save children from sinking cars, repair the space shuttle, and deliver foals. A German doctor sent the firm gruesome photos showing how he used a multi-tool knife to cut off the leg of a tsunami victim in Sri Lanka!! He said he would have preferred a saw but there wasn't one available, Ouch!!

You can buy a Swiss Army Knive with just about every gadget known to man, so it's no real surprise that Victorinox and flash memory company Swissbit, is now offering cutting tools plus a USB flash memory stick. The new 'knife' will be unveiled next week.

The USB Swiss Army Knife is available with 64 or 128MB memory, plus all the usual extras - knife, corkscrew and tin-opener. The 64MB version will cost €55 (about £30) the price of the 128MB version is to be arranged.

- USB Swiss Army Knife -

These developments show evidence of Victornox's desire to move with the times and keep up to date with an ever-evolving, moderised, multimedia 'e-world'.