The Swiss Army Knife History

The Swiss army knife history is something we found interesting to find out, which goes back to over 100 years ago when the Swiss army pocket knife we see today got recognition for the first multi functional outdoor persons knife of its type.

The Knife:

Is there anyone alive who doesn't know what a Swiss Army Pocket Knife is? The distinctive red color of the Swiss army knife is something that virtually anyone, outdoors-person or not, will recognize nearly instantly upon seeing it which led us to want to find out the History of the Swiss army knife and how it managed to become so well known.

Victorinox the king of Swiss Army knives was the first of its kind available. The Swiss Army Knife, as most of you will know, is a kind of pocket knife that offers you multiple functions and has such a wide array of different parts that you can, quite literally, perform any function at all that you may want with it.

The Company

It was 1891 when the owner of a company that made surgical steel discovered that the knives which were given out to the Swiss Army were actually made, not in Switzerland but in Germany.

Being someone who totally believed in national pride, Carl Elsener decided that he was the one who should change that. Later that same year he took over producing the Modell 1890, moving the factory for that well known knife to Iowa.

After five years of trying, Elsener found a way to put different blades on each side of the handle and to use a special type of spring that would hold those blades in place and permit them to be released when necessary.

All of these things were serious innovation during that time span. The fact that he could add so many tools to both sides of the knife struck people as literally amazing. He could add more than two times the normal number of features and even place scissors and other things in the knife. He added two decorations to the knife, that same shield and cross that is featured on the red handles today.

An interesting part of the Swiss army knife history is Elsener's mother had been called Victoria and in her honor, he named his new knife and the company that sold it Victorinox. The Victorinox Swiss Army Knife was born.

More History Of The Swiss Army Knife

The Swiss Army knife began in Switzerland, Ibach Schwyz to be more precise and was invented in the very last few years of the 1800s. The actual phrase, Swiss Army Knife is actually owned by the Victorinox Swiss Army Pocket Knife suppliers.

They have been suppliers to the army of Switzerland for more than 100 years. Typically a Swiss Army knife has much more than just blades. The Swiss Army knife has screwdrivers, corkscrews, can openers and in many cases, even toothpicks.

The attachments fold neatly into the body of the Swiss Army Knife and the handle where they fold up is usually brilliant red, the color of the Swiss Army. There is also an engraved or painted Victorinox cross that is the logo for anything issued to the Swiss army.

The actual phrase that is copyrighted and trademarked was not in fact developed by the Swiss. It was coined by American soldiers who met others carrying them in the second world war. They reputedly had a difficult time pronouncing the actual name of the knife, which was Offiziersmesser.

Today the Swiss Army knife is synonymous with quality and style. Swiss Army knives come in a wide array of styles and colors, are sold all over the world.

Users of the Swiss Army Pocket Knife

The Swiss Army knife today is in stockings for girls and for boys, is purchased for men, women, campers, fishermen and hunters. The Swiss Army pocket knife has been so much a part of our life in camping, hunting, fishing, and hiking that the true outdoors person won't know what to do without the many different blades and offerings that the Victorinox Swiss Army Pocket Knife can offer them.

It's been around for decades in the United States and looks to be more popular than ever before. In fact, the Swiss Army knife is so popular and so well loved for style and for utilitarian purposes that it is one of the few knives that has been inducted into a collection that is now housed at the NYC Museum of Modern Art that should preserve the history of the Swiss army knife.

The Swiss army knife history has become such an interest that It was so included in the collection because of the unique style and design. In addition it has been also inducted into the State Museum of Germany at Munich for the design that it bears.

In fact, because of the many different inclusions in the Swiss Army knife, the model has been featured as a staple in television shows such as MacGyver and more recently, as a valuable tool in helping the team on the television show Psych to get out of several difficult situations.

The Swiss Army Knife today, depending on the style, and of course the size, holds screwdrivers, both flat head and phillips head, several different blades, scissors, knives, files, awls, toothpicks, and up to 100 more utility functioning aspects of the knife. It is, the knife that no one should be without.

Victorinox Swiss Army Pocket Knife Models Available