The Swiss Army knife was first produced in Switzerland in the late 19th century. First manufactured for the Swiss Army, it is now the best-selling pocket knife globally. Victorinox and Wenger, the manufacturers and owners of the copyrighted term ‘Swiss Army knife’, still issue the Swiss Army with over 50,000 of these knives each year. With a large assortment of attachments, the Swiss Army knife is favoured amongst travellers, the army force, hikers, campers or for those who are seeking the perfect gift. With their globally recognized name, they are one of the most well known products in the world.
Karl Elsener was the first individual to produce the Swiss Army knife in its current form. Upon finding out that the Swiss Army were using knives manufactured in Germany, K. Elsener took it upon himself to make locally created knives. He was not satisfied with his initial knife so took over 5 years to complete the design. As a added touch, he contributed the cross and shield that is still utilised by Victorinox today. In 1909, K. Elsener renamed his company Victoria, in memory of his late mother. In 1921, when the company started using stainless steel, or inox, to manufacture its knives, it was renamed Victorinox. Victorinox is still run by the Elsener family, with Carl Elsener heading the company today. The term ‘Swiss Army knife’ was not initially conceived by Victorinox. Its official name at the time, ‘Schweizer Offizer Messer’, was too hard to pronounce, and thus the term ‘Swiss Army knife’ was coined.
Popular uses of the Swiss Army knives include hiking, first-aid, camping and travel. Because of the large number of different tools available, there is almost a tool for every different facet of life. With the addition of several new models in recent years, the knives have become even more popular. Victorinox, for example, now makes upwards of 100 different models. These range from miniature compact models with 1 blade to deluxe models with over 80 different types of tools.