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The modern-day Swiss Army Knife had its start because of a streak of nationalist bent from a surgical tool maker, Karl Elsener, who discovered to his dismay that the Modell 1890 pocket knives supplied to the Swiss Army were made by (horrors!) Solingen of Germany. now, this is not to demean the brand or quality of anything coming out of the Solingen factory, because they are known precisely for their fine cutlery and knives – many of which I would not mind having in my kitchen.

But to the independent-minded Swiss, being dependent on any other country seems to rub them the wrong way. So, Mr Elsener decided to produce his own version of the Modell 1890, but was not satisfied with his output until, in 1896, he was able to innovate by using a special spring mechanism to hold two blades at the same time on the same side of the knife handle.

This was the first time it had ever been done, and the rest is history, as he went on to add yet more useful tools to the knife as time went on. Elsener also stamped on what has become an iconic symbol of the Swiss Knife, the white Cross and the Shield. furthermore, he named his company “Victoria” after his beloved mother when she passed away in 1909.

Around 1921, the company started using stainless steel as the main ingredient in its manufacturing process. since stainless steel was then known by the shortened form “inox” from the French words Acier Inoxydable, Elsener combined this with his company’s name to come up with the word VICTORINOX, the brand name that has come to describe the classic knife up to this day.

But there was another company that also vied for the manufacture of knives for the use of Swiss Officers. Paul Boechat y Cie, located in the French-speaking area of Jura, started selling a similar product. the Swiss army wisely decided to split the contract between the two companies in order to foster competition and keep the prices low. sometime later, the general manager of the company, Theodore Wenger, acquired it from its owners and the company was renamed Wenger.

The two companies existed side by side and competed with one another until Wenger was bought by Victorinox in 2005, which brought the two venerable brands under one roof. the two brands exist to this day and are mainly distinguished by the shape of the shields, with the one of Wenger more squarish in shape.

The modern day Swiss Army Knife keep sprouting new attachments to the basic ones, making them useful to a wide range of users. So, aside from the usual large and smaller blades, and the normal array of tools (corkscrew, tweezers, can opener, fish scaler, pliers, compass, key ring, toothpick, metal saw, ruler, file, scissors, magnifying glass, hook, nail file, etc) we now have tools such as a 32 GB detachable flash drive, laser pointer, MP3 Player, digital clock, digital altimeter, and Bluetooth. In fact, there is one model dedicated to computer gear-heads, a Cybertools model. and for those who just have to have the very best with the mostest, Wenger has a humungous special model with 85 – yes, 85! – tools that costs a mere $1,400. A bargain, really, considering how many tools one can get for that price.

Unfortunately, the knife is both wide and heavy (2 lbs 11 oz), requiring one to carry it in a special case. definitely not one’s everyday pocket knife.

The Cybertools version has a Presentation model that has no blades, and is therefore eligible for carry-on in airplanes. unlike the other models that get promptly confiscated at security, leaving one to hope that they are returned after the flight.

Some friends have been lucky to get theirs back whereas I have had to write off some 5 Swiss Army Knives of various types that I forget to leave at home. but I do carry a fairly complete model with me when I travel, but include it in my checked-in luggage. Can’t leave home without my trusty Swiss knife!

The nice thing about these literally indestructible tools is that they carry long (lifetime?) warranties. I still have many of the first Swiss Knife models I ever got, and they soldier on doing odd jobs for me around the home or wherever I bring them.

Swiss Army Knife – A most useful gadget