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who invented the swiss army knife

Who invented the swiss army knife

Who invented the swiss army knife

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Who invented the swiss army knife
Who invented the swiss army knife

Swiss Army knife

The Swiss Army knife is a multi-tool pocketknife manufactured by Victorinox. The term “Swiss Army knife” was coined by American soldiers after World War II after they had trouble pronouncing the German word “Offiziersmesser“, meaning “officer’s knife”.

The Swiss Army knife generally has a main spearpoint blade plus other blades and tools such as screwdrivers, a can opener, a saw blade, a pair of scissors, and many others. These are stowed inside the handle of the knife through a pivot point mechanism. The handle is traditionally a red color, with either a Victorinox or Wenger “cross” logo or, for Swiss military issue knives, the coat of arms of Switzerland. Other colors, textures, and shapes have appeared over the years.

Originating in Ibach, Switzerland, the Swiss Army knife was first produced in 1891 when the Karl Elsener company, which later became Victorinox, won the contract to produce the Swiss Army’s Modell 1890 knife from the previous German manufacturer. In 1893, the Swiss cutlery company Paul Boéchat & Cie, which later became Wenger SA, received its first contract from the Swiss military to produce model 1890 knives; the two companies split the contract for provision of the knives from 1908 until Victorinox acquired Wenger in 2005. A cultural icon of Switzerland, both the design of the knife and its versatility have worldwide recognition. The term “Swiss Army knife” has acquired usage as a figure of speech indicating extreme utility applicable to more or less any scenario at hand.

How were Swiss Army knives invented?

It was in Ibach, in 1884, where Karl Elsener and his mother, Victoria, opened a cutlery cooperative that would soon produce the first knives sold to the Swiss Army. The original model, called the Soldier Knife, made for troops who needed a foldable tool that could open canned food and aid in disassembling a rifle.

How the Swiss Army Knife Got Its Name

Ever practical, the Swiss Army knife was primarily a tool used by soldiers, which prompted the popular name in English “Swiss Army knife,” a term coined by American soldiers who had difficulty pronouncing their German name, “Schweizer Offiziersmesser,” or “Sackmesser” in the local Swiss-German dialect. To this day, each military recruit (which includes most of the male population, since the Swiss have compulsory military service for all men when they reach the age of adulthood) receives a Swiss Army knife upon beginning their service. Ironically, Victorinox, a company founded to keep Swiss soldiers from carrying German-made knives, is now the official supplier of pocket knives to the German Army.

Swiss army knives originally handcraft

The origins of the Swiss army knife as we know it today are very humble. Switzerland was in great economic difficulty during the second half of the 19th century. It could not keep up with the growing industries of Europe brought about by the industrial revolution. Karl Elsener was desperate to create employment in his canton of Schwyz but realized that it would require enormous capital to industrialize the area. Instead, he founded the Swiss Cutlers’ Union in 1884. He started his own cutlery company to produce handcrafted knives, in the small town of Ibach. Elsener’s company consisted of a group of about 25 craftsmen and set out to produce quality utility knives to be used in farms, hospitals, and kitchens.

 

What’s the Original Swiss Army knife?

Victorinox and Wenger Both Supply Knives

While Wenger touted itself as the “Genuine Swiss Army Knife,” Victorinox laid claim to being the “Original Swiss Army Knife.” The two companies split the contract for providing knives to the Swiss Army from 1908 until Victorinox acquired Wenger in 2005.

How long have they been making Swiss Army Knives?

The Swiss Army knives has been around for nearly 130 years. It was originally delivered to the Swiss Army by Karl Elsener in 1891. The knives are now produced by Victorinox, Europe’s largest knife manufacturer. The company was founded in 1884.

Who invented the swiss army knife
Who invented the swiss army knife

Can you carry a Swiss Army Knife?

Knives. It’s illegal to: carry a knife in public without good reason – unless it’s a knife with a folding blade 3 inches long (7.62 cm) or less, e.g. a Swiss Army knife (a “lock knife” does not come into the category of “folding pocket knife” because it is not immediately foldable at all times)

Why is Swiss Army knife red?

Actually, there is great consensus that today’s version reinvented for Swiss soldiers in need of a pocket sized tool that could open canned food and aid in disassembling a rifle. The color red is no coincidence either, as it makes the knife stand out when lost in the snow – duh!

Are Swiss Army knives legal in NYC?

Something like a Swiss Army knife is legal. It must fold into a handle; a kitchen knife could not carried legally. The blade must be no longer than three inches.

The Fascinating History of the Swiss Army Knife

Who invented the swiss army knife
Who invented the swiss army knife

The Beginnings: Early Multi-Use Knives

Even though the Swiss Army Knife is the most recognizable multi-use knife, it wasn’t the first that was ever made. Herman Melville even makes a reference to multi-tools in Moby Dick, describing a tool that looked “like a common pocket knife” but also had “screw-drivers, cork-screws, tweezers, awls, pens, rulers, nail-filers and countersinkers.”

1884: Karl Elsener’s Knife Workshop

The Swiss Army Knife might never have come about were it not for the support of Victoria Elsener, mother to the inventor Karl Elsener. With her moral and financial support, Karl was able to open his first knife workshop in Ibach-Schwyz, Switzerland. As he forged his first blades, he was already hard at work designing an improved multi-use knife.

1890: Elsener’s First Contract With the Swiss Army

The Elseners’ perseverance paid off after six years, with Karl Elsener successfully winning a bid with the Swiss Army to produce multi-use knives for their soldiers.

This would prove to be incredibly formative for Elsener’s knives, as the army required a tool that could open canned food as well as assemble, disassemble, and maintain their rifles — thus the selection of tools in the classic Swiss Army Knife.

Even with this contract, Elsener was not in the clear. A rival company, Wester & Co, was able to produce nearly identical knives at a cheaper price. It was back to the drawing board for Karl Elsener.

1897: The Swiss Army Knife Is Patented

Persevering once again, Karl Elsener developed an innovative spring mechanism for his knives in 1896. Knowing he had struck gold, Elsener swiftly moved to get his new knife design patented — and successfully did so in 1897. From then on, he was back in the good graces of the Swiss Army, and making a handsome profit.

1909-1921: The Company Takes On A New Name

Karl Elsener’s rock throughout his challenging early days of business, his mother Victoria, sadly passed away in 1909. Deeply moved by the contributions she had made to his life and his success, Elsener renamed his company after her — giving the name “Victoria” to his brand and representing it with the cross and shield trademark it still bears today.

A full 12 years later, the development of stainless steel — also known as “inox” — completed the brand’s transformation. Renamed as “Victorinox”, it combined the best of family tradition and innovation.

Today: The Swiss Army Knife In Modern Culture

Without a doubt, the Swiss Army Knife is one of the most recognizable inventions in modern history. Its incredibly clever integration of multiple tools into a single sleek housing paved the way for today’s multi-tools like Leatherman. But the enduring legacy of the Swiss Army Knife ensures it will never replace.

Who invented the swiss army knife
Who invented the swiss army knife

How the Romans invented the Swiss Army Knife

This is the Roman version of the Swiss Army knife…

With a spoon, knife, fork and toothpick, a spike used for extracting meat from the shells of seafood and a spatula; which could have worked as a toothbrush. For scooping paste from bottles, it’s little wonder this Roman version of a Swiss army knife has proved popular at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Nearly 38,000 visitors wondered how this implement might use 2,000 years agomaking it the most popular object on the museum’s website. And the answer might be less practical than we thought: curators say it’s “hard to avoid” concluding that the neatness of the knife might just have made it a possession Romans wanted to show off with.

“The fact that this makes of silver, and so beautifully crafts, definitely marks it out as a luxury item,” says the museum.

“Most likely it was the possession of a wealthy person who was a frequent traveller. One can imagine him getting it out at an inn and showing off with it; not unlike having the latest type of iPhone; except that this would also have rarity value.”

Although the iron knife blade has corroded, the other handy sections, hinged and riveted onto a flat silver handle, can all be wielded. There is little evidence that Romans set forks at the dinner table, but they may have put them to surgical use.

“Portability seems to be the motive behind these implements,” say curators.

“The Germans call them Reisebestecke or travelling cutlery – like their modern counterparts they are highly portable.

“At the same time, the neatness of design and virtuosity of craftsmanship recalls that of the Swiss army knives today. There is something very attractive about them.”

Bronze knife-spoons are relatively common, but a contraption with this many elements combined is unusual. According to the museum, there are comparable examples in a Swiss private collection, a Bulgarian tomb and northern Italy.

Its culinary capabilities ranged from dissecting lobsters and crabs to crunching snails and walnuts.

 

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