The History of Swiss Army Knives
A Swiss Army knife is a multifunctional pocketknife. It is described as such because in addition to a blade, it has various tools such as a can opener and a screwdriver. All its features can be flipped out and folded into the handle of the knife, which is usually red and features Switzerland's coat of arms: the cross and shield.
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Background
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In 1886, the soldiers of Switzerland began to carry single-blade folding knives as part of their weaponry. With the introduction of a new rifle to the Swiss Army in 1889, a screwdriver was needed to disassemble it. Unable to rely on the local cutlers to mass-produce a knife that incorporated the blade and screwdriver, as well as a reamer and can opener, the Swiss Army turned to Solingen, Germany, to do so instead.
Invention
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In a time of feverish nationalism, the reliance of the Swiss Army on such foreign aid alarmed Swiss cutler Karl Elsener. In 1891, he formed the Swiss Cutlery Guild and began work on mass-producing the earliest predecessor of the Swiss Army knife, which had two blades and a corkscrew and was distinguished with a cross and shield. He made the first delivery to the army in October. The device was referred to as the "Offiziersmesser," which means the officer's knife.
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Victorinox and Wenger
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Elsener would not enjoy monopoly over his invention for long. Just as his company---later named Victorinox, after his mother, Victoria, and stainless steel, known as "inox"---was gaining traction, another cutlery business in Switzerland, Paul Boechat & Cie---it later became the Wenger Company---started selling a similar product in 1893. Competition got so fierce that the Swiss government, willing to halt further friction as well as bargain for lower prices, struck a deal with both Victorinox and Wenger in 1908 that required the Swiss Army to split knife orders between the two companies. Although in 2005, Victorinox bought Wenger, both still share the knife's manufacturing, with the former referring to its tools as "original" and the latter to its tools as "genuine."
The "Swiss Army" Knife
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It was during World War II that the Officer's Knife's popularity stretched beyond its borders, as large quantities were supplied to the United States Army, Navy and Air Force. It was U.S. soldiers who coined the term "Swiss Army knife" after futile attempts to easily pronounce its original name, Offiziersmesser.
Today
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Modern-day Swiss Army knives are amazingly diverse, with additional tools, such as nail files, toothpicks, tweezers, key rings and magnifying glasses, contributing to more than 100 different combinations. It is no small wonder that the Swiss Army knife is occasionally referred to metaphorically to describe multitasking usefulness and efficiency.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Seven-Deadly-Sins/flickr.com
