Produced in a form almost unchanged since the end of the 19th century, the Swiss Army knife is intrinsically linked to the brand created for it, Victorinox. Or to phrase it differently, when an accessory commissioned by an army for its soldiers becomes a worldwide icon, praised by both the MoMA and MacGyver.
Luxury isn’t a question of price, and that's a good thing, since a Swiss Army knife only costs a few dozen euros! In 1890, the Swiss army decided to equip its soldiers with a folding knife suitable for three uses: cutting bread, opening cans and dismantling a standard-issue rifle. It therefore needed to be equipped with a blade, can opener, flat screwdriver, punch and saw. Once the concept was approved, the first order was placed with a German company, the only firm equipped to fulfil this invitation to tender. This ruffled the feathers of proud Swiss knife-maker Karl Elsener, who had been based in the canton of Schwyz since 1884. So he immediately created a lighter, civilian version of the knife – equipped with a corkscrew. This essential addition proved to be an incentive for officers to buy Elsener's knives (albeit on the sly!). As a result, in 1897, he patented his "Swiss Army and sports knife". He named it after his mother, Victoria. And in 1921, when steel became stainless steel, he created the Victorinox brand.
The GIs stationed in Europe would make it a triumph after the Second World War. The Swiss Army knife, khaki or camouflage for the military, red for civilians, would soon become a legend. And would even become an addition to the Architecture and Design section of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
For 130 years, Victorinox's good fortune has rested above all on its knives, made in Switzerland, of course. Today, its range includes 400 models from the most basic to the most precious, offering up to 80 different functions (LED lamps and USB sticks are a particular hit). But the brand run by Carl Elsener IV since 2007 has successfully diversified into watchmaking, luggage and more recently perfumery. As a sign of the times, it has also put in place a sustainable approach, symbolised in 2019 by a limited edition of the Pioneer Nespresso knife, whose aluminium sides were made from 24 recycled coffee capsules.
And because at SoBARNES we leave nothing to chance, we really cannot recommend this page of the Macgyveronline website enough, which lists every model of Victorinox Swiss Army Knife (SAK for friends) used by Macgyver in the TV series of the same name. Episode by episode!
And don't say you're running out of ideas for your Christmas presents – there are even children's versions featuring a rounded point, rabbits and squirrels!
Infos : Victorinox.com
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