Wide Swiss

Think About The Astonishing Versatility Of The Famous Swiss Army Knife

Karl Elsener, who owned a surgical instrument company, became dismayed in 1891 when he discovered that the small utility knives that the Swiss government were issuing their soldiers were actually made in Germany. Elsener’s national pride drove him to finding a way to have the knives manufactured in Switzerland. He took on the production of the first Modell 1890 knives near the end of 1891. After applying a number of modifications, the versatility of a Swiss army knife became apparent to the world at large.

The model numbers of the knives refer to the year the knife was introduced. The original Modell (German spelling) 1890 was issued to the Swiss army ostensibly to assist the soldiers to open their food cans and to take apart their Schmidt-Rubin rifles. This knife had a can-opener, blade, screwdriver and a reamer. The grips were a dark colored oak wood that was changed to ebony at a later stage.

The knives were available to US servicemen from their PX stores following World War II, but having problems saying Schweizer Offiziersmesser, the official name for the knives, the men called them Swiss Army Knives, a name that has stuck to this day. This name has now been officially registered as a trademark by the Victorinox company and all subsidiaries producing this type of knife.

Easily recognizable by its red handle grips with a white cross at one end and consisting of one or two blades and a number of useful tools that may be folded out, a Swiss Army Knife has been the tool of choice of hunters, fishermen, campers and anyone else needing a convenient, portable set of tools that can perform a large variety of tasks. There are many designs on the market that will suit almost any job. Indeed, regardless of what immediately springs to mind, some folks like the black Swiss army knife. These range from the lightweight models containing a knife blade, bottle and can-opener combinations, a screwdriver and a reamer, to the massive Giant, all of nine inches broad and with 87 separate tools able to accomplish 141 functions.

Victorinox, together with Wenger, a subsidiary, are the manufacturers and they produce the very popular Classic Knife which measures only three inches but has amazing strength and little bulk. Equipped with a keyring for attaching to a key chain, the knife can be carried about conveniently. This small model has a number of useful tools such as a toothpick, knife blades, scissors, nail file, various screwdrivers, tweezers and many more tools which may not be used but are available if needed at any time.

The knives have been propelled into the twenty first century by the introduction of the Presentation Master, a futuristic design which features a laser pointer, memory stick and fingerprint scanner that has built in data encryption. All the features of the knife including the laser pointer and data storage drives may be folded away or can be pulled inside the knife on springs while not being used. Because it has no blades, this device may be carried onto aircraft.

The Champion Plus is favored by outdoor lovers and survivalists and it contains things like a serrated small saw, hook remover, fish scaler, punch tool, reamer and plenty more. A waterproof or black leather pouch suitable for carrying on a belt, may be purchased which is convenient for carrying the tool around. Of course there are many models available if you decide to buy a Swiss army knife.

Sharpening of any knife may be accomplished by using steel or whetstone, but Victorinox do advise the use of steel and actually supply a knife sharpener to accomplish this. There can be no denying the versatility of a Swiss army knife.

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