In 1908, the Swiss companies Wenger and Victorinox split the production of the Swiss Army Knife equally – but the 1908 model, also known as the M1908, was still manufactured overseas.
It took 43 years to remake the knife: this is the M1951, which, however, could not do without outside help. First, the model …
… The M1961 comes exclusively from the Wenger and Victorinox production facilities in Delsberg JU and Ibach SZ. It has a blade that is 7 millimeters shorter and at 72 grams is only half the weight of the original M 1890, …
… what you can see here. The first 15,000 of this model had to be ordered from the German company in Solingen.
The most recently released 08 military knife has a blade that is 111 millimeters long. In addition to the can opener and screwdrivers, a saw is also included with this model.
The Wenger Giant Knife 2007 offers 81 individual tools for 141 different functions – a Guinness Book of Records case.
From left to right: Wenger Basic, Wenger Classic 63, Wenger Monarch, Wenger EvoGrip S17, Wenger NewRanger 70 Handyman.
Special editions are still coming – this is the Victorinox Classic Edelweiss.
There are even Swiss children’s knives.
Victorinox moves with the times: modern models, for example, are equipped with USB sticks.
In 1908, the Swiss companies Wenger and Victorinox split the production of the Swiss Army Knife equally – but the 1908 model, also known as the M1908, was still manufactured overseas.
It took 43 years to remake the knife: this is the M1951, which, however, could not do without outside help. First, the model …
… The M1961 comes exclusively from the Wenger and Victorinox production facilities in Delsberg JU and Ibach SZ. It has a blade that is 7 millimeters shorter and at 72 grams is only half the weight of the original M 1890, …
… what can be seen here. The first 15,000 of this model had to be ordered from the German company in Solingen.
The most recently released 08 military knife has a blade that is 111 millimeters long. In addition to the can opener and screwdrivers, a saw is also included with this model.
The Wenger Giant Knife 2007 offers 81 individual tools for 141 different functions – a Guinness Book of Records case.
From left to right: Wenger Basic, Wenger Classic 63, Wenger Monarch, Wenger EvoGrip S17, Wenger NewRanger 70 Handyman.
Special editions are still coming – this is the Victorinox Classic Edelweiss.
There are even Swiss children’s knives.
Victorinox moves with the times: modern models, for example, are equipped with USB sticks.
Even if the Schweizer family is hard to believe: the first models of the Swiss Army knife had to be manufactured in Germany. Karl Elsener from Schwyz could not take it.
The Swiss Army Knife is known all over the world. It was originally developed for the military, but for soldiers and civilians, it means one thing above all else: innovation and pragmatism from Switzerland.
In this regard, not every viewer can immediately see what is wrong with this example, which was one of the first: What’s wrong with the Swiss Army Knife from 1891?
The first Swiss Army knife from 1891.
Commons / Cutrofiano
The truth is: the first 15,000 Swiss Army Knives did not come from our latitudes at all, but from Germany. At its meeting on December 6, 1890, the Federal Council decides to purchase a knife, but domestic production cannot ensure such quantities. That’s why Wester + Co. from the German knife capital Solingen.
Early M1890s have ebony grips. Later, blackened oak wood is used. It should offer features that would make life easier for a soldier at the time – such as a blade and a can opener. In order to be able to use the Schmidt-Rubin rifle introduced in 1889, there are also screwdrivers and an awl with which holes can be made.
Bring it on hey
Karl Elsener cannot accept the fact that the Swiss Army knife is not produced in his home country. He was born in Schwyz in 1860 and trained as a cutthroat in Zug. Elsener comes from a family of entrepreneurs: his grandfather, Peter Oswald Elsener, opened a mill in Schwyz, and his father, Balthasar Elsener, joined the production of felt and fur trade.
Standard embossing on Wenger Swiss knives.
Commons / Users: DM
Karl also started self-employed in 1884 – not as a clothing manufacturer, but with a knife and surgical tool shop. He calls the company in Ibach SZ “Victoria” – after his mother. In 1891, the 31-year-old founded the Swiss Knife Association. His declared purpose: to bring home the production of pocket knives.
In the same year, the entrepreneur is able to deliver the first genuine Swiss military knives to the military – and must expand his business. In 1892 he employed 30 people. In 1893, Paul Boéchat and three colleagues founded a similar company: Paul Boéchat & Cie. produces knives in Courtételle JU and employs around 20 people. In 1898 a certain Théo Wenger took over the management of a starving producer.
Trademark protected for 125 years
In 1907, Wenger took over the company, which went bankrupt, gave it his name and brought out Wenger & Co. to new shores – just in time to introduce to the market the second Swiss Army knife, named after the year of its introduction. The M1908 will be in production until it is replaced by the M1951. The M1961 and 08 military knife complete the official versions of the pocket knife.
The tool was protected for 125 years on June 12, 2022: the trademark was registered in 1897 as “Swiss Officer’s and Sports Knife”. In 1901, the first drastic change occurs: since the oak wood does not withstand the tests, the 1901 M1890 version comes with fiber handles. It is still 100 millimeters long and weighs 144 grams.
The M1908 has a modified blade that is still the same length and weighs slightly less than its predecessor, weighing 125 grams. From 1921, each knife is marked with the year of manufacture. The 1951 model has a modified blade that is only 93 millimeters long, weighs 90 grams and is made of stainless steel. By the way, because of this stainless steel, Victoria Karl Elsener changed its name to Victorinox in 1921 – INOX (non-oxidizable) is the international trademark of this metal.
Only M1961 comes entirely from Switzerland
The M1961 finally made history: it was the first model to be produced exclusively by Victorinox and Wenger. Of course, Karl Elsener did not live to see this moment: he died in 1918. The first genuine Swiss Army knife from 1961 lost weight again to 72 grams and for the first time has a red anodized aluminum handle. The can opener was a new addition back then.
The best Swiss military knives according to KnifeCenter.
Karl Elsener’s descendants continue the Victorinox tradition to this day. In 1978, NASA ordered 50 Master Craftsman models for its astronauts. The US Army has been supplied with supplies since the 1930s, and in 1989 the company also began producing watches. In 2000, most of the shares go to the company’s foundation. Since 2007, the German Bundeswehr has also been supplied with special knives.
The manufacturer Wenger, on the other hand, is in trouble because, after September 11, 2001, knives are no longer allowed in hand luggage – and the Swiss sold many products in duty-free shops. In 2005, the company was on the brink of ruin when Victorinox took over its stake: the brand was kept and initially competed with the parent company.
Various patterns and accessories
This also explains why the record-breaking Giant Knife 2007 comes from Wenger: it is 24 centimeters wide and 87 tools that fulfill 141 functions. This gives the tool a place in the “Guinness Book of Records”. However, the name Wenger has not been used since 2013: the 08 pocket knife is exclusively produced by Victorinox.
The record-breaking 2007 Giant Knife weighs just 1,345 grams. In 2006, it was available for € 798, or around $ 1,000.
Commons / Slartbartfass
Currently, there are over 100 different specimens and versions of the Swiss Army knife. There are also military knives that Victorinox makes for Germany and France, as well as bayonets for current Swiss Army rifles. There are also knives for outdoor activities, kitchen utensils and garden knives.
Obese employer: a report by the German broadcaster “ProSieben” about Victorinox.
Brand protection 125 years ago paid off: Victorinox employs around 2,100 people in 2019 and generates sales of 480 million francs this year: after the modern Swiss military knives, devices such as USB sticks, MP3 players, laser pointers and line scanners have also started to be fitted fingerprints are available, there is no need to worry that Victorinox will not keep reinventing this Swiss original in the future.