| Travel back to 1891 where Karl Elsener was still the | | | | and family back home. From then on, the knife served |
| owner of a company that manufactures surgical | | | | as a dependable partner to various expeditions in |
| equipment. It was during that time that he then learned | | | | North Pole, South Pole, Mount Everest, Amazon jungle |
| that pocket knives supplied to the Swiss Army was | | | | and even to the outer space! The knife also serves as |
| manufactured from Germany. So in the eye of | | | | a unique present from the President to dignitaries |
| nationalism, he then manufactured a knife that has four | | | | visiting the White House. |
| important features - a cutting blade, a screw driver, a | | | | But Karl Elsener's creation did not rise to fame in just |
| can opener and a punch and supplied it to the Swiss | | | | an instant. Through his company Victorinox, he hurdled |
| Army. Thus, the name Soldier's Knife was derived. | | | | the competitions like the army turning to Germans in |
| And in 1897, an additional two functions has been | | | | mass producing the knife and a new company |
| added and Soldier's Knife became the Officer's Knife. | | | | (Wenger) opening up, manufacturing and selling the |
| It was also during that year that the symbolic Swiss | | | | same product. But with hard work and a cunning |
| cross was added to the body. And from then on, the | | | | attitude, his company ended supplying knives for the |
| knife became a legacy - not just in Karl Elsener's | | | | draftees and eventually acquiring Wenger. |
| family but to the whole world as well. | | | | And today, as the world evolves, the endeared knife |
| The Swiss knife's earliest task was to aid soldiers in | | | | made a transformation of its own. In addition to the |
| their life at the jungle. They are used to saw wood, aid | | | | known features, the Swiss knife now has additional |
| in gun sighting, open canned products and cut cheese. | | | | features of blunt-tipped children's knife, a USB key and |
| American soldiers first saw this red-handled, | | | | a "cyber tool" to fix computers. This has indeed come |
| multipurpose tool from German prisoners of war. And, | | | | a long way. Same can be said to another type of |
| it was after the Second World War that Swiss Knife | | | | knife - the bowie knife. Today, you can have a custom |
| gained worldwide attention and also the advent of a | | | | bowie knife, suited for your needs and a military bowie |
| more multipurpose use. Soldiers coming home to | | | | knife that is a perfect partner for the Swiss knife. |
| America bought this knife as presents to their friends | | | | |