A Swiss army knife with its implements in various stages of extension

A Swiss Army knife (SAK), (German: Schweizer Taschenmesser, French: Couteau suisse) is a multi-function pocket knife or multitool. Generally speaking, a Swiss Army knife has a blade as well as various tools, such as screwdrivers and can openers. These attachments are stowed inside the handle of the knife through a pivot point mechanism. The handle is usually red, and features a white cross, the emblem of Switzerland. The knife model that is actually used by the Swiss Army has a knurled alox handle, a blade, a reamer, a blade combining bottle-opener, screwdriver, and wire stripper, and a combined can-opener and small screwdriver. It originated in Ibach, Schwyz, Switzerland in 1897, but despite efforts in the United States, the term is not a Protected designation of origin and any knife can claim to be a Swiss Army knife.^[1] Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 274 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 274 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A pocket knife is a type of folding knife with a blade that fits inside the handle. ... A multitool is a portable, versatile hand tool that combines several individual tool functions in a single grip or in the shape of a credit card. ... Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ... A basic screwdriver made by Craftsman (slotted tip shown) A rechargeable battery-powered electric screwdriver from Black & Decker The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten, or to loosen and remove, screws. ... A can opener. ... Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 625–750 nm. ... White is the combination of all the colors of the visible light spectrum. ... A Greek cross (all arms of equal length) above a saltire, a cross rotated by 45 degrees A famous Armenian khachkar at Goshavank (Notice the cross). ... The flag of Switzerland. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Close-up shot of a diamond-pattern knurling on a cylindric work piece. ... Aluminium oxide is an amphoteric oxide of aluminium with the chemical formula Al2O3. ... A reamer or ream is a tool for enlarging holes and is used in metalworking. ... A bottle opener is primarily thought of as a device which enables the removal of metal bottle caps from bottles, though more generally it might be thought to include corkscrews used to remove cork or plastic stoppers from wine bottles. ... A basic screwdriver made by Craftsman (slotted tip shown) A rechargeable battery-powered electric screwdriver from Black & Decker The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten, or to loosen and remove, screws. ... A simple manual wire stripper An automatic wire stripper Stripped copper wire A wire stripper is a small, hand-held device used to strip the insulation from electric wires. ... A can opener. ... The town of   (French: , Italian: ) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. ... View from hiking trail between Ibergeregg and Spirstock Schwyz (German  ) is a canton in central Switzerland between Lake Lucerne in the south and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Protected designation of origin (PDO), protected geographical indication (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) are geographical indications defined in European Union Law to protect regional foods. ...

The term "Swiss Army knife" is sometimes used generically to describe a tool, such as a software tool, that is a collection of special-purpose tools. The term "Swiss Army knife" was coined by US soldiers after World War II, as they couldn't pronounce its original name, "Offiziersmesser". Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Features

Some of the various models produced by Victorinox.

Various models of Swiss Army knives exist, with different tool combinations for specific tasks. The simplest model sold includes only a single blade. The most common tools featured are, in addition to the main blade, a smaller second blade, tweezers, toothpick, corkscrew, can opener, bottle opener, slotted/flat-head screwdriver(s), phillips-head screwdriver, nail file, scissors, saw, file, hook, magnifying glass, ballpoint pen, fish scaler, hex wrench w/bits, pliers and key chain. Recent technological features include USB flash drives, digital clock, digital altimeter, LED light, laser pointer, and MP3 player. The official army model also contains a brass spacer, which allows the knife, with the screwdriver and the reamer extended simultaneously, to be used to assemble the SIG 550 and SIG 510 assault rifles: the knife serves as a restraint to the firing pin during assembly of the lock. Image File history File links The entire line of Victorinox Swiss Army knives on display at the flagship store of Bucherer in Lucerne, Switzerland. ... Image File history File links The entire line of Victorinox Swiss Army knives on display at the flagship store of Bucherer in Lucerne, Switzerland. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Wood toothpicks A Toothpick A toothpick is a piece of plastic or other substance such as wood (in this case it may be known as an interdental woodstick) used to remove detritus from the teeth, usually after a meal. ... A basic corkscrew A corkscrew is a tool for drawing stopping corks from wine bottles. ... Henry F. Phillips (1890 - 1958) was a businessman from Portland, Oregon and inventor of the Phillips-head screw and screwdriver. ... nail files A nail file is a tool used to gently grind down and shape the edges of nails. ... Different types of scissors - sewing, kitchen, paper Scissors are a tool used for cutting thin material which requires little force. ... Portable saw A saw is a tool for cutting wood or other material, consisting of a serrated blade (a blade with the cutting edge dentated or toothed) and worked either by hand or by steam, water, electric or other power. ... Detail of a double-cut flat file A file (or hand-file) is a hand tool used to shape material by cutting. ... Look up Hook in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A magnifying glass is a single convex lens which is used to see girls better it is wonderful i love eating it is so tasty a mg is used also toproduce a magnified image of an object. ... Ballpoint pen, disassembled (top) and complete (bottom) A ballpoint pen (also eponymously known in British English as a biro and pronounced bye-row in Britain but sometimes bee-row elsewhere), is a modern writing instrument. ... Needle-nose pliers Pliers are hand tools, designed primarily for gripping objects by using leverage. ... A key fob is a decorative item which many people carry with their keys, on a ring or a chain, often to provide a better grip or to simply make a personal statement. ... Note: USB may also mean upper sideband in radio. ... A flash drive, related to a solid state drive, is a storage device that uses flash memory rather than conventional spinning platters to store data. ... Basic digital alarm clock without a radio. ... Diagram showing the face of a three-pointer sensitive aircraft altimeter displaying altitude in feet. ... External links LEd Category: TeX ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is an audio encoding format. ... The SIG 550 (Sturmgewehr 90) is an assault rifle manufactured by Swiss Arms AG (formerly SIG Arms AG) of Switzerland. ... The SIG 510 is an assault rifle manufactured by SAN Swiss Arms (formerly SIG Arms) of Switzerland. ... The AK-47 is the worlds most common assault rifle. ... The firing pin is a very hard steel rod with a one small, rounded end for striking the primer of a cartridge. ... The lock of a firearm is the system used to ignite the propellant. ...

The standard full-size SAK is approximately 9 cm (3.5 inches) long and 2 cm (0.75 inches) wide; smaller models are typically about 6 cm (2.25 in) long and 1.5 cm (0.5 in) wide. Thickness varies depending on the number of tools included. Although red celidor SAKs are most common, there are many colors and scales available. Many textures, colors, and in fact, shapes are now popping up in the Swiss Army Knife.

As of 2007, the most technologically advanced model includes a laser pointer and a 2GB detachable USB flash drive [1]. Wenger has even manufactured a $1200 Swiss army knife that includes every implement the company has ever made^[2] Victorinox is located in the Swiss town of Ibach with a show room, Wenger is located in the Swiss town of Delémont with no show room. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A gigabyte (derived from the SI prefix giga-) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to 1000³ bytes or 1024³ bytes (1000³ = one billion). ... A USB flash drive USB flash drives are NAND-type flash memory data storage devices integrated with a USB (universal serial bus) interface. ... The town of   (French: , Italian: ) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. ... Delémont (German: Delsberg) is a Swiss city and the capital of the Canton of Jura. ...

The Victorinox Cybertools [2] have many tools of use with computers and electronic equipment. In addition to the usual tools, including pliers and scissors, they have a 4mm hex screwdriver bit holder and bit case with 4 double-ended bits (8 ends); the bit-holder itself can be used with no bit fitted to turn the hex pillars often used to fasten chassis-mounted D-connectors in place. A male DE-9 connector. ...

History

Origins

In 1891, Karl Elsener, then owner of a company that made surgical equipment, discovered to his dismay that the pocket knives supplied to the Swiss Army were in fact made in Germany. Upset, he founded the Association of Swiss Master Cutlers. Its goal was simple — Swiss knives for the Swiss Army. “Surgeon” redirects here. ...

Upon suggestion by his engineer friend, Jeannine Keller, Elsener began working on what became the predecessor to the modern Swiss Army knife, called the "Soldier's Knife". The original had a wooden handle, as opposed to the plastic and metal seen today, and featured a cutting blade, a screwdriver, a can opener, and a punch. This knife was sold to the Swiss army, but Elsener was not satisfied with its first incarnation. In 1896, after five years of hard work, Elsener managed to put the blades on both sides of the handle using a special spring mechanism, allowing him to use the same spring to hold them in place, an innovation at the time. This allowed Elsener to put twice as many features on the knife; he added a second cutting blade and a corkscrew. A basic screwdriver made by Craftsman (slotted tip shown) A rechargeable battery-powered electric screwdriver from Black & Decker The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten, or to loosen and remove, screws. ... A can opener. ... A variety of punches are used in engineering. ... Helical or coil springs designed for tension A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical energy. ... A basic corkscrew A corkscrew is a tool for drawing stopping corks from wine bottles. ...

Karl Elsner used the cross and shield to identify his knives. The same symbol is still used to identify a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. When his mother died in 1909, Elsner decided to name his company "Victoria" in her memory. In 1921 the company started using stainless steel to make the Swiss Army Knife. Stainless steel is also known as "inox", short for the French term acier inoxydable. "Victoria" and "inox" were then combined to create the company name "Victorinox".

Victorinox and Wenger

Elsener, through his company Victorinox, managed to corner the market until 1893, when the second industrial cutler of Switzerland, Paul Boechat & Cie headquartered in Delémont in the French-speaking region of Jura, started selling a similar product. This company was later acquired by its then General Manager, Theodore Wenger and renamed the Wenger Company. In 1908 the Swiss government, wanting to prevent an issue over regional favouritism, but perhaps wanting a bit of competition in hopes of lowering prices, split the contract with Victorinox and Wenger each getting half of the orders placed. By mutual agreement, Wenger advertises as the Genuine Swiss Army Knife and Victorinox uses the slogan the Original Swiss Army Knife. However, on April 26, 2005, Victorinox acquired Wenger, thus once again becoming the sole supplier of knives to the Swiss Army. However, on the consumer side Victorinox has stated that it intends to keep both brands intact. Victorinoxs knives on display at a Lucerne retailer Victorinox is a knife manufacturer headquartered in the town of Ibach, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Delémont (German: Delsberg) is a Swiss city and the capital of the Canton of Jura. ... The Canton of Jura is the newest (created in 1979) of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. ... A Wenger Swiss Army knife Wenger is one of the two (the other one is Victorinox) official suppliers of Swiss Army knives. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2006, Victorinox produced a knife, with 85 devices and 110 functions, to commemorate Wenger's 100th anniversary in the Swiss Army knife business. The Giant as it's called, is a novelty collector's item that is nearly 9 inches wide, and retails for about U.S. $1200 (See complete list of implements, p.4).

Manufacturers

Main articles: Victorinox and Wenger

The two Swiss Army knife manufacturers, Victorinox and Wenger, together supply about 50,000 knives to the Swiss army each year. The rest of production is devoted to exports, mostly to the United States. Commercial Victorinox and Wenger SAKs can be immediately distinguished by their logos; the Victorinox cross is surrounded by a shield with bilateral symmetry, while the Wenger cross is surrounded by a slightly rounded square with quadrilateral symmetry. The two models supplied to the Swiss Army instead bear the Swiss Coat of Arms. Image File history File links Victorinox_logo. ... Image File history File links W-wenger-logo. ... Victorinoxs knives on display at a Lucerne retailer Victorinox is a knife manufacturer headquartered in the town of Ibach, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. ... A Wenger Swiss Army knife Wenger is one of the two (the other one is Victorinox) official suppliers of Swiss Army knives. ... Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ... Figures with the axes of symmetry drawn in. ... In geometry, a quadrilateral is a polygon with four sides or edges and four vertices or corners. ... The Coat of Arms of Switzerland shows the same white cross as the flag of Switzerland, but on a red shield. ...

Numerous other companies manufacture similar-looking multi-tool folding knives in a wide range of quality and prices.

A Chinese Swiss Army Knife?

In 2007, the Swiss Government made a request for more knives for the Swiss Army for distribution in late 2008, however due to size of the order, WTO rules that it open to all companies around the world, not just the native Victorinox and Wenger. This has led to worry by some Swiss Army Knife enthusiasts and some Swiss, that the knife may be made in China. ^[3] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... International trade law is a misnomer. ...

In Pop-culture

• The Swiss Army Knife is a signature of the American TV show MacGyver, wherein MacGyver often improvises tools that are needed to solve problems. He often used his knife to help build mechanisms out of common items, which led to sayings such as "making a rocket out of a matchbox and a paper clip." In fact, this has led to many discussions to attempt to list the variants that were used. Current lists show nearly every model available in the US during filming (see: list of problems solved by MacGyver).

• The Swiss Army knife has also been parodied in animated TV shows such as The Simpsons and the animated version of The Tick, in which a fictional Swiss Army squad carries backpack-sized versions of the knife.

• In Eddie Izzard's performance of Glorious, he portrays the Vatican's Swiss Guard as being armed with SAKs, and proceeds to highlight the perceived uselessness of some of the tools commonly featured on them: "I don't know what this one is for. I can open a can of beans with this one...in a week."

• In his 2002 HBO special Robin Williams: Live on Broadway, Robin Williams asks in regard to the Swiss Army, "How can you trust an army that has a wine opener on its knife?" then impersonates a Swiss Officer briefing his men before battle: "Many of you men have never opened a Chardonnay under fire. First of all you take out the wine bottle, pull out the cork, smell it, say 'meat or fish' and throw!"

• In the movie Naked Gun, the character Ted Olsen shows Frank Drebin an invention of his, the "Swiss Army Shoe". The shoe has a spring-loaded knife that can come out of the front, plus various other tools that can be pivoted off the sides of the shoe.

• In Adult Swim's animated comedy series Metalocalypse, character Skwisgaar Skwigelf sports a custom "Swiss Army-tar", complete with authentic moving parts and even a bottle opener.

• In the Canadian show The Red Green Show. Harold is given a Swiss Army Knife(With a version of Doom built in.) after selling the show to Switzerland.

• In Ricky Gervais' stand up show Animals, Ricky slates the Swiss, saying "It's not really a loss not having Switzerland on your side in a war is it? With their army. Have you seen the little knives they carry?" adding, mimicking an enemy, "Alright back off he's got some tweezers".

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A Soyuz rocket, at Baikonur launch pad. ... Matchbook (open) A matchbook is a small cardboard container that holds a quantity of matches inside and has a coarse striking surface on the exterior. ... Small metal paper clip Another example of a paper clip. ... This is a list of problems that have been solved by the fictional character MacGyver from the television series of the same name. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... The Tick is the name of a series of comic books and an animated TV series created in 1986 by Ben Edlund, following the exploits of a blue-skinned muscular man named The Tick who fights crime in a place simply called The City. He is an absurdist spoof of... Edward John Eddie Izzard (born February 7, 1962) is an English[1] stand-up comedian and actor, known for his cross-dressing. ... Papal Swiss Guards in traditional uniforms Swiss Guards are Swiss mercenary soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts from the late 15th century until the present day (in the form of the Papal Swiss Guard). ... HBO (Home Box Office) is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner. ... Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21, 1952)[1] is an Academy Award-winning American actor and comedian who has done television, stage, and film work. ... Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ... The Naked Gun is the name of a series of comedy movies starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley and OJ Simpson. ... A shoe is an item of footwear worn on the foot or feet of a human, dog, cat, horse, or doll. ... Adult Swim, sometimes rendered [adult swim] based on its logo, is the name for an adult-oriented television programming network. ... Metalocalypse is an animated television series on Adult Swim created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... The Red Green Show is a television comedy that aired on CBC Television in Canada and on PBS in the United States from 1991 until the series finale 7 April 2006 on CBC. Reruns currently air on CBC Television, CBC Country Canada, The Comedy Network, and various PBS stations. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is a landmark title in the first-person shooter genre. ... Ricky Dene Gervais (IPA: according to how Gervais pronounces it on The Ricky Gervais Show) (born June 25, 1961) is an Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA award-winning English comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire. ...

See also

• Victorinox
• Wenger
• Swiss dagger
• Leatherman
• Gerber multitool

Victorinoxs knives on display at a Lucerne retailer Victorinox is a knife manufacturer headquartered in the town of Ibach, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. ... A Wenger Swiss Army knife Wenger is one of the two (the other one is Victorinox) official suppliers of Swiss Army knives. ... late baselard or Swiss sword (ca. ... Leatherman multi-tool A Leatherman Wave with all tools unfolded Leatherman and belt holster Leatherman is a trademark for a line of multi-function hand tools produced by the Leatherman Tool Group. ... A Multiplier 400 Compact Sport Gerber multi-tool, in the closed position. ...

External links

• Blog Victorinox Swiss Army watches
• Victorinox manufacturer's web site (English version)
• Wenger manufacturer's web site (English version)
• Does the Swiss army really use the Swiss army knife? at The Straight Dope

The Straight Dope is a popular question and answer newspaper column published in the Chicago Reader (an alternative weekly), syndicated in thirty newspapers in the United States and Canada, and available online. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.ladas.com/BULLETINS/1994/1194Bulletin/US_SwissArmyKnife.html
2. ^ Wenger's $1,200 'Giant Swiss Army Knife'. Retrieved on 2006-11-10.
3. ^ "New army knife (video, RealVideo)", Swissinfo. 

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Swiss Army knife

Victorinox Swiss Army knife closed Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 328 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	A Victorinox Swiss Army knife A Swiss Army knife. ...	A Victorinox Soldier, the model used by the Swiss Army. Notice that it does not have a corkscrew. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (547x1828, 112 KB) Swiss Army Knife Licence : GNU-FDL Photo taken by Cédric on 10 May 2005. ...	Swiss Military issue knives Image File history File links WengStdIss_VicSold. ...
An example of an imitation Swiss-like multitool Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 513 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Authors own picture. ...	The bottle opener Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 878 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) // Abrebotellas integrado en una navaja Victorinox Swiss Army knife with bottle opener, screwdriver Image taken by Rl Date: 20 January 2006 File links The following pages...	A Wenger model Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2816x2112, 2094 KB) A swiss army knife as made by Wenger. ...	cutlery tools Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ...