Who invented the Swiss army knife

In the world there are only two brands that can rightfully be called their product "Swiss Army Knife» («Swiss Army Knife») - Victorinox and Wenger , And now they - one company and more than 100 years ago they were competing firms.

Over a hundred years ago, these two brands, Victorinox - in 1891 and Wenger (at that time the company was called Paul Boechat & Cie) - in 1893 received the right to supply its products to the Swiss Army. Two suppliers were chosen for reasons of competition between the purchase price, orders were distributed in the ratio of 50 to 50, it was politically correct decision. Interesting fact: by mutual agreement Wenger was advertised as a "genuine (genuine) Swiss Army Knife" and Victorinox has used the slogan "The original (original) Swiss Army Knife».

It all started back in 1891 when Carl Elzener, owner of the company for the production of surgical equipment, discovered that the pocket knives supplied to the Swiss Army, made in Germany. He decided to change the situation and equip an army knives Swiss manufacture. To this end, he founded the Association of Swiss cutler.

Elzener began work on the precursor of the modern Swiss army knife, which he called "Soldier's Knife". The basic idea was to combine a pocket folding knife and a screwdriver, which became necessary Swiss soldier together with the adoption by the Swiss army new rifle Schmidt-Rubin sample 1889, which required a screwdriver to disassemble. The first such knife had a wooden handle and was equipped with a blade, screwdriver, bottle opener for canned food and awl. This knife was purchased by the Swiss army, but Elzener continued improvement and in 1896, after 5 years of hard work, has created a knife which each side was on the blade. Special spring mechanism holds them at the same time one and the same spring supports both the blade, which was a novelty at the time. Such a device is allowed to double the number of tools. Elzener, except for the second blade, corkscrew added.

Next, the light appeared more elegant model officer army knife, which had a second small blade and a corkscrew. June 12, 1897 the design was officially registered, this date can be regarded as the birthday of the Swiss army knife. The design of this model was the ancestor of all army knives, which are produced to this day.

The global popularity of Swiss Army knives received after World War II, US Army soldiers gladly bought them and took them home.

Over time, a set of tools - "stuffing" - army knives to supplement and expand. Here are some of them:

Knife (conventional blade)
Shyla
Can opener
Screwdriver (large)
Knife (small blade)
Corkscrew
Wood saw
Scissors
Bottle opener
Screwdriver (small)
Nail file
Toothpick
Forceps (tweezers)
Saw for metal
Metal file
Knife for cleaning fish
Vytaskivatel hook
Line
Screwdriver Philips (Phillips screwdriver)
Key ring
Magnifying glass (magnifying glass)

Nowadays, added lights, clock, USB-drives, players, laser pointers, altimeters for climbers, there are special series created for boaters, hunters and fishermen.

The biggest Swiss Army knife ever produced in Switzerland, contains not less than 87 tools offering 141 functions. This feature set size XXL released by Wenger, located in Delemont, Mount Jura, Switzerland. Judges Committee Guinness World Records recently awarded the title of this knife "Most multifunction pocket knife."