Victorinox
Encyclopedia
Victorinox is a knife manufacturer based in the town of Ibach
, in the Canton of Schwyz
, Switzerland
. Since its acquisition of rival Wenger
in 2005, it has, once more, become the sole supplier of multi-purpose knives to the Swiss army.
to the Swiss army. Their famous emblem
—a cross in a shield—has been used by Victorinox since 1909. That year, the mother of founder Karl Elsener died and he named the company "Victoria" in her honour. In 1921, with the introduction of "inox" (the French
term for stainless steel
is acier inoxydable) into their products, the brand and name of the company became the present "Victorinox" ("Victoria"+"Inox").
On 26 April 2005 Victorinox acquired Wenger
, the other official supplier of the Swiss Army knife
, announcing that it intended to keep both brands intact.
In 2006 the company had a workforce of 900 employees and produced about 34,000 Swiss Army knives, 38,000 multi-tools, and 30,000 household, kitchen, and knives per workday. Approximately 90 percent of its production is exported, to more than 100 countries.
Recently, Victorinox has licenced the Swiss Army brand and shield logo to companies producing watches, writing tools, luggage and clothing.
is the best-known Victorinox product. Originally the sole supplier, since 1908 it shared the contract with Wenger. A compromise between the two companies gave Victorinox the right to advertise as the Original Swiss Army Knife, while Wenger lays claim to the title of Genuine Swiss Army Knife. Victorinox took over Wenger in 2005.
Swiss Army knives are widely used outside the army. They are multi functional tools, and many sizes and functional combinations are produced. NASA
astronaut
s have a Victorinox knife as standard equipment. Victorinox knives have also been taken to Mt. Everest and the Arctic. The "Champion", Victorinox's model flagship prior to the introduction of the "SwissChamp" in 1986, is in the New York Museum of Modern Art
's Permanent Design Collection. There is also an active Swiss Army Knife modding
community, producing new models from cannibalised parts.
The SwissCard, roughly the size of a business card, typically with a small pair of scissors, a short non-folding knife, a small file with a screwdriver point, a plastic toothpick, tweezers, a slim ballpoint pen, and a straight pin, housed in a hard plastic case of approximately 82 × 50 mm in size, with an inch ruler on one side and metric measurements on the other.
Victorinox has long produced other kitchen cutlery
under their own name and the Forschner brand name.
Victorinox also produces the bayonet
for the Swiss Stgw 90
assault rifle. The bayonet has an overall length of 310 mm and a muzzle ring diameter of 22 mm. The 177 mm long blade is single-edged and it has no fuller
. The bayonets were manufactured exclusively for the Swiss Army by Wenger
and Victorinox (before the two companies merged).
SwissTools are Victorinox's multi-tool
s, i.e. a pair of pliers with other tools folded into the grips.
A number of pocket and wrist watches are sold with the Swiss Army brand.
A number of Emissive Energy Corps products have been redesigned and rebranded as Victorinox LED
flashlight
s. Most are available with a knurled aluminium
body, similar to Swiss Army knives.
Ibach, Switzerland
Ibach is a town in the municipality of Schwyz, Schwyz District, Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland....
, in the Canton of Schwyz
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Since its acquisition of rival Wenger
Wenger
Wenger is one of two companies that have manufactured Swiss Army knives. Based in Delémont, Wenger was acquired by rival Victorinox in 2005.- History :The history of Wenger S.A...
in 2005, it has, once more, become the sole supplier of multi-purpose knives to the Swiss army.
History
The company was founded in 1884. Since 1891, the company has delivered knivesKnife
A knife is a cutting tool with an exposed cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knives were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools...
to the Swiss army. Their famous emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
—a cross in a shield—has been used by Victorinox since 1909. That year, the mother of founder Karl Elsener died and he named the company "Victoria" in her honour. In 1921, with the introduction of "inox" (the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
term for stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
is acier inoxydable) into their products, the brand and name of the company became the present "Victorinox" ("Victoria"+"Inox").
On 26 April 2005 Victorinox acquired Wenger
Wenger
Wenger is one of two companies that have manufactured Swiss Army knives. Based in Delémont, Wenger was acquired by rival Victorinox in 2005.- History :The history of Wenger S.A...
, the other official supplier of the Swiss Army knife
Swiss Army knife
The Swiss Army knife is a brand of pocket knife or multi-tool manufactured by Victorinox AG and Wenger SA. The term "Swiss Army knife" was coined by US soldiers after World War II due to the difficulty they had in pronouncing the German name....
, announcing that it intended to keep both brands intact.
In 2006 the company had a workforce of 900 employees and produced about 34,000 Swiss Army knives, 38,000 multi-tools, and 30,000 household, kitchen, and knives per workday. Approximately 90 percent of its production is exported, to more than 100 countries.
Recently, Victorinox has licenced the Swiss Army brand and shield logo to companies producing watches, writing tools, luggage and clothing.
Products
The Swiss Army knifeSwiss Army knife
The Swiss Army knife is a brand of pocket knife or multi-tool manufactured by Victorinox AG and Wenger SA. The term "Swiss Army knife" was coined by US soldiers after World War II due to the difficulty they had in pronouncing the German name....
is the best-known Victorinox product. Originally the sole supplier, since 1908 it shared the contract with Wenger. A compromise between the two companies gave Victorinox the right to advertise as the Original Swiss Army Knife, while Wenger lays claim to the title of Genuine Swiss Army Knife. Victorinox took over Wenger in 2005.
Swiss Army knives are widely used outside the army. They are multi functional tools, and many sizes and functional combinations are produced. NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s have a Victorinox knife as standard equipment. Victorinox knives have also been taken to Mt. Everest and the Arctic. The "Champion", Victorinox's model flagship prior to the introduction of the "SwissChamp" in 1986, is in the New York Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
's Permanent Design Collection. There is also an active Swiss Army Knife modding
Modding
Modding is a slang expression that is derived from the verb "modify". Modding refers to the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software or anything else for that matter, to perform a function not originally conceived or intended by the designer...
community, producing new models from cannibalised parts.
The SwissCard, roughly the size of a business card, typically with a small pair of scissors, a short non-folding knife, a small file with a screwdriver point, a plastic toothpick, tweezers, a slim ballpoint pen, and a straight pin, housed in a hard plastic case of approximately 82 × 50 mm in size, with an inch ruler on one side and metric measurements on the other.
Victorinox has long produced other kitchen cutlery
Kitchen knife
A kitchen knife is any knife that is intended to be used in food preparation. While much of this work can be accomplished with a few general-purpose knives – notably a large chef's knife, a tough cleaver, and a small paring knife – there are also many specialized knives that are designed for...
under their own name and the Forschner brand name.
Victorinox also produces the bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
for the Swiss Stgw 90
SIG SG 550
The SG 550 is an assault rifle manufactured by Swiss Arms AG of Neuhausen, Switzerland...
assault rifle. The bayonet has an overall length of 310 mm and a muzzle ring diameter of 22 mm. The 177 mm long blade is single-edged and it has no fuller
Fuller (weapon)
A fuller is a rounded or beveled groove or slot in the flat side of a blade . A fuller is often used to lighten the blade, much in the way that an I-beam shape allows a given amount of strength to be achieved with less material...
. The bayonets were manufactured exclusively for the Swiss Army by Wenger
Wenger
Wenger is one of two companies that have manufactured Swiss Army knives. Based in Delémont, Wenger was acquired by rival Victorinox in 2005.- History :The history of Wenger S.A...
and Victorinox (before the two companies merged).
SwissTools are Victorinox's multi-tool
Multi-tool
A multi-tool is any one of a range of portable, versatile hand tools that combines several individual functions in a single unit...
s, i.e. a pair of pliers with other tools folded into the grips.
A number of pocket and wrist watches are sold with the Swiss Army brand.
A number of Emissive Energy Corps products have been redesigned and rebranded as Victorinox LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
s. Most are available with a knurled aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
body, similar to Swiss Army knives.