Victorinox Knife
Posted by Mac Cutts on February 27, 2010
How many companies make Swiss Army Knifes?
There must be plenty but I mean established brands of swiss army knifes like Victorinox and Wenger. Are there any more besides those made in China? I just have a minor obsession with them…
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.
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 thick, and retails for about U.S. $1200
Manufacturers
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.
Numerous other companies manufacture similar-looking multi-tool folding knives in a wide range of quality and prices.
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.
Just do a search on the internet to find the other manufacturers
Knife Review | Victorinox Hercules
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