Swiss Army Knives

From childhood, I have been intrigued with multifunctional, Swiss Army style knives. The first one that I ever owned was a Japanese knockoff that was acquired at a flea market at about the time that I was a Cub Scout. While not of exceptional quality, it was functional and included a hobo tool that certainly boosted its "cool factor", even though I do not recall ever eating with it. Since then, I have tried to keep a knife of this style handy because its compact, no nonsense functionality makes it a dependable tool of preparedness that is used almost every day.

The original Swiss Army Knife, the Model 1890, was produced by Wester & Co. in Solingen, Germany. This knife, which was somewhat bulky, contained a blade, reamer, can opener, and a screwdriver. Towards the end of 1891, Karl Elsner began producing the Model 1890 knife and in 1896, he designed a new one, the “Schweizer Offiziers und Sportsmesser” (the Swiss Officers and Sports Knife) which had a new spring mechanism that facilitated the addition of a smaller blade and corkscrew. Elsner's company ultimately became Victorinox, which still produces the iconic Swiss Army Knife.

When I was in high school, I can recall arguing with a buddy as to which of us had a "real" Swiss Army Knife. I had a Victorinox and he had a Wenger and each of us vociferously contended that our respective knives were bona fide. As it turns out, we were both right. In 1893, Paul Boéchat & Cie, which was acquired by Theodore Wenger and renamed the Wenger Company, began selling a similar knife and in 1908, the government contract for Swiss Army Knives was split between the two companies.

Over the years, many companies have produced knives of the Swiss Army style and pattern which have ranged from poor to excellent in quality. The general purpose pocket knife that served the US military for generations, the MIL-K 818, is an example of an excellent Swiss Army style knife as are many vintage Boy Scout knives which are built along this pattern. My father's Boy Scout Knife, which was made by Kutmaster and is pictured above, beneath a Victorinox Super Tinker, shows the wear of approximately fifty years of regular, utilitarian service. Of course, only Swiss Army knives produced by Victorinox (The Master Craftsman and the Astronaut models) have the distinction of being officially issued by NASA and used in space.

A Swiss Army Knife or a quality imitation is imminently useful and it fills the niche between between a simple pocket knife and bulky multi-tool that requires a sheath. How many times have you wished that you had tweezers or a toothpick at hand? Have you become spoiled by the twist caps of domestic beers only to be defeated by the traditional cap of a quality micro brew or import? Have you ever needed to adjust the windage on your adjustable rear sight but had no small screw driver available? Have you ever broken a can opener in the midst of preparing dinner?

Such petty inconveniences are easily overcome with a Swiss Army Knife and while amusing, they provide a point of reflection upon the utility and flexibility that such a compact and easily carried tool can provide in an emergency or survival situation. Moreover, the more basic models are no more expensive than other quality pocket knives and are periodically offered at a bargain. The Victorinox Super Tinker, pictured above, was recently acquired from a Wal-Mart clearance rack for $17 which makes it a practical and cost effective addition to any preparedness inventory.