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Video: The Development Of The Swiss Army Knife
2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-06-05 00:21
Astronauts used it to repair their spaceships, series hero MacGyver used them to defuse bombs and cracked door locks: the Swiss Army Knife , also known as the Swiss Army Knife, is part of everyday culture. A Swiss Army Knife is characterized by the fact that, in addition to the eponymous pocket knife, other tools are installed and the handy device is a multifunction tool. The two major manufacturers of Swiss Army Knives are the two Swiss companies Victorinox and Wenger, which Victorinox bought in 2005.
First Swiss Army Knife made in Germany
The Swiss Army Knife began its career in the 1880s when the Swiss Army was looking for a practical tool for its soldiers that would help with eating and disassembling the rifle with a blade and screwdriver. The knife was to combine typical tasks in the soldier's trade in a single, compact and lightweight tool . The Swiss Army Knife came out, at that time still with handles made of blackened oak.
However, the first Swiss Army Knives were not made in Switzerland: At that time, no Swiss manufacturer had the necessary production capacities, which is why the first 15,000 knives were manufactured by the German knife manufacturer Wester & Co. in Solingen . After that, Victorinox, among others, took over the production.
Pocket knife in space
What started with just a few functions has developed into a functional tool in many different versions. Some versions are aimed at narrow target groups: there are flower knives, knives for bikers and skippers and yes, even a golfer version with ball markers. The Swiss Army Knife has been standard equipment on all NASA space shuttle missions since 1978.
The heavy-duty and extremely resistant retractable blade is made of a stainless steel alloy with a Rockwell hardness of 52. Whether sharpening a pencil or defusing bombs - a Swiss Army Knife always helps. Who knows how many future engineers have found their love for tinkering and designing through the knife and MacGyver.
