Who invented it? In Ibach in the canton of Schwyz, Victorinox has been producing the Swiss Army Knife and soldier’s knives for numerous armies worldwide since the end of the 19th century. A visit to the factory.
Zaank! Zaank! Zaank! Dozens of punches roar and chop handy parts out of metal strips. Blades, files, can and bottle openers. Their sharp-edged burrs have to be removed later, the grayish-matt surfaces polished to a shiny-smooth finish. It smells of oil and lubricant. A worker inserts a new die into a punch, while a forklift places a pallet next door.
We can only guess how much weight the shiny steel band must have on it. One thing is clear: as is so often the case in life, every beginning is difficult. Even small quantities of stainless steel, brass and aluminum add up to a lot of weight. Here in Ibach in the canton of Schwyz, however, a whopping 2,200 tons of these materials are first stamped into blades and files and then processed into around 50 million knives every year: Kitchen knives, butcher’s knives, garden knives, multi-tools and pocket knives. Zaank! Zaank! Zaank!
We are in the middle of production at Victorinox, probably the most renowned knife manufacturer in the world. Known above all for its Swiss Army Knife, there is really no question as to who invented it. It was the Swiss Karl Elsener who, at a time when there was still little sign of our neighbors’ great economic power today, seized the opportunity to develop the Swiss army with innovative soldier’s knives that combined several functions. Although they were still heavy and bulky compared to today, the first delivery was made in 1891. Six years later, Elsener followed up with a revised, lighter and more elegant version for officers – the birth of the Swiss Army and sports knife.
“It established Victorinox’s global reputation,” says Carl Elsener in an interview with Militär Aktuell. Born in 1958, the great-grandson of the company founder is now the fourth generation to run the family business with more than 2,000 employees worldwide. The achievements of his predecessors can be felt in every nook and cranny, and production still takes place at the same location. “And exclusively here”, as Elsener is keen to emphasize. “A Swiss knife has to come from Switzerland.” The name of the company alone ensures that he does not forget the long family tradition: Karl Elsener (the company founder) chose her first name as the brand name in memory of his mother Victoria. After the invention of stainless steel, Inox, the words “Victoria” and “Inox” merged to form the new brand name in the 1920s.
Back to production, where the stamped parts have now arrived in a stone bath. To remove the burrs, they are shaken and rattled for hours and then compacted in a hardening oven at over 1,000 degrees. Then it’s time for fine-tuning: a machine grinds the cutting edge onto the blades, next door other parts are given a groove and an automatic milling machine shapes the screwdrivers. Layer by layer, the parts then grow into finished products with precise spring tension. Larger model series are built on self-designed production lines, smaller ones are made by hand. The final step is to apply the shells to the housing, and companies or armed forces can customize the design to their wishes.
The version of the officer’s knife used in the Swiss army is olive green, a two-component plastic increases the grip, the Swiss cross (not to be confused with the very similar-looking Victorinox company crest) is embossed. The version for the Dutch army does without the country’s coat of arms, but the embossed armed forces logo is not missing here either. The inner workings of the knives are similarly flexible: unlike the Dutch, the Swiss do without a belt cutter, while the Swiss version comes with a wood saw. The Indian Navy, on the other hand, relies on a Marl spike, as Managing Director Carl Elsener explains. “This is a hook for undoing knots that we have developed specifically for the requirements of the Indians.” In the meantime, the Marlspieker has also found its way into Victorinox’s retail range: As Skipper Pro, the company offers the knife specifically for sailors.
The military business accounts for only a fraction of Victorinox’s revenue. However, examples such as the Indian navy show that the sector is an innovation driver for Victorinox – and an image factor. If the knives are used by the armed forces, this is a confirmation of quality that also rubs off on the rest of the range. Today, this also includes household and professional knives, watches, luggage and perfumes.
But the bottom line is that somehow everything still revolves around the pocket knife. Few other products in the world can compete with the Swiss Army Knife in terms of recognition, distinctiveness, multifunctionality and cult status. Since the company was founded, more than 500 million knives have been produced – and not only used by MacGyver. The TV adventurer used chewing gum, paper clips and Swiss knives to solve all kinds of problems – and the impossible ones too.
“There are many stories about how our knife was used at the North Pole, the South Pole or even in space,” says Carl Elsener at the end of our conversation. “But the great thing is that all these stories started here with us.” At the punching machines – right at the start of production.
