Evolution

Information found on this page comes from dozens of places and people including Victorinox emails, manuals, catalogues, people, collectors, enthusiasts, me, forums and several others. 

1884 January first, Karl Elsener openes a buisness.

1891 First contract to deliver Solidier knives to the Swiss Army.

1897 June 12th official registration for the elegant Officiers knife, developed by the founder.

1902 New models that now got woodsaw, scissors, nickelsilver tweezers, toothpick and bail.

1909 Metal inlay cross on red fiber scales.

1923 Stainless steel available.

1931 Crossbow symbol on blades.

1937 Cellidor scales replace fiber.

1939 Crossbow emblem replaced with cross.

1942 New screwdriver with cap opener.

1946 New patented can opener(used today by Wenger)

1951 New improved can opener  with small screwdriver tip, aluminium dividers replace nickelsilver. New flat screwdriver with cap opener and cable stripper/bender.

1951 Flat screwdriver with cap opener change side.

1952 Square Phillips screwdriver in the corkscrew place, long nailfile with cleaner, metal saw, fish shell scraper and hook disgorger.

1957 Tweezer with aluminium head/holder.

1961 New reamer awl with cutting edge, hidden rivets.

1968 Bail get officially replaced with keyring.

1973 Magnifier and phillips screwdriver, small blade without clip.

1973 New shape metalfile tip(nail cleaner) (in general or average)

1975 Fine screwdriver backside tool, this type pre the 1985 type.

1975 Ruler on the fish scaler with hook disgorger

1978  Tweezer get plastic head/holder

1980 Inlay made of stainless and not nickelsilver, round phillips(up until this date its been forged)

1982 Combination tool on 84mm knives. (Most likely seen 1980)

1983 Patented mini screwdriver.

1985 ball point pen, fine screwdriver, chisel, reamer with sewing eye. Flat screwdriver with cap opener can be used from 90 degrees.

1986 Plier with wire cutters and combination tool on 91mm knives.

1987 Camoflage scales

1990 Swiss Watch in the scale

1991 Multi purpose hook and needle, corkscrew replaced with solid model.

1991 Key ring attached on spring.

1992 Golfer blade, solid round phillips.

1994 Matt nylon scales. Corkscrew without decoration groove.

1995 Cable crimper tool on plier.

1998 Carl Elsener and Giaritta Franco inventors of CyberTool.

1999 Bit key and holder

1999 Translucent scales.

1999 3 month modified keyring attachment on spring, improved 90 degree flat screwdriver with notch to prevent accidental closing.

2000 Altimeter electronics, long files removed from catalogues.

2000 New attaching for keyring on spring or modified for todays modern.

2001 Voyager, small tweezer and new scales.

2002 Patent application show LED module.

2003 Glowing scales, last year for tweezer with metal holder.

2004 New plastic magnifier.

2005 Travel electronics, metal file made of stainless. new blade stampings.

2008 New Soldier knife- 111mm with two component scales. Improved blade and locking mechanism.

2010 New Soldier knife for the Dutch army. Special function beltcutter with lock. Also a civilian model.

2011 Storage on Victorinox electronic with drastic higher capacity. Slim, Slim Duo and Secure

2013 Former Wenger SAKs and selection of tools incorporated into The Victorinox Brand.

The basic information regarding the emblem/logo is the Victorinox cross and shield. One will always find variations and different applications. Regarding the 91mm Officiers line then the cross and shield was adopted in 1909 on the fiber scales. This was done to distinguish the products. In 1937 the Celluloid handles was introduced with a new emblem/logo. Cross and shield but with lines from the cross. There are variations on the dates and there are special models. The dates may vary some.

As far as I know the inlay with cross and shield with lines is used today as well. From 1980 the inlay material became a stainless steel. Before that the material was a nickel silver type. There are variations on the emblems/logo from the beginning and differences in size.

Emblem update

Pictures and information regarding the emblems used on Victorinox knives can be found on the internet. The Carl Elsener 1903 catalogue does show “Offiziers und Sportmesser” with cross and shield. In the Victorinox evolution and history it is mentioned from their 1909 date:

“In order to distinguish it from copies, the company founder decides to use the cross and shield, the current Victorinox emblem, on all pocket knives from then on”

My impression of this is that the emblem had been used before for some applications and that the    “from now on” explains that.

I have in my milestones 2 page in Norwegian language and I have put in different facts there. It is my impression that the problem with copies and fakes almost immediately became a problem. It is my impressions from research and such that it had to be done. Also interesting is the introduction of fiber scales. My information is that the fiber material was used on the Officiers models from 1897-1937. Also remember that the 1909 evolution mention “ the current Victorinox emblem” This is not completely true but just in general.

There are some important facts to remember and have in mind with the use of emblems. In the research you will discover that Swiss property and inventions are protected.

The 1908 and 1909 milestones do have a few facts that are important at least for my impressions. I may be wrong but for sure the time window or place in history may be influenced by this:

From 1908 Victorinox and Wenger with the compromise split the contact for the Swiss Army. The story is that it was in 1908 the Swiss Army really first decided to buy the Soldier knives and the reason for splitting the contact was not to have any favoritism.  The founder Karl Elsener had done a great performance from the beginning and that this could had an influence on why the cross and shield time window of 1909 is there. In the 1984 book it is mentioned that the reason for using the cross and shield was to make them more easy to be identified as a Swiss Product and because of the problem with fakes. It was also a silver jubilee in 1909.

Time windows

There are some more interesting details and it is my fully impression that things going on with the Soldiers knives influence the Officiers line.

We all know that Victorinox is the origin and The Founder Karl Elsener also invented the Officiers knife in 1897 or patented it.

The Story with Wenger and the Soldier knife is today more clearly, however the Officiers and sportsmen knives dates are more unclear. Some information suggests that such knives were made around 1905 and up. It would be very interesting to learn or discover more on this because it can have great importance. I was told one place that Wenger had to wait for the patent time to go out. This is very thin information and too little to build on. For sure the gentleman’s agreement contains a competition and hence the rivalry. It is my impression like mentioned that the Soldier knives very much influence the Officiers and sportsmen knives.

I believe the crimper tool on the Victorinox plier on the right came in around 1994. It is mentioned 1995 in the evolution and i believe this date to be correct too. We know the typical evolution is many times from now on and perhaps it is so here as well. There are different applications and categories.

I know it can be confusing with the evolution on the 91mm knives sometimes. The SwissChamp with the pliers was from my information introduced in 1985. In the 1986 milestone we have the introduction of the pliers in 1986. I do not know why the pliers is not 1985 that i would believe are more correct. I would guess it is maybe the from now on again and that from 1986 the pliers are part of the 91mm Officers line. So 1985-1986 would be the most correct. The small plier used on the 91mm and other categories got variants and an evolution from 1985 until today.

There are more to the hidden rivet story and i will explain some of my research. I knew from knives that hidden rivets was used before 1961. Old Victorinox documentation show hidden rivet knives with the old awl in the late 1950s. To be safe so far i have put the date for hidden rivets in the second half of 1950s. I would believe the 1957-1961 to be the best. I would also like to mention that the 91mm Evolution dates from Victorinox are very well made and when you find dates from them then these are the best possible. I believe this is because of from now on philosophy. So when Victorinox say 1961 hidden rivets or invisible rivets in their Company publications then these are the best usually. Open rivets can be found after 1961 and on different applications until today. So visible rivets did not end on some applications. There is a story on the method of attaching the scales as well.

Reflections

During the last years I have received several impulses and developments. The Swiss Army Knife is very real and it continues to grow and receive new followers worldwide. One would expect it to stagnate at one point or another. Clearly this is not the case and it continues with new products and interesting inventions. It gives me great joy to follow the innovations and results of the continued 1884-2019 history. All over the world you find people that are fascinated by the versatile functions and ability to adapt into almost every aspect of human life and civilization. Just to sharpen a knife and do some maintenance gives happiness and joy for me. Why not sharpen the mind too because this is an opportunity worth taking. I have many layers to enjoy. Can you imagine the world without the little red tool? I for sure cannot and why should I?

In Switzerland up in the mountains you find a special factory and a good family that work very hard so we can continue to have our interest. By just letting the faith of it give you inspiration and persuade any doubts I have. The gift of passion for a product is not a toy to mingle and reduce but rather a force that can open and also heal any negative energy surrounding the senses. Like good wine or tea from the nature you can have a soothing mind that pleases the pain of life. Just as important as the coffee can be the knife is your companion and also the extension of the hand and mind. The companion that never fails to perform is always there and gives safety and multifunctional abilities almost like the divine influence. The Swiss Army Knife is real and anyone that believes in it is real too. Nothing can deny the bravery you have to know and take to be able to perform. Just by the little help of the pocket knives you can go further, learn more and teach more. It is not only a myth I say, no it is real and I am real. By embracing the positive impulses and accepting the greatest tool invention ever created you become another man. You become the teacher and the person that have accepted the supernatural ruler of the crypt. By doing so it is a guide that gives the true meaning of the cutlery. The Gods made the humans in their image and by the consequence of knowledge it can be hard to bear but always possible and always worth it. The Swiss Army Knives does not evolve without a reason. The evolution is there to adapt into the time we live and the society. There are no doubts of greatness or any lack of evidence about it. Death is never far away from life and the survival is happening every day all over the world. The seriousness of life and the faith in having the ability to know how and when to use the functions can evolve any man. The strength of accepting the true energy of it is above any knife invention I have had in my eyes or in my hands. You drift to one side or another and you can lose faith for a little while only to experience the return stronger than ever before.  Passion for sports or a hobby is not a fake idea. You cannot run from the time because it will keep up with you wondering what are doing. The true passion we have it observes, studies, teaches and overcome.  If you do not understand it then let me teach you.  To be humble about a product is not an emotion that should give any negative reflections. It is only positive. In many ways life a path that sometimes can be very unfair. The reward is not money or fortune. No it is knowledge. In life you can experience times when other forces try to reduce the truth you found. The truth that you hold in the heart which you learned is worth fighting for. Nobody can defeat you because to do this you are accepting the wrong things. If anyone ridicules your knowledge then they make fun of the greatest versatile knife ever made. Then they make fun of the knife that saved you when the rope pulled you to the ocean floor and the screwdriver that started the train. The tools that repaired equipment so you could breathe. These are the factuality of having tools. In other words it is a good thing. It should never be intrepid as negative to have passion.