The Company

What do you know about the most professional knife company in the world?

                                                                                           Developed in short by Trond

It all began in 1884 and today this company is a global brand and Victorinox is known almost everywhere. After 14 years I have learned very much about this product from Switzerland. The values with innovation, iconic design, quality and functionality are important to know because these are the driving force behind everything. The beginning 1884 and The Founder is very much heavy in the Victorinox company and in the development until today and it will continue so in the future. The most professional knife Company very much implements top level engineering, entrepreneur skills and Swiss traditions.

It is a very competitive Company that incorporated in the professionalism the Christian values and hard business logic. It takes the workers serious and they listen to ideas from all over the world. Victorinox know that the product is loved all over the world and implements this in the philosophy.

The Victorinox Spring is a secret to many aspects of functionality, quality, innovation and iconic design.

Milestones, evolution and the development of the products and Company history is heavy with Victorinox, it represents some of the most important knowledge for people that are interested in the Brand and products. For collectors it is extra important and can be developed on.

The production of the knives represents something that can be considered a Swiss Masterpiece and today without any similar competition anywhere. Production variations can be developed to get a better knowledge about the products when you study them.

Protection of the product and Brand is also a heavy factor with Victorinox

The constant quality development is a heavy factor with this Company. There is a driving force to be able to adapt, overcome and continue to be competitive. The product must be better and it must fit the time window we live in today.

The soldier knife and the Officer knife continue to be heavy in the image for Victorinox

It is a family run business and the Brand is gradually step by step growing and all the way showing a professional designation. The environment is very important for them as well.

One example on professionalism is the ability to adapt the product into any philosophy of use.

The Victorinox Swiss Army Knife is like clockwork in precision. Here are my developed Victorinox values that can be placed into several situations: professionalism, precision, duty and engineering  

 Another example on professionalism is the stainless steel. Today I know that the type of steel, the hardening and how it’s been processes very much influence the performance of it. Even today the processing of a stainless steel is very demanding from the very beginning of it until it is sharp and ready on a knife. The steel must have the properties that can perform for the designation on a function. The hardening of stainless steel is actually very demanding even for a top modern production. It was hard work and pioneering feats by Victorinox for the stainless steel in history. The driving force is obvious behind this milestone in history and it got a professional destination!

Iconic design can have many levels of impressions

If you look on modern large SAKs like the 111mm Services Range you can see professional tools with extra solid design. The iconic design, functionality, quality and innovation are very much implemented into them.  Some parts more or less and it is not so that these are made by random either. It stated with a demand and requests for a larger tool with lock. If you look on many aspects of the design, the sandwich construction you can see the continuation of everything. The philosophy of use for the 111mm knives are still made for correct use and the locking mechanism is there as an extra safety to prevent accidental closing.

One design can transform, adapt or jump into new designations…they can borrow from each other. The large SAKs like the 111mm continue to have functionality, comfort and comfortable construction even if it is larger with stronger springs. The 111mm New Soldier knife borrow much from the Officer constuction in my opinion. Everything in the Company setting is present in this knife.

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The Founder Carl Elsener

He is very heavy in every aspect of the product even today. If you study what he presented of SAKs and functions in the early 1900s then it is obvious to see. The quest for the Swiss Soldier knife and the later Officer knife is truly the foundation of everything.

The hardening of stainless steel does not only influence the performance of the steel. The corrosion resistance is also depending on the correct hardening process.

The Swiss Army Knife today typically uses high-grade steel and aluminum dividers. Brass rivets and plastic scales are often used. With maintenance there are 0 negative factors with this design.

Victorinox steel

My person experience with Swiss Army Knives is that there are mythology involved and codes....

"The emblem and tang stamps are very heavy and important"

"Victorinox use Swiss symbols and became an icon from after WW2. Today there are no Swiss symbols over the Brand itself"

To understand the SAK then every function must be looked at. I have developed a system called reduction process philosophy that I have used in all aspects researching Swiss Army Knives.

Reduction process

Please look at my developed epitome philosophy page that very much are related to reduction process.

Epitome

In my opinion survival is perfect for the "reduction process philosophy"

Wenger implemented the same standards as Victorinox. The Wenger legacy lives on under the Victorinox name. There are some changes on the products but the main design are there. I develpoed basic important factors for survival as well.

survival

Adaptability

“Today there are no Swiss symbols over the Brand itself”

For sure the complete SAK is better known than the Victorinox name itself worldwide. What I mean is different. Victorinox runs the show and in reality the SAK itself are more known but it is Victorinox that makes it and make it grow. It was the Swiss Army Knife that became an icon but as everyone know it was the Victorinox and Wenger companies that made it happen..

Some of my lock-back knives

On this picture you can see some older lock-backs from the world. It is a locking mechanism I like to study a lot. All of these knives are in fully working order, I could polish the brass but I actually like the patina, there is probably a slip-joint somewhere too. It is very interesting to see the different take for a lock-back mechanism. You have several takes on them. They share the common idea of locking the blade in open position at the top of the tang on the blade. You have variations in depth, tension pressure, counter details and much more. What I learned from knives made in Japan is how excellent they harden the steel. They can bring out much extra in the older steels.

The Hunter pro is a very interesting Swiss knife!

Back-lock/lock-back knives need to have the mechanism nice and clean. Over the years I have used some oil on them. It is very nice when the blade opens nice and smooth and free. Some oil will also secure and prevent and changes around the blade, rivet and mechanism. You do not need to use much, just a small amount is enough. If you should get some dirt and substances into them then you can use the same process as you use for the traditional SAKs.

I like mechanisms and I have the same interest with liner-locks too. Traditional lock-backs are not very secure but they will prevent accidental closing and some more. There are several designs on them and some of them got variations that are extra interesting to see. EKA use a type that is a bit tricky for some to close. Cold Steel makes an improved lock-back that is much stronger and secure compared to the traditional ones. It is very impressive in deed.

 I believe in the traditional ones and for normal use they are enough. They are designed to take some wear so they will continue after many years of use. I like when the mechanism is nice and tight. Some play can occur after many years of use. As mentioned I like them nice and tight. There is also a small factor with the back spring for the mechanism when the blade is open and when you press the edge against a surface. On some knives you can feel the spring going up a bit. This is not any problem at all usually. If the mechanism got perfect balance, tension and precision it will not move. When you press the button /release for folding the blade in it depends on some factors. It should have the comfortable pressure so you can fold the blade in. On some mechanisms you can see that the button is in the back, middle or in the front. I will not go into this but for sure I know about them. It is also important that the release got enough space to be pressed down.

There are methods for increasing the spring tension for the lock because when the blade is in open position it is important that the spring is pressed down hard enough to secure it. This together with the precision of the cut section of the tang and spring is very important. Collecting lock-backs over the years though me many things. I find it very educating and important to see how they made them across the world. I have knives from Japan, Italy, Sweden, Germany, USA and more. I can see the different designs and ideas used. You can see how the size of the spring, tension and how the cut sections that interlocks. By doing so I learned many things that is helpful for me to understand the Swiss designs and Hunter Pro knives. The spring tension depends on the design, balance, precision and the spring bar inside them. Where it is placed, how strong this bar is and material used. Interesting enough it is not used a bar but instead another spring in the back that can function as a spacer and more. By doing so you avoid and extra problems with the bar made by spring steel or similar. I have seen similar designs before:) it really is so that it is important to look on knives made in the world. If you do so you will get better understanding about Swiss knives. I knew when I started collecting and to become a knife person how senior people will not believe you if you do not back it up.

Here you can see some very nice lock-back knives from Helle from my collection. Same here, my knowledge and knives helped me. 

Looking over knives with such locking systems it is also worth mentioning on knives from across the world, that there you will find several quality mechanisms with the little extra movement for the back spring when you force the edge against a surface. There is no need to be alarmed by it. You can see the blade and spring simultaneously moving up.

Even China today got a good mechanism. For example Real steel got one that impressed me. It even got an extra looking tab in the back for extra safety. On older mechanism you can see that they did not always polish the cut sections very much. I believe they did this to increase the locking ability. On some mechanisms it is extremely precise with the cut sections.

In the history of this mechanism the material and dimensions used on the rivets influence the durability on them. The pivot must be solid enough and also the pin for the back spring must be solid. This is because when you force the edge against a surface very hard the pressure can move backwards and bend this pin. It all depends on precision too. You can see sometimes it is used Brass for the pivot/rivet and steel for the rivet/pin for the back spring. I could talk the rest of the day on this. EKA many times use a screw assembly which many like. They are nice knives in deed. This concludes this page. Good luck!