Victorinox Swiss Army KnifeBest known for the Swiss Army Knife, Victorinox also manufactures a full line of kitchen cutlery, watches and travel-alarms, and more. The company that started with one pocket multi-tool now produces over a hundred versions of that product alone, including one with a USB flash drive.

Company History

In 1884 Karl Elsener opened his first cutlery business in Ibach-Schwyz, applying skills acquired in the factories of Paris, France, and Tuttlingen, Germany, to his own designs. The first knife produced in what we now know as the Swiss Army pattern left the shop in 1891, when Elsener won the contract for a Swiss infantryman’s knife. The knife’s blades were designed for harness work as well as maintenance on military rifles.

In 1909 Elsener changed his company’s name to Victorinox to honor his mother, Victoria, who died that same year. He also adopted the cross and shield as a registered trademark, setting his products apart from the many copies hitting the market. The Swiss Officer’s Knife became popular with American troops during WWII. R.H. Forschner later teamed with Victorinox to market the company cutlery in the United States. Victorinox expanded its American marketing to include watches in 1989. Victorinox and its sister company, Wenger, produced nearly identical pocket knives in competition with one another. Both companies supplied knives to the Swiss military and both could claim to produce genuine Swiss Army knives. Victorinox purchased Wenger in 2005, placing all Swiss Army knife manufacturing under one corporate roof.

Knives

Victorinox Swiss Army knives provide specialized tool sets for craftsmen, outdoorsmen, and a variety of other avocations and professions. The original Swiss Officer’s knife included two knife blades, a screwdriver bit, can opener, awl and corkscrew — all fairly standard on Swiss Army knives today but backed up with modern tools designed for today’s needs. Many models include one-hand opening of the main knife blade and a secure lockback. R.H. Forschner cutlery, a Victorinox brand, offers laser-cut stainless steel knives in an efficient economical build; as well as forged knives built in a classic style with riveted handle slabs of tropical hardwood.

See all of our Victorinox knife reviews below


Victorinox

Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman Lite Pocket Knife (Ruby)

As yet there’s no laser pointer but this newer model pocket knife / toolkit from Victorinox does have an LED light...
Ken
54 sec read

Victorinox Camper Swiss Army Knife | Microlight

The year is full of gift-giving occasions, and if you have an outdoorsman that needs shopping for, look no further than...
Ken
1 min read

Victorinox Swiss Army Soldier Pocket Knife | Silver Alox Handles

A few quick things about Victorinox, Swiss Army knives, and the Soldier pocket knife: Every Victorinox comes with a manufacturer warranty...
Ken
54 sec read

Victorinox SwissTool X Mult-Tool | Swiss Army Knife Review

As fond as we are of Leatherman products, here’s a multitool from Victorinox that dares to raise the bar. It’s the...
Ken
53 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Rescue Tool | Yellow Multi-Tool Knife

Any knife that receives the prestigious “Knife Of the Year” award from the IWA exhibition should be more than worthy of...
Ken
49 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Expedition Pocket Knife | Digital Altimeter, Thermometer

If you don’t mind keeping up with a little digital maintenance every now and then, you’d probably love to have the...
Ken
47 sec read

SwissTool Spirit Plus | Victorinox Swiss Army Multi-Tool Pocket Knife

Before reading this review, you may want to check out the SwissTool Spirit. The “Plus” version has a ruler and the...
Ken
53 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Work Champ Pocket Knife | Locking Blade Multi-Tool

Here’s the Work Champ pocket sized knife from Victorinox, a secure tool that merges all the most commonly-used accessories together in...
Ken
40 sec read

Victorinox Climber II Swiss Army Pocket Knife

Much of what I know about knives is cultural. I grew up in a part of the country where weapons were...
Ken
54 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Trekker Pocket Knife | Black

It’s rare to find a Swiss Army knife with locking blades. In fact, only three of Victorinox’s pocketknives feature locking mechanisms…...
Ken
37 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Classic Pocket Knife | SD Tool | Red, Pink, Green, etc.

The trouble with most Victorinox products is that at first glance they all look so dang similar! And we’ve said this...
Ken
57 sec read

Swiss Army XLT | Victorinox Swiss Champ XLT Knife

It’s all about the tools, and this one’s got a bundle of ’em. The Swiss Army Swiss Champ XLT is very...
Ken
39 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Swiss Champ XAVT | Giant Pocket Knife

This knife comes with 749 tools, weighs 112 pounds and measures 3 feet in diameter. Okay, it’s not quite that bad....
Ken
46 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Midnite Minichamp Pocket Knife

Sometimes, Victorinox’s names make a lot of sense. Take this Midnite Minichamp, for example. It’s a scaled-down version of the Champion...
Ken
41 sec read

Victorinox SwissTool Spirit Multitool | Stainless Steel Pocket Knife

I guess Victorinox finally took the hint from Leatherman and started making folding tools that were more accessible and modern looking....
Ken
31 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Super Tinker Pocket Knife Review

This Super Tinker Swiss Army Knife features a squeegee, a large bucket and a small stick of TNT. Oh, no wait,...
Ken
28 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Huntsman Pocket Knife | Red or Black

Gotta hand it to Victorinox. They swap out one tool for another and they’ve got a brand new model. Confusing as...
Ken
28 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Climber Pocket Knife | Black or Red

The trick with Swiss Army knives, of course, is the find the right trade-off between having more tools and having more...
Ken
30 sec read

Black Swiss Army Knife | Victorinox Swiss Champ Pocket Tool | Red or Black

Not that many Swiss Army knives are available in black as well as red. The Swiss Champ is one of Victorinox’s...
Ken
36 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Ranger Pocket Knife | Red Camping Knife

Victorinox makes a number of different Swiss Army Knife models, so the trick is picking the right one. You’ll want to...
Ken
32 sec read

USB Swiss Army Pocket Knife | Flash Memory Stick | Victorinox SwissMemory 2 GB

Times they sure are a-changin’. Used to be we’d send the kids out into the woods with nothing but a whittling...
Ken
33 sec read

Victorinox Swisscard Lite | Credit Card Sized Pocket Knife with LED Flashlight

Made by the famous Victorinox, makers of the Swiss Army knife, this card has just as many functions as one of...
Ken
31 sec read

Victorinox Swiss Army Farmer Pocket Knife | Red or Silver | Limited Edition

This Red Farmer Swiss Army pocket knife is a good all-purpose choice for campers, hikers, fishermen, or anyone who enjoys the...
Ken
48 sec read