Victorinox

Victorinox AG

Type	Aktiengesellschaft
Founded	1884
Founder(s)	Karl Elsener
Headquarters	Ibach, Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Carl Elsener jun. (President, CEO & Chairman)
Products	Swiss Army knives, cutlery, watches, travel gear, apparel, USB flash drive
Operating income	485 Mio. CHF (2008) [1]
Employees	1,700 (2009) [2][3]
Divisions	Victorinox Swiss Army Watch SA, Biel/Bienne Switzerland TRG Group, St. Louis, Missouri, USA Victorinox SA Apparel LLC, New York, USA Victorinox Swiss Army Fragrance AG, Switzerland Victorinox Swiss Army Inc. Monroe, Connecticut, USA
Website	www.victorinox.com

Victorinox ( /vɪktɵˈriːnɒks/ vik-tor-ee-noks) is a knife manufacturer based in the town of Ibach, in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. Since its acquisition of rival Wenger in 2005, it has, once more, become the sole supplier of multi-purpose knives to the Swiss army.

History

A Victorinox SwissChamp, one of the most functional Swiss Army knives

Victorinox "Huntsman" Swiss Army knife with knife chain and belt clip.

The company was founded in 1884. Since 1891, the company has delivered knives to the Swiss army. Their famous emblem—a cross in a shield—has been used by Victorinox since 1909. That year, the mother of founder Karl Elsener died and he named the company "Victoria" in her honour. In 1921, with the introduction of "inox" (the French term for stainless steel is acier inoxydable) into their products, the brand and name of the company became the present "Victorinox" ("Victoria"+"Inox").

On 26 April 2005 Victorinox acquired Wenger, the other official supplier of the Swiss Army knife, announcing that it intended to keep both brands intact.

In 2006 the company had a workforce of 900 employees and produced about 34,000 Swiss Army knives, 38,000 multi-tools, and 30,000 household, kitchen, and knives per workday. Approximately 90 percent of its production is exported, to more than 100 countries.

Recently, Victorinox has licenced the Swiss Army brand and shield logo to companies producing watches, writing tools, luggage and clothing.

Products

The Swiss Army knife is the best-known Victorinox product. Originally the sole supplier, since 1908 it shared the contract with Wenger. A compromise between the two companies gave Victorinox the right to advertise as the Original Swiss Army Knife, while Wenger lays claim to the title of Genuine Swiss Army Knife. Victorinox took over Wenger in 2005.

Swiss Army knives are widely used outside the army. They are multi functional tools, and many sizes and functional combinations are produced. NASA astronauts have a Victorinox knife as standard equipment.^[4] Victorinox knives have also been taken to Mt. Everest and the Arctic. The "Champion", Victorinox's model flagship prior to the introduction of the "SwissChamp" in 1986, is in the New York Museum of Modern Art's Permanent Design Collection.^[5] There is also an active Swiss Army Knife modding community, producing new models from cannibalised parts.

The SwissCard, roughly the size of a business card, typically with a small pair of scissors, a short non-folding knife, a small file with a screwdriver point, a plastic toothpick, tweezers, a slim ballpoint pen, and a straight pin, housed in a hard plastic case of approximately 82 × 50 mm in size, with an inch ruler on one side and metric measurements on the other.

Victorinox has long produced other kitchen cutlery under their own name and the Forschner brand name.

Victorinox also produces the bayonet for the Swiss Stgw 90 assault rifle. The bayonet has an overall length of 310 mm and a muzzle ring diameter of 22 mm. The 177 mm long blade is single-edged and it has no fuller. The bayonets were manufactured exclusively for the Swiss Army by Wenger and Victorinox (before the two companies merged).

SwissTools are Victorinox's multi-tools, i.e. a pair of pliers with other tools folded into the grips.

A number of pocket and wrist watches are sold with the Swiss Army brand.

A number of Emissive Energy Corps products have been redesigned and rebranded as Victorinox LED flashlights. Most are available with a knurled aluminium body, similar to Swiss Army knives.

Gallery

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  Soldatenmesser 08, as issued by the Military of Switzerland.

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  Victorinox knifesharpener for sharpening plain and serrated edges on (Swiss Army) knives and multi-tools.

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  Victorinox Presentation Master.^[6]

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  USB drive of the Victorinox Secure.

• 

  Victorinox tomato knives.

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  Victorinox SwissTool multi-tool.

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  Victorinox automatic wrist watch.

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  Victorinox traveling case.

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  Victorinox 2-4 Layer Black Leather Case containing a Victorinox Huntsman.

References

1. ^ „Victorinox: more then a Knife - a Worldbrand“, nachrichten.ch, 6. April 2009
2. ^ Kanton Schwyz
3. ^ Victorinox - Das Unternehmen
4. ^ NASA. "NASA confirm use of Victorinox knives". http://www.e-webtechnologies.com/sak/Victorinox_Letter_From_NASA.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-11. 
5. ^ MoMA. "Victorinox Swiss Officers' Knife Champion (no. 5012)". http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A1722&page_number=1&template_id=1&sort_order=1. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
6. ^ Victorinox Presentation Master

External links

• Official website
• Another US web site Victorinoxstores.com
• Official US website
• Fragrances Online Store
• Official Blog
• Facebook Page
• Twitter Channel
• Youtube Channel

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