The Interesting History Of Swiss Army Knives

Swiss Army Knives are well avowed all over the world. With over 34, 000 of these pocket knives currently onset the Victorinox company each day where they are sent to over 100 contrasting countries, the tribute of these tools is stupendous. The initiation of this company is surprisingly humble in comparison to its modern - day recognition.

In 1891, the first host of Victorinox, Karl Elsener, create out that the Swiss army was supplied with knives made in Germany. He hoped to create high quality knives in Switzerland that could by the army instead in order to create more jobs in his home country. At the time, emigration for jobs out of Switzerland was common. Victorinox currently employs 950 people.

Through many years of determination, Elsener eventually developed an innovative spring mechanism which allowed him to implement twice as many features on each knife. With this invention, he added a corkscrew and an additional cutting blade. Eventually, the knives that Elsener created were given to every Swiss recruit as they entered the army.

The companys name, Victorinox, is a combination of two words. After Elseners mother, Victoria, died in 1909, he decided that he wanted to honor her by naming his company after her. It wasnt until 1921 that her name was combined with inox. At this time, the company began using stainless steel in each knife. The French term for stainless steel is acier inoxydable, or inox for short. In combination with Victoria, the company name became Victorinox.

Why are Victorinox knives better known as Swiss Army knives? According to Carl Elsener, the current head of Victorinox, when United States soldiers began using the companys knives, they found it too difficult to pronounce the Swiss term for these tools, Schweizer Offiziersmesser. Instead, they began calling them Swiss Army knives, a name that is known all over the world today.

In 2006, the Victorinox company began manufacturing a Swiss Army knife that included 87 tools and 141 different functions. They deemed this tool The Giant. The Guinness Book of Records awarded this tool the title of the worlds most multifunctional penknife. At the time, it sold for roughly GBP 550. Also recognized by the Guinness Book of Records is a knife inspired by Swiss Army knives that included 314 blades and weighed 11 pounds. While the practical application of Swiss Army knives is certainly a major draw, the intriguing multifaceted nature of these tools has also drawn countless people to them.

World - famous Puma Knives - Impressive History

Puma knives from Solingen, have an impressive history! Puma - Werk of Solingen, Germany, was the first in the moisten powered foundry plant of Johann Wilhelm Lauterjung objective on the banks of Wupper River. Lauterjung was able to register his very first trademark with the help of the Solingen Proficient Cutlers Guild way back in 1769. They were able to make swords, hunting knives, shears, razors, and other metal merchandise with the for - current technology of congenital sharpening stones and hydraulic thin power. Wherefore, in 1855, Nathaniel Lauterjung, great grandson of Johann Wilhelm Lauterjung, bought the company to the German town of Solingen in North Rhine - Westphalia. A few years later, Puma Knives began another factory to increase exports.

By 1900, the company was officially called " PUMA - Werk, Lauterjung und Sohn ". When World War II started, the factory was placed under the government to produce war supplies which lasted until the end of the war when the company returned to manufacturing civilian pocket and household knives. The company began to focus only in top quality fishing, outdoor and hunting knives when a certain Oswald von Frankenberg und Ludwigsor have joined the firm in the year 1953. He then worked with Germans and various nationalities in creating knives that have earned international awards and recognition.

One of the most famous hunting knives present on the market today is the Puma Universal Jagtaschenmesser, which was made with the cooperation with Puma Knives and the former head of the Rominten state hunting ground and also, the current President of the International Bloodhound Federation. Because of this, Puma Knives is currently focusing on the 5 categories of knives for the public; hunting, trekking, hunting folders, sporting folders, fishing knives, and accessories such as sheaths, sharpening stones and pouches. Puma Knives is famous for etching the name, number and year of the manufacture on the blade, which makes older knives as highly collectible items. Puma knives are known for being more expensive than the other brands, but it is due to the fact that they hand - make each blade and use only the highest grade steel and materials.

Two of the most famous Puma Knives brands include the Bowie and Damascus knives. The Bowie is 11 inches long with a 6 1 / 9 inch long blade. The elegant handle is stag horn and it has a single finger guard, very much like the traditional American frontier knives.