Think you know how to use a Swiss Army knife? Think again
Over the decades, there have been more than 150 different kinds of fold-out tools found on Swiss Army knives. There are currently 178 different pocket knives available from Victorinox, from the Swiss Champ XXL with 73 different tools to the key-ring-size Escort with just six.
As I constructed my own knife, the Ranger, a mid-tier model which is probably the most traditional knife in Victorinox's arsenal, I was given a history lesson on the individual tools and the best ways to use them.
Designed to do everything from wood-whittling to opening letters, the uses of the standard blade are fairly self-explanatory. 'I use my knife blade every day for opening parcels, opening food packets, everything,' says Elsener. 'I carve an apple for breakfast first thing in the morning. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.'
For outdoor work, the large blade is a woodman's best friend. To whittle wood, open the blade and close a fist around the handle so just the tip is pointing out. 'This will allow you to gain power,' explains Felix Immler, Victorinox's Swiss Army knife expert instructor.
'From there, use the bottom of the blade at a 45 degree angle to carve your wood. Each stroke should be an explosion of force.'
Originally included on the Swiss Army Knife as a tool for gentlemen who hoped to make themselves useful to ladies who needed their corsets tightening, the hook's modern era usage is somewhat more mysterious.
'You could use it for… anything you might need a hook for,' a Victorinox spokesperson explained, helpfully. I did find one particularly practical usage of my own, though; open the hook half-way and you use it as a portable stand to rest a phone against.
You might also use it to pull a bike chain off your gears, so you can work without getting greasy fingers, or even to tease apart difficult knots.
The original innovation featured on the 'Officer's And Sports knife', the corkscrew's use is fairly self-explanatory. It's also a handy holster for the knife's smallest screwdriver.
One of the most mysterious tools on the Swiss army knife is the reamer, punch, and sewing awl. This thin, sharp wedge is at the bottom of the knife. Punch the reamer into something and then rotate the whole knife to carve out a hole. 'You can use it to put a new hole in your belt or make a conical hole in a piece of wood,' says Immler.
'My other favourite trick is to pierce the tip of the reamer into a stable surface to hold the knife steady. Then rub a piece of wood back forth along the sharp edge of the reamer to create little shavings. Then you can quickly draw a fire striker along the reamer to create a fire.'
Most people will only ever use the keyring eyelet to attach their Swiss Army knife to something, but given how solid the eyelet is, Immler uses his for additional tasks. 'If you feed a paperclip or needle through the eyelet, you can precisely bend it to create a fishing hook,' he explains. 'But it's also very hard – if you ever need to crack a coconut, the eyelet is tough enough to do that too.'
'Probably the most underrated tool on your pocket knife,' asserts Immler. 'If you carve wood, it should be your main blade. The small blade has a lot of advantages over the big blade. The small blade is usually sharper because it gets used less, and you can create tighter turns with it, so it's better for detailed work.'
Hold the knife as you would to use the large blade, then place a thumb on the back of the blade. Push the knife with that thumb to make precise, shallow cuts in the wood.
Another fairly simple tool, but the steel wood saw is very effective. 'I would recommend if you're sawing something to clamp the wood between your foot and the ground, and then saw as close to your foot as possible,' says Immler.
'This will prevent the wood you're sawing from moving around too much and if you're bending over to saw with your shoulder, rather than your elbow, that'll give you more power and control.'
Another lesser-known tool hidden in the scale of all Swiss Army knives is the toothpick. It's also handily sized for cleaning the knife itself.
A bottle opener is always worth having in a pinch, especially when (like the can opener) the flat top of it also doubles as a screwdriver. A slightly lesser-known use of this tool is the small nub at the bottom which functions as a wire stripper. With the large blade folded out, place your wire between the handle of the knife and this notch, so that the wire prevents the bottle opener tool from folding back in. Then carefully fold the blade back against the wire to use as a wire stripper.
'My favourite tool is the scissors, and we often hear the same from customers,' says Elsener. 'They're very helpful when you nick your nail and you can just take your scissors and correct it.'
But the scissors are also strong enough to cut through fabric and aluminium cans – useful for making basic camp crafts or first-aid. Because they're spring-loaded, the trick with the scissors is to hold the knife in your palm and 'pump' the scissors, rather than trying to open them up and close them as you would a standard pair of kitchen scissors.
The smallest screwdriver function on the knife neatly slots into the end of the corkscrew, and is designed for tightening up your glasses.
Hidden inside the 'scale' of the knife is a tiny pair of tweezers. Not exactly a revolutionary bit of kit, but given how small it is, many don't realise it's there. Victorinox also suggests the tweezers can be useful when picking up delicate items of jewellery or even tiny components when repairing electronics.
While most people are generally more familiar with rotary can openers, having an emergency back-up is always helpful. Simply press the hooked 'nose' of the can opener into the outside lip of your tin, then use the upper 'punch' in an up-and-down motion around the top of the can to open it. As for the flat end of the can opener? It's also a helpful screwdriver.
Victorinox, the original Swiss Army knife company, produces 45,000 pocket knives every weekday to be shipped out around the world (the United States, Germany, Mexico, Britain and France are the biggest markets after Switzerland itself).
Yet the Swiss Army knife was originally nothing of the sort. When a young Karl Elsener opened his workshop in Ibach, a small town an hour's drive from Zurich, in 1884, he was repairing tools for local farmers and making a few knives per week. The contract for standard-issue Swiss Army knives which featured a blade, reamer, can opener and screwdriver belonged to a German company.
In 1896, Elsener presented army generals with a new knife, which, unlike the German one, featured tools on both sides of the grip and an innovative spring system, as well as a corkscrew, which he hoped would make it attractive to officers. The 'Officer's and Sports Knife' was declined by army chiefs.
Having already produced hundreds of knives, Elsener faced financial ruin until he began selling the knives to American soldiers stationed in the country. They loved them and took them home as gifts.
By 1909, the Swiss army had taken notice and contracted Elsener's company to make knives for its soldiers. The rest is history. Today, the company is a family-run foundation, with Carl Elsener IV the current CEO. It has produced around 550 million multi-tool penknives to date.
'In Switzerland, most people carry a Swiss Army knife with them every day,' Elsener tells The Telegraph. He personally prefers the Traveller, a pocket knife with an electronic display featuring an alarm clock ('set for 5.15am every day in my case,' says Elsener), altimeter, barometer, timer and thermometer.
'I'm one of those guys who like to fix things,' Elsener continues. 'If I'm travelling and I see a screw is loose in my hotel wardrobe, I'll get out my pocket knife and fix it. The Swiss are like this in general, we like to fix things. But you can use them for anything.
'Nasa bought Swiss Army knives for their astronauts, and once, a Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield, used his to get into a Russian space station when the official tools broke. He said, 'Never leave the planet without one,' which is the best commendation we've ever received.'
Hidden in Victorinox's off-limits archive lies a wealth of knives from over the decades. There are Swiss Army knives personalised with ebony and mother-of-pearl handles, bone-handled knives, and even a diamond-studded miniature guitar with a Swiss Army knife built into the neck, which was specially constructed for Elvis Presley.
What's remarkable is just how hard-wearing these knives are. Knives from 1937 (when the famous red plastic coating was first added) barely show any signs of age.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
9 Beige Flags in a Relationship That Show Your Partner's a Perfect Companion
At least it's not a red flag, right? Beige flags refer to the little quirks you might notice in the person you're dating or in a relationship with. They aren't a reason to break things off, but they might not be your favorite little thing about them. Beige flags in your relationship are generally neutral — not a positive or a negative. But some could point to other qualities in your partner that are just green flags in disguise. These little quirks could be a sign that you're with someone perfectly suited to your personality. It doesn't matter what Italian place you choose for dinner, they're ordering the lasagna. If you're grabbing fast food on the road, you can count on them to get chicken tenders every single time. This beige flag might leave you fearing boredom or monotony in the relationship, but maybe it's just a sign that your partner knows what they like and has no fear of committing to those things. If they haven't tired of the same mild chicken wings by now, they'll never tire of you. Your friends notice that your partner is in more photos on your profile than on their own. They have two photos, tops, and neither contains a photo of their face. Don't let this beige flag scare you off, because it could be a sign that your significant other simply doesn't care what other people think. In a world where we all share every detail about our lives, you get to be with someone who is a complete mystery to most people. You'll never be surprised by information others might know about your partner because there is no way they know more than you. You can take plenty of photos for your own feed to make up for their lack of an online presence. They turn down any offerings of wine, juice, or coffee. Ordering a soda or a mocktail at dinner is a no-go. Even summertime lemonade is off-limits. If your partner never drinks anything other than water, you might call that a beige flag. Only sipping on water might sound like your partner is afraid to be adventurous, but it could also be a sign that they're low maintenance. They don't need all the bells and whistles to be happy and low-key quality time is enough for their love tank to feel full. You can get away with practical gifts for holidays and birthdays and you'll never have to worry about all their stuff taking over should you live together someday. It's frustrating to have a conversation over two days that should just take two minutes. You talk about how long it takes your partner to respond to a text, but you might have reason to secretly love the quirk. Since your significant other is rarely bothered to respond to a message, you'll never have to worry about them becoming dependent on you for every little thing. You can make plans with friends, grab drinks with coworkers, and plan a weekend away with family without worrying about your partner. They'll miss you, but they're also self-sufficient and mature enough to know that you'll come back when you promised. Plus, yours is the kind of attention and company they crave most. You might be a bit embarrassed when your partner makes Toaster Strudels while your friends are over, but an immature palate could be a positive in your relationship. Munching on Dunkaroos while everyone else enjoys a sophisticated charcuterie spread, your significant other is completely comfortable with who they are. You never have to worry about them growing insecure because of other friendships in your life and they'll never be anything other than themselves around you. What you see is what you get, and that's a comforting thing in a world of highlight reels and Photoshop. The first alarm goes off at 6 a.m. and the cycle begins. They hit snooze and you wait for the 6:05 a.m. alarm to ring. The process continues until it's close to 7 a.m. and you've been awake the entire time. Your partner is still smashing the snooze button while you're rolling out of bed. This beige flag might be frustrating in the beginning, but if you're a non-snooze type of person, you'll never have to worry about missing your own alarm again. Their weird alarm cycle will have you up before the sun and ready to start your day, every day. If you're sensitive to loud sounds or the unexpected, you might be consistently surprised when your partner starts belting Taylor Swift at the most random moments. Singing the theme song to The Big Bang Theory as they're folding laundry or singing all the wrong lyrics to a classic rock hit might annoy you at times, but you might also find that your partner is just fun to be around. Life will never be boring for you if your significant other has no problem breaking out in song and dance when everything is awkwardly silent. You'll never have to think of fun things for the two of you to do because they'll always have an exciting plan up their sleeve. When your partner starts telling a work story, you settle in for a film-length event. They cover every detail and mention parts of the story that are completely unnecessary and you have to hold back from cutting them off mid-sentence. The overexplaining might get old and your friends might complain about it, but it could work in your favor. Your partner's attention to detail and ability to remember everything means they'll always get the hint. When your social meter runs out at a party, they'll be the first to make an excuse so you can leave. The item you mentioned just once will be your next birthday present. They even know when you're getting hangry, so you'll never be short on snacks. It makes your shoulders shoot up to your ears every time they put an unrinsed plate into the dishwasher. Dried egg and crusty spaghetti sauce don't scare them, but this quirk might scare you a bit. Sure, you could be looking at a lifetime of questionable dishes to dine on, but you can also be sure that your significant other will rarely sweat the small stuff. They don't spiral into a bad mood when their sweater catches on the cabinet and you've never seen them lose a wink of sleep over what someone else says about them. They don't let the little things get them down and that could be a positive for you. We all have beige flags, though some are more noticeable than others. Little quirks like these can become endearing parts of someone's personality or tiny frustrations that grind our gears. It's up to us to learn how to embrace the best, the less-than-perfect, and the basic beige parts of our partner.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
4 key skills a child should be able to do before school as councils to set 'readiness' targets
There are many skills a child should be able to master before starting school, according to early years educators. Today, education secretary Bridget Phillipson will announce plans for councils to set targets and improve the number of children ready for school in their area. Ministers previously set a target of 75% of children being "school-ready" by 2028. As part of the plans, Phillipson will confirm that all local authorities will have to work with Whitehall to agree targets. She'll also reveal that a tool focused on school readiness data will be launched this autumn, designed to help schools support children through their reception year. Phillipson is expected to say that, alongside government and school leaders, "parents have responsibilities, too. To make sure their children arrive at school ready to learn. Whether that's their first day in reception, or last day in year 11." The stats come after a list of "school-readiness" skills, developed by a collection of early-years educators, was released in March. The coalition said the guidance was the first of its type, intended to help parents prepare children starting in reception classes in England from the age of four. The group, which involved groups from the state and private sector and includes the National Day Nurseries Association and the Early Years Alliance, joined forces to create a clear definition after complaints from teachers of children arriving at school in nappies, lacking basic skills and unable to play with others. The "basic skills" are categorised into four key areas: growing independence, building relationships and communication, physical development and healthy routines. Go straight to a breakdown of the four skills: > Self-care skills > Social skills > Early literacy, numeracy skills and fine motor skills > Emotional regulation Getting children school-ready isn't just about children having the right uniform, packed lunch and arriving on time. Experts say a huge part of school readiness concerns a child's physical, social, emotional, and cognitive skills, but parents are often uncertain about how to encourage these skills. "When preparing children for school, it's essential to focus on a broad set of school readiness skills rather than rigid developmental milestones," explains educational psychologist, Dr Patricia Britto. "Every child develops at their own pace, and placing too much pressure on them (or on parents) can lead to anxiety and resistance rather than progress." Here's what matters and how you can support your child without overwhelming them (or yourself). A child starting reception should ideally be able to manage simple self-care tasks such as going to the toilet independently, washing their hands and putting on their coat and shoes. How to help: Parents sometimes worry about toilet training, getting dressed, or using cutlery at mealtimes, but the school isn't expecting military-level discipline. "The goal is essential independence, like being able to ask for help when needed and manage simple self-care tasks most of the time," Dr Britto adds. Toilet training: If your child isn't fully toilet trained, don't panic. "Try to set up a predictable routine, use visual prompts, and reassure them that accidents are OK," Dr Britto suggests. "Many schools support kids who still need a bit of help." Getting dressed: Dr Britto recommends letting them practice with easy clothes (hello, elastic waistbands). "Give them extra time in the morning rather than rushing to do it for them," she adds. Eating independently: Keep meals low-pressure. "If they struggle with cutlery, try foods they can manage with their fingers while they build up confidence," Dr Britto suggests. Being able to recognise emotions, take turns, and cope with little setbacks is more important for school success than knowing how to read. "Kids don't need to be social butterflies, but they need to start understanding things like waiting, sharing, and asking for help," Dr Britto explains. How to help: Play turn-taking games (board games, "your turn, my turn" activities) to practice patience. Name emotions as they arise. "I can see you're frustrated that your tower fell," Dr Britto says. "Do you want to try again?' Model problem-solving out loud so they learn what to do when things don't go their way. "Oops, I dropped my spoon! I'll pick it up and try again." "Vygotsky's theory of learning through social interaction shows that children learn best through play and gentle adult guidance," Dr Britto adds. "So, just chatting, playing, and including them in daily life is enough to build these skills." Many parents worry their child should be reading before school, but that's not the expectation. "More critical is exposure to knowing how to hold a book, turn pages, and recognise that words have meaning," Dr Britto explains. "Similarly, early numeracy isn't about doing sums but recognising patterns, shapes, and counting in everyday life." How to help: Make books part of daily life, but let them engage at their own pace. "Looking at pictures, pretending to 'read', and listening to stories all count," Dr Britto says. Point out numbers naturally - counting steps, spotting numbers on houses, or dividing snacks ("one for me, one for you"). Let them scribble and 'write' - early mark-making (drawing, 'writing' shopping lists) is a foundation for later writing skills and a great way to bolster their fine motor skills. Children should have some ability to manage small frustrations, separate from their caregiver without distress and engage with peers in play. How to help: "Starting school is a huge transition, and one of the best things parents can do is create routines that mimic the school day," advises Dr Britto. "Research on executive function (the brain's ability to plan, focus, and manage tasks) shows that kids feel safer and more in control when they know what's coming next." Introduce simple morning routines (eg, "First we have breakfast, then we get dressed, then we brush our teeth"). Practice separating for short periods, such as during playdates, nursery visits, or even saying goodbye for an hour with a trusted adult, to help ease separation anxiety. Talk about school positively, walk past the school, read books about starting school, and let them ask questions. Dr Britto says no child is entirely "ready" in every area before school starts, and that's OK. "What matters most is that they feel safe, supported, and curious about learning," she explains. "Pressure (from ourselves or others) often does more harm than good, so trust your child's pace, celebrate progress over perfection, and remember that schools are used to supporting children at all different stages of development." The best thing you can do? Keep engaging, keep playing, and reassure yourself that your child will get there in their own time. "Seek support from professionals such as your GP and an educational psychologist if you need further clarification about your child's needs and strengths," Dr Britto adds. For families of neurodivergent children, starting school can pose many challenges. Rebecca Varrall, clinical psychologist and co-founder of Neurodiversity Unravelled, advises taking away some of the unknowns by preparing a social story including photos of key people and places to help your child know what to expect when they start school. "Keep communication open, having a home school book to share how your child slept, can be really useful as a barometer of their engagement that day," she adds. "Remember that starting school can be tiring, allow time for low-demand, relaxed weekends for your child to recharge and reset as they are adjusting to so many changes to their daily routine. Change can be tough for neurodivergent children to navigate, taking some of these preemptive steps could help to ease the transition." Read more about parenting: Seven signs your child could be addicted to their mobile phone (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read) Five ways parents can teach 'kindness' as it is named children's word of the year (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read) Talking about extreme online violence with young people: advice for parents (Guardian, 6-min read)
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Think you know how to use a Swiss Army knife? Think again
It's the ultimate boys' toy for all generations. Whether you grew up with Just William stories, The Dangerous Book for Boys or YouTube crafting videos, the single item that every man either has, wishes to have or regrets not having is a Swiss Army knife. And women are quite fond of them, too. Over the decades, there have been more than 150 different kinds of fold-out tools found on Swiss Army knives. There are currently 178 different pocket knives available from Victorinox, from the Swiss Champ XXL with 73 different tools to the key-ring-size Escort with just six. As I constructed my own knife, the Ranger, a mid-tier model which is probably the most traditional knife in Victorinox's arsenal, I was given a history lesson on the individual tools and the best ways to use them. Designed to do everything from wood-whittling to opening letters, the uses of the standard blade are fairly self-explanatory. 'I use my knife blade every day for opening parcels, opening food packets, everything,' says Elsener. 'I carve an apple for breakfast first thing in the morning. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.' For outdoor work, the large blade is a woodman's best friend. To whittle wood, open the blade and close a fist around the handle so just the tip is pointing out. 'This will allow you to gain power,' explains Felix Immler, Victorinox's Swiss Army knife expert instructor. 'From there, use the bottom of the blade at a 45 degree angle to carve your wood. Each stroke should be an explosion of force.' Originally included on the Swiss Army Knife as a tool for gentlemen who hoped to make themselves useful to ladies who needed their corsets tightening, the hook's modern era usage is somewhat more mysterious. 'You could use it for… anything you might need a hook for,' a Victorinox spokesperson explained, helpfully. I did find one particularly practical usage of my own, though; open the hook half-way and you use it as a portable stand to rest a phone against. You might also use it to pull a bike chain off your gears, so you can work without getting greasy fingers, or even to tease apart difficult knots. The original innovation featured on the 'Officer's And Sports knife', the corkscrew's use is fairly self-explanatory. It's also a handy holster for the knife's smallest screwdriver. One of the most mysterious tools on the Swiss army knife is the reamer, punch, and sewing awl. This thin, sharp wedge is at the bottom of the knife. Punch the reamer into something and then rotate the whole knife to carve out a hole. 'You can use it to put a new hole in your belt or make a conical hole in a piece of wood,' says Immler. 'My other favourite trick is to pierce the tip of the reamer into a stable surface to hold the knife steady. Then rub a piece of wood back forth along the sharp edge of the reamer to create little shavings. Then you can quickly draw a fire striker along the reamer to create a fire.' Most people will only ever use the keyring eyelet to attach their Swiss Army knife to something, but given how solid the eyelet is, Immler uses his for additional tasks. 'If you feed a paperclip or needle through the eyelet, you can precisely bend it to create a fishing hook,' he explains. 'But it's also very hard – if you ever need to crack a coconut, the eyelet is tough enough to do that too.' 'Probably the most underrated tool on your pocket knife,' asserts Immler. 'If you carve wood, it should be your main blade. The small blade has a lot of advantages over the big blade. The small blade is usually sharper because it gets used less, and you can create tighter turns with it, so it's better for detailed work.' Hold the knife as you would to use the large blade, then place a thumb on the back of the blade. Push the knife with that thumb to make precise, shallow cuts in the wood. Another fairly simple tool, but the steel wood saw is very effective. 'I would recommend if you're sawing something to clamp the wood between your foot and the ground, and then saw as close to your foot as possible,' says Immler. 'This will prevent the wood you're sawing from moving around too much and if you're bending over to saw with your shoulder, rather than your elbow, that'll give you more power and control.' Another lesser-known tool hidden in the scale of all Swiss Army knives is the toothpick. It's also handily sized for cleaning the knife itself. A bottle opener is always worth having in a pinch, especially when (like the can opener) the flat top of it also doubles as a screwdriver. A slightly lesser-known use of this tool is the small nub at the bottom which functions as a wire stripper. With the large blade folded out, place your wire between the handle of the knife and this notch, so that the wire prevents the bottle opener tool from folding back in. Then carefully fold the blade back against the wire to use as a wire stripper. 'My favourite tool is the scissors, and we often hear the same from customers,' says Elsener. 'They're very helpful when you nick your nail and you can just take your scissors and correct it.' But the scissors are also strong enough to cut through fabric and aluminium cans – useful for making basic camp crafts or first-aid. Because they're spring-loaded, the trick with the scissors is to hold the knife in your palm and 'pump' the scissors, rather than trying to open them up and close them as you would a standard pair of kitchen scissors. The smallest screwdriver function on the knife neatly slots into the end of the corkscrew, and is designed for tightening up your glasses. Hidden inside the 'scale' of the knife is a tiny pair of tweezers. Not exactly a revolutionary bit of kit, but given how small it is, many don't realise it's there. Victorinox also suggests the tweezers can be useful when picking up delicate items of jewellery or even tiny components when repairing electronics. While most people are generally more familiar with rotary can openers, having an emergency back-up is always helpful. Simply press the hooked 'nose' of the can opener into the outside lip of your tin, then use the upper 'punch' in an up-and-down motion around the top of the can to open it. As for the flat end of the can opener? It's also a helpful screwdriver. Victorinox, the original Swiss Army knife company, produces 45,000 pocket knives every weekday to be shipped out around the world (the United States, Germany, Mexico, Britain and France are the biggest markets after Switzerland itself). Yet the Swiss Army knife was originally nothing of the sort. When a young Karl Elsener opened his workshop in Ibach, a small town an hour's drive from Zurich, in 1884, he was repairing tools for local farmers and making a few knives per week. The contract for standard-issue Swiss Army knives which featured a blade, reamer, can opener and screwdriver belonged to a German company. In 1896, Elsener presented army generals with a new knife, which, unlike the German one, featured tools on both sides of the grip and an innovative spring system, as well as a corkscrew, which he hoped would make it attractive to officers. The 'Officer's and Sports Knife' was declined by army chiefs. Having already produced hundreds of knives, Elsener faced financial ruin until he began selling the knives to American soldiers stationed in the country. They loved them and took them home as gifts. By 1909, the Swiss army had taken notice and contracted Elsener's company to make knives for its soldiers. The rest is history. Today, the company is a family-run foundation, with Carl Elsener IV the current CEO. It has produced around 550 million multi-tool penknives to date. 'In Switzerland, most people carry a Swiss Army knife with them every day,' Elsener tells The Telegraph. He personally prefers the Traveller, a pocket knife with an electronic display featuring an alarm clock ('set for 5.15am every day in my case,' says Elsener), altimeter, barometer, timer and thermometer. 'I'm one of those guys who like to fix things,' Elsener continues. 'If I'm travelling and I see a screw is loose in my hotel wardrobe, I'll get out my pocket knife and fix it. The Swiss are like this in general, we like to fix things. But you can use them for anything. 'Nasa bought Swiss Army knives for their astronauts, and once, a Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield, used his to get into a Russian space station when the official tools broke. He said, 'Never leave the planet without one,' which is the best commendation we've ever received.' Hidden in Victorinox's off-limits archive lies a wealth of knives from over the decades. There are Swiss Army knives personalised with ebony and mother-of-pearl handles, bone-handled knives, and even a diamond-studded miniature guitar with a Swiss Army knife built into the neck, which was specially constructed for Elvis Presley. What's remarkable is just how hard-wearing these knives are. Knives from 1937 (when the famous red plastic coating was first added) barely show any signs of age. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
