The original Swiss Army knives had a wodden handle and featured blade, a screwdriver, a can opener, and a punch. Elsner still not satisfied with its first incarnation and then after 5 years he managed to put blades on both sides of the handle using a special spring mechanism, allowing him to use the same spring to hold them in place, an innovation at the time. It makes swiss knives can fit many features on the knife like second blade and corkscrew
Victorinox was founded in 1884 and Swiss knives discoverd by Karl Esner in 1891, who supplied pocket knives to the swiss army because Swiss Army had just introduced a new riffle that needed a screwdriver to be maintained. The Swiss Army is one of the strongest in Europe. It is tough, well-trained professional fighting forces so formidable that is has kept the country from being invaded through two World Wars. Every able-bodied Swiss male is required to serve and remains in the army as a reservist until age 50. As a condition of preparedness, each soldier is provided with the most advanced technology and simplest -- a folding pocket knife.
At that time, the cutlery industry in Switzerland was well established but incapable of mass production. So the knives were made in Solingen, Germany. However, a Swiss cutler soon established a knife manufacturing company, today Victorinox, and began to make army knives. Shortly after a 1893 at Courtetelle in Delemont valley, the second industrial cutlery of Switzerland, Paul Boechat & Cie -- and the future Wenger -- received a contract from the Swiss Army to produce knives.
In 1908 the Swiss government, wanting to prevent an issue over regional favouritism but perhaps wanting a bit of competition in hopes of lowering prices, split the contract with Victorinox and Wenger each getting half of the orders placed. By mutual agreement, Wenger advertises as the Genuine Swiss Army Knife and Victorinox uses the term the Original Swiss Army Knife. However, on 26 April 2005 Victorinox acquired Wenger, thus turning the Swiss Army knife market into a monopoly for supplying the knives to the Swiss Army once again. However, on the consumer side Victorinox has stated that it intends to keep both brands intact.
The Swiss Army decided in 1909 to decorate with national symbol ( a white cross ) for Vitorinox and Wenger companies. And 1921 Victorinox swiitched to stainless steel for producing the blades and tools.
