Victorinox Swiss Army Heritage Pocket Knife 125th Anniversary

The sharp, strong punch repairs a leather harness so a horse can pull a wagon. The screwdriver disassembles a rifle for cleaning. The can opener pries the lid off a tin of food. Add a large blade to those three implements and you have the perfect tool for the modern infantryman. So says the Swiss Army, which promptly signs the first contract with Victorinox Founder Karl Elsener. The year is 1891. For 2009, Swiss Army proudly offers this limited edition replica that is as certain to delight today's collectors as their original Soldier Knife delighted the Swiss Army at the end of the 19th century.

The Swiss Army signed its first contract with Victorinox founder Karl Elsener in 1891 and released the original Soldier Knife soon afterward. Now Victorinox pays tribute to the classic tool of yesteryear with the 125th Anniversary Heritage, a limited edition Soldier Knife replica with only 1,884 pieces in the collection. The original Soldier Knife included a sharp, strong punch designed to repair a horse's leather harness, a screwdriver that disassembles a rifle for cleaning, a can opener to pry the lid off a tin of food, and a large blade. Combined, the implements provided the perfect multi-tool knife for the modern infantryman. This replica knife includes all the classic tools from the original, but with modern crafting technology used to make the ebony hardwood handle and stainless-steel implements. In addition, the classic and elegant collectible is presented in a beautiful black wood box with a metal inlay of the famous Victorinox cross and shield and leather closures.

When the Swiss Army signed that first contract in 1891, it wasn't just acquiring a knife--those could be obtained from master cutlers throughout Europe. What won the attention of the Swiss Army all those years ago was innovation, as the original Soldier Knife was the first multifunction knife to be developed in Switzerland. Now you can own a tribute to this piece of history. The 125th Anniversary Heritage knife measures four inches long closed and carries a lifetime warranty.

Key Details:

• Large blade
• Reamer / punch
• Can opener
• Screwdriver
• Ebony hardwood handles
• Stainless steel
• Measures four inches when closed
• Lifetime warranty

About Swiss Army Knives
In 1884, Swiss cutler Karl Elsener set up shop in Ibach-Schwyz, installing a waterwheel in Tobelbach Brook to run his grinding and polishing machines. Thus began what would become the international brand name Victorinox, a combination of Victoria, for Elsener's mother, and "inox," or stainless steel. Today, Victorinox produces watches, luggage, clothing, and, famously, Swiss Army knives. Although he started producing Soldier Knives in 1891, the original Swiss Army knife dates to 1897, when Elsener patented the Swiss Officer's and Sports Knife he supplied to the Swiss Army. Following World War II, American servicemen and women shopping in PX stores shortened the name to Swiss Army knife, which lives on in English-speaking countries around the world and has become a metaphor for versatility.