3 Fun Facts to Know About Swiss Army Knife

Karl Elsner's name has been embedded into the collective consciousness of mankind for his unparalleled discovery in the field of multitasking. The thing in question is the Swiss Army Knife. Yes that slightly heavy pocket tool that comes in an affable shade of maroon (and now other colors) with the Swiss Army logo embedded on to it. An object which can literally save the day, your life or out of any tight spot you might find yourself, that's the Swiss Army Knife in a nutshell.



Like every other object in the culture industry, the Swiss Army Knife, too, has a history of its own. Something which is so colorful, it can literally take you by surprise. Read on to know more.

1. Why is the Swiss Army Knife still such a favorable gift item? It offers such a large range of tools that almost anybody from an octogenarian to a kid of eight can find one or the other use of it. You have probably seen people impressing their friends with yet another unimaginable feat with the tools available in the Swiss Army Knife, maybe it be uncorking the champagne bottle for their boss in a posh party or scaring off a wild cat with the knife, to save a damsel in distress.

2. So how many tools does the Swiss Army Knife provide you with? The list seems endless. In addition to the main blade, a smaller second blade, tweezers, toothpick, , nail file, scissors, saw(regular, wood), file, hook, magnifying glass, ballpoint pen, fish scaler, corkscrew, can opener, bottle opener, slotted/flat-head screwdriver(s), Phillips-head screwdriver hex wrench w/bits, pliers.

3. But did the Swiss Army Knife come with this huge offering from the very beginning, when Elsner created it? The answer is a no. Earlier it just had a blade, a small screwdriver, a knurled alox handle, and a reamer, basically the configuration of the lightweight one still used by the Swiss Army. Later down the line, Elsner came up with a dazzling innovation in the form of a bilateral spring which allowed for more than one blade to be fitted into the Swiss Army Knife. Ever since then there has been no looking back.

Now the Swiss Army Knife is manufactured by two companies, namely Victorinox and Wenger. They are constantly trying to outdo each other, coming up with newer modifications to come in tandem with the pace of the 21st century. There's even one Swiss Army Knife which has a USB pen-drive and other digital tools for fixing hardware problems.

Hint: think groomsmen gift ideas here!