Every good Swiss citizen has one in his or her pocket.

Swiss army knife still at the cutting edge after 125 years



Today's Swiss Army knives even have a USB stick






Carl Elsener senior came up with the knife's original simple design.

"My great-grandfather started a small business in 1884, 125 years ago," explains Carl Elsener, head of the Swiss knife manufacturer Victorinox.
"He was making knives for farmers, for in the kitchen and so on, and then he heard that the Swiss army wanted a knife for every Swiss soldier."
Carl Elsener senior seized that opportunity with both hands, and designed a knife that the army loved.
"It was a very simple thing," explains his great-grandson. "It had a black handle, one big blade, a tin opener and a screwdriver."
The Swiss army knife has even been into space with the crew of the space shuttle.