They generally consist of a blade, a bottle opener and a corkscrew. Others have a can opener, screwdriver, scissors or even pliers. And those without a blade are quite rare. Victorinox already sold this type of Swiss army knife, particularly for air travelers. Now the company plans to manufacture more, on a larger scale. The reason? Ever stricter regulations, particularly due to the increase in the number of cases of violence around the world linked to the use of a knife.
“In England and some Asian countries, you are sometimes only allowed to carry a knife if you need it to do your job,” Carl Elsener, CEO of Victorinox, told the German-speaking Blick. According to him, the blade of the traditional Swiss army knife “gives the image of a weapon in certain markets”. This is why he wants to better adapt to demand. The company is already thinking about a model aimed at cyclists: “Cyclists probably need special tools, but not necessarily a blade.”
The impact of world events on Victorinox’s business is not a first: “September 11 painfully showed us that we cannot depend on a single sector of activity.” In fact, the day after the attacks, sales of traditional Swiss pocket knives fell by 30%. This is why the company wanted to strengthen its other sectors of activity, particularly in watches and professional kitchen knives.
