# Swiss Army knives **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 11, 2018, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382 "2018-03-11T10:13:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Swarfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Swarfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swarfinger)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/1 "2018-03-11T10:13:22Z")
I just chanced upon Cecil’s column on [Does the Swiss Army really use the Swiss Army knife?](https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/476/does-the-swiss-army-really-use-the-swiss-army-knife/) and feel moved to comment, some 23 years later! It’s not just the Swiss Army who use them - I own a Victorinox knife issued to the German army which I picked up used in an army surplus store. It’s marked Victorinox, but is significantly different to any civilian model of SAK I’ve ever seen. The handles are in textured olive drab plastic with a lanyard hole, and one side has a federal German eagle marked on it. It’s larger than a standard SAK, with a 7.5cm blade rather than 6cm, a corkscrew and awl, also both larger than normal, and a combination wood saw/nail file/can and bottle opener/screwdriver all on one tool, which I’ve never seen on a standard SAK. I often take this one on camping trips, since it was very cheap and it doesn’t matter too much if it gets lost or broken. Anyone know if there are other military versions of the SAK in existence? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/2 "2018-03-11T16:41:32Z")
Linky broken. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/3 "2018-03-11T17:15:55Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Linky broken. I fixed it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/4 "2018-03-11T20:41:17Z")
> [@Swarfinger](#): > > I own a Victorinox knife issued to the German army which I picked up used in an army surplus store. It’s marked Victorinox, but is significantly different to any civilian model of SAK I’ve ever seen. The handles are in textured olive drab plastic with a lanyard hole, and one side has a federal German eagle marked on it. It’s larger than a standard SAK, with a 7.5cm blade rather than 6cm, a corkscrew and awl, also both larger than normal, and a combination wood saw/nail file/can and bottle opener/screwdriver all on one tool, which I’ve never seen on a standard SAK. I often take this one on camping trips, since it was very cheap and it doesn’t matter too much if it gets lost or broken. Anyone know if there are other military versions of the SAK in existence? [Like this one?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Army_knife#/media/File:Victorinox_German_Army_Knife_1985.JPG) I have one marked Victorinox, but they were made by several companies over the years. I also have a Chinese copy to use. The knife currently issued to the Swiss Armed Forces is the [Soldatenmesser 08](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Army_knife#/media/File:Soldatenmesser_08-2.JPG). You can buy them from Amazon as [Bundeswehr](https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001B197RE/) and other versions (see chart at top of page). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/5 "2018-03-11T20:58:30Z")
Incidentally, the [Soldier 1961](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Army_knife#/media/File:Swiss_Army_Knive_opened.jpeg) was issued from 1961 to 2008. The Soldier had the year of manufacture stamped on the tank of the blade. [‘08 was the last tang stamp on the 1961 Alox Soldier.’](http://www.sakwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page=Soldier+1961) ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/6 "2018-03-14T20:11:01Z")
Different armies have had different models over the years. I don’t know if all of them have been made available to the general public, but certainly some have. As far as I know they are not built to different standards and they don’t seem to have exclusive tools on them - though perhaps a tool originates on an army model and becomes generally available only later. With online vendors, it has become relatively easy to find and order many many different models of Swiss Army knives and similar products. Before internet sales, a store might order in just a couple of the most popular ones and ignore the others. (Perhaps the biggest internet advantage with this is easy access to catalogues and pictures - you couldn’t really try to find and order a certain model if you weren’t even aware it existed.) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/7 "2018-03-14T22:05:26Z")
I have one of these in my pocket at this very moment: [https://www.swissknifeshop.com/swiss-army-boy-scout-eagle-scout-classic-sd?msclkid=2d9919e52c6618809872434cb01c7e8d&utm\_source=bing&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign=(ROI)%20Shopping%20-%20Victorinox&utm\_term=1100506686931&utm\_content=Classic%20SDs](https://www.swissknifeshop.com/swiss-army-boy-scout-eagle-scout-classic-sd?msclkid=2d9919e52c6618809872434cb01c7e8d&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=(ROI)%20Shopping%20-%20Victorinox&utm_term=1100506686931&utm_content=Classic%20SDs) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2018, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/8 "2018-03-15T05:34:03Z")
I have a half dozen of the classic SDs. On about half of them, including the one in my pocket, which is probably 30-35 years old, the spring for the scissors is broken. I don’t care. I can still use them just fine. _“Ask uncle Chimera if you can borrow his knife”._ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/9 "2018-03-16T16:33:51Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > On about half of them, including the one in my pocket, which is probably 30-35 years old, the spring for the scissors is broken. [Replacing the scissors spring](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=690093). ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/10 "2018-03-16T20:14:54Z")
The Tick fought the Swiss Army. > **[the tick swiss army image - Bing](https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=W%2f3iQ5Kp&id=71B094EFCFEDDA151F11A83EFFA3456D938208C8&thid=OIP.W_3iQ5KpSUvAchOZMZ6WfgHaFi&mediaurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.toonzone.net%2fnews%2fimages%2f2007-09%2fTickSeason2%2fTickS2Swiss.jpg&exph=475&expw=635&q=the%2Btick%2Bswiss%2Barmy%2Bimage&simid=608026470557682297&selectedIndex=1&qpvt=the%2Btick%2Bswiss%2Barmy%2Bimage&ajaxhist=0)** > > Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/11 "2018-03-16T20:28:39Z")
Serious question: why does the Swiss Army use these knives? Being American, when I was in the Army we had a K-Bar, an entrenching tool and the good olde P-38 “Opener, Can, Hand, Folding, Type I” When I think of military knives, that’s what I think of, not a multi-tool instrument. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/12 "2018-03-16T20:50:53Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Serious question: why does the Swiss Army use these knives? Being American, when I was in the Army we had a K-Bar, an entrenching tool and the good olde P-38 “Opener, Can, Hand, Folding, Type I” > > When I think of military knives, that’s what I think of, not a multi-tool instrument. Many countries’ military forces are issued pocket knives. [Even the U.S.](https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-other-army-knife.650746/). Note the similarities between the U.S. pocket knife and the Soldier 1961. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2018, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/13 "2018-03-17T12:31:16Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Many countries’ military forces are issued pocket knives. [Even the U.S.](https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-other-army-knife.650746/). Note the similarities between the U.S. pocket knife and the Soldier 1961. I got one of those from the USCG around 1979. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/14 "2018-03-18T00:10:18Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I got one of those from the USCG around 1979. Camillus, which made the US knife, went bankrupt in 2007. The thread was posted in 2009, and said knife was available from Schrade, with ‘Schrade’ on the scale instead of ‘US’. A quick search seems to indicate that the Schrade SCAMP4 is no longer available. It is now being made by [Marble’s](http://www.marblesknives.com) and is available from [Amazon](https://smile.amazon.com/Marbles-Outdoors-Utility-Stainless-Handles/dp/B0027XYQEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521331160&sr=8-1&keywords=us+pocket+knife) for $12. It lacks the ‘can opener’ stamp on the can opener, and has the Marble’s logo prominently displayed on the blade. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2018, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swiss-army-knives/810382/15 "2018-03-18T02:52:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Replacing the scissors spring](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=690093). Cool, thanks. Just ordered a pack of them from Amazon. We’ll see how incompetent I end up being at the physical replacement.