The Knife Vault

In a way, merchants who sell knock-off items are paying a sincere compliment to the makers of the original. The man on the street selling fake Rolex watches out of his jacket pocket is trading on the belief that consumers know and trust the Rolex brand. The same principle is true when it comes to Swiss army knives. There are many imitators, but Victorinox Swiss army knives started it all more than a century ago. That’s because pretenders have been attempting to duplicate the look and feel of original Victorinox pocket knives for more than a century. Since then, the company has released other quality knives for a variety of purposes including camping and specialty situations.

In order to properly identify a real Swiss army knife, look for the telltale cross and shield logo. The shield insignia should be pentagonal in shape with a small dip at the top. And naturally the insignia should be white with a red background to evoke the colors of the Swiss flag. The word “Victorinox” should also be stamped on the blade.