The company known today as Victorinox was founded 125 years ago in 1884 by Karl Elsener and his mother Victoria. Originally a cutlery workshop, the company began making soldiers knives for the Swiss Army in 1891. The first version had a wooden handle with a cutting blade, a screwdriver, a can opener and a punch. Elsener spent five years perfecting his creation, inventing a special spring mechanism that allowed him to use both sides of the handle and double the features available. He added a corkscrew and a second blade and then registered the Officer s and Sport Knife in 1897. In 1909, Elsener registered the cross and shield emblem as the company s trademark. When stainless steel started being used for knives, Elsener name the company Victorinox in 1921: combining his mother s name and inox , and abbreviated French word for the characteristic of the new steel, inoxydable . The Original Swiss Army Knife, as it is commonly referred to now, gained fame after World War II when American soldiers returned home with the multi-tools as souvenirs. The same spirit and values of quality, functionality, innovation and iconic design that led Elsener to create his company thrives today. Inherent in every Victorinox Swiss Army Knife, every set of household and professional cutlery, every precision timepiece, each item of clothing, each piece of travel gear or bottle of fragrance, is an intangible, a certain Swissness , if you will. Victorinox bags are engineered with tough, resilient materials and Swiss innovation so you can be guaranteed that wherever you travel, your luggage will be able to handle the needs of the modern day road warrior. Victorinox menswear strives to be just as innovative as Victorinox bags with a seasonal collection of performance friendly, travel friendly clothing and accessories of superior quality and utilitarian use. Both products utilize innovative materials, functional construction and intelligent details designed to serve an active, discerning individual. In transit. At work. At Play.