Arguably the most well-known knife in the world, it’s able to build a raft, perform camp crafts, clean fish and game, maintain the workplace, and more. Few symbols have that recognizable, iconic quality like the little red knife with a cross and shield, known as the Swiss Army Knife (SAK). Victorinox, the company that makes them, has been around for more than 130 years. No matter how big or small, a SAK has always been considered a multitool of sorts, which is more knife based than a stereotypical Leatherman-style multitool.
IN SPACE, ON TV
In 1986, after a previous procurement of the Master Craftsman by NASA for official use by its astronauts, Victorinox started manufacturing the Astronaut model with the same tool configuration. This model was also later sold with special handles featuring a metal inlaid image of the space shuttle, causing some to refer to the knife as the Space Shuttle model.
The Victorinox Master Craftsman is a 91 mm Swiss Army Knife with Cellidor (plastic) scales. It's one of the smaller knives to contain both the metal file/hacksaw as well as the wood saw. The last known variations offer five tools on the back of this medium sized package, resulting in a very high tool density. Astronaut Chris Hadfield used his Master Craftsman to break into the Russian space station Mir, because the last crew had sealed up the hatch “just a little too enthusiastically.” The Master Craftsman has been discontinued but is very similar to the Huntsman.
The popular reality show Survivorman showed the star, Les Stroud, using a Victorinox Huntsman knife for most of Season 2 in some harsh environments on some very intricate projects. He made shelter, fire, traps, and all sorts of camp craft with only his Swiss Army Knife.
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Knives Illustrated.
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This story is from the December 2020 edition of Knives Illustrated.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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KITCHEN KNIVES DON'T HAVE TO BE DULL
I have a confession to make. See if this sounds familiar. I take meticulous care of the knives I use for everyday carry, hunting, and general woods wandering. I wipe them down with an oily cloth after use and I never let them get too dull. Seldom do I have to restore a damaged edge. Most of the time I simply touch up the edges of my pocketknives with a few careful strokes across the rough bottom of a ceramic coffee cup. That’s usually all that’s needed. I don’t use my knives as screwdrivers or pry bars. As a matter of fact, I still have the very first knife I ever owned, an old Boy Scout knife that was handed down from my older brother. The blades have a deep patina that comes with using carbon steel over the years, but the knife is very usable still.
