In 1884 Karl Elsener opened a cutlery shop in Switzerland to supply the Swiss Army with a soldier's knife. During this time he began to work on a revolutionary idea. He designed a knife that was to offer as many practical functions as possible in the most compact form. His invention has long been a legend: the original Swiss Army Officer's and Sports Knife. Over the years, both customer requirements and technologies have changed. The Swiss Army Knife has continuously adapted to both. Thus it has become a tool you can rely on. The history of Victorinox is not really about the transformation of the Swiss Army knife into a cult object. Rather, it tells stories that its customers experienced and in which its products played a leading role: Stories about memorable events on adventurous expeditions by land, sea, air and space. Dramatic stories in which his products contributed to solutions and saved lives. Or stories of prominent encounters in which Messer opened doors and enabled relationships between politicians, opinion leaders and nations.