There’s not a lot going on in the Swiss town of Ibach. There are mountains, there are fields. There’s a road which gets you down to the tranquil shores of Lake Lucerne in about 15 minutes. If you drive that road you could well leave Ibach before you realise you’ve entered it. There’s really not a lot going on.
Look a bit closer, though, and you’ll see a factory. Its name is proudly emblazoned on the wall, as is its most famous product. Even if you don’t recognise the former, the latter is unmistakable: this is Victorinox, creators of the iconic Swiss Army Knife. They’ve been here for more than a century.
Switzerland is famous for a few things: watchmaking, Pope-guarding, and that knife. You know it. You may already have one. They’re built to last – my own is at least 20 years old now, and going strong – and they’ve been built in Ibach since they were first patented in 1897.
The Swiss Army Knife is so iconic that today it’s not just a tool, it’s an idiom: everything from an adaptable vehicle to a versatile midfielder has been referred to as ‘a bit of a Swiss Army Knife’ by at least one journalist.
It has gone from a humble field utensil to an indelible part of modern culture, and each year millions more leave this tiny-but-pretty Alpine town to continue the legacy.
The success is down to the versatility. I’ve been using mine mainly for opening packages (the blade) and flat-pack assembly (the two screwdrivers and pliers), and thought I was doing quite well.
While visiting the hometown of the brand I met a man who showed me what it could really do: Felix Immler literally wrote the book on how to best use the Knife, and his teaching on how to carve with it and use it as a genuine survival tool was eye-opening.
It was also a lot of fun – I never would have thought of myself as someone who would enjoy wood carving.
Behind the iconic product is a brand that, in fairly typical Swiss fashion, flies a little under the radar in terms of its other achievements. Everyone has heard of their flagship product, far fewer will know the name of the company itself, and likely even fewer still will know of their other expertise.
While in Ibach I was lucky enough to tour their factory – something you can do yourself if you choose to turn off the mountain road – and see first-hand how they make not just pocket knives but flatware and kitchen utensils as well.
The whole operation is impressive – as efficient and precise as you would expect of the Swiss – but the thing which caught my attention most of all was the staggering amount of steel reclaimed from the water used in the process.
Millions of tiny shards are filtered out, compressed into discs and sent back to the steel manufacturer to be recycled into more raw material for the factory. It’s astonishing to watch.
Like any good business, Victorinox has diversified beyond its core range. Being Swiss, watches were a natural choice – steel experts might as well make steel cases, and there’s no shortage of world-class movements within easy reach – but that’s not all.
As a travel writer I was intrigued by their luggage, particularly the idea of getting functional pieces from a brand who made their name with a functional-yet-portable tool.
The range of polycarbonate suitcases does their job admirably well: light, sturdy, and actually pretty stylish.
The soft-sided pieces are where the DNA of the brand shone through: what looks small becomes mighty through innovative design and myriad extra pockets and sleeves.
If you make your way to the Victorinox flagship on Bond Street you have the option of assembling your own Swiss Army Knife, choosing which tools you want to be included. If you take it to the same store throughout its lifetime they can take care of any repair or sharpening your use of it may render necessary.
That commitment to longevity sums up the brand – which is still, and always will be, a family company – perfectly.
The Swiss mentality is to repair and reuse, not replace – Victorinox encourages you to do just that, and will probably make any tool you need to do so.
Learn more at victorinox.com
