SAKnife Archives – Victorinox History & Collecting

Welcome to SAKnife Archives.
This space is dedicated to the documentation and exploration of Victorinox Swiss Army Knife history, with a focus on collecting, historical models, and documented variations.

The archive is structured around distinct collection thematics, each explored through dedicated articles and reference studies. Here, the Swiss Army Knife is approached as an object of heritage and memory, not just a tool.

All knife photographs featured in SAKnife Archives are taken from the SAKnife collection, ensuring visual consistency and direct reference to the pieces studied.

Explore the archive by collection thematics below.

From time to time, particularly interesting examples examined in the archive may also be found in the Shop section, offering collectors a closer look at the knives that shaped this blog - Also available on Etsy and eBay

Recommended external resources for deeper SAK research:

• 🔗 SAKwiki — Encyclopedia & detailed tools lists.

• 🔗 Elsinox.com — Historical and technical analyses.

• 🔗 Leaf-Vics.com — Collector photo reviews and model insights.

• 🔗 Multitool.org — Community discussions and technical research.

📘 Collection Thematics

👉📘Metal Inlays Thematic

👉📘Victorinox History & Catalogue - 91 mm Models Evolution

👉🛠️ Victorinox 91 mm Toolsets Evolution — Structure, Tools & Models

📝 Victorinox Tinker

The Victorinox Tinker (134) is the Phillips alternative to the Spartan. Emerging in the 1950s as a screwdriver option within the Army Models range, it appears in the Elinox line... Read more...

📝 Victorinox SwissChamp XLT

The Victorinox SwissChamp XLT represents the upper practical limit of the 91 mm Swiss Army Knife. Introduced around 2000 and produced until 2024, it combines an unparalleled toolset with real-world... Read more...

📝 Victorinox Huntsman

The Victorinox Huntsman is the archetypal four-layer Swiss Army Knife. Originating as model 236 in the early 20th century, it evolved through the Sports Knife and Woodsman eras, with parallel... Read more...

📝 Victorinox Climber

The Victorinox Climber (235) is a scissor-based 91 mm Officer Knife whose configuration predates its name. Although the toolset appeared very early, full-size Climbers remain relatively rare before the 1970s,... Read more...

🚀 Victorinox Master Craftsman "Astronaut"

Introduced in the early 1950s, the Victorinox Master Craftsman was the first true five-layer flagship Officer Knife. Designed as the larger, file-equipped evolution of the Craftsman, it defined the top... Read more...

📜Victorinox 1961–1973 — Structural and Visual Transformation of the Swiss Army Knife

Between 1961 and 1973, Victorinox fundamentally reshaped the Swiss Army Knife.The disappearance of the exposed back awl, internal mechanical reorganisation, and the stabilisation of the 91 mm architecture transformed both... Read more...

📝 Victorinox Yeoman

The Victorinox Yeoman is widely regarded as one of the finest EveryDay Carry (EDC) knives ever produced by Victorinox. Combining scissors, magnifying glass, Phillips screwdriver and pen in one of... Read more...

📝 Victorinox Camper

The Victorinox Camper is one of the earliest outdoor-oriented Officer Knives, appearing in the early 1900s. Built on the original Standard platform and equipped with a wood saw and corkscrew,... Read more...

📝 Victorinox Standard and Spartan

The Victorinox Standard, later known as the Spartan, is one of the most foundational 91 mm Officer Knives. Produced in parallel for several years, these two closely related models illustrate... Read more...

📘Victorinox History & Catalogue - 91 mm Models Evolution

A complete historical overview of Victorinox 91 mm Swiss Army Knife models, from the origins of the Officer’s Knife in 1897 to modern multi-layer tools. This reference article structures models... Read more...

📜Victorinox Transitional Era 1957–1961 — Victorinox’s Silent Visual Transition

Between 1957 and 1961, Victorinox quietly reshaped the Swiss Army Knife. Visible rivets disappeared, scales became clip-on and replaceable, the last elements of the 1897 design vanished, and the foundations... Read more...

🕰️ Victorinox Timekeeper & Supertimer – Quartz Timer Swiss Army Knives

An in-depth collector’s look at the Victorinox TimeKeeper and SuperTimer, two rare 1990s Swiss Army Knives featuring integrated Swiss ETA quartz watches. From Roman to Arabic dials, early and later... Read more...