Swiss Army Knife Identification Chart - Models, Types, & Tools

What Is a Swiss Army Knife, Anyway?

A Swiss Army Knife is a compact slip-joint pocket knife built on a shared back-spring with layered tools—blade, awl, can-opener, screwdrivers, scissors, saw—folding flush so it carries clean in the pocket. Born in 1891 for Swiss soldiers under Karl Elsener (Victorinox; later joined by Wenger), the familiar 91 mm “Officer’s” pattern shows the idea best: one chassis, multiple layers, endless tool mixes. It’s not one model but a modular system, which is why identification charts matter—they map which tools and springs appeared together in a given year. For collectors, tinkerers, and anyone coming from the custom knife world (or browsing custom knives for inspiration, the SAK is the benchmark: standardized parts, reliable mechanics, and a design that’s easy to service, mod, and understand at a glance.

Swiss Army Knife Meaning

A Swiss Army Knife is a compact, folding multitool originally designed for Swiss soldiers in 1891 by Karl Elsener, founder of Victorinox. At its core, it’s a slip-joint pocketknife built around a shared back-spring, with tools folding neatly into the handle so it rides comfortably in a trouser pocket. The first military-issue versions paired a main blade and reamer on one side with a screwdriver and can-opener on the other, all riveted between brass liners and capped with durable red handle scales.

Most people picture the familiar “Officer’s” pattern—91 mm long, two to four tool layers, polished Cellidor handles, and those little tweezers tucked in the end. Models like the Climber, Tinker, or Spartan share the same chassis but differ in tool combinations. That’s the genius of the design: the back-spring stack allows new tool layers—like a wood saw or scissors—to be added without changing the knife’s size or balance.

In other words, a Swiss Army Knife isn’t just one model—it’s a modular system disguised as a friendly red pocket pal. This modular DNA is why identification charts are so useful: they decode which tools, springs, and liners were paired in a given year, helping owners know exactly what they have and what parts will fit if they decide to repair, customize, or expand their knife. In simple terms, the Swiss Army Knife meaning refers to a versatile, multi-function pocketknife made by Victorinox (and formerly Wenger), and the phrase is also widely used as a metaphor for anything adaptable and multifunctional—much like the knife itself.

Swiss Army Knife Brands, & History 

Pull up the coffee-stained notebook—here’s the whistle-stop tour that gives every Victorinox Swiss Army Knife identification chart (and its Wenger Swiss Army Knife identification chart cousin) a bit of backbone.

1891 – The Soldier No. 1
Karl Elsener, working out of a stone workshop in Ibach, delivers the first batch of Model 1890 Soldier’s knives to the Swiss army. One spear-point blade, one reamer, a flat-head driver that doubles as a can-opener, and a screwdriver. That simple four-function layout becomes the seed DNA.

1897 – The “Officer’s” Knife
Elsener patents the Officer’s and Sports Knife—the 91 mm frame we still call the classic Swiss Army knife. Civilian demand balloons; red Cellidor scales arrive soon after.

1908 – Enter Wenger, the “other” factory
To keep politics tidy, the federal contract is split: Victorinox handles the north-east; Wenger sets up in Delemont and supplies the west. Two brands, same spec, friendly rivalry for nearly a century. Wenger

1921 – Victoria + Inox = Victorinox
Elsener coins the mash-up name after switching to stainless (“Inoxydable”) steel. The cross-and-shield logo firms up.

1930s–1960s – Global march
U.S. PX stores start stocking SAKs; astronauts smuggle them on Mercury missions. Wenger answers with its own innovations—patented spring-loaded scissors and the “Packlock” locking blade.

1980s–1990s – Layer wars & icons
Victorinox launches the SwissChamp (eight layers of glorious excess) while Wenger fires back with the Pocketgrip series. Both catalogs explode, which is why the ID charts look like phone books by ’95.

2005 – The Merger
After a rough post-9/11 dip (airport confiscations, ouch), Victorinox buys Wenger but vows to keep distinct lines. Collectors breathe easier.

2013 – Delemont Collection
Victorinox folds the best Wenger patterns—like the EvoGrip—into its own stable. Wenger branding retires; the Delemont stamp lives on as a nod.

2022 – 125 Years of the Officer’s Knife
Limited-edition 1897 replicas sell out in hours—proof the story still cuts deep.

Today
Victorinox remains family-owned, turning out north of ten million knives a year. The legacy Wenger tooling still hums in Delemont making those curvy Evo scales. That dual lineage is why, when you crack open any modern ID chart, you’ll spot two families: straight-lined “Victorinox” frames and the round-hipped “Wenger/Delemont” variants. Know the timeline, and suddenly the columns of model numbers start making sense. Victorinox

Swiss Army Knife Logos

Swiss Army Knife Tools List

Crack a Swiss Army Knife open on the bench and you’ll see it’s not sorcery—just tidy layers of steel pinned between two pieces of plastic or aluminum. Still, once you know the lay of the land, identifying models (or swapping parts) turns from headache to habit. Below is the bare-bones tour of the parts of a Swiss Army Knife, the core Swiss Army Knife components, and the clever little Swiss Army Knife tools that make the whole system tick. Tool List

The Scales, Liners & Rivets

• Scales – The outer “shells.” Classic red Cellidor feels like vintage toy plastic and can be buffed back to a gloss; Alox (embossed aluminum) grips better and shaves a few grams. Swapping scales is the gateway drug to modding—just warm the knife, pry gently along the brass spar, and mind the plastic pin at the toothpick slot.
• Liners – Thin brass or stainless sheets sandwiched between tool layers. They guide the back-springs and keep grit out. On old 1960s Wengers the brass looks like it came off a pocket watch—soft, buttery, easy to over-polish.
• Rivets/Pins – Nickel-silver or brass pin stock peened mushroom-tight at each end. Those heads are why field disassembly is a gamble; once you grind them off, you’re committed to a full re-pin. I keep Ø 2.2 mm nickel rod in a film tube for emergency fixes.

Core Tools (blades, openers)

These are the meat-and-potatoes layers you’ll meet on almost every frame size:

• Main Blade – Usually 58–91 mm, Victorinox’s proprietary X50CrMoV15 stainless. Takes a toothy edge fast; don’t expect a super-steel marathon.
• Small Pen Blade – Thin as a feeler gauge, perfect for splinters or breaking down cereal boxes when the main blade is gummed up with sap.
• Can Opener / Small Driver – That funny hook-beak profile dates back to WWI trenches. Bite the rim, rock forward—lid curls like a sardine can.
• Bottle Opener / Large Driver – Doubles as light-duty pry bar. Look for the half-stop notch on post-1992 models.
  Those four layers form the backbone; everything else bolts on top.

Specialty Implements (bit-driver, LED, etc.)

Here’s where the engineers get playful and the ID charts balloon out:

• Scissors – Wenger introduced the spring-loaded style; Victorinox uses a leaf spring you’ll eventually snap (good thing replacements are three bucks).
• Wood Saw / Metal File / Fish Scaler – Same spring slot, three wildly different jobs. Saw kerf is about 1.2 mm—just enough set to clear pine chips.
• Bit-Driver Layer – ¼-inch magnetic socket with micro-bits tucked in the scales; turns the humble SAK into a legit electronics wrench.
• LED Light & USB – Modern Urban series knives hide a CR1225-powered diode in the scale, or a 32 GB stick behind the pen. Surprisingly tough if you don’t drown it.
• Pliers, Magnifier, Altimeter, Firesteel, and the oddball Wenger “Cigar Cutter” – Proof the platform is Lego for adults.

Get these three building blocks—outer shells, spring-stack guts, and the ever-growing lineup of tools—straight in your head, and any model on the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife identification chart stops looking like alphabet soup. You’ll know at a glance whether a broken corkscrew calls for a 3-turn or 5-turn replacement, or if that mystery eBay score is missing a brass liner it can’t live without.

Swiss Army Knife Models

Victorinox (and the old Wenger plant) keep things sane by basing every model on just a handful of frame lengths. Once you know those numbers the whole catalog falls into place—no more squint-measuring that Ebay listing with a ruler in the photo background.

*Layer count = thickness; each layer tacks on roughly 4 mm of spine height.

How to Read the Identification Charts

The spreadsheet looks scarier than it is. Once you decode the column headers, you can spot your knife faster than a fresh edge will shave arm-hair.

Pro Tips for Using the Chart

1. Start big, then zoom in. Measure length ➜ count visible layers ➜ match the tool icons.
2. Mind production years. Some SKUs recycle when new steel types or scale colors roll in; the notes column flags those quirks.
3. Cross-reference weight. If the gram figure is off by more than 5 %, suspect missing tweezers, bent springs, or an aftermarket mod.

Swiss Army Knife Types & Sizes

There are several main types of Swiss Army knives. An extensive tool that serves as a buyer’s guide and roadmap for aficionados and prospective purchasers is a Swiss Army Knife Identification Chart. Usually arranged in a methodical manner, this chart offers information on several features of the knives so that consumers can quickly compare and choose the most suitable model:

*MSRP = manufacturer’s suggested retail; actual “Swiss Army Knife price” varies by region and promo.

Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Models

Below you’ll find bite-size tables broken out by frame length—far easier for Google (and tired eyeballs) to crawl than one monster spreadsheet. Every table carries full black borders, so you can copy straight into Word or a CMS without losing structure.

84 mm | Compact Pocket Classics

85 mm | Delemont Evo Series

91 mm | The Classic Officer’s Frame

93 mm | Alox Pioneer Line

105 mm | Spirit Multi-tool

111 mm | Locking Outdoor

115 mm | Full-size SwissTool

130 mm | RangerGrip & Rescue

*Prices are ballpark MSRPs; actual “Swiss Army Knife price” fluctuates by retailer and region.

Current Victorinox 91 mm Models 

Full list of Victorinox 91mm models

Wenger Swiss Army Knife Models

Wenger ran its own factory in Delémont from 1908 until Victorinox absorbed the brand in 2005. Most patterns were either sunsetted entirely or reborn under the “Victorinox Delemont” label. The tables below flag each knife’s Status so you know whether you’re chasing NOS stock, hunting eBay, or can still phone Switzerland for parts.

65 mm | Esquire & Companion Minis

85 mm | Evolution & EvoGrip Series

130 mm | RangerGrip Heavy-Duty

*“Status” legend: In production = currently manufactured under Victorinox; Retired = discontinued — expect to hunt aftermarket or NOS. Year in brackets notes last catalog appearance.

Choosing the Right Knife for Your Use-Case

A Swiss Army knife is only “right” if it actually solves the day-to-day tasks you’ll throw at it. Think frame length first, then layer count, then those one-or-two killer tools you can’t live without. Below are my field notes on matching a Swiss Army Victorinox Swiss Army model to four common scenarios.

Everyday Carry & Urban

Pocket real-estate is brutal when you’re in jeans all week and office chinos on Friday. I lean 84 mm or 91 mm, two or three layers max.

• Cadet (84 mm Alox) – Blade, nail-file/driver, openers. Under 50 g; won’t print in slim trousers.
• Climber (91 mm) – Adds scissors and a parcel hook; the extra layer is worth it if you’re forever snipping loose threads or Amazon tape.
• Skip the corkscrew if you never crack bottles—an army Swiss knife that rattles in your pocket is a nuisance, not a tool.

Hiking / Camping

Weight still counts, but trail chores demand a saw and maybe a can-opener that’ll survive a cold-soak bear can.

• Trekker OHO (111 mm, locking) – One-hand blade and wood-saw in three layers; gloves stay on, fingers stay safe.
• Farmer X (93 mm Alox) – Saw plus scissors in a slimmer aluminum frame; the “Swiss Army Victorinox Swiss Army” badge is just a bonus brag at campfire.
• Tie a lanyard: drop a red SAK in pine needles once and you’ll understand.

Fishing & Water

Fresh-water slime and salt both chew springs, so fewer layers and rinse-friendly Alox or nylon scales help.

• Ranger Grip 79 (130 mm) – Big locking blade for chunk bait, saw for quick rod-holder notches, grippy in wet hands.
• Angler (91 mm) – Fish-scaler with hook-disgorger plus pliers; classic Cellidor but still the tackle-box favorite.
• Carry a tiny bottle of mineral oil—an “army Swiss knife” hates rust spots on the back-springs.

Collector & Limited Editions

If resale and wow-factor trump utility, chase low-run colorways or oddball tool sets.

• SwissChamp XAVT (91 mm, 15 layers) – Ridiculous 83-function brick; stays in the display case, but completes the chart.
• Annual Alox Limited Edition series – New anodized color each year; grab all three sizes (Classic, Pioneer X, Hunter Pro) for a tidy lineup.
• 1897 Replica – Victorinox’s tribute to the first Officer’s knife: nickel-silver bolsters, no back logo, pure nostalgia.

Remember, the best Swiss Army knife is the one you actually reach for. Start small, borrow a buddy’s model on the trail, and let your own scuffed scales tell you what’s missing—or what’s just extra weight.

Video credit: Maxlvledc

Spotting Fakes & Verifying Authenticity

Counterfeit Swiss Army knives used to be laugh-bad—chunky blades, crooked crosses. Lately the bootlegs are sneaking up on eBay with halfway-decent machining, so you’ve got to slow down and eyeball the details.

Tang stamps
Flip the main blade open and look at the ricasso.

• Victorinox: “VICTORINOX / SWISS MADE / STAINLESS” in three tidy lines; older blades say “OFFICIER SUISSE”. Lettering is laser-sharp, perfectly centered. If the S looks melted or the type wanders, walk away.
• Wenger (pre-2005): tiny “WENGER / DELEMONT / SWITZERLAND STAINLESS”. After the Victorinox merger, “SWISS MADE” replaces “STAINLESS”. Mix-n-match fonts are a dead giveaway of a clone.

Shield shapes
Victorinox uses a squared-off heraldic shield with a bold white cross. Wenger’s shield is rounded, more like a droplet. Fake makers often get the proportions wrong—cross arms too skinny, white enamel bleeding into red, or a cheap sticker instead of a brass inlay. Run a fingernail over the edge; the real inlay feels flush.

Scale fit & finish
Cellidor scales on a genuine knife sit tight to the brass liners—no daylight gaps. Press near the key-ring hole: if the scale flexes or clicks, someone used knock-off shells or a bad re-pin job. Alox scales should line up so clean that light barely halos the edge. Off-center rivet heads or oversized pin holes scream counterfeit.

Quick field test: flick the nail nick. Real SAK blades snap home with a crisp, springy “clack.” Clones often close with a dull thunk or gritty drag because the back-springs weren’t surface-ground true.

When in doubt, weigh it. A Spartan is 59 g. If the army Swiss knife in your hand registers 51 g—or 68 g—something inside isn’t factory steel.

Maintenance, Repairs & Parts Sources

A Swiss Army knife will shrug off decades of pocket lint, but only if you give it the same quiet attention you’d give a good bicycle chain. Here’s the routine I walk every new owner through—and where I order the bits when something finally snaps.

Routine Care

1. Flush & Dry
   Once a season dunk the open knife in warm, soapy water, work every tool a dozen times, rinse under the tap, then blow-dry (hair-dryer on low) until not a drop hides in the springs. Read more: How to clean a Swiss Army knife.
2. Light Oil
   Hit each pivot with a half-drop of food-grade mineral oil. Victorinox sells tiny 10 ml bottles—handy, but plain USP mineral oil from the pharmacy does exactly the same job.
3. Sharpen
   15° per side, fine ceramic. The steel isn’t super-hard, so two swipes per week keeps the edge; five minutes on a medium stone resets it if you’ve been whittling hardwood. Read more: How to sharpen a Swiss Army knife.
4. Scale Polish
   Cellidor scratches buff out with toothpaste or automotive rubbing compound on a cotton rag; finish with a shot of plastic polish. Alox needs nothing but a toothbrush rinse.

Field Repairs

• Broken Spring or Scissors Leaf – If the back-spring itself cracks, it’s shop time. For a snapped scissor leaf spring you can tuck a spare under the scale and swap trailside in two minutes.
• Stripped Screwdriver Tip – The inline Phillips on 91 mm frames is sold as a drop-in replacement. 20 seconds with a punch knocks the old pivot pin free; peen the new one and you’re golden.
• Lost Tweezers / Toothpick – Always snag genuine replacements; aftermarket plastic swells and jams.

Parts & Service Sources

Victorinox Service

(If you’re in Europe, Victorinox’s Delemont workshop still handles Wenger-era repairs—same service page, just choose your country.)

Pro tip: keep a 2 mm flat punch, a 220 g brass hammer, and a pack of 2.2 mm nickel-silver rod in your desk drawer. With those three items you can re-pin almost any army Swiss knife in under half an hour and still make the 5 p.m. bus.

Price Guide & Current Deals

Knife prices bounce around faster than a SAK corkscrew in carbonated cider, so treat these numbers as a Swiss Army Knife price weather report, not a carved-in-granite MSRP. The first column shows the average street price (U.S. big-box + Euro webshops averaged and converted), the second pulls the freshest affiliate feed. Current MSRP baselines

*Average based on five mainstream retailers and updated monthly.
Replace the double-percent placeholders with your affiliate links—most platforms let you pass dynamic prices via a query string so the table never goes stale.

FAQ – Quick Answers to Common Questions

What is a Swiss Army Knife?
A Swiss Army Knife is a compact, slip-joint pocket tool first issued to Swiss soldiers in 1891. Its layered back-spring design lets Victorinox (and the former Wenger factory) mix and match blades, openers, and dozens of other implements on a single, palm-sized frame.

How do I use the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife identification chart?
Start by matching your knife’s closed length (58 mm, 84 mm, 91 mm, etc.) and layer count. Then scan the chart for the exact tool set and SKU. This cross-reference confirms the model name, production year, and which spare parts will fit. SAKWiki 

Is there a Wenger Swiss Army Knife identification chart?
Yes. Our Wenger / Delemont chart covers 65 mm, 85 mm, and 130 mm frames, and marks each knife as still in production or retired—handy if you’re tracking down true Wenger pieces versus Victorinox re-badges.

What are the main parts of a Swiss Army Knife?
Every knife is built from five core components: outer scales, brass or stainless liners, back-springs, pivot pins, and the individual tools themselves. Knowing these parts of a Swiss Army Knife makes cleaning, repairs, and mods far easier.

Which classic Swiss Army Knife is best for everyday carry?
Most urban EDC fans settle on the 91 mm Climber (adds scissors) or the slimmer 84 mm Cadet. Both weigh well under 90 g and cover daily tasks without the pocket bulk of larger army Swiss knife models.

How much does a Swiss Army Knife cost?
Prices range from about US $24 for a key-chain-size Classic SD to over US $250 for a feature-stuffed SwissChamp XAVT. Check the price-guide table above for live Swiss Army Knife price updates and current deals.

What tools are in a little Swiss Army Knife?
The 58 mm “little Swiss Army Knife” usually includes a pen blade, nail-file with screwdriver tip, scissors, tweezers, and a toothpick—perfect for minimalist pockets or a key ring.

Are Swiss Army Victorinox Swiss Army knives still made in Switzerland?
Yes. Every Swiss Army Victorinox knife—along with the Delemont-branded Wenger patterns—is assembled in Switzerland under ISO-certified quality control.

Conclusion – The Chart as a Living Tool

Cataloguing Swiss Army knives isn’t a one-and-done job; it’s more like maintaining a sourdough starter—feed it, check it, keep it breathing. Victorinox drops a limited Alox colour every spring, old Wenger patterns resurface with new SKUs, and somebody always spots an oddball trial run that never made the catalogue. So if you notice a missing model, a wrong weight, or you’re hunting data on a niche “army Swiss knife” your grandfather carried, speak up.

Drop a note in the comments, ping me through the contact form, or tag our socials with a clear blade shot and tang stamp. I update the identification charts quarterly (or sooner when a juicy lead comes in), and every reader contribution keeps this resource sharper than a fresh 15-degree edge.

In short: treat the chart the way you treat your knife—use it, abuse it, and don’t be shy about tuning it up. The more eyes on it, the better it serves the whole Swiss Army Victorinox Swiss Army community.

Video: Noblie Custom Knives.

Author: Dr. Braide Honest | Knife Blog Author, Writer & Blade Enthusiast Connect with me on LinkedIn

References:

Wenger Swiss Army Knife Catalog | Wenger Swiss army knife, Victorinox knives, Swiss army knife (n.d.)

Victorinox models variety in 2020 – LeaF’s Victorinox knives collection (n.d.)

Swiss Army Knife posters by: Nemanja Dodić