"SUISSE" ARMY KNIFE

[Draac]

SUISSE ARMY KNIFE

I picked this up at an antique store for $2.00 ( a steal). It's in very nice shape. Hard snapping blades and tools.

Questions: I searched all over the internet for a Swiss Army Knife with a metal sheild tlike this one has but have not found one. I see the regular "white cross" in a sort of sheild but it's on the shell not on a "metal shield" and do not say as mine does "SUISEE" with some type of "crossbow ?" type symbol. Can anyone shed some more infomation on what I have here in the Swiss Army Knife ?

Thanks in advance,
Draac

PS: I for got to add the markings on the two knife blades, they say:
WENGER SWITZERLAND

[Ramrod]

There is some info on Wenger at this site...
http://www.multi-tool.org/vintage-swiss-army-knives
Also some links to sites here...http://sakfan.blogspot.com/
I would guess yours from the 50's.
Mark

[jerryd6818]

The crossbow is exclusive to Wenger, awarded by the Swiss government as a symbol of quality and national pride. The 'Suisse' is French for 'Swiss', because Wenger is based in Delemont which is in the French speaking Jura region. Victorinox is in the German speaking canton of Schwyz.

Could be early '60s according to one source I found but because of the can opener, more likely what Ramrod said, '50s.

All I had ever seen were cheap Chinese knock-offs or the little pen blade and nail file or scissors jobber doies most people carry. Never had a very high opinion of the SAKs until I got my hands on a larger Wenger. Boy was I wrong. Tha'sa knice knife.

Two bucks? Call a cop. You stole it.

[stressmaster5000]

The knife you have in question is indeed made by the company we know as Wenger. If you check the back side tang stamp of the main blade you will probably find the word "Wengerinox" which is a trademark used by Wenger.

The shield design you remarked and questioned about actually was developed and used during war time in the late 1940's because of a Swiss government law that changed during that time frame where the "Swiss Cross" was no longer allowed to be used by both Wenger and Victorinox. Both companies produced shield designs similar with a stronger "CrossBow" design. After the war and the law changed back came the shield designs that included the Swiss Cross. Wenger used many different shield designs for longer periods of time while Victorinox pretty much went5 back to their old original shield. Your knife is probably from the 50' as already stated but now you know the history behind the shield design changes.

There is some more info on shield and tang stamp designs for Wenger Swiss Army Knives here if you care to check it out. I know they are excerpts from a Wenger history book but do not know the title of the book.

http://www.e-webtechnologies.com/sak/We ... istory.pdf

and here;

http://www.e-webtechnologies.com/sak/Wenger_Early.pdf

[Draac]

I want to thank you all for the information you have provided. I have learned a lot about my $2.00 find and very happy now that I own it for the collection.

Again thank you,
Draac