Victorinox is a knife manufacturer based in the town of Ibach, Switzerland founded in 1884 by Karl Elsener. The most recent addition is a Horseshoe Nail Knife part of Christopher Raeburn's REMADE IN SWITZERLAND collection for autumn/winter 2011.
Who? Victorinox is a knife manufacturer based in the town of Ibach, Switzerland founded in 1884 by Karl Elsener.
What? The Swiss Army Knife – the iconic red pen knife with a single blade and a selection of stools stowed inside its handle through a pivot point mechanism. Victorinox has been making Swiss Army Knives since 1897 and were originally issued to the Swiss army. After the Second World War the PX stores of the US Army, Marines and Air Force sold large numbers of the Swiss Army Knife to US officers and soldiers. Today, it is standard equipment of every space shuttle mission and New York's MoMA have the iconic design in their permanent collection. The full Original Swiss Army Knife range encompasses over 360 models, one boasting 80 functions including an LED light, a tightening aid for shoelaces, a magnifying glass and a USB flash drive. The most recent addition is a Horseshoe Nail Knife part of Christopher Raeburn's REMADE IN SWITZERLAND collection for autumn/winter 2011.
Why? The Swiss company approached the Royal College of Art trained designer last year to design an eight-piece capsule collection. Known for his pioneering work creating ethically aware and innovative men’s and womenswear collections from re-appropriated military fabrics, it's little surprise that Raeburn was keen to visit the historic Swiss factory and local military surplus stores for inspiration and to source fabrics. A rare find was a box of horseshoe nails. As well as inspiring prints, Raeburn challenged Victorinox to recast the nails into knife scales for an Original Swiss Army Knife, eventually packaged in reclaimed original coated paper box that held the nails.
The Horseshoe Nail Knife is a limited edition run of 100, priced £250 and will be stocked at the Victorinox flagship store, 95 New Bond Street, London in July.
Text by Laura Bradley
