Carl Elsener, chief executive of Victorinox, said a rise in regulation to tackle knife crime meant the company was developing a new version of its famous pocket tool.
In an interview with Swiss newspaper Blick, he said: "We’re concerned about the increasing regulation of knives due to the violence in the world.
"We’re actually working on pocket tools without blades. For example, I have a cool tool for cyclists in mind.
“We already have a tool specifically for golfers in our range. Cyclists probably need special tools, but not necessarily a blade. The blade creates a weapon image in some markets.”
Mr Elsener said Victorinox saw knife sales plummet by more than 30% “overnight” after the September 11 attacks in the US, telling Blick: “9/11 painfully showed us that we must not become dependent on a single business area.”
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Under UK law, a person can only carry a knife in public if it has a folding blade that is less than three inches long.
is illegal to carry most other knives in public without a “good reason”, which includes for work, for religious reasons (such as the kirpan some Sikhs carry) or if they are carried as part of a national costume.
Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in April shows that knife crime in UK increased by 7% from the year ending December 2022 to December 2023, and has increased by 81% in the past decade.
I’m a U.S. knife collector and it just blows my mind that 99% of my collection would be illegal in a lot of other countries/states. I always carry a knife on me no matter the setting. (Except high security areas. Schools, Government buildings, dispensaries, and others.) Former Blue Collar worker so they just became part of my life. I honestly see them as tools and I don’t look at any of them as weapons. Even the ones that are designed for that task.
Hell, the knife I typically daily carry would probably get me arrested on whatever equates to a felony in the UK. I’ve opened so many boxes with this fucker though.
About Victorinox though, I mean they’ve always kinda done their thing so more power to them. Hope they find a new market, but I don’t think they will find some ground breaking thing that will change their situation since the multi-tool market is so flooded.
Seriously, search for “cyclist multi-tool” and see how much shit there is out there before they’ve even entered that market.
This is the thing that always gets me. From what I remember of this law, you have to carry an under 3" knife that is NON-LOCKING. Making it that much more dangerous to even use for it’s intended purpose.
The most surprising thing about that, is that they don’t make one already. Cyclist multitools are everywhere, and carried by most cyclists.
Being Victorinox, I’m sure it will be amazing quality of course.
I mean, if we’re talking quality, and leaning on brand names, I’d rather go for Leatherman.
They’re also excellent, but nothing can touch Victorinox stainless steel, I have one of their knives that is over ten years old, and looks brand new.