Swiss army knives on display in a store in Montreux, Switzerland. Rising violence in parts of the world has prompted governments to crack down on the types of blades people can wield in public.
Fabrice Coferini/AFP via Getty Images
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Fabrice Coferini/AFP via Getty Images
Swiss army knives on display in a store in Montreux, Switzerland. Rising violence in parts of the world has prompted governments to crack down on the types of blades people can wield in public.
Fabrice Coferini/AFP via Getty Images
The maker of the Swiss Army Knife says it plans to start offering the pocket tool without a blade.
Victorinox CEO Carl Elsener told Swiss news media Blick Rising violence in some parts of the world last week prompted several governments to crack down on the types of blades people can wield in public, potentially making it harder for consumers to carry the company’s signature red multi-tool.
“In the UK or some Asian countries, sometimes you are only allowed to carry knives if you need them for work or outdoors,” Elsener said in an interview with a German translator. “However, in the city, when you go to school, go to the movies “When shopping, carrying knives is strictly restricted.”
The CEO said this prompted the storied manufacturer to start developing new bladeless pocket tool products.
Victorinox said in a follow-up statement to NPR that the new bladeless products will not replace its current selection of Swiss Army knives, but rather “ensure you are best prepared for any life situation through smart and sophisticated solutions.”
British politicians have recently come under intense pressure to tackle the growing problem of knife crime.
The Office for National Statistics said in a report that there were about 50,500 crimes “involving sharp weapons” in England and Wales in the year to March 2023. Starting from 28,900.
A British judge last week condemned the “plague of knife crime” as he jailed three teenagers who stabbed Mikey Roynon to death at a 2023 birthday party.
UK law only allows people to carry knives in public with a folded blade less than 3 inches long, subject to certain exceptions for work, cultural and religious reasons. guardian reported.
Elsener said Victorinox is developing bladeless pocket tools for cyclists and has already developed one for golfers.
Victorinox founder Karl Elsener created the Swiss Army Knife in 1897, with production exceeding 500 million as of 2017.
