The first Wenger Swiss Army Knife. The Standard Issue soldier’s knife was manufactured under contract for the Swiss Army, based on the military specifications for the Model 1890 which was the current military issue tool. The knife was first manufactured, and issued, in 1893 by an earlier company that would become Wenger. The knife was first manufactured by the Wenger company in 1908.

1893 Heritage Edition

Layer Tools

• Large Spear Point Blade
• Large Screwdriver
• Can Opener
• Awl

Back Layer Tools

None.

Scale Tools

None.

Scales

Fiber

Physical Specifications

• Length: 100mm
• Width:
• Height:
• Weight:

Variations

History

The official issue Swiss Army Knife was redesigned in 1961, resulting in a 93mm Alox scaled knife which was issued to troops through the year 2008.

In 2008, to commemorate their 100th Anniversary, Wenger build a Limited Edition replica of the original 1893 Soldier’s Knife, named the 1893 Heritage Swiss Army Knife. This knife was limited to a collection of only 1,893 pieces. The replica has wood colored Fibrox scales, and is sold with a special box that includes a small copy of the original technical drawings in both French and German as they were found in the Wenger archives. The presentation box uses a magnetic closure system that allow the box to be tilted vertical for display while keeping the cover open. The Knife is also magnetically held in, so when the box is vertical it does not fall out. Two rear holes are provided for mounting the box in the vertical position.

Identifiers

• 16995 - 1893 Heritage Knife

Related Knives

• Soldier 1890 - The Victorinox Soldier’s Knife from the same time-period, build to the same military specifications.
• Wenger Soldat 1961 - Standard Issue - New 1961 Design 93mm Alox Soldier a.k.a. Wenger Soldat

External Resources

• SOSAK: Wenger Heritage Knife, June 1st, 2009