These are the small knives most often carried on keychains, in watch pockets, and in pocket-books. They are very popular as promotional or advertising knives, especially the Classic. These little knives became famous for doing big things; perhaps the biggest is a long list of lives they have been credited with saving. The greatest feature of this series is their size; they are so small that you can easily take them with you anywhere and at all times - although airline flights are now excluded, due to the decrease in world intelligence!
The 58mm family most likely came into being in the early 1940s - See page 31 of the 1942 catalogue. They use a 'floating', back-to-back spring construction, which was later patented in 1952 for the 74mm family by Carl Elsener (Diagram here), and was granted US patent protection in 1955. Although the 58mm design is slightly different from the 74mm design and patent - Image of current 58 internals here.
The 58mm sized pocket tools are available in a wide variety of tool configurations, however these pale in comparison to the number of different colours, design prints, and handle materials that have been produced over the years, which runs into many thousands, when custom and advertising knives are included.
The list below shows the 58mm models that have been produced since they were introduced - Most are no longer available, available models (2018) are marked with an asterisk (*) and also shown in the image below.
Layer Index:
Please see the notes on the two-layer page about layer designation.
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Model List:
From the 1950s the 58mm knives were known primarily by their model numbers such as 623 aCr+ - an early 'Bijou'. Although some models also had descriptive names such as those in the list below, which sometimes varied by region or seller! A full cutover to, and standardisation on the descriptive names we known below, and a new model numbering convention (0.6202 was the new code for the non-SD Bijou) took place in the mid-seventies.
Classic SD & Classic
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USB Drive
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Escort
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MiniChamp
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Alox Classic SD
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- Bijou
- Bladeless
- Broker
- Caddy
- Caddy Plus
- Cavalier
- Classic * - includes the Classic SD and several other variations/models
- Commander - See: Bijou
- Companion
- Deluxe - includes five colours and a gold model
- Diplomat
- Drifter - Swiss Bianco exclusive
- Duchess
- Ensign
- Escort * - includes the Escort II
- Executive
- Flash - includes the Alox, Flight, and Laser versions
- Golfer
- Illuminator - See: SwissLite
- Jetsetter Series *
- Manager * - includes the Midnite Manager - Image in main panel above
- Manicure
- Mate
- Midnight/Midnite Manager * - See: Manager
- Midnite Manager@Work * - See: Manager
- Midnight/Midnite MiniChamp * - See: MiniChamp
- MiniChamp * - includes the Midnite and XL models
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy Knife
- Physician Knife
- Pocket Pal
- Presentation Master - includes a Flight version
- Princess
- Rally *
- Rambler *
- Rogue
- Rover
- Secure
- Scribe
- Signature * - includes the Signature II, Signature Lite, and Signature Laser.
- Signature Slim - See: Victorinox@Work
- Slim Flash - includes the Slim Flash Duo
- Stylus
- SwissLite *
- SwissMemory - includes the Flight, Laser, and Laser Flight versions.
- Talisman - See: Rally
- Tomo
- Vagabond
- Victorinox@Work *
- Vintage - See: Escort
- Vintage II - See: Scribe
- Whistle
58mm Width Comparison: