How to Tell If a Swiss Army Knife Is Real

The Swiss companies of Victorinox and Wenger manufacture Swiss Army Knives. These multifunction knives have, in addition to the knife blade, a wide variety of additional functions and tools, including a flashlight, wrench, key ring, toothpick,screwdriver, can opener and more. These features stow inside the knife’s handle through a pivot point mechanism. Other companies can make multipurpose knives and call them “Swiss Army Knives” but only Victorinox and Wenger own the registered trademark for the knives.

Look at the knife to ensure it displays Victorinox’s trademark cross and shield. You can find the shield on the knife's outer red casing, slightly off-center. The shield includes five corners. On the top of the shield you will see a small depression in the middle, similar to the type of depression that you see on many fire and police badges. Victorinox's shield has a red center is outlined in white. A bold white cross sits in the middle of the shield. The border of the cross extends to touch the white outline of the shield.

Examine the knife blade. You should see the Victorinox trademark stamped on the blade. On some blades, you will see the words "Victorinox " and "Swiss Made" in uppercase letters along the outer edge of the knife's blade (where you hold it to open it) while on others you will find the trademark stamped on the base of the knife, where it screws into the pivot mechanism.

Price authentic Victorinox Swiss Army Knives. According to 2010 information from the Victorinox manufacturer, authentic Victorinox Swiss Army Knives can sell for anywhere from $17 to $120, depending on the type of knife. If you receive a price quote that seems much lower, you should suspect the knife is not a true Victorinox.

Look for the Wenger logo. You should see a square on the casing about midway beween the middle and the top edge. The square has a white outline and rounded corners. In the center of the emblem, you should see a bold white cross on a red background. The logo lays flat on the knife's casing.

Examine the blade for the words: “Wenger Delemont Switzerland Stainless.” It's Wenger's trademark stamp. The stamp appears at the blade's bottom where it screws into the pivot mechanism.

Note the price. Suppliers such as Opticsplanet (see resources) price original Wenger Swiss Army Knives from $13 to over $100, depending on the complexity of the knife. An unrealistically low price may indicate that the knife is not an authentic Wenger Swiss Army Knife.