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.”
…
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.
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.