An army knife is just not a simple knife or a weapon. It is actually a multi-tool that can perform several different functions which also includes that of a knife. A multi tool army knife is typically known to be a small, light and portable knife with several different tools compacted inside a small device. The army knife is usually small enough to be slipped inside a pocket or a wallet or carried in a tiny pouch with which it is often sold. It might look like a large penknife or it can also come in the shape of a credit card. The Swiss army knife has almost irrevocably come to be associated with the multi tool.
Initially manufactured by Victorinox and Wenger, the original Swiss army knife included a few tools along with a knife blade. It had a bottle opener, an opener for cans, a screwdriver and a reamer. Later version also included tweezers, a small pair of scissors which could fold away inside the army knife, a tooth pick, a nail file, a magnifying glass, a screwdriver and so on. The modern Swiss army knife might also have an MP3 player, a digital clock, a USB flash drive, an altimeter, a laser pointer and other gadgets.
Specialised army knives are made these days for some sports, for example, for playing golf, or for hunting, golf, fishing, etc. Some army knives offer wire cutters, pliers, and other such folding tools along with a knife, of course.
A Swiss Army Knife or SAK has become almost synonymous with an army knife used by a layperson these days. An SAK is typically red in colour with a white cross on it, which is the emblem of Switzerland. It is actually used by the Swiss Army and the name originated because Victorinox used to manufacture and supply the knives to the Swiss army. The term “Swiss Army Knife” is registered and owned by them as well.
The term is also used colloquially to refer to the usefulness or the versatility of a product and its ability to perform different tasks. The name itself was first used by US soldiers because they just couldn’t pronounce the original name of the knife used by Swiss soldiers in World War II called "offiziersmesser".
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