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| Carl Elsener obituary | Carl Elsener obituary |
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| In the mounting fear at world airports after the 9/11 terror attacks, I stood at Heathrow behind a German man who was reduced to tears by the demand that he surrender his battered Swiss Army Knife – an extreme example of the attachment countless owners feel for this unique personal possession. Air travellers soon learned not to carry them (or to put them in hold baggage) and turnover fell by a third as airport sales all but ceased. Yet this setback turned out to be a mere hiccup in the history of a company that turned a pocket knife into a world industry under Carl Elsener III, chief executive for 57 years of the knife's manufacturers, Victorinox. He has died aged 90. | In the mounting fear at world airports after the 9/11 terror attacks, I stood at Heathrow behind a German man who was reduced to tears by the demand that he surrender his battered Swiss Army Knife – an extreme example of the attachment countless owners feel for this unique personal possession. Air travellers soon learned not to carry them (or to put them in hold baggage) and turnover fell by a third as airport sales all but ceased. Yet this setback turned out to be a mere hiccup in the history of a company that turned a pocket knife into a world industry under Carl Elsener III, chief executive for 57 years of the knife's manufacturers, Victorinox. He has died aged 90. |
| The company began as a small cutlery works founded by Elsener's grandfather in the modest Swiss village of Ibach in 1884. The Swiss army decided to abandoned its German-made soldier's pocket knife for a homemade product: it needed a blade, a tin opener and tools for stripping and reassembling the rifle that every trained soldier was made to keep at home in case of an armed threat to Swiss neutrality. The firm fulfilled the brief and then created a second, lighter version of the knife, designed for officers, adding a corkscrew to the basic tools. It was this model, with its bright red handle and Swiss flag cross motif, that was the foundation of the company's unstoppable rise. | The company began as a small cutlery works founded by Elsener's grandfather in the modest Swiss village of Ibach in 1884. The Swiss army decided to abandoned its German-made soldier's pocket knife for a homemade product: it needed a blade, a tin opener and tools for stripping and reassembling the rifle that every trained soldier was made to keep at home in case of an armed threat to Swiss neutrality. The firm fulfilled the brief and then created a second, lighter version of the knife, designed for officers, adding a corkscrew to the basic tools. It was this model, with its bright red handle and Swiss flag cross motif, that was the foundation of the company's unstoppable rise. |
| By 1921 the firm was well established. Its name, Victorinox, was derived from Victoria, the founder's wife, and the French abbreviation of "inoxydable" (stainless steel). It was after the second world war that sales, boosted by American soldiers serving in Europe, really took off. The GIs coined the term Swiss Army Knife and bought them by the thousand. Civilians round the world soon followed suit and the knife became a firm favourite among travellers, DIY fans and schoolboys. I was taken aback on informally interviewing Denis (now Lord) Healey, then a Labour opposition figure visiting South Africa, when he put his hand in his jacket pocket and produced a Swiss Army Knife almost as thick as a club sandwich. "I never go anywhere without it," he said, speaking for many enthusiasts. | By 1921 the firm was well established. Its name, Victorinox, was derived from Victoria, the founder's wife, and the French abbreviation of "inoxydable" (stainless steel). It was after the second world war that sales, boosted by American soldiers serving in Europe, really took off. The GIs coined the term Swiss Army Knife and bought them by the thousand. Civilians round the world soon followed suit and the knife became a firm favourite among travellers, DIY fans and schoolboys. I was taken aback on informally interviewing Denis (now Lord) Healey, then a Labour opposition figure visiting South Africa, when he put his hand in his jacket pocket and produced a Swiss Army Knife almost as thick as a club sandwich. "I never go anywhere without it," he said, speaking for many enthusiasts. |
| Elsener, born in Ibach, joined the family firm at 17 as the second world war began. He succeeded his father as chief executive at the age of 27. From then on the versatile knives, hitherto made individually by hand, were mass-produced without a noticeable decline in quality. Under him the number of tools available in many versions of the knife grew exponentially. To the basic items were variously added a saw, a toothpick, tweezers, a magnifying glass, scissors, pliers, spoon, fork, compass, USB memory stick, digital clock and even an MP3 player. | Elsener, born in Ibach, joined the family firm at 17 as the second world war began. He succeeded his father as chief executive at the age of 27. From then on the versatile knives, hitherto made individually by hand, were mass-produced without a noticeable decline in quality. Under him the number of tools available in many versions of the knife grew exponentially. To the basic items were variously added a saw, a toothpick, tweezers, a magnifying glass, scissors, pliers, spoon, fork, compass, USB memory stick, digital clock and even an MP3 player. |
| In addition to surreal jokes about extracting boy scouts from horses' hooves (or vice versa), there were tales of how the knives were carried by famous explorers, including Everest climbers and American astronauts, who took it to the moon. Sometimes macabre stories did the rounds of emergency self-amputations and life-saving tracheotomies. | In addition to surreal jokes about extracting boy scouts from horses' hooves (or vice versa), there were tales of how the knives were carried by famous explorers, including Everest climbers and American astronauts, who took it to the moon. Sometimes macabre stories did the rounds of emergency self-amputations and life-saving tracheotomies. |
| Victorinox opened factories in several countries and reached high production levels with a nine-figure annual turnover. The contract with the Swiss army has in recent years represented just 1% of turnover, even after Victorinox took over Wenger, its only rival, in 2005 when Wenger faced bankruptcy. | Victorinox opened factories in several countries and reached high production levels with a nine-figure annual turnover. The contract with the Swiss army has in recent years represented just 1% of turnover, even after Victorinox took over Wenger, its only rival, in 2005 when Wenger faced bankruptcy. |
| Elsener, a committed Christian, never made a worker redundant, even when taking over Wenger. He would often be mistaken for a janitor when he opened the door to visitors in his overalls. The top salaries at the company never exceeded five times the wage of the lowest-paid full-time worker. He went to work daily on his bicycle almost to the end, having handed over control of the family firm in 2007 to Carl Elsener IV, the oldest of his 11 surviving children. His wife, Rosemarie, predeceased him. | Elsener, a committed Christian, never made a worker redundant, even when taking over Wenger. He would often be mistaken for a janitor when he opened the door to visitors in his overalls. The top salaries at the company never exceeded five times the wage of the lowest-paid full-time worker. He went to work daily on his bicycle almost to the end, having handed over control of the family firm in 2007 to Carl Elsener IV, the oldest of his 11 surviving children. His wife, Rosemarie, predeceased him. |
| • Carl Elsener, businessman, born 6 July 1922; died 1 June 2013 | • Carl Elsener, businessman, born 6 July 1922; died 1 June 2013 |
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