The original

This is one of the original models of Swiss Army Knife, from 1891. Made by the company's founder, Karl Elsener, it was a commission to the Swiss government to make knives for every one of the country's soldiers. Though it didn't have the now-famous logo, and Elsener's company wasn't yet called Victorinox--that would come years later, in honor of his mother, Victoria, and because of the French word "inox," which means stainless steel--the knife is recognizable as the predecessor of what nearly everyone has today. The Swiss government still purchases a knife for all its soldiers from the company, and there have been just eight different models since 1891 for the Swiss military, with the most recent being released in 2008.