Sales blunted at Victorinox

New products include knives that have altimeters Keystone

Victorinox, one of the two official producers of the Swiss army knife, is trying to reverse a slump in business following the September 11 attacks.

The attacks triggered bans on pocket knife sales at many airports, and travellers were forced to give up any sharp implements in their hand luggage before boarding aircraft.

Sales of the company’s army knives – recognisable by the white cross on a red shield – fell by almost a third in the final three months of 2001.

To revive flagging sales, it is rushing out a new product that adds a clock, alarm and timer to the celebrated gadget. Victorinox is also developing a children’s knife with rounded blades and selling knives in packages that cannot be opened by hand.

“Even pocket tools without blades are being offered, although these have not met much interest in the past. This may change in the future,” a spokesman said.

In a bid to get customers at airports to change their shopping habits, the company now issues a brochure reminding them to pack their knives in their check-in luggage.

The spokesman added that, despite the downturn, the company was not considering cutting back its output of 34,000 army knives a day. Army knives account for 100 of its 800 models, which sell 25 million pieces a year in all.

Founded in 1884, the Victorinox company in central Switzerland is the larger of the two official makers of the army knife it first delivered to the Swiss military in 1891.

Switzerland’s other official maker of army knives, Wenger, has also registered a drop in pocket knife sales.

swissinfo with agencies