The World’s Best Swiss Army Knife Is Also The Most Ridiculous

The disarmingly-titled “Multiblade Folding Knife” has to be seen to be believed. You might be proud of your adorable Victorinox, but it has nothing on this monstrosity, manufactured in Germany, sometime around 1880.

It is easily the most ludicrous Swiss Army knife ever made and unsurprisingly, was never intended for actual use… except perhaps by Wile E Coyote.

The knife is currently on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington DC. It measures 8.89 x 8.89 x 23.49cm and although there’s no weight listed, I’m going to guess it’s in the impractical range for a portable knife-of-all-trades.

So, just how many doohickies does this thing have? A hundred — according to the description — which includes:

  • Serrated blade
  • Two dagger blades
  • Several different types of shears and scissors
  • An auger
  • Corkscrew
  • Two saws
  • A lancet
  • Button hook
  • Cigar cutter
  • Tuning fork
  • Pens
  • Mechanical pencils
  • A mirror
  • Straight razor
  • A functional .22-calibre five-shot pinfire revolver

Yes, a revolver. Not sure how you’d go whipping it out in a gunfight and I imagine loading it would be like threading a needle.

[National Museum of American History, via OhGizmo]

Photos: National Museum of American History


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