1961 Models
There is a wide range of variants for the "1961 Models". We know of seven variants, plus a sub-variant to date; these variants are divided into five categories of knife, denoted by 1 to 5 and six types of “Waffenkontrolle” control stamps (or lack of a stamp) denoted by A to F.
Now the blade has a vintage stamp indicating the last two digits of the year (e.g. 63 for 1963).
PDF document, a copy of the plan for the Model 1961 soldier’ knife
1961 Models Categories
1961 Models blade markings
Victorinox andt Wenger are now the only official manufacturers of the Swiss Army Knife...
Please note that the manufacturer Elsener did not deliver any knifes in 1960 and 1961 (official information).
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Elsener - Schwyz Victoria
From 1957 to 1973 |
Wenger - Delémont
Before 1961 to 1966 |
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Victorinox Switzerland Stainless
From 1973 to 2008 |
Wenger - Delémont Switzerland Stainless
From 1966 to 2007 |
Can openers of 1961 Models
In 1951, Victorinox filed the patent for a new can opener with small screwdriver, following a change in tin can standards.
The "1961 Models" have this can opener, but some of them have a stamp with a Swiss Cross and the letters “PAT” (this stamp lasted from 1951 to, it would appear the 1980s) whereas others have no stamp and the shape of the opener is slightly different.
As we have no specific information on this subject, we simply limit ourselves to mentioning this fact and inform the reader that these two openers appear indifferently on all variants of the "1961 Models".
1961 Models “Waffenkontrolle”
The types A, B and C “WK” control stamps are always located at the centre of a large Swiss cross and engraved on the metal side of the handle. This specific type of mark is reserved for category 1 and 2 knives, and replaces the screen-printed Swiss Cross on the categories 3, 4 and 5 (also on some civilian "Alox" knives).
Note that from 1988, the "WK" stamp disappears at the same time as the acceptance test.
| "Waffenkontrolle" Stamps |
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| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| 1962-1978 | 1964-1972 | 1971-1978 | 1977-1988 | 1977-1993 | 1988-2008 |
| (vertical) | (vertical) | (Horizontal) | (vertical) | missing | without |
The design of the stamps A, B and C was the same from 1915 to 1978. Sometimes the "Type C" stamp is inverted (180° rotation).
Variants of the 1961 Models
Category 1 represents Variant 3 : "Red Alox" handled knife with an eyelet and a “Type A” control stamp. The "Red Alox" handles were produced between 1962 and 1964, but to eliminate existing stocks, they were used on some soldiers’ knives soldiers until 1978.
Category 2 represents the Variant 1 and Variant 2 : “Silver Alox” handled knife with an eyelet and...
- Variant 1, the control stamp is “Type B” and the vintage between 1964 and 1978.
- Variant 2, the control stamp is “Type C” and the vintage between 1971 and 1978.
Category 3 represents Variant 4 and Variant 4a : “Silver Alox” handled knife with an eyelet, a screen-printed Swiss Cross on a bright red background and…
- Variant 4 the control stamp is “Type D” and the vintage between 1977 and 1988.
- Variant 4a the placeholder for the control stamp is present but blank, "Type E", and the vintage between 1977 and 1993. This variant was intended for civilian production.
Category 4 represents Variante 5 : “Silver Alox” handled knife with an eyelet, a screen-printed Swiss Cross on a bright red background but without any control stamp nor space provided for it, “Type F”, and the vintage between 1988 and 1993.
Wenger, presumably to reduce stocks of spare parts, this variant resulted in many civilian “Officier Suisse” knives which, sometimes, had a bail added. Some of these knives even had a vintage stamped on the blade. They were distributed between 1991 and 2012 with the reference "16520" and as the "Soldier 70" or "Standard Issue", but these models were never distributed to the Swiss Army.
Category 5 represents Variant 6 and Variant 7 : “Silver Alox” knife without an eyelet, no control stamp or space provided for it, “Type F”. It has a bottle opener, a screwdriver with a notch for stripping electric cables but…
- Variant 6 has a screen-printed Swiss Cross on a bright red background and the vintage between 1993 and 2003.
- Variant 7 has a screen-printed Swiss Cross on a dark red background and the vintage between 2004 and 2008.
1961 Models and its Variants
See the following topics :
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