Balloonist Reaches World Record Height
Many stories involving the Victorinox pocket-knife are connected with travel and transport, be it by hot air balloon or mountain bike. Here we recount the two events which would have turned out very differently, or failed outright, if it had not been for the knife.
An article appeared in the famous London newspaper The Times on 7 June 1988 about a new world height record for hot-air balloon flights. However, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones made the first round-the-world flight by hot-air balloon in March 1999. They carried with them an Officer’s Knife and the Swiss Tool from Victorinox. the attempt very nearly failed and only got off the ground thanks to a Swiss Army Officer’s Knife, which the pilot of the balloon used to cut the ropes to two sacks of sand, allowing the journey skywards to begin. The following report was sent via the official channel of the Swiss Embassy in London to Victorinox AG in Ibach: «Lindstrand (the pilot) was born in Sweden but lives in Great Britain. Last year, together with the entrepreneur Richard Branson, he was one of the first pilots to cross the Atlantic in a balloon. Yesterday he succeeded in breaking the world height record following just a couple of false starts. In addition, because of high winds Lindstrand had to wait for more than a week to get a good start window.
Two Forgotten Sacks
Yesterday morning however, at 5.42 a.m., he set off 27 miles north of Laredo in a pressurised aluminium capsule. Weather conditions were ideal: blue sky with a light wind. The trickiest moment was at the start: due to an oversight, Lindstrand had failed to release two 100-pound sacks of sand. He had to climb down from his capsule and cut them off using a Swiss Army Officer’s Knife.
The balloon, carrying the two adventurers, then flew up to the new world record height of 11 miles (17.7 kilometres). The Victorinox pocket knife thus played an important part in the attainment of a world record for flying and physical endurance.
Luggage of Diplomats
The «little red knife» from Switzerland is not only standard equipment for astronauts, adventurers and craftsmen; it has also achieved diplomatic status. B.C. Hill, Australian Consul in Dublin, wrote to the Victorinox company to thank them for a consignment of pocket-knives that have made apparently successful gifts for his relatives. He wrote:
«Please find enclosed another order for eleven pocket- knives. I hope you don’t think I’m acquisitive or an obsessive collector. I can assure you however that these knives are for myself and my close family relatives – I might add that I have a large family. My cheque is enclosed. I would be grateful if you could send the knives as soon as possible.
Indispensable on Journeys
You might like to know why I’m so interested in your knives. I first came across Victorinox knives in Switzerland when I was General Consul in Geneva and from 1964 and 1969 as permanent representative for the European Department of UNO. Since then my personal knife, a Traveller (which I am now replacing) has been a constant companion. I find this pocket-knife extremely practical since my work often requires me to fly from one end of the world to the other. When I arrive I frequently have to change the plugs on my personal electrical equipment, put up tie racks etc. My pocket-knife serves me extremely well.
Tried and Tested in Vietnam
My knife has proved indispensable on my travels. It’s impossible to keep a toolbox to hand when travelling by plane. Your knives have offered the best alternative in this situation and shown themselves to be useful in other ways for my son-in-law.
Until recently he served as a career officer in the Australian Army; in this capacity he served in Vietnam for a year from 1965 to 1966. Before he returned to the Far East I sent him one of your knives, a Champion. He later told me that this knife had been indispensable to him during his twelve-month active service, particularly on jungle patrols.»
«In fact, the knife was so popular with his comrades that he had to keep an eye out to make sure he did not lend it to his Australian and American brothers in arms for longer than was necessary.»
A Breakdown on a Bicycle Tour
Just how valuable a Swiss Army Officer’s Knife can be on a bicycle tour was illustrated by the following story from British Columbia, Canada:
«Erich Hensch was travelling with four friends on a 30-kilometre mountain bike tour in the Canadian forest. After about ten kilometres the chain on one of the bicycles broke. Since they didn’t have the appropriate tools with them, the repair was carried out using a Swiss pocket-knife. Using a large piece of granite rock as a hammer and the awl of the knife, the bicycle mechanics struck the knife in such a way that its awl could knock the defective link out of the chain. The new link was inserted and the tour continued. The participants all agreed that without the pocket-knife the trip would have had to be abandoned.»
The astonishing thing, however, according to the letter written by Erich Hensch to the knife factory in Ibach, is that apart from a few small scratches, the pocket-knife has remained fully functional despite being struck with a piece of granite rock.
Now all my friends want one of these knives as well, wrote the sender to Ibach, enclosing an order with the letter.
Rescued from the Night, the Snow and the Cold
In a letter dated 11 September 1975 José Louis Botti, an anthropology student from Buenos Aires, Argentina, describes how he survived a perilous situation. His Swiss knife, made by Victorinox, saved the day – and probably saved his life. This example also shows how much the owner of a Victorinox po cketknife places trust in this useful and practical tool and is keen to keep it in good repair at any price.
«I’m an anthropology student, specialising in archaeology. At that time I had another two projects to do before I could complete my studies. I was engaged as a project assistant while also working for an oil company. As you can imagine, my life is often spent in very remote areas with poor access. Most of the time I work by myself in the outdoors. Problems frequently arise which would be easy to solve in most cases if you had the right tool to hand. Unfortunately, however, you never do.»
On a Lonely Road
For some years now, however, this has no longer been a problem, as I’ve had a Victorinox pocket18 knife as my constant companion. I always keep it at hand just in case I need it, which I frequently do; it does the job where other pocket-knives would have failed long ago. It goes without saying that it has always served me superbly.
But everything has its limitations. One particular day I was on a lonely road, without any food and night was drawing in. My car had become stuck in snow and there was the risk that I would freeze to death. With the help of my pocket-knife, however, I was able to saw through a branch some 15 cm thick to use as a lever for the car. Just as I had almost sawn through the thick branch the strain snapped the blade. However, because the saw had cut deep enough into the wood, I was able to lever the vehicle out of the snowdrift with the thick branch and continue my journey.»
Victorinox – My Third Hand
It was late at night on 30 December 1999. It was raining as I drove along the minor road near to Paris that I had used hundreds of times before. It had been a demanding week. My alertness was blunted by Friday-evening tiredness, the to and fro of the wind screen wipers and the comforting knowledge that I was going home? then just one misjudged curve, sudden fright, like a bolt of lightning, and then the impact. My car had run off the road and landed in a ditch..
Pascal de Souza, technical director of an office that specialises in the study of parking facilities in cities, told us his story:
«In a few seconds I had come to my senses. I was up-ended and pressed against the steering wheel. I was trapped by my seat belt, which I could not unfasten. My car was stuck nose-down in a rainwater drainage ditch. The icy water was up to my waist and threatened to rise higher. Above, I could see the beams from the headlights of cars passing round the curve, but none of them could have spotted me? I had to depend on myself alone and in particular on my Victorinox. My pocket-knife, kept in its leather pouch on my belt, is never away from me. It is my faithful companion. It cut through the safety belt without difficulty, allowing me to struggle free of the car.
Without the Victorinox I would certainly have been left stuck all night at the bottom of the ditch, and in that icy cold water I might have expected the worst…»
Pascal de Souza’s story is just one example of how often life hangs on a single thread – in this case on the meticulously ground blade of a Swiss knife. Pascal de Souza goes so far as to say that the knife acted as his «third hand». And there would be some considerable truth in the claim. It has been part of his life for over 25 years. It is with him in both work and leisure.
Pascal de Souza also uses the Victorinox as an artist’s tool, since he employs it to carve wonderful sticks that he has collected or that friends have given him. «I look for pieces of wood that remind me of some kind of animal. I use my knife to underline and emphasise these forms. It takes me between 10 and 60 hours to do, depending on the complexity of the piece. I prefer hard, dense wood with a warm colour, such as box tree, olive or heather.» Qualities of wood that reflect his sturdy, honest hands. The hands of a master of Taekwondo, a martial art that concentrates on self-defence against attack:
«I’m preparing for the black belt. I like this sport because it isn’t aggressive or violent, and it can be used in any situation. It is an image of my Victorinox – a tool for life!»
