Destination Switzerland: Assemble & Personalize Your very own Swiss Army Knife
At select Victorinox stores in Switzerland you can create and personalize your very own pocket knife.
July 10, 2025
Who doesn’t love a good pocket knife? Did you know that at several different Victorinox stores from Andermatt to Zurich, you can schedule an appointment to assemble your own ‘Spartan’ model?
When planning our recent trip to Switzerland, I reached out via e-mail to the Andermatt store and was able to make an appointment for both of my boys to create their very own knives!
We arrived at the store early and surprised our boys with the experience. You can only imagine the looks on their faces! We were warmly welcomed by the friendly staff who were ready to guide us through the process. While waiting to get started, we looked around the shop and admired the countless designs and variations of knives on display. I personally could nerd out for hours on the various pocket knife customization options, ranging from cigar cutters to specialized nautical editions designed for adventurers at sea.
But alas, we had to pull ourselves away from the display cases to get busy creating! And the boys were off—pressing, pounding, placing, and creating under the watchful eyes and helpful hands of the store manager. Watching the boys assemble their creations showed them the value of craftsmanship and the pride that comes from making something with their own hands.
The knife items were laid out in an easy way to begin assembly. Customization option for assembling the ‘Spartan’ knife included a choice between a corkscrew or screw driver.
We appreciated the education on the history of Victorinox and the pocket knife while assembling the knives. During our assembly session, we learned that officer pocket knives cost about 6 Swiss Francs when they were first created in the early 1900s, which was equivalent to about one month’s wage at that time. We discovered that if you wanted the iconic Swiss logo on your knife, it would have incurred an additional cost. Fast forward to today, and the out-the-door price of a Victorinox personalized ‘Spartan’ knife is now 35 Swiss Francs (about 45 USD). This cost includes personalization such as the color and style of the handle coverings, as well as custom engraving. Watching the wonder in our kids’ eyes as they assembled their knives made it a truly rewarding experience.
You can only imagine what activity our excited boys were up to that evening! You guessed it, under the watchful eyes of mom and dad, they eagerly grabbed their new knives and embarked on a whittling adventure with big smiles on their faces and the thrill of creativity in their hearts.
Thanks for adventuring with us! We hope to have inspired you in some small way.
The Atlas Expeditions 