Identification
The Soldatenmesser 08.
While the term "Swiss Army knife" has become a common term for any pocket knife equipped with multiple tools, it is also a brand name. The trademark is owned by Victorinox of Switzerland, and real Swiss Army knives are made by both the parent company and its subsidiary, Wegner. Knives made by these companies are actually used by the Swiss Army. The current military model is the Soldatenmesser 08.
Screwdrivers
The Soldatenmesser 08, as well almost all other models of Swiss Army knives, come with screwdriver heads. The normal combination is to have a standard head screwdriver part, and then to include a fitting on the end of the can opener part that can be used to turn Phillips-head screws in a pinch. The Soldatenmesser 08 also has a dedicated Phillips-head screwdriver on the back side of the knife.
Can and Bottle Opener
The other function of the two screwdriver parts is to open cans and bottles. The normal arrangement is for the standard head screwdriver to have a bottle opener with a notch along its inside length. The can opener part has a notch, which is used to lock the can opener's base into position on the outside of a can rim. This allows the opener blade to be pushed forward with leverage, opening a small tear in the can. Making many such cuts around the rim of the can eventually opens it.
Saw
Another feature of both the Soldatenmesser 08, as well as some of the bigger Swiss Army knife models, is a saw blade. This is a light, saw-toothed part that can be used for light sawing work.
Blades
The Soldatenmesser 08 has a partly serrated knife blade with a loop along the backside, allowing for easier drawing of the blade from within the pocket knife. It is more normal for Swiss Army knife blades and other parts to have small fingernail slits to make drawing the parts easier, and all the other Soldatenmesser 08 features do have those slits. Some models of Swiss Army knife, however, will have the pulling loop on heavier blades. The Soldatenmesser 08 also has a small blade folded into the back part of the knife handle, which is for wire stripping.
Other Parts
The Swiss Army knife models that are sold to consumers can have a lot of parts that have never been used in any military version of the knife. These parts include pliers, scissors, magnifying glasses, files and corkscrews.
