The Käsemesser / Swiss Cheese Knife was introduced in 2010 by Switzerland Cheese Marketing AG (SCM). This model has a new tool, the Cheese Blade. SCM had an exclusivity contract with Victorinox and the exclusive right to sell this knife during three years.
The first red edition of this knife was available only at Swiss Cheese Marketing for 5 barcodes from Swiss cheese and CHF 20.
It was delivered in a nice box with an information booklet.
The only other shop, which sold the knife, was the factory shop from Victorinox in Ibach. The knife was exactly the same, but it was sold for CHF 38 in a standard silver box.
The knife has a new red nylon front scale with a big white cross instead of the Victorinox logo. The main blade is partially serrated and etched on both sides. It has a toothpick but no tweezers and the lock release button is also red instead of grey.
2012 Switzerland Cheese Marketing AG lauched a new marketing campaign.
Victorinox manufactured a Limited Edition of 1500 pieces of the Käsemesser with horn-scales with a white inlaid Swiss cross composed of Galalith. The main blade is locked by a liner-locking machanism. Each knife is numbered on the liner behind the corkscrew. It comes in a special packaging with an information booklet. Once again the knife was available only at SCM for 50 barcodes from Swiss cheese and CHF 150.
The knife was available at SCM untill end of March 2013.
Some more photos of three different Swiss Cheese Knives with horn handles, to see the different colors and shades of the natural horn.
After the marketing campaign ended at the end of 2012, many (?) knives were not sold yet. Victorinox distributed the rest to some of their main vendors in Switzerland, which sold it for about CHF 250.
Later in 2012 a new version of the Cheese knife was produced in a small quantity of 500 pieces. It has Bubinga wood scales and adds the openers layer. It was sold only at the Victorinox flag-ship store in London.
Finally, after the exclusivity contract with Switzerland Cheese Marketing AG ended end of 2012, Victorinox started 2013 with production of the cheese knife with standard red nylon scales and with tweezers and toothpick.
Some photos to compare the different editions of the Swiss Cheese Knife.
The END … of the cheese …
More info are available at SAKWiki.