Swiss Army knife maker Victorinox opens its first North American flagship store on Bloor Street

Anyone who has ever had the urgent need to open a bottle of wine or file their nails while halfway up a mountain knows that the Swiss Army knife is one of mankind’s most impressive inventions.

This week, Victorinox, the company behind the famous knife, is opening its first North American flagship store in Toronto. Occupying a modern building on the corner of Bloor West and St. Thomas Street, the store is two floors of outdoorsy-person paradise, with a head office upstairs and a by-appointment-only showroom for chefs’ knives in the basement.

Since the late ’80s, the 128-year-old company has been busy diversifying, and alongside its vast array of knives and pocket tools, now sells watches, clothing, luggage and even fragrances. Around 90 per cent of its range will be available at the Bloor Street store, which will officially open its doors on June 6.

When we took a peek inside, the finishing touches were being added to a space that exudes the company’s functional-yet-stylish vibe. Taking us around, Joachim Beer, Victorinox’s head of fashion, liked to compare the design ethos to that of an SUV: this is stuff that’s supposed to be as wearable in Yorkville as on the side of a hill.

While we admit to being impressed by the ability to turn an ultra-light hiking jacket into a piece of business attire by pulling at a few strategic zippers, it’s still the tried-and-true army knives that steal the show — if only because it’s impossible to figure out what half the things on them do. 

Victorinox Swiss Army, 95A Bloor St., 416-929-9889

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