document_title: The Thorn Birds (miniseries)

question_text: who played the mother in the thorn birds

text: The Thorn Birds (miniseries)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Deviations from the novel[edit]

text: The novel begins in New Zealand on December 8, 1915, Meggie Cleary's fourth birthday. The miniseries begins in Australia five years later with the Cleary's newly arrived from New Zealand.

text: In the novel, Meggie Cleary's "titian" (red) hair is mentioned frequently, and used as a plot device. Rachel Ward, who played Meggie in the miniseries, had auburn hair which is a reddish brown. In the miniseries, Meggie and Stuart visit Frank in prison only once, where the audience learns in 1954 that Frank had died some time while in prison. In the novel, Ralph acts as a go-between and no one in the Cleary family sees Frank until he is released from prison after 30 years.

text: In the novel, Meggie is totally ignorant of sexual matters until her wedding and has her own childish idea of how babies are made, which is revealed in her dialogue with Ralph. In the corresponding dialogue in the miniseries, Meggie is at least aware that animals copulate. The scene in the novel where Meggie reveals to Ralph that she has begun menstruating has Ralph reacting with anger toward Fee (although he never confronts Fee about it), whereas in the miniseries, Ralph is amused and bewildered.

text: Meggie has 8 brothers in the novel. In the miniseries, only 5 appear (Frank, Bob, Jack, Stuey and Hal), but Fee mentions to Father Ralph soon after arriving in Australia that she lost two other sons.

text: Justine visits Greece with Dane in the miniseries, while in the novel she stays in London.

text: In the miniseries, Anne and Luddie Mueller attend Dane's funeral. In the novel, Luddie had died prior to Dane's funeral and Anne attended alone.

text: Ralph dies while sitting in a chair with Meggie's head in his lap, recalling the legend of the thorn bird soon after Dane's funeral. In the novel his heart slowly gives out while the room goes into a blur.

text: The miniseries ends with Ralph's death. The novel continues with Justine's and Rainer's story.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Actor
Role

Richard Chamberlain
Ralph de Bricassart

Rachel Ward
Meggie Cleary (as an adult)

Sydney Penny
Meggie Cleary (as a child)

Barbara Stanwyck
Mary Carson

Richard Kiley
Paddy Cleary

Jean Simmons
Fee Cleary

Bryan Brown
Luke O'Neill

Mare Winningham
Justine O'Neill

Philip Anglim
Dane O'Neill

Ken Howard
Rainer Hartheim

John Friedrich
Frank Cleary

Dwier Brown
Stuart Cleary (as an adult)

Vidal Peterson
Stuart Cleary (as a child)

Piper Laurie
Anne Mueller

Earl Holliman
Luddie Mueller

Christopher Plummer
Archbishop Vittorio di Contini-Verchese

Brett Cullen
Bob Cleary

Stephen W. Burns
Jack Cleary

Barry Corbin
Pete

Holly Palance
Miss Carmichael

John de Lancie
Alastair MacQueen

Allyn Ann McLerie
Mrs. Smith

Richard Venture
Harry Gough

Stephanie Faracy
Judy

Antoinette Bower
Sarah MacQueen

text: Development[edit]

text: The novel was originally developed as a feature film with Ed Lewis attached to produce. Ivan Moffat wrote an early draft of the script. Herbert Ross was the first director, and he saw Christopher Reeve about playing the lead. Then Peter Weir became attached to direct; Robert Redford was the favourite to play the lead. Eventually Weir dropped out Arthur Hiller was going to direct; Ryan O'Neal was mooted as a star. Eventually it was decided to turn it into a mini series.[1][2]

text: Filming[edit]

text:
Although the mini-series is set in Australia it was filmed in the United States. The outback scenes were filmed in southern California and the Queensland scenes were filmed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The Drogheda main house was a set built on the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, California.
The mountainous terrain of the southern California "outback" filming location does not resemble western New South Wales, which is predominantly level to gently rolling.
The mini-series included "the most dangerous bus in Australia". Since filming took place in the US an American bus was used. In Australia, where there is right-hand drive, it would set down its passengers in the middle of the road.
In the miniseries, Drogheda, Mary Carson's sheep station, is said to have been named after the Irish town of Drogheda, by a former resident of that town. However, its name is mispronounced by all characters as "Drog-ee-da". In fact, the g should be silent and the e short. A former resident would pronounce it as Draw-hed-ah or Dro-hed-ah (with a soft o as in "drop"), or draw-da.
A followup was produced in 1996 by CBS, entitled The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years, which tells the story of the 19 years unaccounted for in the original miniseries.
New York Jets offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson was named after the character Ralph de Bricassart.
Rachel Ward, who was born in 1957, plays the mother of a daughter played by 1959-born actress Mare Winningham, and a son played by 1953-born actor Philip Anglim.
Rachel Ward met her husband Bryan Brown on the set while filming the series. Brown plays Luke O'Neill, who marries Ward's character, Meggie Cleary.
Actor Bryan Brown, was the only Australian-born cast member hired in a major role. This is not too unusual since although the series takes place in Australia, Luke O'Neill and Meggie's children were the only major characters who were Australian-born. Father Ralph, Mary Carson, and Paddy Cleary were all Irish-born. Fee and most of the Cleary children were born in New Zealand.
During casting, actress Jane Seymour was considered for the role of Meggie Cleary and the role of Mary Carson was originally offered to Audrey Hepburn.
Father Terrance Sweeney, an Emmy Award-winning Jesuit priest, was a technical advisor on the mini-series. He left the priesthood in 1986 and married Pamela Susan Shoop, an actress and daughter of actress Julie Bishop in 1987.[3] They co-authored the book "What God Hath Joined" that discussed their relationship.
The serial has had great success in France. The French title is "Les oiseaux se cachent pour mourir" (The birds hide to die). The series is still regularly repeated on TV channels.
The series was also very successful in Brazil, where it was broadcast by SBT. During its first broadcast, in 1985, the miniseries beat Globo TV network in the ratings, which had always been the leader in ratings in Brazil. The series last aired in Brazil from October 2 through October 13, 2006, at 9:40 PM (local time).

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Association
Category
Nominee(s)
Result

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Makeup
Del Acevedo
Won

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or a Movie
Robert MacKichan, Jerry Adams
Won

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Film Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie
Carroll Timothy O'Meara
Won

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Richard Chamberlain
Nominated

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Barbara Stanwyck
Won

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
The Thorn Birds
Nominated

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Bryan Brown
Nominated

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Richard Kiley
Won

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Christopher Plummer
Nominated

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Piper Laurie
Nominated

1983
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Jean Simmons
Won

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Richard Chamberlain
Won

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
Rachel Ward
Nominated

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Miniseries or Television Film
The Thorn Birds
Won

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Bryan Brown
Nominated

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Richard Kiley
Won

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Piper Laurie
Nominated

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
Jean Simmons
Nominated

1984
Golden Globe Awards
Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television
Barbara Stanwyck
Won

1984
People's Choice Awards
Best TV Miniseries
The Thorn Birds
Won

1984
Young Artist Awards
Best Young Actress in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Sydney Penny
Won

text: VHS and DVD releases and ratings[edit]

text: The Thorn Birds was released on VHS in 1991 in the US and Canada; it was re-released on DVD in the US and Canada on February 3, 2004. Both editions were given a "Not Rated" certification. It is rated PG in New Zealand for violence, sexual references, coarse language and nudity.


document_title: Mickey Finn (drugs)

question_text: where did the term slip a mickey come from

root

text: Mickey Finn (drugs)

text: History of the term[edit]

text: Michael "Mickey" Finn[edit]

text: The Mickey Finn is most likely named after the manager and bartender of the Lone Star Saloon and Palm Garden Restaurant, which operated in Chicago from 1896 to 1903, on South State Street in the Chicago Loop neighborhood.[2][3][4] In December 1903, several Chicago newspapers document that a Michael "Mickey" Finn managed the Lone Star Saloon and was accused of using knockout drops to incapacitate and rob some of his customers.[5][6][7][8] Moreover, the first known written example of the term, according to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), is in 1915, which was 12 years after his trial and lends credence to this theory.

tag: p

text: The first popular account of Mickey Finn was given by Herbert Asbury in his 1940 book Gem of the Prairie: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld. His cited sources are Chicago newspapers and the 1903 court testimony of Lone Star prostitute "Gold Tooth" Mary Thornton. Before his days as a saloon proprietor, Mickey Finn was known as a pickpocket and thief who often preyed on drunken bar patrons. The act of serving a Mickey Finn Special was a coordinated robbery orchestrated by Finn. First, Finn or one of his employees (including "house girls") would slip chloral hydrate into the unsuspecting patron's drink.[9] The incapacitated patron would be escorted or carried into a back room by one of Finn's associates, who would then rob him and dump him in an alley. The victim would wake up the next morning in a nearby alley and would remember little or nothing of what had happened.

text: Finn's saloon was ordered to be closed on December 16, 1903. He was apparently arrested again in 1918, this time for running an illegal bar in South Chicago.[10]

text: Chicago restaurant poisonings[edit]

text: On June 22, 1918, four people were arrested and over one hundred waiters taken into custody over the apparent widespread practice of poisoning by waiters in Chicago. Guests who tipped poorly were given "Mickey Finn powder" in their food or drinks.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Chemical analysis showed that it contained antimony potassium tartrate,[13] also called "emetic tartar"; which in addition to causing vomiting, headaches, dizziness and depression, can be lethal in large quantities. Two bartenders were arrested for selling the powder at the bar at the waiters' union headquarters, and W. Stuart Wood and his wife were arrested for manufacturing the powder. Wood sold packets of it for 20 cents[18] and referred to it as "Mickey Finn Powder" in a letter to union bartender John Millian.[19] A follow-up article mentions the pursuit of a man named Jean Crones, who was believed to be responsible for poisoning over 100 people at a Chicago University Club banquet at which three people died.[20][21]

text: Tracing usage of the phrase "Mickey Finn"[edit]

text: The OED gives a chronology of the term, starting in 1915:[22]

text:
The 1915 citation is from a photograph of a saloon in the December 26 edition of the Los Angeles Examiner. In the photograph is a sign that reads: "Try a Michael Finn cocktail".
The first listed reference as a knock-out drop in the OED: "Wish I had a drink and a Mike Finn for him", is from a March 11, 1924 article in the New York Evening Journal.
A description of a Mickey Finn is given in the January 18, 1927 issue of the Bismarck Tribune, "a Mickey Finn is an up-to-date variant on the knock-out drops of pre-war days".
In the September 3, 1927 issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune, the phrase appears in an article on the use of ethylene for artificial ripening of fruit, "Applied to a human, ethylene is an anaesthetic as the old-time Mickey Finn in a lumber-jack saloon".[23]
In John O'Hara's 1934 novel Appointment in Samarra, a disgruntled headwaiter remarks of a poor tipper, "I'd like to give him a Mickey Finn."
In the animated Superman movie Showdown, a gangster (who dresses like Superman to rob people and businesses) pockets $5 from his take. The mob boss sees this, hits him and takes it. The Superman impersonator says "Gee boss, it was only a fin". The mob boss replies "Next time it will be a Mickey Finn".
In the 1946 film Three Little Pirates, starring slapstick comedy group The Three Stooges, Moe offers to give a castle guard a Mickey Finn.
In an episode of I Love Lucy, Fred recommends Ricky "slip [Lucy] a Mickey" as he does to Ethel when she's bothering him.
In David Niven's book Bring on the Empty Horses, he writes of Clark Gable's gate man slipping "an old-fashioned Mickey Finn" into his drink and driving him home "semi-conscious"
In the 1976 Columbo episode "A Matter Of Honor" (episode 35), Columbo says, on examining a drugs cabinet: "Chloral hydrate? I'll tell you I don't know much about drugs but that's the stuff they put in a Mickey Finn. That's an American expression; knockout drops." (end of the 56th minute)
In the 1977 musical Annie, the term "Mickey Finn" is used in the song "It's the Hard Knock Life" to provoke another character.
In the 1981 song The Friends of Mr Cairo on the album of the same name the lyric runs: "That night, the double crosser got it right / Pretending he was really dim / He slipped to Sam a double gin (Mickey Finn) / He woke, the boys had gone, but not his gun / They'd left a note to lead him on / The chase to find the Maltese Falcon"[24]
In the seventh episode of the second season of Seinfeld, "The Revenge", George Costanza tries to 'slip a Mickey' in the drink of his former boss.
In Erykah Badu's song "Certainly" from the 1997 album Baduizm, she sings "You tried to get a little tricky, turned my back and then you slipped me a mickey."[25]
In the 2011 video game L.A. Noire, a character in the game uses the name Micky Finn to describe what someone slipped them in their cocktails.
In a 2013 episode of The Big Bang Theory, during an unexpected video chat by Sheldon, Amy recalls how a lone curly fry in Sheldon's regular fries led him to believe someone was trying to "slip him a Mickie."[26]

tag: ul


document_title: The Wind in the Willows (1996 film)

question_text: who plays badger in wind in the willows

question_tokens: who plays badger in wind in the willows

text: The Wind in the Willows (1996 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: Mole's underground home is destroyed when the meadow above is bulldozed by the Weasels. Mr Toad, had sold the land to finance his latest fad: caravanning. Mole meets the Water Rat. Seeing Mole's distress, Rat takes Mole to see Toad. Toad encourages them to join them in his newly bought horse-drawn caravan. A speeding motor car frightens the horse, tipping the caravan over. Toad instantly discards the cart and becomes obsessed with motoring. He is a reckless driver and funds his cars with loans from the Weasels. Their volatile Chief tries to persuade him to sell Toad Hall.

text: After a crazy drive into the Wild Wood and destroying a seventh motor car, all Toad, Rat, and Mole are lost in the inhospitable lair of the Weasels. The Weasels attempt to coerce Mole into stopping his friends from interfering with their plans. Toad also runs into the Weasels. The three end up in Mr Badger's underground abode. Badger, a close friend of Toad's late father who feels responsible for Toad's inheritance, decides to end Toad's obsession with motor cars. However, Toad refuses to listen to Badger and is ultimately arrested for stealing and crashing a motor-car outside a pub. During his trial, Toad's defence lawyer is no help at all due to Toad's behaviour. Furthermore, the Weasels are dominating the public box. The Chief Weasel poses as one of the rabbits in the Jury and coerces the terrified creatures to give a guilty verdict. After Toad insults the Court and makes a botched escape attempt, the enraged Judge gives him a hundred-year sentence in a castle dungeon.

text: Back in Toad Hall, Rat and Mole are evicted by the Weasels, who have annexed Toad Hall for themselves. Rat and Mole tunnel under the castle to free Toad, but he is helped by the sympathetic Jailer's daughter and her reluctant Tea Lady Aunt. Toad escapes, disguised as the latter. Having forgotten Toad's wallet in his cell, Toad, Rat, and Mole board a train. The police, who have stowed away on the carriages, demand that the train be stopped. Toad confesses the truth and begs the driver to help him evade his captors. If only to protect his train, the driver agrees to help. He tosses coal at the police, but gets caught in a mail catcher. Toad takes control of the train and eventually crashes the engine. Having miraculously survived, he sets off again but is finally caught by the Weasels.

text: The full extent of the Weasel's plans are now revealed: they have built a dog-food factory over the remains of Mole's house and are planning to blow up Toad Hall and build a slaughterhouse in its place, with which they will turn all of the peaceful Riverbankers into dog food. They have also damaged the area near to Badger's home, which provokes him into taking decisive action against them. Badger and Rat attempt to infiltrate Toad Hall disguised as weasels, but are captured. Along with Toad, they are placed over the factory's mincing machine. The Chief, Clarence and Geoffrey return to Toad Hall to prepare the victory celebration, leaving St. John in charge of the machine. Mole, who has broken into the factory, disables the machine allowing Toad, Badger and Rat to escape.

text: In a premature sense of victory, Clarence and Geoffrey attempt to blow up their Chief using a birthday cake. Clarence and Geoffrey begin to fight each other for leadership, with the other Weasels drunkenly taking sides. This distraction allows the protagonists to stage a raid on the house, leaving all of the Weasels incapacitated in the ensuing fight. It turns out that the Chief has survived the coup against his life. Toad attempts to stop him from reaching the factory, which contains the detonator to blow up Toad Hall, to no avail. Unbeknownst to both of them, the explosives are actually in the factory (Rat had switched the labels on the explosive's containers earlier, leading the Weasels to believe the explosives were actually bone supplies for the factory), and as such the Chief blows himself up along with the factory, leaving Toad Hall intact and Toad's friends safe and well.

text: Afterwards, Toad makes a public speech swearing off motor cars and promising to be wiser and less prideful in the future. Mole's home has been repaired and he can go back to it. However, Toad is seen secretly talking to an airplane salesman, which shows that he has only moved on to a new craze. Toad flies over the crowd in his new plane, causing mass hysteria and Badger swears never to help Toad again. During the end credits, Toad flies across the country and eventually over the sea.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Steve Coogan as Mole
Eric Idle as Rat
Terry Jones as Mr Toad
Nicol Williamson as Mr Badger
Antony Sher as The Chief Weasel
Michael Palin as The Sun
Richard James as Geoffrey Weasel and Mole's Clock
Keith-Lee Castle as Clarence Weasel
Robert Bathurst as St John Weasel
Nigel Planer as The Car Salesman
John Boswall as the Elderly Gentleman
Stephen Fry as The Judge
Roger Ashton-Griffiths as The Prosecution Counsel
John Cleese as Mr Toad's Lawyer
Julia Sawalha as The Jailer's Daughter
Victoria Wood as The Tea Lady
Don Henderson as The Sentry
Richard Ridings as The Guard
Bernard Hill as The Engine Driver
Nick Gillard as a stunt double

text: Songs featured in the film[edit]

text:
"Messing About On The River" (Tony Hatch) – sung at the beginning by Rat, as he and Mole set out for a picnic on the river
"Secret of Survival" – sung by the Weasels, explaining that they're only out for themselves
"Mr Toad" – sung by Toad, with lyrics taken directly from the novel, split into three sections (one covering his escape from Toad Hall, one during his trial and one after the train crash)
"Friends Is What We Is" – sung by Toad, Badger, Mole and Rat, as they drive the Weasels out of Toad Hall and during the party at the end
"Miracle of Friends" – the song played during the end credits

text: Production[edit]

text: The Wind in the Willows was produced by Allied Filmmakers in the UK and was then distributed by Columbia Pictures (1997 /USA), Columbia TriStar, Pathé and Walt Disney Home Video (2004 /USA). Terry Jones (who plays Mr Toad), one of the legendary Monty Python cast, teamed up with some of the remaining Pythons to bring the classic tale up to date for another generation to enjoy. Eric Idle as Rat, plays a major role, but John Cleese and Michael Palin have only small roles. John Cleese plays Toad's inept defence lawyer, and Michael Palin plays a sardonic talking Sun, who occasionally chastises Toad for his reckless behaviour, and briefly speaks to Ratty and Mole. Terry Gilliam was asked to voice "The River", but busy filming schedules with 12 Monkeys kept him from joining the cast. "The River" only has one instance of dialogue in the entire film- he is shown with a mouth and sings a couple of lines of the first song.

text: Filming and locations[edit]

text:
The filming was done mostly during sunset, and the colours were then readjusted.[citation needed]
Filming for the railway scenes were shot on the Bluebell Railway, disguised as part of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (the Bluebell is home to a number of SE&CR locomotives, and as part of the old London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, the neighbouring railway to the SE&CR the disguise was not difficult to complete effectively). This is the first film to use the SE&CR for the Wind in the Willows - the railway in most adaptations of the story is the Great Western Railway (although the book itself does not specify this[citation needed]).
The scenes of the outside of Toad Hall were shot at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk.
The external scenes of the Gaol are Dover Castle in Kent.[2]
The Old School, now the post office in Chiddingstone features as the Welcome Inn where Toad dines before stealing and crashing a motorcar.[2]

text: Distribution problems in the U.S.[edit]

text: When the film first appeared in the U.S. under its original title, it got pushed aside due to distributors' problems and very little promotional material was published. Takings in the UK had been low because the film had largely been shown only in the afternoon.[3] Subsequently, New York papers wondered why such a wonderful children's film was dumped by distributors. The New York Times published a very positive review by Lawrence Van Gelder.[4] Yet, to add to the confusion, Walt Disney Home Video, in their video release changed its name to Mr Toad's Wild Ride, to tie into their theme park ride (the Walt Disney World version of which closed in 1998).

text: At the time of the film's US release Terry Jones, who was working on a documentary in New York, was told by telephone that the film was being shown in a cinema on Times Square. Jones rushed down to the square only to discover that the film was showing at "one of those seedy little porno theatres."[3]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: In the UK, the film sub-totalled £1.303 million[1] and $72,844 in the U.S.[5]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The film holds a 75% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes,[6] and holds three stars out of five on the film critic website AllMovie.com.[7] Film critic Mike Hertenstein wrote a positive critical review of the film.[8]

text: The films won the Best of the Fest award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival in 1998 and the WisKid Award at the Wisconsin International Children's Film Festival in 2000.


document_title: Let It Bleed

question_text: who baked cake on cover of let it bleed

question_tokens: who baked cake on cover of let it bleed

text: Let It Bleed

text: Background[edit]

text: Although the Stones had begun the recording of "You Can't Always Get What You Want" in November 1968, before Beggars Banquet had been released, recording for Let It Bleed began in earnest in February 1969 and continued sporadically until early November.[2] Brian Jones performs on only two tracks: playing the autoharp on "You Got the Silver", and percussion on "Midnight Rambler". His replacement, Mick Taylor, plays guitar on two tracks, "Country Honk" and "Live with Me", as well as on "Honky Tonk Women" which was recorded during the Let It Bleed sessions. Keith Richards, who had already shared vocal duties with Mick Jagger on "Connection" and sung separate lead vocals on parts of "Something Happened to Me Yesterday" and "Salt of the Earth", sang his first solo lead vocal on a Rolling Stones recording with "You Got the Silver".[3] The London Bach Choir sang on "You Can't Always Get What You Want" but publicly disassociated itself from the album, citing what author Stephen Davis terms its "relentless drug ambience".[4]

text: Let It Bleed was originally scheduled for release in July 1969. Although "Honky Tonk Women" was released as a single that month, the album itself suffered numerous delays and was eventually released in December 1969, after the band's US tour for it had already completed.[citation needed] The majority of the album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London, with further work taking place at Elektra Sound Recorders Studios, 962 La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, 90069, while the Stones prepared for the tour.[5] The Los Angeles-recorded portions included overdubs by guest musicians Merry Clayton (on "Gimme Shelter"), Byron Berline (on "Country Honk"),[6] and Bobby Keys and Leon Russell (on "Live with Me").[7] Finally, an unreleased version of "I Don't Know The Reason Why (a. k. a. Hillside Blues)" was also recorded there in October 1969 with Mick Taylor.

text: Music and lyrics[edit]

text: Style and influences[edit]

text: Like Beggars Banquet the year before, as well as the subsequent two releases, the album marks a return to the group's more blues-based approach that was prominent in the pre-Aftermath period of their career. The main inspiration during this string of albums was American roots music and Let It Bleed is no exception, drawing heavily from gospel (evident in "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want"), Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers ("Country Honk"),[8] Chicago blues ("Midnight Rambler"),[9] as well as country blues ("You Got The Silver", "Love In Vain") and country rock ("Let It Bleed").[10]

text:
You Can't Always Get What You Want

A sample of The Rolling Stones's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" from Let It Bleed
Problems playing this file? See media help.

tag: table

text: According to Don Heckman from The New York Times, Let It Bleed was a "heavy" and "passionately erotic" album of hard rock and blues, influenced by African-American music.[11] Richie Unterberger, writing for AllMusic, said it "extends the rock and blues feel of Beggars Banquet into slightly harder-rocking, more demonically sexual territory."[12] Mojo magazine's James McNair felt the record had an emphasis on "earthy" country blues.[13]

text: Due to their experimentation during the mid-1960s, the band had developed an eclectic approach to arrangements. Slide guitar playing is prominent (played entirely by Richards, except "Country Honk", which was performed by Mick Taylor), and is featured on all songs except "Gimme Shelter", "Live With Me" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want", giving the album an authentic blues feel throughout. In addition, an array of session musicians embellish the songs with various instruments. Alongside the de rigueur piano performances (Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins), the record included fiddle (Byron Berline),[8] mandolin (Ry Cooder),[14] organ and French horn (Al Kooper),[15] as well as vibes (Bill Wyman)[16] and autoharp (Wyman,[17] Jones[18]). Of more importance, however, was the debut of both renowned saxophonist Bobby Keys on "Live With Me", a musician who was integral at giving the group's arrangements a soul/jazz background, and guitarist Mick Taylor, who took on lead guitar duties with technically proficient playing, giving the band a harder rock sound during the late 1960s/early 1970s.[19]

text: Lyrics[edit]

text: Generally, the album's lyrics deal with 1960s life; there is social commentary on the Vietnam War ("Gimme Shelter"), as well as the hippie movement, drug culture and politics ("You Can't Always Get What You Want"), but at the same time there are love-related topics, ranging from desolate ("Love In Vain", written by Robert Johnson), to heartwarming ("You Got The Silver", written by Richards), sensual, innuendo-filled ("Let It Bleed"), and humorous ("Live With Me"). Moreover, "Monkey Man" satirizes and comments on the band's public image and lifestyle while "Midnight Rambler" has a very cinematic, suspenseful approach, talking about its titular serial killer (inspired by Albert DeSalvo) in the third-person before Jagger slowly assumes the role after the first half of the song.

text: The lyricism found on Let It Bleed is often noted for its violent and cynical undercurrents. Jann S. Wenner, in a 1995 Rolling Stone interview with Jagger, described the album's songs as "disturbing" the scenery as "ugly" and asked Jagger if the Vietnam War played a role in the album's worldview. Jagger said: "I think so. Even though I was living in America only part time, I was influenced. All those images were on television. Plus, the spill out onto campuses".

text: Artwork[edit]

text: The album cover displays a surreal sculpture designed by Robert Brownjohn. The image consists of the Let It Bleed record being played by the tone-arm of an antique phonograph, and a record-changer spindle supporting several items stacked on a plate in place of a stack of records: a film canister labelled Stones – Let It Bleed, a clock dial, a pizza, a tyre and a cake with elaborate icing topped by figurines representing the band. The cake parts of the construction were prepared by then-unknown cookery writer Delia Smith.[20] The reverse of the LP sleeve shows the same "record-stack" melange in a state of disarray.[21] The artwork was inspired by the working title of the album, which was Automatic Changer.[22]

text: The album cover for Let It Bleed was among the ten chosen by the Royal Mail for a set of "Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued in January 2010.[23][24]

text: Jagger originally asked artist M. C. Escher to design a cover for the album; Escher declined.[25][26]

text: Release and reception[edit]

text: Professional ratingsRetrospective reviewsReview scoresSourceRatingAllMusic[27]Encyclopedia of Popular Music[28]Entertainment WeeklyA[29]The Great Rock Discography9/10[28]Music Story[28]MusicHound Rock5/5[30]NME9/10[31]Rolling Stone[32]The Rolling Stone Album Guide[33]

text: Released in December, Let It Bleed reached number 1 in the UK (temporarily demoting The Beatles' Abbey Road) and number 3 on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the US, where it eventually went 2× platinum. In a contemporary review for Rolling Stone magazine, music critic Greil Marcus said that the middle of the album has "great" songs, but "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" "seem to matter most" because they "both reach for reality and end up confronting it, almost mastering what's real, or what reality will feel like as the years fade in."[34]

text: Let It Bleed was the Stones' last album to be released in an official mono version, which is rare and highly sought-after today. Netherless, this mono version is merely a 'fold-down' of the stereo version, despite it being included in 'The Rolling Stones in Mono'(2016) box set. The album was released in US as an LP record, reel to reel tape, audio cassette and 8-track cartridge in 1969, and as a remastered CD in 1986. In August 2002, it was reissued in a remastered CD and SACD digipak by ABKCO Records, and once more in 2010 by Universal Music Enterprises in a Japanese only SHM-SACD version.[35]

text: In a retrospective review, NME magazine said that the album "tugs and teases" in various musical directions and called it "a classic".[31] In his 2001 Stones biography, Stephen Davis said of the album "No rock record, before or since, has ever so completely captured the sense of palpable dread that hung over its era."[4] In a five-star review for Rolling Stone in 2004, Gavin Edwards praised Keith Richard's guitar playing throughout the album and stated, "Whether it was spiritual, menstrual or visceral, the Stones made sure you went home covered in blood."[32] Jason McNeil of PopMatters wrote that Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed are "the two greatest albums the band’s (or anyone’s) ever made".[36] In Steven Van Zandt's opinion, Let It Bleed was one in the Stones' series of four studio LPs – including Beggars Banquet (1968), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main St. (1972) – that was "the greatest run of albums in history".[37]

text: In 2000, Q magazine ranked it at number 28 in its list of "The 100 Greatest British Albums Ever". In 2001, the TV network VH1 placed Let It Bleed at 24th on their "100 Greatest Albums of R 'n' R" survey. In 1997, it was voted the 27th "Best Album Ever" by The Guardian.[28] In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it at number 32 on the magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[38]

text: Let It Bleed has sold over 7 million copies worldwide since 1969.[39]

text: Track listing[edit]

text:
The track listing on the back of the album jacket did not follow the one on the album itself. According to Brownjohn, he altered it purely for visual reasons; the correct order was shown on the record's label. Additionally, "Gimme Shelter" is rendered as "Gimmie Shelter" on the jacket.
Some releases have "Gimmie Shelter" on the cover, the inner sleeve and the LP label.

text: All tracks written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except "Love in Vain" by Robert Johnson. Early US editions of the album credit the song to Woody Payne, a pseudonym used by a music publisher of the songs of Robert Johnson.

text: Side oneNo.TitleLength1."Gimme Shelter"4:312."Love in Vain"4:193."Country Honk"3:094."Live with Me"3:335."Let It Bleed"5:26Total length:20:58

text: Side twoNo.TitleLength6."Midnight Rambler"6:527."You Got the Silver"2:518."Monkey Man"4:129."You Can't Always Get What You Want"7:28Total length:21:23

text: Personnel[edit]

text: The Rolling Stones

text:
Mick Jagger – lead vocals (all but 7), backing vocals (1, 3, 8), harmonica (1, 6), acoustic guitar (9)
Keith Richards – electric guitar (all but 3), acoustic guitar (2, 3, 5, 7, 9), backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 8), bass guitar (4), lead vocals (7)
Brian Jones – congas (6), autoharp (7)
Bill Wyman – bass guitar (1, 2, 5-9), autoharp (5), vibraphone (8)
Charlie Watts – drums (all but 9)
Mick Taylor – slide guitar (3), electric guitar (4)

text: Additional personnel

text:
Ian Stewart – piano (5)
Nicky Hopkins – piano (1, 4, 7, 8), organ (7)
Byron Berline – fiddle (3)
Merry Clayton – co-lead vocals (1)
Ry Cooder – mandolin (2)
Bobby Keys – tenor saxophone (4)
Jimmy Miller – percussion (1), drums (9), tambourine (8)
Leon Russell – piano and horn arrangement (4)
Jack Nitzsche – choral arrangements (9)
Al Kooper – piano, French horn and organ (9)
Nanette Workman – backing vocals (3, 9) (not actress Nanette Newman as credited on the LP)
Doris Troy – backing vocals (9)
Madeline Bell – backing vocals (9)
Rocky Dijon – percussion (9)
The London Bach Choir – vocals (9)

text: Charts[edit]

text:
Chart (1969–70)

Peakposition

Australia (Kent Music Report)[40]

2

Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[41]

4

Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[42]

1

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[43]

3

Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[44]

2

UK Albums (OCC)[45]

1

US Billboard 200[46]

3

Chart (2007)

Peakposition

Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[47]

37

Chart (2012)

Peakposition

French Albums (SNEP)[48]

138

text: Certifications[edit]

text:
Region

Certification
Certified units/Sales

Canada (Music Canada)[49]

Platinum

100,000^

United Kingdom (BPI)[50]

Platinum

300,000^

United States (RIAA)[51]

2× Platinum

2,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone^shipments figures based on certification alone


document_title: Swiss Army knife

question_text: where was the first swiss army knife made

text: Swiss Army knife

text: History[edit]

text: Origins[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: During the late 1880s, the Swiss Army decided to purchase a new folding pocket knife for their soldiers. This knife was to be suitable for use by the army in opening canned food and disassembling the Swiss service rifle, the Schmidt–Rubin, which required a screwdriver for assembly.

text: The Swiss Army Knife was not the first multi use pocket knife. In 1851 in "Moby Dick" (chapter 107), Melville references the "Sheffield contrivances, assuming the exterior - though a little swelled - of a common pocket knife; but containing, not only blades of various sizes, but also screw-drivers, cork-screws, tweezers, awls, pens, rulers, nail-filers, countersinkers."

text: In January 1891, the knife received the official designation Modell 1890. The knife had a blade, reamer, can-opener, screwdriver, and grips made out of dark oak wood that some say was later partly replaced with ebony wood. At that time no Swiss company had the necessary production capacity, so the initial order for 15,000 knives was placed with the German knife manufacturer Wester & Co. from Solingen, Germany. These knives were delivered in October 1891.

text: In 1891, Karl Elsener, then owner of a company that made surgical equipment, set out to manufacture the knives in Switzerland itself. At the end of 1891 Elsener began production of the Modell 1890 knives. Elsener then wanted to make a pocketknife more suitable to an Officer. In 1896, Elsener succeeded in attaching tools on both sides of the handle using a special spring mechanism: this allowed him to use the same spring to hold them in place, an innovation at the time.[4] This allowed Elsener to put twice as many features on the knife. On 12 June 1897, this knife featuring a second smaller cutting blade, corkscrew, and wood fiber grips was originally registered with the patent office as The Officer's and Sports Knife, though it was never part of a military contract.[5]

text: Karl Elsener used the cross and shield to identify his knives, the symbol still used today on Victorinox-branded versions. When his mother died in 1909, Elsener decided to name his company "Victoria" in her memory. In 1921 the company started using stainless steel to make the Swiss Army Knife. Stainless steel is also known as "inox", short for the French term "acier inoxydable".[6] "Victoria" and "inox" were then combined to create the company name "Victorinox".[7] Victorinox's headquarters and show room are located in the Swiss town of Ibach.

text: Victorinox and Wenger[edit]

text: Elsener, through his company Victorinox, managed to control the market until 1893, when the second industrial cutler of Switzerland, Paul Boéchat & Cie, headquartered in Delémont in the French-speaking region of Jura, started selling a similar product. This company was later acquired by its then General Manager, Théodore Wenger, and renamed the Wenger Company. In 1908 the Swiss government, wanting to prevent an issue over regional favouritism, but perhaps wanting a bit of competition in hopes of lowering prices, split the contract with Victorinox and Wenger, each getting half of the orders placed. By mutual agreement, Wenger has advertised as the Genuine Swiss Army Knife and Victorinox used the slogan, the Original Swiss Army Knife.

text: On April 26, 2005, Victorinox acquired Wenger, once again becoming the sole supplier of knives to the Military of Switzerland. Victorinox had kept both consumer brands intact, but on January 30, 2013, Wenger and Victorinox announced that the separate knife brands were going to be merged into one brand: Victorinox. Wenger's watch and licensing business will continue as a separate brand.[8]

text: Up to 2008 Victorinox AG and Wenger SA supplied about 50,000 knives to the military of Switzerland each year, and manufactured many more for export, mostly to the United States. Many commercial Victorinox and Wenger Swiss Army knives can be immediately distinguished by the cross logos depicted on their grips; the Victorinox cross logo is surrounded by a shield while the Wenger cross logo is surrounded by a slightly rounded square.

text: On January 30, 2013, Wenger and Victorinox announced that the separate knife brands were going to be merged into one brand: Victorinox. The press release stated that Wenger's factory in Delemont would continue to produce knives and all employees at this site will retain their jobs. They further elaborated that an assortment of items from the Wenger line-up will remain in production under the Victorinox brand name. Wenger's US headquarters will be merged with Victorinox's location in Monroe, Connecticut. Wenger's watch and licensing business will continue as a separate brand: Swiss Gear.[8]

text: Many other companies manufacture similar-looking folding knives in a wide range of quality and prices. The cross-and-shield emblem and the words SWISS ARMY are registered trademarks of Victorinox AG and its related companies.[9]

text: Swiss military knife contract[edit]

text: In 2007, the Swiss Government made a request for new updated soldier knives for the Swiss military for distribution in late 2008. The evaluation phase of the new soldier knife began in February 2008, when Armasuisse issued an invitation to tender. A total of seven suppliers from Switzerland and other countries were invited to participate in the evaluation process. Functional models submitted by suppliers underwent practical testing by military personnel in July 2008, while laboratory tests were used to assess compliance with technical requirements. A cost-benefit analysis was conducted and the model with the best price/performance ratio was awarded the contract. The order for 75,000 soldier knives plus cases was worth 1.38 million SFr.. This equates to a purchase price of 18.40 SFr., €12.12, GB£17.99 in October 2009 per knife plus case.

text: Victorinox won the contest with a knife based on the One-Hand Germany Army Knife as issued by the German Bundeswehr and released in the civilian model lineup with the addition of a toothpick and tweezers stored in the nylon grip scales (side cover plates) as the One-Hand Trekker/Trailmaster model. Mass production of the new Soldatenmesser 08 (Soldier Knife 08) for the Swiss Armed Forces was started in December 2008.[10]

text: Features[edit]

text: Tools[edit]

text: There are various models of the Swiss Army Knife with different tool combinations. Though Victorinox doesn't provide custom knives, they have produced many variations to suit individual users.[11]

text: Main tools:

text:
Large blade, imprinted on the blade shank of Victorinox models with "VICTORINOX SWISS MADE" to verify the knife's authenticity.
Small blade
Nail file / nail cleaner
Nail file / nail cleaner / metal file / metal saw
Wood saw
Fish scaler / hook disgorger / ruler in cm and inches
Scissors
Electrician's blade / wire scraper
Pruning blade
Pharmaceutical spatula (cuticle pusher)
Cyber Tool (bit driver)
Pliers / wire cutter / wire crimper
LED light
USB stick
Magnifying lens
Phillips screwdriver
Hoof cleaner
Shackle opener / marlinspike
Can opener / 3 mm slotted screwdriver
Cap opener / 6 mm slotted screwdriver / wire stripper
Combination tool containing cap opener / can opener / 5 mm slotted screwdriver / wire stripper

text: Smaller tools:

text:
Keyring
Reamer
Multipurpose hook
2mm slotted screwdriver
Chisel
Corkscrew or Phillips driver
Mini screwdriver (designed to fit within the corkscrew)

text: Scale tools:

text:
Tweezers
Toothpick
Pressurized ballpoint pen (with a retractable version on smaller models, and can be used to set DIP switches)
Stainless pin
Digital clock / alarm / timer / altimeter /thermometer / barometer

text: Three Victorinox SAK models featured a butane lighter: the Swissflame, Campflame, and Swisschamp XXLT, first introduced in 2002 and then discontinued in 2005. The models were never sold in the United States due to lack of safety features. They used a standard piezoelectric ignition system for easy and quick ignition with adjustable flame, and were designed for operation at altitudes up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) above sea level and continuous operation of 10 minutes.[12]

text: In January 2010, Victorinox announced the Presentation Master models, released in April 2010. The technological tools included a laser pointer, and detachable flash drive with fingerprint reader. Victorinox now sells an updated version called the Slim Jetsetter, with "a premium software package that provides ultra secure data encryption, automatic backup functionality, secure web surfing capabilities, file and email synchronization between the drive and multiple computers, Bluetooth pairing and much more. On the hardware side of things, biometric fingerprint technology, laser pointers, LED lights, Bluetooth remote control and of course, the original Swiss Army Knife implements – blade, scissors, nail file, screwdriver, key ring and ballpoint pen are standard. **Not every feature is available on every model within the collection."[13]

text: In 2006, Wenger produced a knife called "The Giant" that included every implement the company ever made, with 87 tools and 141 different functions. It was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's most multifunctional penknife.[14] It retails for about €798 or $US1000, though some vendors charge much higher prices.

text: In the same year, Victorinox released the SwissChamp XAVT, consisting of 118 parts and 80 functions with a retail price of $425.[15] The Guinness Book of Records recognizes a unique 314-blade Swiss Army-style knife made in 1991 by Master Cutler Hans Meister as the world's largest penknife, weighing 11 pounds.[3]

text: Locking mechanisms[edit]

text: Some Swiss Army knives feature locking blades to prevent accidental closure. Wenger was the first to offer a ″PackLock″ for the main blade on several of their standard 85mm models. Several large Wenger and Victorinox models feature a locking blade secured by a slide lock that is operated with an unlocking-button integrated in the scales. Some Victorinox 111 mm series knives feature a double liner lock that secures the cutting blade and large slotted screwdriver/cap opener/wire stripper combination tool designed towards prying.[16]

text: Design and materials[edit]

text: Rivets and flanged bushings made from brass hold all machined steel parts and other tools, separators and the scales together. The rivets are made by cutting and pointing appropriately sized bars of solid brass.

text: The separators between the tools have been made from aluminium alloy since 1951. This makes the knives lighter. Previously these separating layers were made of nickel-silver.[17]

text: The martensitic stainless steel alloy used for the cutting blades is optimized for high toughness and corrosion resistance and has a composition of 15% chromium, 0.60% silicon, 0.52% carbon, 0.50% molybdenum, and 0.45% manganese and is designated X55CrMo14 or DIN 1.4110 according to Victorinox.[18] After a hardening process at 1040 °C and annealing at 160 °C the blades achieve an average hardness of 56 HRC. This steel hardness is suitable for practical use and easy resharpening, but less than achieved in stainless steel alloys used for blades optimized for high wear resistance. According to Victorinox the martensitic stainless steel alloy used for the other parts is X39Cr13 (aka DIN 1.4031, AISI/ASTM 420) and for the springs X20Cr13 (aka DIN 1.4021, but still within AISI/ASTM 420).[19][20]

text: The steel used for the wood saws, scissors and nail files has a steel hardness of HRC 53, the screwdrivers, tin openers and awls have a hardness of HRC 52, and the corkscrew and springs have a hardness of HRC 49.[19][citation needed]

text: The metal saws and files, in addition to the special case hardening, are also subjected to a hard chromium plating process so that iron and steel can also be filed and cut.[17][21]

text: Although red Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB) (generally known trade names are Cellidor, Tenite and Tenex) scaled Swiss Army Knives are most common, there are many colors and alternative materials like nylon and aluminum for the scales available.[22][23] Many textures, colors and shapes now appear in the Swiss Army Knife. Since 2006 the scales on some knife models can have textured rubber non-slip inlays incorporated, intended for sufficient grip with moist or wet hands. A modding community has also developed from professionally-produced custom models combining novel materials, colors, finishes [24] and occasionally new tools such firesteels [25] or tool 'blades' mounting replaceable surgical scalpel blades [26] to replacement of standard scales (handles) with new versions in natural materials such as buffalo horn.[27] In addition to 'limited edition' productions runs, numerous examples from basic to professional-level customizations of standard knives - such as retrofitting pocket clips, one-off scales created using 3D printing techniques, decoration using anodization and new scale materials - can be found by searching for 'SAK mods'.[citation needed]

text: Assembly[edit]

text: During assembly, all components are placed on several brass rivets. The first components are generally an aluminum separator and a flat steel spring. Once a layer of tools is installed, another separator and spring are placed for the next layer of tools. This process is repeated until all the desired tool layers and the finishing separator are installed. Once the knife is built, the metal parts are fastened by adding brass flanged bushings to the rivets. The excess length of the rivets is then cut off to make them flush with the bushings. Finally the remaining length of the rivets is flattened into the flanged bushings.

text: After the assembly of the metal parts, the blades are sharpened to a 15° angle, resulting in a 30° V-shaped steel cutting edge. The blades are then checked with a laser reflecting goniometer to verify the angle of the cutting edges.

text: Finally scales are applied. Slightly undersized holes incorporated into the inner surface enclose the bushings, which have truncated cone cross-section and are slightly undercut, forming a one-way interference fit when pressed into the generally softer and more elastic scale material. The result is a tight adhesive-free connection that nonetheless permits new identical-pattern scales to be quickly and easily applied. [28]

text: Sizes[edit]

text: Victorinox models are available in 58 mm (2.3 in), 74 mm (2.9 in), 84 mm (3.3 in), 91 mm (3.6 in), 93 mm (3.7 in), 100 mm (3.9 in), 108 mm (4.3 in) and 111 mm (4.4 in) lengths when closed. The thickness of the knives varies depending on the number of tool layers included. The 91 mm (3.6 in) models offer the most variety in tool configurations in the Victorinox model line with as many as 15 layers.[29]

text: Wenger models are available in 65 mm (2.6 in), 75 mm (3.0 in), 85 mm (3.3 in) 93 mm (3.7 in), 100 mm (3.9 in), 120 mm (4.7 in) and 130 mm (5.1 in) lengths when closed. Thickness varies depending on the number of tool layers included. The 85 mm (3.3 in) models offer the most variety in tool configurations in the Wenger model line, with as many as 10 layers.[30]

text: Knives issued by the Military of Switzerland[edit]

text: Since the first issue as personal equipment in 1891 the Soldatenmesser (Soldier Knives) issued by the Swiss Armed Forces have been revised several times. There are five different main Modelle (models). Their model numbers refer to the year of introduction in the military supply chain. Several main models have been revised over time and therefore exist in different Ausführungen (executions), also denoted by the year of introduction. The issued models of the Swiss Armed Forces are:[31]

text:
Modell 1890

Modell 1890 Ausführung 1901

Modell 1908
Modell 1951

Modell 1951 Ausführung 1954
Modell 1951 Ausführung 1957

Modell 1961

Modell 1961 Ausführung 1965
Modell 1961 Ausführung 1978
Modell 1961 Ausführung 1994

Soldatenmesser 08 (Soldier Knife 08)

text: Soldier Knives are issued to every recruit or member of the Swiss Armed Forces and the knives issued to officers have never differed from those issued to non-commissioned officers or privates.[32] A model incorporating a corkscrew and scissors was produced as an officer's tool, but was deemed not "essential for survival", leaving officers to purchase it individually.[3]

text: Soldier knife model 1890[edit]

text: The Soldier Knife model 1890 had a spear point blade, reamer, can-opener, screwdriver and grips made out of oak wood scales (handles) that were treated with rapeseed oil for greater toughness and water-repellency, which made them black in color. The wooden grips of the Modell 1890 tended to crack and chip so in 1901 these were changed to a hard reddish-brown fiber similar in appearance to wood. The knife was 100 mm (3.9 in) long, 20.5 mm (0.81 in) thick and weighed 144 g (5.1 oz).[33]

text: Soldier knife model 1908[edit]

text: The Soldier Knife model 1908 had a clip-point blade rather than the 1890s spear point blade, still with the fiber scales, carbon steel tools, nickel-silver bolster, liners, and divider. The knife was 100 mm (3.9 in) long, 16.5 mm (0.65 in) thick and weighed 125 g (4.4 oz). The contract with the Swiss Army split production equally between the Victorinox and Wenger companies.[33]

text: Soldier knife model 1951[edit]

text: The soldier Knife model 1951 had fiber scales, nickel-silver bolsters, liners, and divider, and a spear point blade. This was the first Swiss Armed Forces issue model where the tools were made of stainless steel. The screwdriver now had a scraper arc on one edge. The knife was 93 mm (3.7 in) long, 13.5 mm (0.53 in) thick and weighed 90 g (3.2 oz).

text: Soldier knife model 1961[edit]

text: The Soldier Knife model 1961 has a 93 mm (3.7 in) long knurled alox handle with the Swiss crest, a drop point blade, a reamer, a blade combining bottle opener, screwdriver, and wire stripper, and a combined can-opener and small screwdriver. The knife was 12 mm (0.47 in) thick and weighed 72 g (2.5 oz)

text: This official Swiss military model also contains a brass spacer, which allows the knife, with the screwdriver and the reamer extended simultaneously, to be used to assemble the SIG 550 and SIG 510 assault rifles: the knife serves as a restraint to the firing pin during assembly of the lock. The Soldier Knife model 1961 was manufactured only by Victorinox and Wenger and was the first issued knife bearing the Swiss Coat of Arms on the handle.

text: Soldier knife 08[edit]

text: The Soldier Knife 08 was first issued to the Swiss Armed Forces beginning with the first basic training sessions of 2009.[34]

text: The Soldier Knife 08 features an 111 mm (4.4 in) long ergonomic handle with polymer-textured non-slip inlays incorporated in the nylon grip shells and a double liner locking system, one-hand 86 mm (3.4 in) long locking partly serrated chisel ground drop point blade, wood saw, can opener with small 3 mm (0.12 in) slotted screwdriver, locking bottle opener with large 7 mm (0.28 in) slotted screwdriver and wire stripper/bender, reamer, Phillips (PH2) screwdriver and 12 mm (0.47 in) diameter split keyring. The Soldier Knife 08 width is 34.5 mm (1.36 in), thickness is 18 mm (0.71 in), overall length opened is 197 mm (7.8 in) and it weighs 131 g (4.6 oz). The Soldier Knife 08 is manufactured only by Victorinox.

text: Knives issued by other militaries[edit]

text: The armed forces of more than 20 different nations have issued or approved the use of various versions of Swiss army knives made by Victorinox, among them the forces of Germany, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Malaysia and the United States (NSN 1095-01-653-1166 Knife, Combat).[35][36]

text:
West German Army knife, 1985

New German Army knife, since 2003

Malaysian Army knife

text: Space program[edit]

text: The Swiss Army knife has been present in space missions carried out by NASA since the late 1970s. In 1978, NASA sent a letter of confirmation to Victorinox regarding a purchase of 50 knives known as the Master Craftsman model. In 1985, Edward M. Payton, brother of astronaut Gary E. Payton, sent a letter to Victorinox, asking about getting a Master Craftsman knife after seeing the one his brother used in space. There are other stories as well of repairs conducted in space using a Swiss Army knife.[37]

text: Cultural impact[edit]

text: The Swiss Army knife has been added to the collection of the New York Museum of Modern Art and Munich's State Museum of Applied Art for its design. The term "Swiss Army" currently is a registered trademark owned by Victorinox AG and its subsidiary, Wenger SA.[9]

text: The television show MacGyver features Angus MacGyver, who frequently uses different Swiss Army knives in various episodes to solve problems and construct simple objects.

text: In the TV show Psych Shawn Spencer and his dad always carry large Swiss Army knives to work their way through occasional problems.

text: The term "Swiss Army knife" has entered popular culture as a metaphor for usefulness and adaptability.[38] The multi-purpose nature of the tool has also inspired a number of other gadgets.[39]