What Is The Notch On The Swiss Army Knife Bottle Opener For?

The classic Swiss Army knife has a fascinating history. It's a tool we all know, and a tool that many of us refuse to be without. Some consider attaching one to an everyday keychain as essential as remembering your phone or wallet. The brilliance of a Swiss Army knife is that there are so many different tools, combinations and styles to choose from; they can be as complex and flashy, or simple and understated as the user likes, which means they're perfect for so many different applications. Each tool flicks out, and, for the most part, each tool is instantly recognizable – a screwdriver, a small pair of scissors, and, perhaps one of the most valuable selections, a bottle opener.

However, all is not as it seems. The Swiss Army knife's bottle opener has a unique and rather unusual design, with a notch built in halfway up the attachment. It's nothing to do with the actual bottle-opening part itself, as that's at the top of the attachment, and works perfectly without the aid of the notch. So, what's the notch for exactly? It may surprise you to learn that it's actually nothing to do with bottles or drinking at all, and is rather a simplistic tool which any good electrician should be able to point out and identify for you.

The exact purpose of the Swiss Army knife's unusual notch on the bottle opener attachment is to strip or bend wires. To use the wire stripper, simply unfold the bottle opener attachment – a Swiss Army knife should open easily, but they can become stiff for a number of reasons. Once open, the tool should lock at a 90-degree angle, which is where you'll need it to be for wire stripping, although it may be easier to use as a bottle opener when fully opened to a 180-degree angle. Next, open up the main blade tool, which hinges at the other end of the knife. Place your wire in the notch, and close the blade on the wire in the desired location – this should cut through the wire's protective coating.

To finish, remove the wire, place the blade back within the Swiss Army knife, and then re-insert the cut part of the wire into the wire stripping notch with the attachment now open fully at 180 degrees. With the wire in the notch and your thumb covering the top, simply pull, and the notch will strip away the exposed wire's coating. That's how you use the secret tool hidden within your Swiss Army knife's bottle opener.