Swiss Army Knives Are as Popular as Ever : Blades: The handy tools, which are sold in 110 countries, are selling well in the United States despite a nagging recession.

Got a bottle of wine but no corkscrew? Fresh bluefish, but nothing to scale it with? How about that thread that’s hanging from your jacket?

All you need is a Swiss Army knife, or so say its U.S distributors.

These handy, all-in-one tools are selling better than ever, thanks to some clever marketing and a back-to-basics nostalgia that has helped the Swiss Army knife remain popular in the midst of a nagging recession.

That’s good news for Forschner Group Inc., a small Shelton-based company that holds exclusive U.S. and Canadian marketing rights for the Victorinox Original Swiss Army knives.

Sales of Swiss Army knives soared to $40 million last year, an increase of nearly 25% over 1990.

The trusty blades remain popular in Orange County, too. Plaza Cutlery at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa has one of the giant motorized display versions in its window that shows off all the various blades and gadgets.

The knives, said night manager Doug Carpenter, are big sellers as Christmas stocking stuffers. “A lot of the college people going to Europe come and buy them,” he said.

Forschner officials say the practical value of the knives keeps them flying off store shelves.

“You can do just about anything with these knives,” said James W. Kennedy, Forschner’s president and chief executive officer.

Americans got their first look at the knives during World War II, when soldiers stationed in Europe dubbed them “Swiss Army Knives” because soldiers in the Swiss Army always carried them around.

What started out as a supply for the Swiss Army is today a novelty item sold to campers, hunters, sportsmen and Scout troops in 110 countries.

The knives, identified by their red handles, trademark silver crosses and assorted gadgets, are manufactured by the Victorinox Cutlery Co. in Switzerland. The Forschner Group distributes them to more than 16,000 retailers in the United States and Canada.

There are 40 models sold in the United States, each with an assortment of devices.

The Classic, the most popular model, has a key ring, a knife blade, scissors, tweezers, a toothpick and a nail file with a screwdriver tip. It retails for about $18.

The Swisschamp--the ultimate in Swiss Army knives--performs 41 functions and includes a ballpoint pen, pliers, corkscrew, magnifying glass, wood saw and a Phillips screwdriver. It retails for about $90.

Kennedy says the typical Swiss Army knife owner is a man between the ages of 21 and 35.

Some of the knife’s enduring popularity probably can be attributed to the nostalgia many men feel when they remember the first Swiss Army knife they received as a young boy, he said.

“We get letters from people who say, ‘This knife was given to me by my grandfather and now I want to give it to my son,”’ Kennedy said.

Last year, Forschner sold just under 4 million Swiss Army knives. They make up about 65% of the company’s business.

Forschner also markets professional cutlery products. And about two years ago it introduced a line of Swiss Army watches and sunglasses that now make up about 12% of sales.

Swiss Army knives traditionally have been sold in camping and hunting stores. But during the past decade, Forschner expanded its market to include large department stores such as Wal-Mart and Target.

Since 1979, the company also has tapped the specialty advertising market by imprinting corporate names on the knives.