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Made in the USA Finger Knife / Knives.

James R. Caldwell, a U.S. railway postal clerk, invented the Handy Twine Knife in the late 1800's. In those days, the mail was moved by trains. Railway postal clerks were responsible for collecting and sorting the mail for delivery.


While in transit, the clerks would use twine to bundle the mail for the next stop. The clerks carried pocket knives in order to cut the twine.

Caldwell's route was from Chicago to Pittsburgh and back again. Often, there was not much time between stops, so the pace was fast. That quick pace along with the constant movement of the rail car, made it impossible for him to keep track of his pocketknife.

One day after work, Mr. Caldwell went home and came up with a better mousetrap. He took a piece of copper, bent it around his finger, and attached the blade from his pocketknife to the copper band with a small screw and nut. That original knife is on rotating display at Smithsonian Postal Museum in Washington D.C.



Not Surprisingly, Caldwell soon began getting requests from his co-workers for their own handy and the company had its beginning. After some design changes and a few years of making twine knives in the evenings after Caldwell's regular job, the Handy Twine Knife Company was formed. The first recorded sale of a knife was in 1904. The drawings and application for a patent were filed in October of 1910 and approved in July of 1912. Since then, the name handy and the distinctive design of the utility knife have been protected by U.S. Patent and Trademark Laws.

View old newspaper advertisements
View old receipt & sizing card We have been manufacturing and distributing the Handy Twine Knife for over 100 years. You won't find a safer, less expensive utility knife anywhere. This ring-type knife can be used to cut twine, ribbon, plastic strapping, pallet wrap, tape, cardboard, even light gauge wire! For many types of jobs, it can increase productivity and at the same time, reduce the risk of repetitive motion injuries.

Our ring knives are used extensively in the food service industry from harvesting to packaging, shipping and warehousing. Some of our major customers include Ace Hardware, The Washington Post, Sears, Mead, Fastenal, Monsanto, The New York Times, Kraft, Tyson and many more.

The following is a reply from HTK to our question – "Are your products Made in America?"

How do you know the products you have listed are Made in the USA?
Before including products in our database we review the advertiser’s website and/or contact them to ascertain the origin of their products. Some advertisers sell both Made in USA products and foreign ones. Therefore we highly recommend you review FAQ 2.

We immediately investigate any complaints regarding deceptive Country of Origin claims. If we determine an advertiser's claim is not truthful we will immediately remove the product/s from our database and suspend our relationship with the Company making the claim.

To document your complaint, email us by using our Contact Us page. We can only respond to complaints that have been submitted in writing.

What does Made in USA mean?
There is no law requiring most products to be labeled Made In USA, or have any other disclosure about the amount of U.S. content. However, for job creation purposes (see our Big Secret tab), if you have a choice between an imported product and one with no country of origin on its label, choose the product without a country of origin over the imported one. This is true because the product without the country origin on its label has at least some American labor in its content and the imported one most likely does not.

Note: Imported products are required by law to country of origin on their label and products partially Made In USA do not. To answer this question completely reviewing our Labeling Tips 1, 2 & 3. These tips are accessible from scrolling to the bottom of our home page clicking Browse All Tips button.