Patent landscapes › Office, school & tools
Is a pocket knife patented?
Short answer: specific designs of a pocket knife have been patented many times, but "a pocket knife" as a general idea is not what is protected. What matters is the exact combination of features in your version.
What our index shows
- 437 US and WO patent publications since 2000 have a title matching “pocketfolding knife” or a close variant (our index of 9.7 million patent families; one publication per family).
- Among the 405 best keyword matches we examined, 136 were published in 2020 or later, and the earliest was published in 2000.
- Most frequent assignees in those matches: GB II CORP (17), KAI USA LTD (15), KAO CHIH-CHEN (12), SPYDERCO INC (12).
- Most common patent classes (CPC subclasses): B26B (359), Y10T (16), A61B (14), B65H (13).
Counts come from keyword matching on titles and abstracts, so they are indicative, not a legal count. Some matches are different products that share a word.
14 real patent publications related to a pocket knife
- Folding knife blade engagement lock US-2026091522-A1 2026 · DEMKO ANDREW
A folding knife having a blade pivoted from a closed position to a manual release open locked position with a combined apertured sliding release and locking arm. The sliding release and locking arm is mounted within the knife hand…
View on Google Patents - Auto opening folding knife blade engagement lock US-12600046-B2 2026 · DEMKO ANDREW
An auto opening folding knife having a blade pivoted from a closed position to a spring urged release open locked position with a combined self-activating sliding auto release and locking arm. The sliding auto release and locking …
View on Google Patents - Folding knife blade engagement lock US-11220013-B1 2022 · VALERIO II TEODORO N
A folding knife with an improved locking mechanism for a blade pivoting from a closed position to a secure open locked position. A spring urged release locking arm is slidably disposed within the knife handle by guide pins. A lock…
View on Google Patents - Folding knife with replaceable blade and locking mechanism US-10538002-B2 2020 · Korcraft LLC
A replaceable-blade folding knife configured for ease of use and ease of transportation in a pocket, bag, purse or otherwise. Embodiments of the present invention allow a user to alternatively open and close the folding knife of t…
View on Google Patents - Locking folding knife US-9120234-B2 2015 · MACNAIR JAMES
A folding knife includes a handle, a blade pivotably connected to the handle, and a lockbar for locking the blade in an open position relative to the handle. The lockbar and the handle are separate pieces. The handle includes a po…
View on Google Patents - Folding blade knife with a system for locking the blade in an unfolding position US-9009979-B2 2015 · WILDSTEER
A system for locking a blade of a knife with a folding blade in an unfolded position includes a handle-forming part for a user to grasp, and a blade pivotably mounted relative to this handle-forming part. The blade pivots to adopt…
View on Google Patents - Folding knife with blade locking mechanism US-8813368-B2 2014 · VANHOY EDWARD TATE
The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a folding knife having a locking mechanism for locking a blade in open and/or closed positions. The locking mechanism a first locking element on the blade and a corresponding second l…
View on Google Patents - Folding knife blade with dual locking mechanism US-8499461-B1 2013 · MOLLICK MARK
A locking mechanism for a folding knife. The locking mechanism has a locking sleeve and an opposed locking bolt which are coaxial and biased to a locking position by a spring. In the locked position, either with the blade extended…
View on Google Patents - Pocket knife with wrench drive blade WO-2012126532-A1 2012 · WENGER SA
Pocket knife having a knife blade (2) with individual wrench sockets (22, 23, 24) of different sizes incorporated into the structure of the blade (2). The blade (2) may be locked into position by means of sprung blade lock (31) to…
View on Google Patents - Folding knife with locking blade US-7578064-B2 2009 · BUSSE JERRY P
A folding knife having a blade locking member carried for sliding movement within a channel defined in the handle, the locking member being movable to a blade locking position when the blade is in an extended position. A spring, o…
View on Google Patents - Pocket knife with lock design US-6834432-B1 2004 · PROCEEDING CORP
A pocket knife with lock design is disclosed. This foldable knife has a pivot joint, a blade controlled by the pivot joint, a safety lock corresponding to the side wall of the blade, and a resilient pin, wherein the back end of th…
View on Google Patents - Transformable pocket knife US-6711820-B2 2004 · LINKSMART INC
The cutting tool, or folding scissors, has first and second knife blades and first and second handles, each of the first and second knife blades and first and second handles being positionable relative to one another. The knife bl…
View on Google Patents - Folding pocket knife with a lock US-6574869-B1 2003 · MENTOR GROUP LLC
Knives ( 10, 182 ) each include a handle ( 12, 184 ) having a blade ( 14, 90, 194 ) pivotally attached to the handle. The blade is movable between a closed posiiton in which it is received within a groove ( 36, 192 ) of the handle…
View on Google Patents - Combination pocket knife and locket US-6044561-A 2000 · FRANKLIN MINT COMPANY
A combination pocket knife handle and locket is provided. The pocket knife includes a handle defining a longitudinal axis and includes a pair of handle members, a locket and a hatch for the locket. The handle members define a chan…
View on Google Patents
What this means for your idea
Because patents cover specific combinations of features, the useful question is not “has a pocket knife been patented?” but “has my combination of features been described before?” Tools and office products differ in grips, adjustment mechanisms, and how blades or bits are held and changed.
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Guides that help with this
First-look landscape. Not exhaustive. Not legal advice. This page lists keyword-matched publications from a limited database; it does not say whether any product is or isn't covered by a patent, whether a patent is still in force, or whether your idea is patentable. Consult a registered patent attorney or agent.