HTK Company (Handy Twine Knife Co., Inc.)

About Us

Handy Safety Knife™ Delivers
Made in USA Quality and Innovation

Ohio company celebrates 120 years.

As made-in-USA products generate renewed interest, makers of the Handy Safety Knife™ are proud to celebrate
120-years of making every one of their safety ring knives in America. The company’s ring knife provides safety managers an innovative, safe and efficient alternative to conventional box cutters and utility knives.

The patented Handy Safety Knife™ ring knife features a curved blade design, which makes it nearly impossible for the user to cut himself or herself – or anyone else. Worn on the finger like a ring, the knife’s professional-grade blade makes it the perfect alternative to typical box cutters and utility knives.

This year, the Handy Twine Knife Company celebrates its 120th anniversary and has been family owned for more than four generations. The Ohio-proud company was founded in 1897 by James R. Caldwell, a US Railway Postal Clerk who had a better idea for cutting twine on mail bundles. Caldwell created his original Handy Ring Knife as a safer, more efficient alternative to the pocketknives used by postal clerks on moving rail cars. Later, the patented cutting tool became know as the Handy Safety Knife – a welcomed solution to helping reduce the risk of injury in the workplace.

The HTK Company’s role in Ohio business history and innovation was recognized by the Secretary of State’s Ohio Business Profile Program in 2016. The original safety ring is on rotating display at the Smithsonian Postal Museum.