John Deere is an American company that has made itself a household name thanks to its dependability and commitment to perpetual innovation. That same spirit of dependability can be seen in the licensed John Deere pocket knives we’ll review below.
Each of these pocket knives is made by another American-based company known for continually producing high-quality products: Case Cutlery. We named Case Cutlery as one of the best knife manufacturers in our Best Hunting Knife Reviews article, and for good reason.
We also took a look at a number of their hunting knives in that review, so if you’re sold on any of these great USA-made Case John Deere pocket knives, you may want to give that article a read-through, too.
We had a hard time choosing a favorite out of these knives as each is built to perform for longer than you’ll own them. After a bit of deliberation, and because we have a soft spot for novelty, we chose the Cheetah Pocket Knife due to its innovative finger guard design (a Case original) and the decorative John Deere barn box it comes in. We couldn’t help but smile and think of a few old farmers who would love this knife and the box it came from, and we’re pretty sure you can think of a few, too.
Cheetah Pocket Knife With Bone Handle by Case Cutlery
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This John Deere pocket knife is a Cheetah style blade —a Case original design that’s been around for a few decades now.
Essentially, it’s a clipped blade lockback knife, making it suitable for a variety of tasks and, thus, a great choice for your everyday knife. But it also features Case’s unique hinged finger guard that only comes out when the knife is opened up. This is an extra safety feature that really improves the overall performance of this knife as it becomes very functional and practical to use.
The blade is made of Case trademarked Tru-Sharp surgical stainless steel and measures 3 ¼ inches long. This is a high-carbon steel made to be tough and has excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance. This makes it a durable knife that you can enjoy for years to come and take pride in one day passing on to your grandchild.
The handle measures 4 3/8 inches in length. It has John Deere green bone scales and features an etched John Deere logo on the mark side. Nickel silver bolsters complete this knife and give it a sleek appearance. This pocket knife weighs just over 3 ounces. It comes in a collectors’ box shaped like an old green barn with a Case Cutlery Collector’s Medallion.
Medium Stockman by Case Cutlery
The Stockman pocket knives make great versatile tools with their three distinctive blades.
This John Deere pocket knife features a clipped blade with fingernail groove, sheepsfoot blade, and spey blade. While this combination of three blades is standard in stockman knives, it is also a highly useful combination of blades—especially if you’re looking for a pocket knife for whittling.
The blades are each made of Tru-Sharp surgical stainless steel. This is a high carbon stainless steel unique to Case knives. It’s designed to be hard, and able to withstand the demands of everyday use while still maintaining a razor-sharp edge. It’s also highly resistant to corrosion, which means it’ll keep its mirror-like finish for years to come.
The handle features John Deere green scales made of bone that have been jigged to give them a corncob patterned texture. The bone scales are held in place with three pins, and there is a metal John Deere crest on the mark side of the handle. Each end has a nickel silver bolster that complements the finish of the blades.
This John Deere pocket knife measures 3 5/8 inches in length when closed and weighs a scant 2 ½ ounces.
Lockback Pocket Knife With Lightweight Handle by Case Cutlery
This Lockback knife stands out from the other John Deere pocket knives in this review due to its utilitarian design and lightweight Zytel handle. Zytel is comprised of fiberglass and nylon, making it durable and providing a great surface grip.
This is a lockback-style knife with a dropped heel that further compliments the Zytel handle material as it provides an even more comfortable hand feel. The handle is lightly texturized at the fore end while smooth at the rear. There is a printed John Deere name and deer logo, in green, along the heel, as well as a lanyard hole, allowing you to attach this knife to your keys.
The blade is made of Case’s high carbon Tru-Sharp surgical stainless steel. This is durable steel that will be there when you need it, regardless of what abuse you put it through previously. The blade is a clean drop point with a fingernail groove. It also bears the Case XX logo at the base of the blade.
Closed, this knife measures just 3 inches long and weighs just over half of an ounce. While this isn’t a knife with which to take on the wilderness or that you’d want to skin a deer with, it is a handy little knife to keep on you just in case. This is especially true if you’re not the kind of person who regularly carries a knife on them, as the compact size and featherweight of this knife make it highly convenient.
Bone Handled Hawkbill Pruner by Case Cutlery
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While Hawkbill pocket knives aren’t too common, they make a handy tool for the gardener to have on them. This John Deere pocket knife features the distinctive hooked blade that is so useful for pruning plants and snipping herbs.
The convex blade (curving inward) allows it to cut plants more effectively without causing additional damage to the plant. There is a fingernail groove just along the edge of the blade, right before where it curves down to the point.
As with the other pocket knives in this review, the blade is made of Case’s own Tru-Sharp high carbon surgical stainless steel. This steel is meant to outperform regular carbon steel and does so beautifully, with increased hardness, edge retention, and resistance to corrosion.
The handle is uniquely shaped to accommodate the curve of the hawkbill blade, with a bulging heel. There is a single nickel silver bolster at the blade end. The handle scales are a bright John Deere green and are made of bone. The scales have also been jigged to texturize them in a corncob pattern. A small metal shield with the John Deere name logo is on the mark side.
Closed, this knife measures 4 1/8 inches, making it comfortable to wield. It weighs 3 ½ ounces.
Mini Copperlock With Bone Handle by Case Cutlery
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This Mini Copperlock Pocket Knife is another John Deere pocket knife employing one of Case Cutlery’s unique designs. A copperlock is basically a copperhead pocket knife with a bolster that bulges over the corners of the tang when the blade is closed.
This increases the life expectancy of the knife by preventing wear and it also makes it less likely to catch inside your pocket when retrieved. An added lockback gives this folding knife the strength of a fixed blade knife and what makes the design of a copperlock pocket knife unique.
It features a single-clipped point blade with an extra-long fingernail groove for easier deployment. The blade is made of Case’s trademarked Tru-Sharp surgical stainless steel. This particular type of steel is designed for extra hardness and edge retention, making it a bit harder to sharpen. But, as it will hold that edge longer than a blade of lesser quality steel, you’ll find yourself needing to sharpen it less.
The handle measures 3 5/8 inches long and features nickel silver bolsters on both ends to compliment the bright yellow bone scales. Those bone scales have been jigged to give them a corncob texture which is perfect given the bright John Deere yellow coloring. The scales are affixed with four pins, and there is a metal John Deere name logo crest on the mark side of the handle. This pocket knife weighs just 2 ounces, making it a fine lightweight addition to your everyday pocket contents.
John Deere Pocket knife Conclusion
John Deere products and licensed items have maintained a high level of popularity since this company’s inception. They continue to be favored collector’s items, and these John Deere pocket knives are certainly among some of the most practical and desirable items.
Each of these knives is produced in the USA by Case Cutlery, another long-time American favorite known for its commitment to producing high-quality products right here at home. Each knife comes with a limited lifetime warranty and is built to last for generations.
Our favorite was the Cheetah Pocket Knife, thanks to its innovative design that combines safety with practicality. Plus, it comes in a cool barn-shaped presentation pocket, and we’d be lying if we didn’t admit to being a sucker for novelty.
Sources and Official Brand Websites
- John Deere, Official Brand Website.
- Top Ten Benefits of Carrying a Pocket Knife, StatGear.
- Guide to the Best Knife Steel, Knife Informer.
- How to Choose a Hunting Knife, How Stuff Works.
- The Benefits of Sharp Knives, ChefSteps.