Wisconsin Knife Works

Wisconsin Knife Works is the leader in tooling and production ideas as well as precision manufacturing of woodworking cutting tools. "Engineers to the Woodworking Industry" is not as much a slogan at WKW as it is a hard earned tradition. Our company was founded in Clinton, Wisconsin in 1926 to provide tooling for wood products used in the automotive industry. This included woodcutting knives and cutterheads. The company grew and relocated to Beloit, Wisconsin in 1928. The product offering included tooling for use in the manufacturing of furniture, millwork, toys and other wood items. On June 25, 1929, WISCONSIN KNIFE WORKS obtained United States Patent number 1,718,325 for the Lock-Joint Grooving Head . . . known today as fingerjoint cutterheads. This product met with great success, particularly in the automobile industry. Both the automobile bodies, and the steering wheels were made up of short pieces of wood that had been fingerjointed together. Even now, WISCONSIN KNIFE WORKS still provides a two-winged cutter for use in authentic automobile restorations. In 1950 the company continued to expand its operation through both internal growth as well as by outside acquisitions. These acquisitions included many well-known names in the knife industry. In 1965 WISCONSIN KNIFE WORKS built a new manufacturing facility in Beloit, Wisconsin.