The power of a pocketknife
Exhibitors at the 2025 Tennessee Junior Beef Expo are indeed ‘Driven to Serve’
Story by Emma Gunn Photos by Emma Gunn and Ella Hasty
If a Case knife could talk, what would it say?” That was the question posed by Edward Jessup, president and chief executive officer of Knoxville-based Jessup & Associates, to a group of Co-op employees and guests touring the W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company factory in Bradford, Pennsylvania on August 12. Jessup & Associates lead the company’s sales efforts.
The Co-op group was in Bradford to meet with Case’s leadership and other members of the company’s marketing team to celebrate the 25th year of the highly successful Co-op Commemorative 4-H/FFA knife program and discuss future opportunities. From its inception through the 2024 knife release, the program administered through the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative Foundation had raised $753,720.
Jessup’s question alluded to Case knives in general but was also applicable to the Co-op 4-H/FFA knife, he said. Throughout the company’s marketing efforts, it’s often said that the bond that customers have with the Case products are what make the brand. Dedicated customers have a deep affection for the knives. And they share the stories associated with these simple tools across generations.
Jessup has been helping to promote and market the company’s products for 49 years now, following in the footsteps of his father, Shine Jessup, whose picture is on the company’s Case Wall of Fame which recognizes those employees who have had an enduring impact on the brand.
“They’re more than just a knife, more than a sharp tool,” said Jessup. “They come in handy and if people know you have one, they will often say, ‘Have you got a knife?’ They’ll borrow it, and you will lose it. And that’s how we stay in business.”
The visit started with a welcome from Hugo Michel, executive vice president of Global Sales & Licensing at Zippo Manufacturing Company, who joined the group remotely through an online conference.
“Case is like nothing else we do as a company and as a brand,” he explained as he emphasized the mix of art and craftsmanship that takes place in the manufacturing. “Much of it is made by hand, but we utilize innovation, too. Making a knife isn’t that easy. We put a lot of craftsmanship into it. And you will see a lot of people molding [each] knife and making it one of a kind. It’s quite an exceptional place.”
Many of the steps in the process are relatively unchanged from the way things were done when the company opened the current factory in 1975. The brand is steeped in history. The Case XX binding has appeared on knives in Bradford, Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas for 135 years.
Case, now owned by the Zippo Manufacturing Company, sprang from the fertile ground of upstate New York, where the four Case brothers — William Russell (W.R.), Jean, John, and Andrew began selling knives from the back of a wagon in 1889. John Russell (Russ) Case, the son of W.R., formed W.R. Case & Sons, as it is known today. The company moved to its first location in Bradford in 1905.
Jessup & Associates President and CEO Edward Jessup, left, and Executive Vice President of Sales Maury Ford, right, joined Case Director of Engineering Tony DiFonzo, to serve as tour guides for the Tennessee visitors. Jessup & Associates are the Case factory sales representatives. Edward Jessup has been selling and promoting Case knives for 49 years.
From left, State FFA President Weston Brown, State 4-H Council President Gabe Harville, , Tennessee FFA Foundation Executive Director Chelsea Carpenter, Justin Hill, TFC Director Tim Luckey, and TFC Foundation Executive Director Claire Hill watch as Co-op 4-H & FFA knives pass through the Embellishing facility before final finishing.
Heather Monti, floor service facilitator, explains how each knife is honed to a sharp edge by skilled craftsmen like Hafter Jamie Stewart.
The Case factory boasts some 350 employees at the Bradford plant. Those employees turn out an estimated 6,000 knives per day or 1.5 million knives each year. They make some 65 patterns of traditional knives, as well as the brand’s Modern EDC (Every Day Capable), Performance, Crossroads, and Bridgeline models.
“It’s a fun challenge to try to make more knives,” said Tony DiFonzo, Case’s director of engineering. “That would be easy if we were making the same knife. But that’s not what Case is. We have all the variety of the knives — the color, the jigging, the bone, the patterns. That’s what makes us unique. We have 65 patterns of traditional knives, and more than 1,000 active SKUs (product variations).”
That variety of offerings poses challenges for the company, but it’s also one of the reasons the brand is so endeared to collectors, explained Maury Ford, Jessup & Associates executive vice president of sales and national factory representative of W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.
“That variety, along with our tang stamp dating system that allows collectors to easily determine when a knife was made, adds to the collectible nature of our knives,” said Maury.
The skilled workforce still completes most of the manufacturing process by hand. Some of the craftsmen have years of experience with the company. Perhaps one of the best examples of that dedication and drive to produce the best knife possible is legendary Master Knife Maker Mike DuBois, who retired on September 4, 2024, with 50 years to the day of service. He was able to join the Co-op group for lunch during the visit.
Mike started his career at Case in 1974 for what he thought to be a temporary job, as he graduated high school and planned to join the Air Force, like his stepfather and brother. But something about the Case job clicked and then he and his future wife, Mary, began dating. The temporary job became a career that would last for 50 years.
In a promotional video on the Case website, Mike detailed his career progression to Case Archivist/Historian Katie Zapel.
“I started out as a hafter [one that attaches the scales or handles to the knife],” recalled DuBois. “I ‘hafted’ for about 18 years. I think I worked in just about every department except for heat treat. I had to take a test for the Model Shop, and I passed that. They offered that job to me and that’s where I spent 28 years.”
In the Model Shop, DuBois was provided the freedom to use his creativity and artistry to create outstanding examples of knives. These one-of-a-kind knives became collectors’ treasures, while raising significant funds for a variety of charitable causes. Co-op and Tennessee agriculture has benefitted from the sale of some of DuBois’ creations, including the exclusive knife that is a highlight of the Co-op Auction Barn at TFC’s Annual Meeting and special examples created for the Shooting Hunger auctions conducted at the organization’s regional events each year.
“It’s hard for me to believe that someone would want a knife that I make,” he said. “They say every knife has a story and is special to that person.”
While they aren’t one-of-a-kind knives, the Co-op Case Commemorative 4-H/FFA knives that are sold each year are the perfect way to get started in knife collecting. For 25 years now, Co-op and Case XX have collaborated on the program, one of the most successful initiatives ever developed to give back to 4-H and FFA.
“Co-op and Case have had a long and successful relationship,” says Jimmy Ogilvie, TFC Farm Hardware TBA Department manager. “Many of our stores have sold Case knives for years. And we’re proud of the support Case has shown us through the Commemorative 4-H/FFA knife program. We couldn’t have chosen a better partner.”
For more information about the Co-op 4-H/FFA knife program, visit www.ourcoop.com, search Co-op Case knife program, or check with the representatives at your local Co-op.
Retired Case Master Knife Maker Mike DuBois, left, visits with TFC Director Tim Luckey during the visit with Case officials. Mike made the one-of-a-kind Case knife that has been auctioned off during the live-auction segment of the Co-op Auction Barn event at the TFC Annual Meeting. Mike retired with 50 years of service to the company on September 4, 2024.
A batch of the 2025 Co-op 4-H & FFA Commemorative knives are imprinted with logos on the blades during one of the manufacturing steps in the Embellishing Department at the Bradford, Pennsylvania facility.
Story by Glen Liford,
Contact gliford@ourcoop.com