If you’ve ever owned a workhorse pocketknife or even checked out military surplus gear, there’s a good chance you’ve seen something made by the Ontario Knife Company. For a long time, OKC was considered a fixture in American knife-making—one of those brands that seemed to always be churning out solid, practical blades. But news broke in 2023 that would change the company’s trajectory for good.
The Company’s Roots Run Deep
First, let’s zoom out a bit. Ontario Knife Company wasn’t some flash-in-the-pan gear startup. Founded back in 1889 in Franklinville, New York, OKC built its reputation on dependability. They started off making simple cutlery and farm tools, but over time their catalog expanded. By the mid-20th century, their knives were standard-issue equipment for the U.S. military, especially during World War II.
Most people don’t realize the impact OKC had on everyday utility knives, combat tools, and even food prep in commercial kitchens. Their footprint was big—bigger than just collectible blades or niche hobby gear. For generations, the name “Ontario” meant something to a lot of people in upstate New York and far beyond.
What Changed in 2023?
Things started shifting when OKC’s parent company, Servotronics, began facing financial pressure. Servotronics mainly deals in aerospace components, so knives and tools weren’t a core part of their business. Running OKC just wasn’t sustainable for them anymore. Reports say the company had been unprofitable for several years.
In July 2023, Servotronics announced it would sell Ontario Knife Company. The buyer turned out to be Blue Ridge Knives, a major distributor based in Virginia. Almost immediately after the announcement, it became clear that the Franklinville factory wouldn’t stay open. So not only was the company sold, but production in New York would stop entirely.
Breaking Down the Sale
The sale itself moved quickly. By the end of July, OKC’s doors in Franklinville were shut for good. About 56 people lost their jobs, ending a chapter that had been running for well over a hundred years in the same small town.
Blue Ridge Knives didn’t reveal much about what they planned to do with the OKC brand right away. The original staff was laid off, and there’s been no official word on whether any manufacturing—especially the kind tied to OKC’s legacy—would start again somewhere else.
Local officials and some business leaders tried to rally and find a way to keep the factory running. They got local investors involved and talked about strategic plans, but those ideas didn’t pan out. The official story: the sale was final, the closure was happening, and the Franklinville factory was not coming back.
Why Did Ontario Knife Company Shut Down?
Let’s be clear: this wasn’t about a single bad year or one big mistake. Servotronics had been looking at the books for a while, and things just weren’t adding up on the OKC side. The knife industry is tougher than it might look from the outside. Margins are small, materials have gotten pricier, and there’s a lot more global competition than there was even two decades ago.
Other companies have shifted production overseas, but OKC tried to keep things local upstate for as long as possible. That loyalty to American manufacturing is great for authenticity, but it also means costs can stack up fast. By early 2023, Servotronics decided selling was the only option left to stop the bleeding.
The Impact Hits Home in Franklinville
For Franklinville, losing OKC was a blow. In small towns, a company like this is more than just a place to work—it’s part of the rhythm of daily life. Overnight, dozens of people were out of a job. Restaurants and shops that counted on business from OKC employees felt it, too.
People in town talked openly (and a bit bitterly) about watching neighbors leave for other jobs, sometimes in other towns. Attempts to save the factory through local investment made headlines but didn’t stick. One local official described it as “the end of an era,” and while that sounds dramatic, in small towns that’s pretty much how moments like this land.
What Happens Next With the Brand?
Here’s where things get fuzzy. Blue Ridge Knives now owns the Ontario Knife Company name and its assets. But as of now, the actual production—the part that made so many customers loyal—has stopped in New York.
Since the acquisition, some older OKC products have trickled into the market. Some folks wonder if these are just existing stock, made before the factory shut down. There’s also been speculation that Blue Ridge Knives could relaunch the OKC name with knives sourced from different factories, possibly overseas.
Right now, there isn’t hard information about new Ontario-branded products. People in the industry keep an eye on sites and forums, with collectors snapping up older Franklinville-made OKC knives.
You’ll probably see Ontario Knife Company products for sale for a while, especially on secondary markets. It’s a little like when a favorite product disappears—at first, there’s plenty of stock. Eventually, what’s left are just the items already sitting on shelves or sitting in a warehouse somewhere.
Is the Ontario Knife Company Brand Dead?
This is where business can get confusing. Officially, the old Ontario Knife Company—at least as a Franklinville manufacturer—is gone. The workers are no longer making knives in New York. For all practical purposes, the original independent company closed when Blue Ridge took over.
But brands don’t just vanish overnight. Think about Polaroid or Hostess—those names still buzz around, even when the original companies are long gone or totally changed. Blue Ridge Knives might decide to revive the OKC name for imported lines, limited edition re-runs, or even some kind of “heritage” series, but nothing concrete has been announced.
If you’re hoping that the factory itself will be buzzing again soon, that’s not looking likely. The shutdown was complete, and local sources say all the key staff have left.
Business News Sites Are Watching Closely
When a heritage company shuts its doors, we tend to rethink what legacy means in small manufacturing towns. On the business side, this is also another example of how bigger companies and distributors gobble up old brands when the numbers just don’t work anymore.
If you’re curious about how these shifts happen in other industries or want to understand why family-run factories matter, business publications like Blue Business Mag provide regular coverage on these trends. They talk about what causes these transitions and what it means for similar companies.
You can expect to see more stories where iconic local brands change hands or close down—especially as economic conditions keep shifting and big distributors get more aggressive about picking up familiar names.
Wrapping Up: What’s Left for Ontario Knife Company Fans?
Let’s come back to the headline question: Is Ontario Knife Company going out of business? For fans who loved the upstate New York-made knives, the answer is yes. The company, as you knew it, no longer exists. The Franklinville factory is closed, and manufacturing under the classic OKC banner has stopped.
Blue Ridge Knives might do something with the brand someday, but there’s no official word yet. For now, your best bet if you want an “authentic” OKC knife made in New York is to scout the used market or look for unsold old stock.
Stories like this hit home if you’ve ever used a classic OKC blade for camping, hunting, or kitchen prep. They remind us that even the most dependable brands can hit rough patches when bigger market forces stack up against them. And while the Ontario Knife Company name could show up on store shelves in the future, the Franklinville chapter has come to a real, quiet close.
If you’ve got a well-worn OKC knife in your toolbox or camping bag, you’re holding onto a little piece of American manufacturing history—whether that brand returns in the same spirit or not.
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