Largest pocket knife / penknife
Who
Jason Basham, Red Hill Cutlery
What
10.52 metre(s)
Where
United States (Radcliff)
When

The largest pocket knife / penknife is 10.52 m (34 ft 6 in) and was achieved by Jason Basham and Red Hill Cutlery (USA), in Radcliff, Kentucky, USA, on 9 January 2019.


Jason Basham's family has been in the cutlery business in Radcliff, Kentucky, since 1998. His father is an avid knife collector and used to take the family to antique stores, roadside flea markets, peddlers malls, auctions, old hardware stores and every knife show within 200 miles.

Jason decided to build the world's largest pocket knife as a project that could become a legacy for his family. The project took six months of planning and almost a year of construction before the finished item was finally placed in its permanent home outside of Red Hill Cutlery in Kentucky. Unsurprisingly the biggest challenge was making sure the outsized knife was operational, but also able to withstand the elements of nature (wind storms, tornadoes, ice storms, etc.) that Kentucky is known for.

While he is unsure of the exact amount, Jason estimates the project cost somewhere between $55-75,000. He credits the donation of time and labour from individuals in the community for helping the project reach its goal. "Who knows what challenge we may take on next but we have learned from this long process that with the right people and tools you can accomplish anything," he said.

He also believes that the display may contribute to equilibrate traffic of the heavily-travelled Interstate Route 65 and help drive local tourism. That would be very important to his business and also to his family, who has been a part of the town almost since its founding.

Jason has always been a fan of Guinness World Records and read the books throughout his childhood. He says achieving a Guinness World Records title would be the fulfilment of a childhood dream.