The earliest known pocketknives date back to the early Iron Age. A pocketknife with a bone handle was found at the Hallstatt Culture type site in Austria, dating to around 600–500 BCE. Iberian folding-blade knives made by Indigenous artisans and craftsmen and dating to the pre-Roman era have been found in Spain as well. 

From farmers to lawyers, men from all occupations carry pocketknives. The ultimate portable tool, the pocketknife is a useful aid in various tasks, including eating on the go. Pocket knives have been an essential tool for soldiers throughout American history.

What does it mean when someone gives you a pocketknife? Traditionally a bond of friendship, a parental bond, or close relationship... It is a frequent practice in the south for a groom to gift engraved pocketknives to his groomsmen, and his father and father-in-law. A pocketknife is the perfect gift.