8 Best Private Label Knives Suppliers

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global knives market—kitchen knives—will grow at a Compound Annual growth rate of 8.6% from 2019 to 2025. 17

Considering that the market was worth $1.17 billion in 2018, now is the right time to get into this market and capitalize on this growth by starting a private labeled knives brand.

This article will highlight 8 of the best private label knives suppliers.

1: FELIX

Established in 1790, FELIX —full name: FELIX SOLINGEN GMBH— is a pioneering player in knife manufacturing. According to their website, they have been at the heart of what made Solingen, Germany, the heart of high-quality knife production.

Some of this supplier’s core offerings/features are:

• Price:  Their Masterpiece Collection starts at €114-€432, while their Professional Collection starts at €25-€569.
• High quality: FELIX has been in knife production since the 1790s. Their knives are so high-quality and impeccably designed that they’ve won the Gold iF Product Design andRed Dot Design Award.

• A diverse collection of over 500 knives: Whether you want to private label kitchen, chef, turf, butcher knives, forged, wooden, or POM handle knives, FELIX promises to have something for you from their wide collection of over 500 designs pieces that you can private label.

• Various accepted payments: FELIX accepts conventional payment systems like PayPal, card payments, Klarna, and PayDirect, to mention a few.
• 5-year Limited Warranty: FELIX knives have a 5-year limited warranty that promises to repair manufacturing defects or replace the knives altogether. This warranty can make all the difference to your customers; however, the warranty does not cover handle breakages, rust, and normal wear and tear.

2: KLEVER 

Established in 1936, KLEVER— full name: Ernst Klever GmbH—is another family-run —now in its third generation— Solingen, Germany-based knife manufacturer that prides itself in carrying a wide range of “made in Solingen” cutlery, including knives.

Some of its key feature offerings are:

• Minimum order quantity: FELIX has a minimum order quantity of 300 pieces per stock color.

• Customized packaging: Upon request, FELIX can create custom packaging.

• Wide selection: Whether you want to private label modern kitchen knives, peelers, or fruit and vegetable knives, KLEVER promises to have something in store for you. Their knife series is a collection of seven knife types, giving you various choices.

• Dishwasher-safe logo engraving: KLEVER’s promise to its private-label partners is that it will produce branded knives whose logo remains intact, no matter how many times your customers wash it in the dishwasher.

• Imported blades: Knowing that knives made in Solingen can be pricey, KLEVER offers imported blade alternatives assembled in Solingen at cost-effective prices without bearing the “made in Solingen” mark.
• Non-binding offer and simulated overprint: You can use the inquiry form to send in your logo and inquiry to have KLEVER send you a quotation and a simulation of your private labeled knife.

3: Maniago Knive Markers

With over 40 years of experience in knife production, Maniago —full name: CONSORZIO COLTELLINAI MANIAGO— is a consortium of over 46 cutlery companies based in Maniago Italy, a town/commune well known for its steel blade production.

This supplier carries handcrafted, high-quality kitchen, hunting, fishing, and even tactical knives, to mention a few. Some of its other key feature offerings for private label knife brands are:

• Price: Their knives range of €5 for the Pomodoro (tomato) knife to €351 for the higher grade knives.
• Variety: Maniago produces all kinds of knives, from tactical and kitchen knives to many other cutlery options, meaning you won’t struggle much to find a knife to private label. When writing this, their brand, Maniago Knife Makers (MKM), had a collection of over 93 pieces.

• Varied payments: After getting in touch with the supplier ([email protected]) and settling on a deal, you can pay via PayPal, credit cards, and advanced bank transfer

4” BergHOFF™

BergHOFF is an international-recognized manufacturer of different types of kitchenware, including knives. Established in 1994, BergHOFF has an in-house private label arm, BergHOFF Creations, that capitalizes on its many years of expertise to help retailers bring kitchenware products to the market. 

Some of this supplier’s core private label offerings include:

• Price: Their kitchen knives start at €24.95 for a single knife to €259.00 for a 13-pieces knife set.
• Full-service: BergHOFF has a unique approach that promises to tap into their years of experience and experience to help you create a private brand specifically tailored to your business and audience. For example, they promise to walk you through the material sourcing, technical specification, certification, artwork selection process, and even distribution process. 
• Logistical support: BergHOFF has the technical and logistical expertise to warehouse your private labeled knives —and other types of kitchenware— and distribute them to ensure you always have ready stock to fulfill customers’ orders. In essence, this supplier can double as a dropshipping partner.

• A wide collection: When you visit BergHOFF’s kitchen knives product page, you will notice that they have over 137 items ready for your private label. This means you can carry a selection of knives and related items —like sharpeners—under your private label.

• Friendly shipping prices: Of the various suppliers on this list, BergHOFF is one of the select few listing its shipping prices. Shipping to countries within the EU costs between €4,95- €8,95, while shipping to countries outside the EU costs €11,95, with free shipping offered for orders above €49.

5: Blue Ridge Knives

Blue Ridge Knives, Inc. is a knife wholesaler that sells general-purpose knives, swords, sharpeners, outdoor-related tactical knives, and other kitchenware and cutlery. According to their website, the wholesaler has worked with more than 750 brands, making Blue Ridge Knives a trusted name in this field.

Some of this supplier’s core features are:

• Low MOQ: For US dealers, the MOQ is $100, while for international dealers, the minimum order is $500.
• A comprehensive catalog: Once you become a Blue Ridge Knives dealer, you will access one of the largest retail catalogs featuring over 1800 products. Additionally, the supplier sends its dealers a monthly sales catalog of “on-sale” and new, bestselling products.
• Wholesale only: Blue Ridge Knives does not have retail stores —online or offline. It’s a supplier/distributor only, which means you won’t have to compete with them for customers.
• Brand selection: BRK has relationships with various brands like EKS Solingen, AccuSharp, and many others, which means you can carry a wide selection of private labeled knives. 
• Shipping: BRK ships via all the main couriers —FedX, DHL, and UPS and offers US-only free —via UPS— shipping for orders above $1000.

6: Ontario Knife Company

Established in 1889, the US-based The Ontario Knife Company has a rich heritage of manufacturing the highest quality knives. According to their LinkedIn page, this manufacturer also offers private labeling, OEM, and contract manufacturing services.

Some of this private labeler’s core features include:

• Price: Their knives have a price range of $16.32 for the 2-7 inches hop knife to $295 for tactical knives.
• A readily-available catalog: Unlike most suppliers on this list, the Ontario Knife Company makes its yearly catalog readily available for all to see. For example, you can browse their 2022-2023 catalog.
• Iron-clad warranty: After working in the knife industry for over 130 years, OKC is willing to stand behind its products, which is why it offers a limited lifetime warranty and is willing to offer repairs and replacements for failure due to structural integrity and damage use.
• Clear shipping and return terms: This supplier has well-defined shipping policies and return terms.

7: Savernake

Savernake is a UK-based knife manufacturer that offers custom engraving on their product line, including some of the best UK-produced knives. According to a Savernake feature published on Great British Chefs in 2019, Savernake custom-makes all its blades using artisanal craftsmanship and aerospace tech.

Some of this supplier’s other features include:

• Price: Their custom knives start at £220-£455 while their Maker’s Choice knives start at £200 for the Nimble Chopper to £860 for steak knives.
• One time £150 for design: With Savernake’s bespoke engraving (private labeling), you pay £150 for each custom engraving, but if your design is repeatable across your private labeled knives, you will only pay this fee once. 
• Customization: Savernake has a robust but straightforward engraving process that allows you to add whatever custom branding you would like to add to your knives, including a white and black brand image. 

• Online Knife configurator: Savernake has an online knife configurator you can use to customize your branded knife as you see fit.
• International shipping: Savernake offers worldwide shipping at a flat rate.
• Payment options: You can pay using Klarna, all major cards, PayPal, Google, and Apple Pay.

8: Takahashikusu

Founded in 1917, Takahashikusu —full name: Takahashikusu Co., Ltd.— aims to make the highest quality knives that business owners can carry under their brand. The company offers a wide selection of knives, including but not limited to Japanese and Western knives, Sashimi knives, vegetable knives, fish and eel cleaning knives, and peelers.

Some of this supplier’s core features include:

• Price: Their knives start at $195 for the Yamawaki Cutlery knife to $3730 for higher-end knives. 
• A simple getting-started process: Like most of the suppliers on this list, Takahashikusu has a detailed and straightforward getting-started process that involves five steps: inquiry, product selection/customization, quotation, agreement finalization, production, and delivery.

• A low minimum order quantity: Takahashikusu has a minimum order of 5-10 for Japanese blades and 12 for Western blades. This is one of the lowest MOQ. However, the minimum order quantity will largely depend on the blade choice.
• Downloadable catalog: Takahashikusu has a freely-downloadable catalog of their products in English, Japanese, and French, making it easily accessible.
• Shipping: This supplier relies on DHL and UPS for shipping but can also use EMS via the Japanese Post Office.

Top Strategies For Private Label Knives Brands

Now that you have these 8 private label knives suppliers, you need to remember one of the most important things: 

#: Nothing beats due diligence

As you have seen from our discussion, different suppliers and manufacturers offer different knife types, including a wide selection of blade and handle materials and even customization. 

Doing your due diligence is the best way to ensure that you work with a supplier that meets your specific needs. Before you make your order, talk to the supplier and ask questions like:

• Can I private label your knives? This question is important because some knife manufacturers don’t offer private labeling services. If one manufacturer says they do not offer private label knives, it’s best to look for alternative suppliers on Alibaba or AliExpress.
• What’s your turnaround and delivery time? Asking a private label manufacturer this question allows you to determine how long it will take to private label your knives, which will allow you to give your customers realistic processing and delivery terms 
• Do you offer custom/branded packaging? Working with a private label knife manufacturer who offers branded or custom packaging is very important because the packaging works as part of the brand interaction process. Moreover, if your brand name doesn’t match the packaging customers receive, it can negatively impact your brand retention rates. 
• Do you offer dropshipping services? If you are a solopreneur, it is best to work with a private label knife supplier who offers dropshipping services and who can fulfill orders for you. Only work with a private label knife manufacturer who does not offer dropshipping services if you have a well-developed fulfillment process, perhaps using AmazonFBA.
• How will we handle returns? The best way to handle returns is to have your customers ship them directly to the manufacturer, so choose a manufacturer who allows this.

Asking these and other related questions will ensure that you know what you’re getting yourself into as you sign that private label contract.

Conclusion

Finding the right supplier for your private label knives brand is the first step. Once you have the right supplier, the rest will seem to fall into place, especially if you have an effective marketing plan. 

China also has some very good private label knives suppliers, but weeding through the list on Alibaba to find the best ones is usually such a hustle. If you want to source your knives from China, I suggest working with a professional dropshipping sourcing and fulfillment agent.