The 2026 BLADE Magazine Knife of the Year® Awards proved tougher—and tighter—than ever.
As the years go on the BLADE Magazine Knife Of The Year® Awards only get sharper. The 2026 chapter, held during the June 5-7 BLADE Show at the Cobb Convention Center, is a case in point. Hosting another massive field in the factory knife competition, the contest drew roughly the same number of entries as last year (350-400), with hundreds of blades vying for the title of “Best” in their respective categories. Add in the fact that production knives are reaching an unimaginable height in both design and manufacturing quality, and the event was as tight as ever. The winners were selected by a panel of four judges, experts drawn from different backgrounds in the knife industry. Below are their selections of knives that are more than worthy of being called Knife Of The Year®.
BLADE Magazine Overall Knife Of The Year® & PVK Best Automatic Of The Year
Hawk Knives Talon Auto
American Fixed Blade Of The Year
Microtech Knives Akris
American Folding Knives Of The Year
Zero Tolerance 0020
Most Innovative American Design
Scabbard Knives Alpha Configuration 1
Imported Fixed Blade Of The Year
WE Notchline
Imported Folding Knife Of The Year
Anso of Denmark Aros 2.0
Most Innovative Imported Design
Winterblade Mythic
Slip Joint Of The Year
Lionsteel Barlow
Knife Collaboration Of The Year
Grimsmo/Chipped Metal Rask
Best Buy Of The Year
Kizer Drop Bear
Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year
Spyderco Native 5 50th Anniversary Amber Bone
Kitchen Knife Of The Year
Shun Tomi
Manufacturing Quality Award
Shirogorov Knives
Best Of The Rest
Nottingham Tactical TB360 Dark Ti Parker
Knife Accessory Of The Year
Lionsteel Eggie Aluminum
More On BLADE Show:
- BLADE University : Knife Knowledge Honed
- 7 Join BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame®
- Photo Gallery: BLADE Show 2025 in Pictures
- 2025 BLADE Show Recap: What Happened At The Edge-Stravaganza
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