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Cool Custom: Lloyd Hale’s Fender Jazzmaster Knife

Lloyd Hale made the singular knife circa 2000 from the neck of a 1960s Fender Jazzmaster.

A self-described child of the ’60s, Larry Hirsch jumped at the chance to buy the DeFender when a collector offered it for sale.

Made by Lloyd Hale a quarter century ago from the neck of a 1960s-era Fender Jazzmaster guitar, the knife did not have a sheath originally, so Hirsch got with Hale earlier this year and brainstormed one in the shape of the main body of the guitar, complete with strap and volume and tone control knobs.

Larry Hirsch rocks his world with the DeFender. (Hirsch image)
Larry Hirsch rocks his world with the DeFender. (Hirsch image)

“I told Lloyd the knobs had to turn because everyone that sees it, the first thing they will do is turn the knobs,” Hirsch said. Sure enough, when Larry displayed the knife at the 2025 Solvang Show, the first person that saw it turned the knobs.

Oh, left whole a 1960s-era Fender Jazzmaster—just the neck alone—would be worth obscene amounts today, but we won’t go there.

More Custom Knives:

BLADE SHOW 2025 Custom Knife Award Winners

Craftsmanship Crowned: Winners of the 2025 Custom Knife Awards at BLADE Show

The 2025 Custom Knife Of The Year® Awards once again took center stage at BLADE Show, held June 7–9 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. As always, the event drew some of the finest custom makers in the world—and this year’s field was especially fierce.

A panel of expert judges had the unenviable task of selecting standouts across a range of categories, recognizing the blades that best embodied design, innovation, and craftsmanship. From elegant folders to bold fighters, here are this year’s winners—including the coveted Hugh Bartrug Best in Show.


Best Of Show And Best Custom Art Knife

Jean Louis Regel

Best Custom Art Knife
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Kitchen Knife

Louis Gustavo Goncalves

Best Custom Kitchen Knife
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Bowie

Dionatam Franco

Best Bowie
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Collaboration

Rhidian Gatrill/Jeremy Yelle

Best Collaboration
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Damascus

Gabe Fletcher

Best Custom Damascus
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Fighter

Louis Gustavo Goncalves

Best Custom Fighter
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Fixed Blade

Julian Antunes

Best Custom Fixed Blade
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best M.A.C.K.

Richard Rogers

Best MACK
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Folder

Javier Vogt

Best Custom Folder
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Handle Design

Pedro Fornari

Best Custom Handle
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best New Maker

D. Kramp Knives

Best New Maker
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Sword

Vince Evans

Best Custom Sword
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Tactical Folder

Sinkevich Design

Best Custom Tactical Folder
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Utility Hunter

Zane Dvorak

Best Utility Hunter
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Miniature

Rhidian Gatrill

Best Custom Mini
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Custom Slip Joint

Daniel Keown

Best Custom Slipjoint
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Most Innovative Design

Gus Cecchini / GTC Knives

Custom Innovative
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best of the Rest

Julian Antunes

Best of the Rest
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

See More Award Winners:

2025 Knife Of The Year® Award Winners

The 2025 BLADE Magazine Knife of the Year® Awards proved tougher—and tighter—than ever before.

As the years go on the BLADE Magazine Knife Of The Year® Awards only get sharper. The 2025 chapter, held during the June 7-9 BLADE Show at the Cobb County Galleria, is a case in point.

Hosting among the largest fields to date in the factory knife competition, the contents had roughly 350-400 entries vying for the title of “Best” in their respective categories. Add-in production knives are reaching an unimaginable height in both design and manufacturing quality, the event was as tight as ever. Speaking to the stiffness of the competition, two categories produced contender finishers—an honor meant to recognize a creation that is nearly on par with the category winner.

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 calling themselves Knife Of The Year®.  


BLADE Magazine Overall Knife Of The Year® & Imported Fixed Blade Of The Year®

UG Tools Tiny

UG Tool Tiny BLADE Magazine Knife Of The Year®
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

American-Made Fixed Blade Of The Year®

Benchmade Dacian 

Benchmade Dacian 
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Imported Folder

Vero Avid 1

Vero Avid 1
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Imported Folder Contender

Anso of Denmark Toko

Anso of Denmark Toko
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

American-Made Folding Knife Of The Year®

Heretic Knives Wraith Auto V.4

Heretic Knives Wraith Auto V.4
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Most Innovative Imported Design

Work Sharp RMX Reverse Tanto

Work Sharp RMX Reverse Tanto
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Most Innovative American Design

Sleeping Tiger Tigress

Sleeping Tiger Tigress
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Buy Of The Year®

QSP Knife Glyde Lock Penguin

QSP Knife Glyde Lock Penguin
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Knife Collaboration Of The Year

Shirogorov Knives/Charles Marlowe RKMP

Shirogorov Knives/Charles Marlow RKMP
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Knife Collaboration Of The Year Contender

Lionsteel/Emerson LEOne Mid

Lionsteel/Emerson LEOne Mid
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year®

Shirogorov Knives Stellar-BCD

Shirogorov Knives Stellar-BCD
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Automatic Knife Of The Year

Zero Tolerance Knives 0556

Zero Tolerance Knives 0556
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Kitchen Knife Of The Year®

Kai USA Shun Shiranami

Kai USA Shun Shiranami
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Manufacturing Quality Award

Shirogorov Knives

JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Knife Accessory Of The Year

Ulticlip APH Clip

Ulticlip APH Clip
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

Best Of The Rest

Tactile Turn Switch

Tactile Turn Switch
JFRASIER PHOTOGRAPHY

See More Award Winners:

Bob Horrigan: 20 Knives Honor Delta Force Hero

John Horrigan will auction Serial No. 1 on Veteran’s Day.

On June 17, 2005, while conducting military operations against known terrorists, United States Army Master Sergeant Robert M. “Bob” Horrigan was killed in action in Al Qaim, Iraq. In recognition of the 20th anniversary of Bob’s supreme sacrifice for his country, ABS master smith John Horrigan has made a series of 20 special knives in his twin brother’s honor.

Robert started his military career in 1984 with the 3rd 75th Ranger Battalion under the command of Captain Stanley McCrystal, going on to serve as a Ranger instructor in Mountain Phase in Dahlonega, Georgia. Robert was a light weapons sergeant with the 7th Special Forces Group ODA. His last assignment was with 1st Special Forces Group, detachment Delta. MSG Horrigan served 9½ years with the Counter Terrorist Unit. He had three tours to Afghanistan and was killed on his fifth tour in Iraq.

To say Robert was special would be an understatement. He excelled in everything he did. Pete Blaber, a former Delta commander, wrote about Bob in his book, The Mission, The Men and Me. George Hand wrote about Robert in SOFREP, chronicling his exploits in A Better Man Than I and Walking Among Giants. Robert was the fictional character of Bob Harrington in Brad Thor’s books Blow Back and Take Down. Sean Naylor also wrote about Bob in his book, Not a Good Day to Die.

John Horrigan will auction off Serial No. 1 of a special series of 20 knives this coming Veteran’s Day in memory of the 20th anniversary of his twin brother Bob’s death in action in Al Qaim, Iraq. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
John Horrigan will auction off Serial No. 1 of a special series of 20 knives this coming Veteran’s Day in memory of the 20th anniversary of his twin brother Bob’s death in action in Al Qaim, Iraq. (Jocelyn Frasier image)

Bob was nicknamed the “pack mule.” He would carry the gear of others when they became fatigued. He had a never-quit motto and was there to help his fellow service members through.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “… credit in life belongs to the man in the arena whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood. It belongs to the man who strives valiantly, who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions, and spends himself daring greatly in a worthy cause so that he will know the triumph of high achievement; and whose place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Master Sergeant Robert Horrigan was exactly such a man.

Legacy Design

ABS master smith John Horrigan introduced his brother to knifemaking about five years before Robert was killed in action. The original Bob Horrigan Military Fighter is a model Robert designed, built and made famous.. The legacy design rightly named in his honor is 11.25 inches long with a 6.375-inch blade and a linen Micarta® handle.

Robert competed in the Best Ranger Competition in 1987 and finished in second place. John also was a Ranger in the 3rd 75th. He continues to stay connected by awarding the warriors who place second in the Best Ranger Competition with a Bob Horrigan knife in honor of his brother.

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of Robert’s death, John has made 20 commemorative knives with Robert’s touch mark—a bear paw with Horrigan through it. The knives are numbered 1 through 20. Robert designed the knife for the military elite who continue to carry it with service, pride and a brother’s love.

Robert loved where he worked and when someone asked him which unit he was in, he’d tell them “1st SOFT D.” He was all about secrecy of the unit. He’d let them try to figure it out. (Robert had a dry sense of humor). His nickname in the unit was “Puddy,” Elaine’s boyfriend in Seinfeld.

Robert (left) and John Horrigan enjoy the 2004 BLADE Show.
Robert (left) and John Horrigan enjoy the 2004 BLADE Show.

Serial No. 1 of the Bob Horrigan knife will be auctioned off this coming Veteran’s Day, November 11, with the proceeds going toward a great cause.

For more information on the auction and the entire series of 20th anniversary Bob Horrigan knives, visit John Horrigan Instagram page or visit eliteknives.com.

50 Years Ago In BLADE: Knives Of The OSS

The May-June 1975 American Blade covered the CIA-forerunner’s knives.

Editor’s Note: BLADE Magazine is celebrating more than 50 years of bringing the knife community sharp coverage of the knife world at large. Given a more comprehensive picture of where the industry comes from—thus, where it’s going—we’re running a series of vignettes on important articles marking milestones in the knife design, knife making and knifemakers from 50 years ago.

Adrian Van Dyk was the military knife guru for The American Blade at the dawn of the magazine’s era, and OSS knives were one of his specialties.

Five World War II-era OSS gravity knives, from left: a trial piece with George Ibberson blade markings; one with a variation of an Ibberson marking; unmarked issue specimen; German-issue take-down model; and a German-issue non-take-down model.
Five World War II-era OSS gravity knives, from left: a trial piece with George Ibberson blade markings; one with a variation of an Ibberson marking; unmarked issue specimen; German-issue take-down model; and a German-issue non-take-down model.

In “Knives of the OSS” in the May-June 1975 issue, he wrote a comprehensive story on a number of OSS knives, including, among others, the smatchet, stiletto, escape knife and gravity knives. The smatchet is of particular interest here because APOC/Cas Iberia offers a new iteration that it will debut at the BLADE Show (see our 2025 BLADE Show Knife Debuts post).

According to Van Dyk, the smatchet was designed for heavy chopping and brush clearing.

World War II OSS knives, from top: an OSS stiletto with a pancake-flapper sheath and a standard-issue OSS escape knife, completely blued and unmarked.
World War II OSS knives, from top: an OSS stiletto with a pancake-flapper sheath and a standard-issue OSS escape knife, completely blued and unmarked.

“The name apparently derived from its intended use since it could serve both as a machete and a hatchet,” he wrote. “The knife was probably a design derivation of the Welsh machine gunner’s sidebar,” illustrated in A Primer of Military Knives by Gordon Hughes and Barry Jenkins. “It was also designed as a fighting weapon and techniques for using it in combat are described in the book Get Tough by William Fairbairn,” one of the designers of the famed Fairbairn-Sykes commando knife.

Van Dyke added that OSS-issued versions of the smatchet were manufactured by Case and were completely unmarked. Some variations have British military proof marks and are thought to have been issued to British commandos.

Read More:

New Knives May 2025

Have the yen to build our your collection? Just need a sharp new blade? Check out these new knives for May and build out your wish list.

Eyes always peeled, we’re on the look out for the latest and the greatest. We think we’ve found a bevvy of them this May. So, with out further adieu, here’s our latest round of new knives to add to your wish list.


Pearce Richardson Silver Swan

Pearce Richardson Silver Swan

Model type: Chef’s knife
Blade length: 8”
Blade material: Mosaic damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel alloy steels
Blade grind: Flat
Scales: Turkish olive wood root burl
Bolster: Mild steel
Overall length: 13.25”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $6,500
Knife to know: The maker’s mark on the blade is brass inlaid; Pearce Richardson is an apprentice smith in the American Bladesmith Society
Maker: Pearce Richardson, icarusforge.com (SharpByCoop image)


Daniel Keown Big City Fighter

Daniel Keown Big City Fighter

Knife type: Slipjoint
Blade length: 3.5”
Blade steel: AEB-L stainless
Blade grind: Hollow dagger
Handle frame: 416 stainless
Scales: Mammoth ivory
Bolsters: 416 stainless
Liners: Integral
Closed length: 3.5”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $1,800
Maker: Daniel Keown, (SharpByCoop image)


Josh Hults Camp Knife

Josh Hults Camp Knife

Blade length: 4.5”
Blade material: 1085H carbon steel
Blade grind: Flat-ground integral
Scales: G-carta
Bolster: Forged integral
Overall length: 9.5”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $500
Knife to know: Josh Hults is a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society
Maker: Josh Hults, southern-forge.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)


Josh Wisor Dress Slipjoint

Josh Wisor Dress Slipjoint

Blade length: 3”
Blade material: Feather damascus
Blade grind: Flat
Handle frame: Stainless steel
Scales: Mammoth ivory
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $1,300
Knife to know: Josh Wisor is a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society
Maker: Josh Wisor, wisorforge.com (SharpByCoop image)


Erik Greiner Hunter

Erik Greiner Hunter

Blade length: 4.25”
Blade material: 80CrV2 carbon steel w/hamon
Blade grind: Flat w/secondary edge bevel
Scales: Dolf wood
Spacers: Oryx horn and warthog tusk liners
Guard: Antiqued brass
Overall length: 8.5”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $450
Knife to know: Erik Greiner is a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society
Maker: Erik Greiner, greinerblades.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)


Rudy Dean Fighter

Rudy Dean Fighter

Blade length: 11.75”
Blade material: 136 layers of colored damascus
Blade grind: Full flat
Scales: Stag
Guard material: Nickel silver
Spacer: Nickel silver
Overall length: 17”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $1,750
Knife to know: Rudy Dean is a journeyman smith in the American Bladesmith Society
Maker: Rudy Dean, rudydeancustomknives.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)


Honoré Vilain No. 7 Slipjoint

Honoré Vilain No. 7 Slipjoint

Blade length: 3”
Blade steel: RWL-34 stainless by Damasteel
Blade pattern: Clip point
Handle frame: Z40 stainless
Scales: Vintage rag Micarta®
Liners: G-10
Bolsters: Integral
Closed length: 4.5”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: Contact maker for pricing
Maker: Honoré Vilain (SharpByCoop image)


Jason Coy Clip-Point Hunter

Jason Coy Clip-Point Hunter

Blade length: 4.5”
Blade material: 80CrV2 carbon steel
Blade grind: Flat
Scales: Walnut
Handle pin: Bronze, domed
Guard material: Bronze
Spacers: Black fiber and copper
Overall length: 9.25”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $500
Maker: Jason Coy, jasoncoyknives.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)


Gary Langley Subhilt Fighter

Gary Langley Subhilt Fighter

Blade length: 6.25”
Blade steel: CPM 154 stainless
Scales: Mammoth ivory
Guard & subhilt: 416 stainless
Overall length: 11.5”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: Contact maker for pricing
Knife to know: Gary Langley is a voting member of The Knifemakers’ Guild
Maker: Gary Langley, gllangley.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)


Bubba Crouch Trapper Skinner

Bubba Crouch Trapper Skinner

Knife pattern: Trapper skinner
Blade length: 3.5”
Blade material: Copper san-mai by Baker Forge
Blade grind: Hollow
Scales: Barky mammoth ivory
Bolster: Integral
Liners: 416 stainless steel
Backspring: Heat-colored CPM 154 stainless
Closed length: 4.25”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $2,200
Maker: Bubba Crouch (Jocelyn Frasier image)


Eliot Maldonado Folding Fighter

Eliot Maldonado Folding Fighter

Blade length: 3”
Blade material: Mosaic damascus by Curt Zimmerman and Kelly Vermeer Vella
Blade grind: Hollow
Blade pattern: Clip point
Blade opener: Flipper
Bolster material: Same as blade
Bolster design: Double keyhole
Scales: Koa
Handle hardware: Titanium
Lock: Linerlock
Closed length: 4”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $2,200
Maker: Eliot Maldonado (Jocelyn Frasier image)


William Zermeno Folder

William Zermeno Folder

Blade length: 3.5”
Blade steel: CPM 154 stainless
Blade @thickest: 3/16”
Blade grind: Hollow
Handle frame: 160 titanium milled out
Scales: FatCarbon®
Handle screws: Titanium
Lock: Framelock
Lock stabilizer: Titanium
Pocket clip: Titanium
Closed length: 5.25”
Maker’s price for a similar knife: $550
Maker: William Zermeno, wdzknives.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)


Check Out Knife Drops:

2025 BLADE Show Preview: A Truly International Knife Affair

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Only at the BLADE Show do the continents come together so well.

With the possible exception of Antarctica and a stray archipelago or two, knife fans and knifemakers from every continent and beyond will come together as one for the 44th Annual BLADE Show.

Sponsored by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, the BLADE Show June 6-8 in Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Centre is where more knives—custom, factory, antique, classic collectibles, etc.—are exhibited, played with, bought and sold than at any other knife event. Nine-hundred-fifty exhibitors from 35 countries will showcase their newest, coolest knives and examples of most every edged tool extant, accessories, knifemaking supplies and equipment, and more. Knife purveyors, pro-knife legislation entities, knifemaking teachers and other cutlery outfits too numerous to mention will display their wares as the world knife community undertakes the yearly pilgrimage to Georgia.


WHAT: BLADE Show
WHERE: Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta
WHEN: June 6-8
DAYS and TIMES:
Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (early bird ticket holders can enter at 10 a.m.)
Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Get Your 2025 BLADE Show Tickets Now!


Factory knife debuts, the educational knife instruction of BLADE University, and informative, entertaining and action-packed demos are among the sharp goodies awaiting show patrons. The BLADE Magazine 2025 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards and the custom knife judging competition are others. The American Bladesmith Society (ABS) will name its latest master and journeyman smiths, and some of the best knives the ABS and The Knifemakers’ Guild and unaffiliated makers offer will be on display in all their sharpest glory.

And don’t forget The Pit, the after-hours meeting place in and around the sunken bar of the host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly, where show patrons and exhibitors will party into the wee hours beginning the night before the show through the end of the weekend to compare knives, swap lies and otherwise celebrate the year’s most momentous cutlery weekend.

Liong Mah Knives will debut the Warrior 3 framelock folder in a 3.5-inch hand-ground traditional tanto blade of Bohler M390 stainless steel. Handle: titanium. Country of origin: China. MSRP: $420.
Liong Mah Knives will debut the Warrior 3 framelock folder in a 3.5-inch hand-ground traditional tanto blade of Bohler M390 stainless steel. Handle: titanium. Country of origin: China. MSRP: $420.

Among the outstanding makers from a potpourri of countries who will be exhibiting:

  • Argentina
  • CAS Brothers
  • Mauricio Daletzky
  • Javier Vogt
  • Australia
  • Bruce Barnett
  • Belgium
  • Jean-Louis Regel
  • Veronique Laurent
  • Samuel Lurquin
  • Brazil
  • Franco de Souza
  • Rodrigo Sfreddo
  • Fabio Barros
  • Gus Cecchini
  • Denmark
  • Jens Anso
  • China
  • WE Knife
  • Reate
  • Ketuo
  • Italy
  • Lionsteel
  • Alfredo Faccipieri
  • Fox Cutlery
  • Maniago Knife Makers (MKM)
  • Maserin
  • Japan
  • Kiku Matsuda
  • Koji Hara
  • Norway
  • Helle Knives
  • Portugal
  • Carlos Queiros
  • Russia
  • Sergey Shirogorov
  • South Africa
  • Bertie Rietveld
  • Theuns Prinsloo
  • Henning Wilkinson
  • Neels van den Berg
  • Sweden
  • Damasteel
  • Michael Andersson
  • United Kingdom
  • Grace Horne

Some of the leading American exhibiting makers will be BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® members Bill Ruple and Steve Schwarzer; ABS master smiths Harvey Dean, Mike Quesenberry, Shane Taylor, David Lisch, Jordan LaMothe, Josh and Karis Fisher, and Andrew Meers; slipjoint makers Stanley Buzek, Tom Ploppert, Luke Swenson and Tim Robertson; Allen Elishewitz; Les George; Walter Brend; Murray Carter; Strider Knives; Hawk Knives; Vince Evans; Vladimir Kolenko; Owen Wood, a transplanted South African who now calls Texas home; factory companies Spyderco, Case, TOPS Knives, Chris Reeve Knives, Spartan Blades, Pro-Tech, Microtech, Kershaw, Squid Industries, KA-BAR and Heretic Knives; and many more.

Knives Of The Year Revamp

The BLADE Magazine Awards Reception (page 61) will be the Saturday night of the show on the second floor of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel at the top of the escalators above The Pit. ABS master smith Harvey Dean (right) accepts his award for Best Fixed Blade at last year’s reception.
The BLADE Magazine Awards Reception (page 61) will be the Saturday night of the show on the second floor of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel at the top of the escalators above The Pit. ABS master smith Harvey Dean (right) accepts his award for Best Fixed Blade at last year’s reception.

The BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards are the factory knife industry’s premier honors. In its ongoing effort to maintain the awards’ preeminent position in the knife industry, the BLADE Show is changing the way the winners are determined. Instead of being exhibited in the BLADE Show lobby display case for judging, this year the knives will be judged in a private room. In this way, BLADE Show officials believe, it will be much easier for the judges to fully examine the knives minus the hustle and bustle of onlookers and passersby that engulfed the display case area in past years.

In another change, a new category, Best Of The Rest, has been added to address entries that do not fit any of the existing award categories. Moreover, the Automatic Knife Of The Year sponsored by PVK.com that debuted last year returns.

As in the past, the entries are limited to BLADE Show factory booth exhibitors, all of whom received the rules well before the show outlining the new changes. Like last year, the winners will be announced and presented during the BLADE Magazine Awards Reception Saturday at 8 p.m. in the room on the floor above The Pit. The winners will be listed on BLADE’s blademag.com after the awards reception, and a list will be posted outside the show entrance Sunday morning.

Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards Categories:

  • Overall Knife of the Year
  • Most Innovative American-Made Knife of the Year
  • American-Made Fixed Blade of the Year
  • Most Innovative Imported Knife of the Year
  • Imported Fixed Blade of the Year
  • Best Buy of the Year
  • American-Made Folder of the Year
  • Investor/Collector of the Year
  • Imported Folder of the Year
  • Manufacturing Quality Award
  • Automatic of the Year
  • Accessory of the Year
  • Kitchen Knife of the Year
  • Collaboration of the Year
  • Best of the Rest Award

BLADE University

BLADE University classes will run the Thursday before the show through show Saturday. Neels van den Berg—here giving a class on quillon daggers at last year’s show—will conduct the class “Level Up Using Lasers, Ninjas and Other Cool Tools.” For the full BLADE U.
BLADE University classes will run the Thursday before the show through show Saturday. Neels van den Berg—here giving a class on quillon daggers at last year’s show—will conduct the class “Level Up Using Lasers, Ninjas and Other Cool Tools.” For the full BLADE U.

Get current on the latest knifemaking techniques and other trending sharp subjects during the 12th Annual BLADE University on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Sponsored by Work Sharp, BLADE University has the most extensive schedule of knife, knifemaking and other instruction held at any knife show.

Thursday, June 5

  • Material Conservation for the Forging Smith, 4-5 p.m., Room 104. Award-winning bladesmith Mareko Maumasi shares techniques and approaches he uses to reduce guesswork and material waste in the workshop.

Friday, June 6

  • Material Conservation for the Forging Smith, 4-5 p.m., Room 104. Award-winning bladesmith Mareko Maumasi shares techniques and approaches he uses to reduce guesswork and material waste in the workshop. FRIDAY, JUNE 6
  • Fundamentals of Grinding, AmeriBrade and guest grinders, 8 to 9:30 a.m., The Courtyard. AmeriBrade and guest makers provide a general overview on grinds, techniques and different equipment.
  • Deep Dive into Culinary Knives, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Room 103. Mareko Maumasi returns to help collectors and makers better understand the nuances of high-performance culinary knives.
  • Brakimo: Forged for the Field, Room 107. Nick Italiano, Recoil OffGrid associate editor and host of the Raise The Flag Podcast, interviews knife designer Joe Flowers on the untold story of how the TOPS Knives Brakimo knife was crafted for survival and other uses.
  • Take Damascus Etching to the Next Level, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Room 103. Baker Forge & Tool’s Greyson Weltyk of Grey Blades and Jordon Berthelot of JB Blades teach step-by-step processes on how to use Gator Piss etchant to enhance intricate patterns in damascus, including in-person demos with damascus knives.
  • How To Steal Designs (But Not from Other Knifemakers) and Make Them Your Own, 2 to 3 p.m., Room 113. Drawing inspiration from such sources as Byzantine-era cathedrals, Art Deco and Art Nouveau and others, Jason Knight shows you how to take your knife idea and make it uniquely yours without copying anyone else’s work.
  • Hands on Sharpening, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Room 113. Bring your knife or a borrowed one and learn the progression of shaping a bevel, sharpening and edge maintenance from the team at Work Sharp.
  • Leather Sheath Making Tips, Tricks & Tools, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Room 107. John Dennehy shares the sheath-making tips he’s learned after working leather for almost 50 years, including leather selection, the tools he uses and why he uses them.

Saturday, June 7

  • Elevating Your Handle Appearance: Spine Filework, Handle Shapes and Pin Placement, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Room 113. Knifemaker Kyle Daily shares how to embellish your knife with distinctive features that go far beyond standard production models.
  • Demystifying Damascus, Mareko Maumasi, 9:30 to 11 a.m., Room 104. Mareko Maumasi helps collectors gain a better appreciation for the skill required to make damascus patterns and deepens the makers’ understanding of pattern design and composition.
  • The Cutting Edge, Nick Italiano, 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., Room 107. Nick Italiano returns to discuss the nuances of various blade grinds. From common everyday uses to survival situations, Nick covers several common grinds and their real-world function.
  • Level Up Using Lasers, Ninjas and Other Cool Tools, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Room 113. Join Neels van den Berg and dive into how laser engravers, digital design, and jigs and process design can streamline your workflow and improve your work. Plus, explore the mindset and discipline—the “ninja skills”—that separate good makers from great ones.
  • Designing Knives: Philosophy, Tools and Inspiration, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m., Room 104. Jens Anso shares his approach to knife design, including how he thinks about form and function, the tools he uses and where he finds inspiration.
  • You Can’t Make Knives! 2:30-3:30 p.m., Room 107. Jason Knight returns to explain why he ignored the warnings and made knives anyway—and how you can survive, flourish and establish yourself as a timeless, classic knifemaker.
  • How to Select the Best Steel for Every Knife, 4 to 5 p.m., Room 104. Steel metallurgist Dr. Larrin Thomas covers which steels are more optimal for a large chopper, kitchen knife, folder and more, covering cost, edge retention, forgeability, grindability and other factors.

*Work Sharp sponsors BLADE University.

Enroll In BLADE University Now And Sharpen Up Your Knife Knowledge!

Custom Knife Awards

The judges will have their hands full during the custom knife judging competition.
The judges will have their hands full during the custom knife judging competition.

Leading industry authorities will pick the best custom knives by BLADE Show exhibitors in the annual knife judging competition, with the winners announced during the BLADE Magazine Awards Reception Saturday at 8 p.m.

The categories are:

  • Hugh Bartrug Best Of Show
  • Best Fixed Blade
  • Best Damascus
  • Best Kitchen Knife
  • Best Miniature
  • Best Art Knife
  • Best Fighter
  • Best Bowie
  • Best Handle Design
  • Best Tactical Folder
  • Best M.A.C.K. (Machine Assisted Custom Knife)
  • Best Utility Hunter
  • Best Folder
  • Most Innovative Design
  • Best Knife Collaboration
  • Best Sword
  • Best New Maker
  • Best Of The Rest

The competition is open to the show’s custom knife exhibitors only. The winners will be announced on BLADE’s blademag.com website after the awards ceremony, and a list will be posted outside the show entrance Sunday morning.

World Championship Cutting Competition

The BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition will be conducted by BladeSports International (BSI) and held in The Courtyard, the parking lot of the host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Attendance is free to BLADE Show ticketholders.

Returning to defend their titles in the men’s and women’s divisions are the first-ever same-year husband-and-wife champs: Mr. and Mrs. James and Michael Clifton. While the BSI Nationals (April 26) were still to be held at press time, 16 men and 14 women had qualified for the BLADE Show World Championship.

Men’s Qualifiers

  • David Moore
  • James Clifton
  • Ben Propst
  • Anthony Stovall
  • Mike Eubanks
  • Gary Bond
  • Eldon Johnson
  • Daniel O’Connor
  • Hunter Eubanks
  • David Barnes
  • Chris Berry
  • Ben Leyder
  • Donavon Phillips
  • Jayson Pilosi
  • Daniel Thompson
  • Aaron Tarone

Women’s Qualifiers

  • Jo Carothers
  • Sara Maly
  • Terri Lynn
  • Kenda Speaks
  • Sue Ann Propst
  • Michael Clifton
  • Robin Berry
  • Juli Coon
  • Lindsay Zehrung
  • Rhiannon Sibley
  • Lauren Kalns
  • Cindy Pilosi
  • Katie Adams
  • Jamie Doung

Bali Grand Master

Top balisong flippers will vie for the title of “Grand Master” in the 9th Annual Battle for Bali Champion sponsored and conducted by Blade HQ.

BLADE Show ticketholders are invited to watch the competition on the floor above The Pit of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel on show Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Competitors will start flipping knives at 12:30 p.m.

The top three finishers will receive prizes and all participants will get swag bags. Steven Ash was crowned Bali-Champion last year, with Corbin Lovins finishing runner-up for the second year in a row and Seiji Brown third.

Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame

The BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® inductions (page 61) will be the Saturday morning of the show. William “Bill” Harsey, Jr., was inducted by his friends at last year’s ceremony. From left: U.S. Army Special Forces (retired) Col. Joseph Osborne; Tim and Anne Reeve (holding Bill’s Hall-of-Fame plaque) of Chris Reeve Knives; Mark Carey, Spartan Blades; Dean Felides of Old Yankee Cutting Boards; and Curtis Iovito, Spartan Blades.
The BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® inductions (page 61) will be the Saturday morning of the show. William “Bill” Harsey, Jr., was inducted by his friends at last year’s ceremony. From left: U.S. Army Special Forces (retired) Col. Joseph Osborne; Tim and Anne Reeve (holding Bill’s Hall-of-Fame plaque) of Chris Reeve Knives; Mark Carey, Spartan Blades; Dean Felides of Old Yankee Cutting Boards; and Curtis Iovito, Spartan Blades.

The BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® will formally induct its new members at 8 a.m. show Saturday in the Kennesaw Room of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel. Tickets are required ahead of time for the ceremony, which includes a breakfast. Seating is limited. For ticket information, email [email protected].

Hall of Fame inductees includes:

  • Harvey Dean
  • Rick Dunkerley
  • Stanley Fujisaka
  • Dr. James R. Lucie
  • Alfred Pendray
  • James Schmidt
  • Daniel Winkler
  • Karen Shook

Classroom Seminars

Classroom seminars are held inside the Cobb Galleria. Admission is free to BLADE Show ticketholders:

The History, Mystery, and Meaning of Emerson Knives: Emerson Knives has always been more than just a knife company. Don’t miss this opportunity to spend an hour with Ernest Emerson as he pulls back the veil to give you the history and the reasons Emerson Knives has come to represent more than just knives. You’ll also get a chance to ask questions about all things Emerson from Ernest himself.

The Unadulterated Story of Knifemaking: High-Endurance Performance Knife master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler will examine what made the great makers great. They could have gone into other occupations—why didn’t they? Are today’s knife goals different than they were then? What are the ways to price your knives? What can makers do to gain their markets? Ed will examine the topics as only he can.

Saturday

  • 8 a.m.: BLADE Magazine Cutlery-Hall-Of-Fame Inductions, Kennesaw Room, Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel (tickets required in advance; contact [email protected])
  • 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: The Unadulterated Story of Knifemaking, High-Performance Endurance Knife master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler, Room 107
  • Noon to 2 p.m.: 9th Annual Battle for Bali-Champion, conducted by Blade HQ, on the second floor at the top of the escalators of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel (flipping starts at 12:30)
  • Noon to 3 p.m.: Buck Collectors Club, Room 103
  • 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.: The History, Mystery, and Meaning of Emerson Knives, Ernest Emerson, Emerson Knives, Inc., Room 104
  • 4:30 p.m.: BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competitions, conducted by BladeSports International in The Courtyard

Knife For A Novel

Author Tom Marshall designed the Colonel Blades Contingency dagger (left) for his debut novel, Close and Destroy.
Author Tom Marshall designed the Colonel Blades Contingency dagger (left) for his debut novel, Close and Destroy.

Colonel Blades will showcase the Contingency dagger designed by military veteran and author Tom Marshall specifically for his debut novel, Close and Destroy, at the BLADE Show.

While training and researching for the book, Marshall realized he hadn’t found an EDC fixed blade that did quite what he wanted for the characters in his story. He shared his vision with Colonel Blades, who brought it to life with the no-frills, EDC-friendly Contingency in AUS-8 stainless steel and G-10. The author will be at the Colonel Blades table signing copies of the novel that inspired the knife.

Colonel Blades also will display the BRB, a new breaching tool done in partnership with Good Dude Concepts, a company with deep roots in tactical law enforcement. The BRB is a compact, lightweight breaching tool for residential structures and vehicle extrication. It is especially equipped for vehicle work with its glass-ripping profile, a feature that allows it to literally saw through laminated safety glass such as the kind used in car windshields.

Colonel Blades will display its latest knife, the Yoru push dagger, as well. Made by Fox Knives, the compact, sturdy push knife features an oversized finger hole and thumb gimping to maximize the ergonomic experience.

What’s Next?

The final BLADE Show-sponsored event for 2025 will be BLADE Show West, Oct. 10-11 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For details, visit bladeshowwest.com. BLADE Show Texas 2026 will be March 20-21 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Visit bladeshowtexas.com for more on it. And, of course, it’s never too late to start thinking BLADE Show 2026 June 5-7 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. For details, visit bladeshow.com.

Editor’s note: Smoky Mountain Knife Works is the official sponsor of BLADE Show 2025. WE Knife is the floor plan sponsor. Rosecraft Blades is The Pit sponsor. Work Sharp sponsors BLADE University. Nottingham Tactical is the lanyard sponsor. Hogue Knives is the housing sponsor. EKnives is the concessions sponsor. Kizer Cutlery is the Wi-Fi sponsor. The other sponsors are Heretic Knives, TOPS Knives, Reate Knives, QSP, Artisan Cutlery, McNees Knives and Ketuo/Rike Knives.

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