See who took home the hardware from the BLADE Show Texas Custom Knife competition.
With deep roots in fine custom knifemaking, BLADE Show Texas consistently attracts the top names in the industry, making its Custom Knife Awards a true showdown of elite craftsmanship. The 2025 competition, held March 7-8 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, was no exception.
The judging hall overflowed with exceptional entries in 12 categories, pushing the three-judge panel to their limits. After intense deliberation, the judges selected the finest blades of the year—including Best of Show and Best Fighter, awarded to Franco for his stunning fighter that felt as good in the hand as it looked to the eye.
Best In Show & Best Fighter: Franco
What The Judges Said: “We felt his had the best technical aspects with the gold inlay and engraving. It’s a very long blade but has a short feel and is very [wieldly], easy to maneuver.”
Best In Show Contender & Custom Folding Knife: Tom Overeynder
What The Judges Said: “The fit and finish, the action… there is nothing wrong with this knife. It’s an awesome knife that’s super clean.”
Best Art Knife: Paul Distefano
What The Judges Said: “It has a cohesive vision, executed with no flaws. It’s color, texture and finish all tie together.”
Best Custom Bowie: David Lisch
What The Judges Said: “The organic flow of the guard and fittings and the complication of doing the subhilt all flow into one. The damascus is well executed and the knife has near perfect fit and finish.”
Best Damascus: Pedro Fornari
What The Judges Said: “It’s an eight-bar Turkish twist that’s nearly perfect in execution. It’s difficult to make and it’s an integral.”
Best Custom EDC: Evan Nicolaides
What The Judges Said: “It’s light, elegant, deploys quickly with little movement and it’s efficient.”
Best Custom Hunting Knife: Josh Fisher
What The Judges Said: “We all think this is a differentially etched damascus blade with the damascus showing on the spine of the blade. It’s lightweight with a great blade length for a hunter.”
Best Custom Kitchen Knife: Luke Dellmyer/Richard Patterson
What The Judges Said: “The blade shape is spot on. It doesn’t have any undergrinds or overgrinds. The heel doesn’t rock, it’s balanced and feels lightweight.”
Best Custom Slip Joint: Evan Nicolaides
What The Judges Said: “The action is great, everything lines up and it’s beautifully well made.”
Best M.A.C.K.: Jared Oeser
What The Judges Said: “Overall it has clean lines, operates smooth as silk and technically it’s perfection.”
Best Of The Rest: Josh Taylor
What The Judges Said: “It’s a very cool piece. The blade is dead-nuts straight and the carving is good. Very stylish use of the natural contours of the wood.”
See which factory knives took home the coveted hardware from the BLADE Show Texas Factory Knife Awards.
The BLADE Show Texas, held March 7-8 at the Fort Worth Convention Center, saw an intense factory knife competition. With an excellent turnout of competitors and a high-level of execution on the knives, it was most definitely a showcase of the top-tier production knives at the show.
With such an impressive lineup, the three-judge panel faced a tough challenge in determining which blade best represented each of the seven categories. In short, competition was hot. With the dust settled, here are the winners who claimed top honors, including Best in Show.
Best In Show & Best Imported Knife: Poikilo VK Zen
What The Judges Had To Say: “It’s a well thought out knife in both design and function.”
Best American Made Knife: Dauntless Manufacturing Clifft
What The Judges Had To Say: “The details and craftsmanship in [the Clifft], you don’t expect to see that in a factory knife.”
Best EDC Knife: Dauntless Manufacturing Moss
What The Judges Had To Say: “It’s the entire package. The company has an attention to detail and the knife has one of the best sheathes [we’ve] seen.”
Best Fixed Blade: OSP Viper
What The Judges Had To Say: “It comes with an excellent and functional sheath. It’s ergonomics and carriablity come together to create a complete package.”
Best Folder Knife: Pro-Tech/Vero Engineering Synapse Auto
What The Judges Had To Say: It won, “Because it’s badass!”
Best Of The Rest: Vero Engineering Vortex TI Maintenance Kit
What The Judges Had To Say: “Far too many bit drivers have thin handles. This one is made to fit the hand and torque down on.”
Robert Young reinvents a classic Loveless fixed blade in flipper form.
Robert Young reproduces BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Loveless’s New York Special fixed blade in a flipper folder format, and it’s something that would probably please even Bob himself.
Young also makes a standard fixed-blade repro of the knife. He holds it and the folder—when the folder’s open, both knives are the same size—side by side at shows to see if customers can tell which one’s which, and nine times out of 10 they can’t. Around 1976-77 when he was 16 and a California resident, he learned a man making knives lived three doors down from a friend’s grandfather’s house. Robert visited the man and it turned out to be Loveless. He had no idea who Bob was until later and then visited him about a dozen times.
Robert Young, 64, has been making knives off and on since 1976 and has been full time for two years now. He moved from California to Arkansas in 1993. He’s made about a dozen of the New York Special flippers and also reproduces Loveless City Knife, Junior Bear and Big Bear fixed blades, the latter with a 1-inch-wide sub-hilt. At press time he was working on a folding version of the City Knife and a less expensive version of the New York Special folder. Loveless, of course, never made a custom folder. (Jocelyn Frasier knife image)
“He taught me and I improved a lot real quick,” Robert said. “I wished I’d stuck around there more than I did but I was kind of embarrassed once I found out who he was. I didn’t want to bug him a whole bunch, but he did teach me quite a bit.”
New York Special Flipper Specs Blade length: 3” Blade steel: RWL-34 stainless Rockwell hardness: 62 HRC Blade grind: Double hollow on a 3-inch wheel Blade pivot: Ceramic bearings Scales: Stag Liners: 416 stainless, integral Closed length: 4.25” Maker’s price for a similar knife: $1,500
A whole passel of knew knives that will set you wish list to overflow.
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 February. So, with out further adieu, here’s our latest round of new knives.
Cowboy Szymanski M4 bayonet
Blade length: 6.75” Blade material: Battleship blister-plated 15N20 nickel alloy steel Blade grind: Flat double edge Scales: Turned deck wood (long leaf pine) from the USS Texas BB-35 World War I dreadnought class battleship Bolster: Same material as blade Overall length: 11.75” Sheath: Standard leather Knife to know: Cowboy Szymanski donated the knife to the Battleship Texas Foundation through the Battleship Texas Artisans project to raise funds to refurbish the USS Texas. Maker’s price for a similar knife and sheath: $1,997 Maker: Cowboy Szymanski (SharpByCoop image)
Robert Appleby Tillotson-Inspired Sheffield Bowie
Blade length: 10” Blade steel: CPM 154 stainless Blade grind: Hollow (36” radius) Blade finish: 2,000-grit satin Blade pattern: Clip point Scales: Mother-of-pearl Handle frame, guard & front bolster: 410 stainless Overall length: 14.5” Sheath (not shown): Wet-molded leather w/410 stainless throat and tip Knife to know: The half-horse/half-alligator rear bolster cast in white bronze is in a style made famous on classic 19th-century bowies; Robert Appleby is no longer accepting custom orders Maker’s price for a similar knife and sheath: $3,200 Maker: Robert Appleby, applebyknives.com (SharpByCoop image)
Randy Caston Bowie No. 1
Blade length: 13.5” Blade material: 1075 carbon steel Scales: Walnut burl Furniture: Sterling silver Overall length: 19” Knife to know: Randy Caston’s Bowie No. 1 is a reproduction of a 19th-century bowie some believe was made by James Black; Randy is a past Forged in Fire champ (season six, episode 16) Maker’s price for a similar knife: $1,750 Maker: Randy Caston (SharpByCoop image)
Jordan Danz Nessmuk
Blade length: 4.5” Blade steel: AEB-L stainless Blade grind: Scandi Scales: Butterscotch Micarta® w/Maple Valley Richlite Spacers: G-10 Lanyard: Leather w/bead of butterscotch maple and G-10 spacer Overall length: 9.75” Sheath: Leather w/belt loop Maker’s price for a similar knife and sheath: $400 Maker: Jordan Danz, jdcustomknives.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Lee Parsons Texas Republic Bowie
Blade length: 12” Blade material: 1095 carbon steel w/hamon made via the clay method Blade grind: Flat Blade finish: Hand sanded to mirror polish Blade pattern: Clip point Scales: Bog oak w/blue and yellow Micarta® Fittings: Brass Overall length: 17.5” Maker’s price for a similar knife: $2,500 Knife to know: The knife was made for a collector who is a huge fan of Texas; lettering is hand engraved and the hand-inlaid Republic star is 24k gold; March 2, 1836, is the date Texas formally declared its independence from Mexico; Lee Parsons is an ABS apprentice smith Maker: Lee Parsons, skmoknives.com (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Larry Chew/TiKnives Covert Dual Action
Blade length: 3.5” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Blade grind: Hollow on first run Blade finish: Satin or bead blasted Scales: Laser-engraved titanium & carbon fiber Handle frame: Titanium Pocket clip: Laser-engraved titanium & carbon fiber Closed length: 4.5” Makers’ price for a similar knife: $975 and up Knife to know: Features the Covert Lockout mechanism in which the upper left-hand gimping slides forward to release the spring-loaded release button; dual thumb studs; options include Chad Nichols damascus blade steel and titanium, Timascus™ and ironwood scales, and a 3D-machined damascus clip (check w/makers for pricing on options); a collaboration between Larry Chew and Scott Self of TiKnives Makers: Larry Chew/TiKnives, tinivesoriginal.com (SharpByCoop image)
Levi Graham Ancient Woolly Frontier Field Knife
Pattern: Camp knife Blade length: 6” Blade material: 1084 carbon steel w/copper cladding forged by Adam Deville Blade grind: High flat Scales: Mammoth ivory Construction: Full-tapered tang Bolster: Copper textured wrap and rawhide Overall length: 11.25” Sheath: Deer rawhide w/braintan fringe, mammoth bark center dangler w/copper tacks, cones, beads, rattlesnake vertebrae and horsehair Maker: Levi Graham, levigrahamknives.com (SharpByCoop image)
Tanner Couch Saddlehorn Trapper
Blade length: 2 7/8” Blade material: Vegas Forge stainless steel Virus damascus Blade grind: Hollow Scales: Stag Bolster: Chad Nichols Wasp Nest damascus Maker’s price for a similar knife: $3,000 Knife to know: The saddlehorn trapper was one of the favorite patterns of BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Tony Bose, iconic American custom knifemaker Maker: Tanner Couch, Tilden, (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Marc Josef Knives Pizza Cutter
Blade diameter: 2.76” Blade material: 52100 carbon and 410 stainless nickel alloy steels forged in a san-mai construction by Brook Turner Scales: Ebony Overall length: 9.1” Maker’s price for a similar piece: $750 at press-time exchange rate Maker: Marc Josef Knives, marcjosefknives.com.au (Rod Hoare image)
Nicholas Orr Coffin-Handle Bowie
Blade length: 8.5” Blade material: Feather-pattern mosaic damascus Blade grind: Full flat w/a double clip Blade pattern: Clip point Scales: African blackwood Handle frame & spacer: Twisted & blued mosaic damascus Guard & pommel: Mosaic damascus Construction: Full tang Overall length: 13.5” Maker’s price for a similar knife: $4,000 Knife to know: Nicholas Orr is an ABS journeyman smith Maker: Nicholas Orr, (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Sam Roddy Bowie
Blade length: 10” Blade material: Mosaic damascus of 1084 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels Blade grind: Flat Blade pattern: Clip point Scales: Ironwood w/nickel silver and brass spacers Guard: Stainless steel Overall length: 15.5” Maker’s price for a similar knife: $2,400 Knife to know: Sam Roddy is an ABS apprentice smith Maker: Sam Roddy (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Jacco VandeBruinhorst San Francisco Gentleman’s Knife
Knife type: 19th-century dress bowie Blade length: 5.5” Blade material: Mosaic damascus Blade grind: Flat Scales: Mother-of-pearl Handle frame: Mosaic damascus Overall length: 12” Knife to know: Full takedown construction; engraving by Wolfgang Loerchner Maker: Jacco VandeBruinhorst, jvbknives.ca (SharpByCoop image)
If your knife is a damascus folder, all eyes are on it when you pull it from your pocket and deploy the blade. Is that damascus? Is it sharp? Who forged it? What’s the pattern? The questions flood in and the conversation starts. Enjoy the discussion!
Bob Hook: Dress Locking Folder
ABS journeyman smith Bob Hook employs a damascus of 1080 carbon and 15N20 nickel-alloy steels forged by Salem Straub for the clip-point blade of his dress locking folder. The scales are Alaskan mammoth ivory and the bolsters are mokume gane. Blade and closed lengths: 2.75 and 3.25 inches.
David Kramp: Navy Rope Knife
Rose pattern damascus from Damasteel comprises the sheepsfoot blade of David Kramp’s Navy Rope Knife. The slipjoint is modeled after a Sheffield, England-built U.S. Navy rope knife likely issued around the time of the Spanish American War of 1898. A frame of 410 stainless steel supports the stag scales. Bolster: 416 stainless. Closed length: 4.5 inches.
Dirk Loots: Engraved
Dirk Loots opts for Fracture pattern damascus by Bertie Rietveld for the 3.5-inch hollow-ground blade of his exotic folder. Scales and liners/bolster: Mammoth ivory and bronze. Inlays: 24k gold and fine silver. Closed length: 5.5 inches. Dirk also did the engraving.
Tom Overeynder: Dagger
A 3.62-inch blade and 4.66-inch frame of Gysinge pattern damascus forged by Damasteel highlight Tom Overeynder’s folding dagger. The spanner bolts used in the construction of the knife are Blue Tongue pattern damascus, also by Damasteel.
Ted Moore: Hollow Grind
Larry Donnely forged the damascus for the blued, hollow-ground blade of Ted Moore’s folder engraved by Madeline Crumling. The frame and liners are 416 stainless steel and the inlay is black pen shell. Blade and closed lengths: 2.5 and 3.5 inches.
Manuele Messori: Halo
Damasteel forged the Thor pattern damascus for the 4.13-inch blade of Manuele Messori’s Halo. The blade inlay is white and black-lip mother-of-pearl, and the handle is zirconium, Timascus®, mother-of-pearl and Gibeon meteorite. Liners: Timascus. Closed length: 4.9 inches.
Andrew Takach: Harpoon
A damascus blade in a harpoon pattern, crosscut mammoth ivory handle in a bird’s-beak-butt pattern, and a flared damascus bolster with 24k-gold inlay complete a dress locking folder by Andrew Takach.
Today’s American-made knives embody the latest in the state-of-the-art.
American knifemaking is alive, well and thriving. Certainly over the years the marketplace for cutlery has become more global, despite this native craftsmen and companies have held their ground and remained sharp as ever. Below is a good example. We’ve collected a throng of blades made in good ol’ U.S. of A. that showcase creative prowess of our countrymen.
Designer: Eric Glesser Blade length: 2.42” Blade steel: CTS BD1N stainless Blade grind: Full-flat Blade finish: Satin Scale material: FRN Lock: Back Lock Weight: 1.5 ozs. Closed length: 3.74” MSRP: $160 Knife to know: This folding knife takes the company’s Lil’ Native Back Lock platform and lightens it by 40 percent with fiberglass-reinforced-nylon scales. Available: March
TOPS Knives Wood Nymph
Knife type: EDC/bushcraft Designer: Bushcraft Kelso Blade length: 2.25” Blade material: 1095 carbon steel Rockwell hardness: 56-58 HRC Blade grind: TOPS’ modified Scandi Blade finish: Tumble Scale material: Tan/black G-10 Weight: 1.8 ozs. (3.2 ozs. w/sheath) Overall length: 5.75” Sheath type and material: Brown leather MSRP: $190 Knife to know: Thick for its size, the handle is well-rounded and longer than the blade for a solid grip. The blade shape is simple and classic. It’s sharp, pointy and a little thinner than most would expect from TOPS at 3/32-inch thick. A simple leather sheath makes this knife one of the easiest to carry. It’s a simple yet effective workingman’s tool. Available: NOW
Rick Hinderer Knive XM-18 3.5” Bowie Automatic Aluminum
Knife type: EDC Designer: Rick Hinderer Blade length: 3.5” Blade steel: CPM S45VN stainless Rockwell hardness: 60-62 HRC Blade pattern: Bowie Blade finish: Stonewash Liners: Patent pending titanium half liners Scale material: Two options: anodized blue aluminum w/inlay and Arctic Storm w/FCF inlay Frame material: Aluminum anodized blue Furniture material: Stainless steel black nitride hardware (add on) and matte black Holey Clip (add on) Lock: Button lock Pivot: Phosphor bronze washers Weight: 5.12 ozs. Closed length: 4.75” MSRP: $495 Knife to know: Featuring a lightweight yet durable aluminum handle with patent-pending titanium half liners, this knife offers enhanced strength and stability without compromising on weight. Designed with the EDC enthusiast in mind, it blends innovation, practicality and cutting performance, making it a trusted companion for any daily task or adventure. Available: 2025
Bear Forest Knives Stumpy
Blade length: 2 1/8” Blade steel: Nitro V stainless Blade thickness: 1/8” w/90-degree spine Grind: Full flat Finish: Raw matte Scale materials: Various Micarta®/wood/Bearcarta (check availability) Overall Length: 5 7/8” Sheath: Kydex® black (.08” thick) MSRP: $239.99 Knife to know: The Stumpy checks all the boxes; it defines what is needed in a small utility fixed-blade knife while in the shop or outdoors. At the same time, you aren’t giving up comfort. Available: NOW
Bradford USA Guardian 3.2
Knife type: Fixed-blade EDC Blade length: 3.5” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut High Hardness stainless Rockwell hardness: 63-64 HRC Blade grind: Sabre, false edge, full height flat Blade thickness: .14” Scale options: Micarta®, G-10 and carbon fiber Overall length: 7.125” Sheath: Horizontal leather MSRP: $229 Knife to know: Blade also available in a choice of ELMAX and M390 stainless steels Available: NOW
A.G. Russell Knives California Bowie Knife
Designer: BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member A.G. Russell Blade length: 8.5” Blade steel: 154CM stainless Rockwell hardness: 59-61 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade finish: Satin Scale material: Premium India stag Furniture material: 410 stainless steel Weight: 10.6 ozs. Overall length: 13.25” Sheath type and material: Handmade of leather Special feature: Long California clip point blade MSRP: $595 Available: NOW
RMJ Tactical Gym Rat
Designer: Bryan Schellenger Knife type: Fixed-blade EDC Blade length: 2 3/8” Blade thickness: 1/8” Weight: 2.3 ozs. Blade steel: Nitro V stainless Rockwell hardness: 59-60 HRC Blade finish: Tungsten Cerakote® Scale material: Three G-10 options: black, dirty olive, hyena brown Handle fasteners: Torx Grade 5 titanium anodized a bronze color Barbell bead: Grade 5 titanium Overall length: 5 1/8” Sheath: Kydex w/ball chain & ambidextrous clip adapter suitable for pocket and outside the waistband carry Knife to know: Designer Bryan Schellenger wanted to come up with a small, light but effective blade that could be easily concealed with minimal clothing, and that idea was spawned at the gym; also carries as a necker MSRP: $185 Available: NOW
Tactile Knife Maraner 2
Knife type: EDC Designer: BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Terzuola Blade length: 2.985” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 63-64 HRC Blade pattern: Sheepsfoot Blade finish: Tumbled Liner material: Hardened stainless lock-bar insert Scale material: Titanium & G-10 Furniture material: Titanium backspacer Lock: Insert linerlock Pivot: Ceramic bearings Closed length: 4.175” Knife to know: Designed in 1987; first production variant MSRP: $399 Available: NOW
Hogue Knives Ballista II
Knife type: EDC automatic Designer: Scott Bruhns Blade length: 3.4” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 62-64 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade finish: Two-tone: stone tumbled and black PVD Scale material: Carbon fiber inserts Frame material: Matte black 6061-T6 anodized aluminum Pocket clip: Deep carry, right-hand carry Weight: 2 ozs. Closed length: 3.8” Special features: Titanium accents anodized blue MSRP: $239.95 Available: NOW
CRKT Twist Tighe Compact Automatic
Designer: Brian Tighe Knife type: EDC OTF automatic Blade length: 2.69” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Blade thickness: .09” Blade finish: Stonewash Scale material: Green carbon fiber Weight: 1.6 ozs. Closed length: 4.01” MSRP: $300 Available: NOW
Knife type: Tactical, EDC, survival Designers: Bill Harris, Stephen Schook and Utica team Blade lengths: 3 and 2.5” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 61-62 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade finish: Red powder coat Scale material: Black textured Micarta® Liner material: G-10 Overall lengths: 8 and 5.25” Sheath type and material: Critical Hit I ABS sheath w/built-in sharpener and fire striker and reversible belt clip and paracord; Critical Hit II ABS sheath w/belt clip and paracord MSRP: $170 Available: NOW
The Tar Heel Hurricane turned lives upside down, but North Carolina knifemaker Winkler Knives has proven resilient.
Hurricane Helene devastated parts of Western North Carolina, East Tennessee and other states this past fall. Among those damaged was the Winkler Knives shop in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.
Daniel Winkler estimated the monetary loss to his business from $500,000 to $600,000, though the biggest setback was the death of one of the company’s long-time employees, Steve Limbacher.
“He could not handle the stress and his heart just gave out,” Winkler wrote. “Steve is missed every day at Winkler Knives.”
Up to 15 inches of water flowed through the Winkler shop from a creek adjacent to the structure, leaving behind one to 6 inches of mud. The company lost several machines, computers, printers, cabinets and shelves, carts and other daily use tools. Materials for handles, sheaths and other shop supplies were destroyed. Four large garage doors were damaged, as was all the flooring in the office and breakroom. All the office doors were lost.
One to 6 inches of mud were left at Winkler Knives factory requiring a extensive cleanup process.
For cleanup the Winklers bought a track hoe, dump truck and small skid steer, and also numerous hoses, pressure washers, wet vacuums, mops and scrubbers. In all, it took the full staff 2 ½ weeks to clean up the mess. “However, compared to others in our area, we were just inconvenienced,” Daniel noted.
“Many others were devastated with lost buildings, vehicles and many lives. We are truly blessed.”
To aid those in one of the most severely damaged areas in North Carolina, through its fundraising efforts Winkler Knives presented a check for $13,018.75 to the Mitchelle County Development Foundation. The company also raised money for its own recovery efforts via tent sales of Winkler knives, tomahawks, axes and sheaths at Winkler Knives Actual on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2.
