Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards

The BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards are barometers of the most successful companies in the knife industry, and as such are production cutlery’s benchmark honors. Qualified BLADE Show exhibitors display their entries at their booths and in the center display area of the show hall. The winners are voted on by their fellow exhibiting peers, and the winners are announced at the BLADE Magazine Awards Banquet (tickets required) the Saturday night of the show.

BLADE Show 2023 Custom Knife Award Winners

See who took home the hardware from the 2023 Custom Knife Awards at BLADE Show.

As usual, the Custom Knife Of The Year® Awards at the June 2-4 BLADE Show at the Cobb County Gallery gather together some of the best examples of bladesmithing in the knife world. The difficulty was choosing which would rise to the top.

In a highly competitive field, a panel of expert judges sorted out the top knives in XX categories for the best of the best. Below are the winners, including the coveted Hugh Bartrug Best In Show.

Hugh Bartrug Best In Show & Fixed Blade: Vince Evans

best fixed blade and in show
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Fighter: Samuel Lurquin

best fighter
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Kitchen Knife: Lucas Gumbiner

best kitchen knife
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Folder: Owen Wood

best folder
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Tactical Folder: Thomas Gony (Grind Tactical Knives)

best tactical folder
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Handle: Fabio Barros

best handle design
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Utility Hunter: Oliver Goldschmidt

best utility hunter
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Slipjoint: Luke Swenson

Best Slipjoint
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Damascus: CAS Knives (Sobral Brothers)

Best Damascus
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best M.A.C.K.: Shirogorov Knives

M.A.C.K
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Collaboration: Raul Sartorial Filho (Engraver) & Fabio Barros (Bladesmith)

Best Collaboration
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Art Knife: Mauricio Daletzky

best art knife
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Bowie: Dionatam Franco

Best Bowie
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Sword: Vince Evans

best sword
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best Miniature: Chuck Gedraitis

best miniature
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Most Innovative: GTC Knives

most innovative design
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best of The Rest: Will Stelter

Best of the Rest
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

Best New Maker: Zane Dvorak

New Maker
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier

See Past 2023 Factory Knife Of The Year® Awards Winners:

  • 2022 Factory Knife Of The Year Award Winners
  • 2021 BLADE Show Knife-Of-The-Year® Award Winners & Custom Knife Award Winners
  • 2019 Knife of the Year® Award Winners & Custom Knife Award Winners
  • 2018 Knife of the Year® Award Winners & Custom Knife Award Winners

Share Your Knife Memories of Rob Simonich

If you knew knifemaker Rob Simonich, share your memories of him with us on www.blademag.com.

BLADE® field editor Dexter Ewing has written the story, “Heart and Soul,” in the February BLADE  which remembers Rob on the 10th anniversary of the death of one of knifemaking’s favorite sons. Killed tragically in a truck accident, Rob was loved by many, and his award-winning knives were among the best of their time—and they still hold up today.

Did you know Rob Simonich? If so, share your memories of him on www.blademag.com. (Shelby Chan photo)
Share your memories of Rob Simonich with www.blademag.com readers. (Shelby Chan photo)

Ten years is a long time, and a lot of people have come into the knife industry since Rob’s passing that do not know of the kind of person he was. If you knew Rob, you can help them know what kind of person he was by sharing some of your favorite memories of him.

Though Rob was taken away far too soon, he left an indelible mark on the knife industry, and, of course, his wife Christine and daughter Megan. Rob loved to break new ground in terms of knives, especially with blade materials such as Talonite® and CPM S30V. His knives won a number of awards, including his Urban Raven taking home the BLADE Magazine 2003 American-Made Knife Of The Year®.

As good as his knives were—and they were extremely well thought of and accepted by knife enthusiasts—it was Rob’s warm smile and sincere manner that helped him win over many friends. He loved people and he loved the outdoors, and it showed in most everything he did.

He also loved the BLADE Show and made it a point to attend every one he could. It was there that he made many friends in the industry.

How about it? Care to share any memories? We’d love to hear them—as would those who both knew him and those who want to know more about him.

For the latest knives, knife trends, knife news and more, stay tuned to www.blademag.com.

Advertisement

Must Read Articles

Read this before you make a knife

Knifemaking 101 – Read This Before You Make a Knife

  by Wayne Goddard My experience has taught me that there's nothing like digging in and getting started. I've often said the hardest part of the...
how to forge damascus steel

How to Forge Damascus

Advertisement
Advertisement