The BLADE Show is June 6-8, 2014, at the Cobb Galleria Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Don’t miss out. Get your ticket to the World’s Greatest Knife Show now! See you there!
With the 31st BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) but 12 days hence at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, don’t miss your chance to see the work of such award-winning makers as Brazil’s Rodrigo Sfreddo. Sfreddo’s “Magnifique” (above) won Best Fixed Blade at last year’s show, and this year’s custom winners promise to be among the finest examples of cut, too.
The show’s custom knife judging competition regularly draws more knives entered by more makers than any such competition anywhere. However, it’s not so much the sheer number of entrants that is so impressive as the quality of the work itself. In fact, many of those that don’t win are among the finest knives you will ever want to see.
The award categories are (with the 2011 BLADE Show winners in parentheses): Hugh Bartrug Best In Show and Best Art Knife (Dennis Friedly); Best Fixed Blade (Rodrigo Sfreddo); Best Folder (Richard Rogers); Best Tactical Folder (Brian Fellhoelter); Best Damascus Knife (John White); Best Fighter (RJ Martin); Best Bowie (John White); Yvon Vachon Best Miniature (Yoshio Sakauchi); Best Handle Design (Vince Evans); Best Utility Hunter (Dan Farr); Most Innovative Design (Joe Caswell); Best Knife Collaboration (Dennis Friedly and Gil Rudolph); Best Sword (Vince Evans); Best New Maker (Rod Watts); and Best Of The Rest (Mardi Meshejian).
The show will be June 8-10. Don’t miss out!
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication.
BLADE Show’s home sharpens up for the event’s 45th Anniversary.
Longtime BLADE Show patrons, get ready for a brand-new venue. Calm your heart palpitations. The world’s largest knife show isn’t picking up stakes from Atlanta when it unsheathes its 45th iteration June 5-7. Simply put, the longtime home of our favorite edgy shindig is undergoing a massive $190 million facelift.
The Cobb Galleria Centre—now officially the Cobb Convention Center—is in the midst of a multi-year renovation to upgrade its facilities and amenities. While the project stretches into early 2027, it will be at its midway point when the BLADE Show doors open this June.
Diehard knifeaholics needn’t worry, the upgrade project won’t derail the aspects of the show you love. Factory knife debuts, the educational instruction of BLADE University (see sidebar) and action-packed demos still await show patrons. The BLADE Magazine 2025 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards and the custom knife judging competition remain center stage. Furthermore, the American Bladesmith Society (ABS) will still name its latest master and journeyman smiths, and some of the best knives from the ABS, The Knifemakers’ Guild and unaffiliated makers will be on display in all their sharpest glory.
John Horrigan’s majestic fixed blade turned more than a few heads during the 2025 show. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
Additionally, the show floor welcomes more than 900 exhibitors from 35 countries, offering a global masterclass in modern cutlery. From the latest production folders and custom fixed blades to rare handle materials and high-tech shop equipment, the sheer volume of gear is staggering. All of this comes in the brand-new wrapper of the convention center, honing the BLADE Show to a razor’s edge.
The main exhibit hall and the ballroom—better known to the faithful as the Baller Room—are already complete. These renovations will immediately improve the show with new LED lighting, fixed concession outlets, renovated restrooms and an improved PA system. The Baller Room and lobby area also sport new wall coverings, chandeliers and carpet, while the rotunda has an entirely new look. While the show floor is unaffected, attendees will feel some impact. The renovation of the specialty shops and meeting rooms below and across from the main hall will run congruent to the show. This means BLADE University has a new campus. Look for classes in the newly constructed ballrooms just off the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly.
And for those who love the food, libation (lots of that), knife boasting and lie swapping of “The Pit”, that is slated to proceed unchecked. The sunken bar of the Waverly is untouched by hammers, saws or fresh sheetrock. Get your sleep so you can haunt it until cock’s crow.
Jordan Berthelot discusses next-level damascus etching while Greyson Weltyk shows a student a result of the process during one of many BLADE University classes.
When the dust finally settles, the Cobb Convention Center will be a major boon. By 2027, showgoers can look forward to more than 50,000 square feet of new meeting rooms, event courtyards and indoor space. As the BLADE Show grows in global reach, its longtime home has the room to grow along with its marquee event.
Edge Of The World
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the BLADE Show in recent years is the global reach of the brothers and sisters of sharps. No one knife-specific event gathers more makers and companies from around the world—including the good ol’ U.S. of A—into one venue.
The outstanding international makers include: the CAS Brothers, Mauricio Daletzky and Javier Vogt (Argentina); Bertie Rietveld, Theuns Prinsloo, Henning Wilkinson and Neels van den Berg (South Africa); Franco de Souza, Rodrigo Sfreddo, Fabio Barros and Gus Cecchini (Brazil); Bruce Barnett (Australia); Kizer Cutlery, Reate and Ketuo (China); Koji Hara (Japan); Lionsteel, Alfredo Faccipieri, Fox Cutlery, Maniago Knife Makers (MKM) and Maserin (Italy); Damasteel (Sweden); Jens Anso (Denmark); Helle Knives (Norway); Jean-Louis Regel and Veronique Laurent (Belgium); Carlos Queiros (Portugal); Sergey Shirogorov (Russia); and Grace Horne (United Kingdom).
The Baller Room buzzed all three days of the show. The room comes with some notable improvements this year, including new carpet and wall coverings.
Some of the leading American exhibiting makers will be BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® members Bill Ruple, Steve Schwarzer and Harvey Dean; ABS master smiths 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; Strider Knives; Hawk Knives; Vince Evans; 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
BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards is the factory knife industry’s highest honors, pitting the companies’ sharpest designs again each other. In an effort to keep the awards’ distinguished position and recognize the changing landscape of the industry, BLADE Show added a new category for this year.
New for the 2026 competition is the Best Slip Joint category, breaking off the traditional design from the Best Imported Folder and Best American Made Folder categories. This is the third new category added in as many years, with Best Of The Rest created in 2025 and the Automatic Knife Of The Year sponsored by PVK.com that debuted in 2024.
New knives aren’t the only draw in Atlanta. Antique Randall knives and their collectors were in abundance at the show.
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 on Saturday at 8 p.m. in the room on the floor above The Pit. The winners will be listed on BLADE’s blademag.com website after the awards reception, and a list will be posted outside the show entrance Sunday morning.
BLADE University
Get current on the latest knifemaking techniques and other trending sharp subjects during the 13th Annual BLADE University on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. See the sidebar for a complete rundown of classes, days, times and instructors.
Sponsored by Work Sharp, BLADE University has the most extensive schedule of knife, knifemaking and other instruction held at any knife show. For enrollment and other information, visit https://bladeshow.com/show-info/classes.
Custom Knife Awards
Among the most testing custom knife competitions in the nation, the BLADE Show Custom Knife Awards is one of the most coveted honors in knifemaking. In a continuing effort to keep it the premier award in the handmade knives, the competition’s categories have been expanded. Best Slip Joint has been split into Best Single-Blade Slip Joint and Best Multi-Blade Slip Joint categories, allowing more subtlety in judging the nuanced class of knives.
From left, Karen Shook and Daniel Winkler accept their Hall of Fame plaque after Kevin Holland (right) delivered their induction speech.
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: Best of Show; Best Art Knife; Best Bowie; Best Collaboration; Best Collaboration; Best Damascus; Best Fighter; Best Fixed Blade; Best Folder; Best Handle Design; Most Innovative Design; Best Kitchen Knife; Best M.A.C.K.; Best Miniature; Best New Maker; Best Single-Blade Slip Joint; Best Multi-Blade Slip Joint; Best Sword; Best Tactical Folder; Best Utility Hunter; 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
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.
Paul DiStefano always produces stunning work, which certainly goes for his 14-inch spiderweb mosaic damascus-bladed dagger, which he brought to the BLADE Show. That’s a carved buffalo horn handle, by the way. (SharpByCoop image)
For a second year in a row the men’s and women’s divisions were won by a husband and wife: Mr. and Mrs. Ben and Sue Ann Propst. The championship results were as follows: Men’s Division: Ben Propst (Niagara Specialty Metals), world champion; 2nd: Donavon Phillips (Spyderco); 3rd: David Moore (Pops Knife Supplies); and 4th: James Clifton (Spyderco). Women’s Division: Sue Ann Propst (Niagara Specialty Metals), world champion; 2nd: Lauren Kalns; 3rd: Sara Maly (Pops Knife Supplies); and 4th: Jo Carothers (Carothers Performance Knives).
Bali Grand Master
Top balisong flippers will vie for the title of “Grand Master” in the 10th Annual Battle for Bali Champion sponsored and conducted by Blade HQ.
BLADE Show ticketholders are invited to watch the competition on the second floor above The Pit of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel on show Saturday from 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. Competitors will start flipping knives at 1 p.m.
When it comes to slip joints, Bubba Crouch is a must-stop at BLADE Show. His skinner, with a 3 1/2-inch copper san mai blade, came complete with a sheath by Will Anderson, with beadwork done by Kelly Faulcorer. (SharpByCoop image)
The top three finishers will receive prizes and all participants will get swag bags. Brycen Nelson flipped his way to the top of the podium in the competition, Steve Ash placed second and Landon Morrison third.
Cutlery Hall Of Fame
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. (At press time, the new members had not been determined. For updates, visit blademag.com.) Tickets are required ahead of time for the ceremony, which includes breakfast. Seating is limited. For ticket information, email [email protected].
What’s Next
The final BLADE Show-sponsored event for 2026 will be BLADE Show West, Oct. 9-10 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For details, visit bladeshowwest.com. BLADE Show Texas 2027 will be March 12-13 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Visit bladeshowtexas.com for more on it. And, of course, it’s never too late to start thinking about BLADE Show 2027 June 4-6 at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta. For details, visit bladeshow.com.
It’s easy to get mesmerized by knives at the BLADE Show, here at the table of Alex Hossom (left).
Editor’s note: Kizer Cutlery 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. Vosteed is the Wi-Fi sponsor. The other sponsors are Heretic Knives, Reate Knives, Poikilo Blade, McNees Knives, Ketuo/Rike Knife, Artisan Cutlery/CJRB, Reate Knives and HORL Corporation.
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
The world’s top custom knives will vie for elite honors during the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo’s (www.bladeshow.com) judging competition next week in Atlanta.
Slated for May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre, the show assembles an international potpourri of knives, including custom and factory. Of the almost 1,000 exhibitors, most are custom makers, and many will enter their knives in the judging competition on show Friday, May 31.
More knives are entered in the BLADE Show judging competition than any other like competition in the world. Makers from over 20 countries work feverishly to prepare their best knives, with the winners taking home trophies and the publicity the awards generate in BLADE® (www.blademag.com) Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication, and elsewhere.
The categories are: Hugh Bartrug Best of Show, Best Sword, Best Tactical Folder, Most Innovative Design, Best Handle Design, Best Folder, Yvon Vachon Best Miniature, Best Art Knife, Best Fixed Blade, Best Bowie, Best New Maker, Best Fighter, Best Knife Collaboration, Best Utility Hunter, Best Damascus and Best of the Rest.
Michael Ruth Jr. won both Best of Show and Best Sword last year for his “Maritime Law” model, based on a naval boarding cutlass. The 21-inch, flat-ground blade is a ladder-pattern damascus. The D-guard is Turkish twist damascus. The handle is pre-ban ivory. Overall length: 26 inches. Ruth’s list price to make a similar piece: $5,500.
The judging is open only to BLADE Show table holders and custom knives. Entrants are to bring their knives to Room 104 of the Cobb Galleria at 3:30 p.m. the Friday of the show. No knives will be accepted after 4 p.m. The names of the winners will be posted outside the BLADE Show office the following morning.
For the complete story on the winners, see the November BLADE, on newsstands Aug. 13, or stay tuned to www.blademag.com for further details.
Michael Ruth Jr. won both Best of Show and Best Sword for his custom damascus model at the 2012 BLADE Show. (Point Seven photo)
See who took home the hardware from the 2023 Factory Knife Of The Year® Awards at BLADE Show.
The June 2-4 BLADE Show at the Cobb County Gallery hosted what might have been one of its fiercest Factory Knife Of The Year® Awards competition.
Seemingly every maker—at least a healthy cross-section—threw its hat in the ring to make a run for the coveted hardware. This was evident with the display cases outside the main hall that house the entrants at full capacity and nearly brimming over. Volume, however, wasn’t the lone variable. From knife accessories to the blades making a run at Knife Of The Year, the quality of work, innovation and craftsmanship proved top shelf.
Sufficed to say, the 10 judges—industry experts from knife writers to makers and Cutlery Hall Of Famers—who cast their ballots had their work cut out for them. Below are the knives that lived up to their exacting standards to take home 2023 honors in 10 categories and the overall Knife Of The Year award winner.
Knife Of The Year: GiantMouse GMX
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier
American-Made Knife Of The Year: Benchmade Narrows
Photo: Jocelyn Frasier
Imported Knife Of The Year: Rosecraft Blades Clinch River Swayback
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.
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.
make hotel reservations at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel or one of the BLADE Show partner hotels; to see sharp seminars and view a seminar schedule; or see updated lists of exhibitors who will be displaying their wares at the World’s Greatest Knife Show.
