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.
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®
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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® 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.
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.
Knife companies will debut their latest at BLADE Show 2025.
Knives and plenty of them, the BLADE Show is the Mecca for anything that cuts, hack or chops. It’s also a launching pad.
Many companies wait for the big dance in Atlanta’s Cobb County Convention center to release their latest and greatest, making the June 6-8 shindig the perfect place to pick up a brand-new, nobody-else-has design. While we’re certain there some makers have some rabbits they’ll pull out of their hats at the show, we’ve got a sneak peek of a few factory blades set to go on sale at the show.
So, without further adieu here are a bevvy of 2025 BLADE Show knife debuts you should keep an eye out for at gathering!
Work Sharp throws its hat into the knife ring with its first-ever knife: the RMX EDC folder. The 3.2-inch reverse tanto blade of full-flat-ground CPM 3V carbon steel button locks both open and closed. Comes with both a manual and auto pivot to allow you to switch between whichever mode of operation suits your needs. The magnesium handle has a reversible, tip-up, deep carry clip. Weight: 2.4 ounces Closed length: 4.3 inches Country of origin: Designed, assembled and quality checked in Ashland, Oregon, using foreign parts MSRP: $139.95 Available: BLADE Show 2025
McNees Knives MAC2 3.5
McNees Knives MAC2 3.5
Titanium scales with a honeycomb look and a 3.5-inch tanto blade of hollow-ground CPM MagnaCut stainless distinguish the MAC2 3.5 tactical folder by McNees Knives. Blade opener: thumb stud. Lock: Reeve Integral Lock (aka framelock) Clip: bent titanium Weight: 26 ounces Closed length: 4.25 inches Country of origin: USA MSRP: $625 Available: BLADE Show 2025
Condor Tool & Knife K-Night Panabas
Condor Tool & Knife K-Night Panabas
The K-Night Panabas from Condor Tool & Knife boasts a 14.29-inch blade of convex-ground 1075 carbon steel and Micarta® scales. Weight: 32.98 ounces Overall length: 25.35 inches Sheath (not shown): Kydex with leather belt loop Country of origin: El Salvador MSRP: $174.98 Available: NOW
Rick Hinderer Knives Bowie
Rick Hinderer Knives Bowie
The Aluminum Automatic XM-18 3.5-inch Bowie from Rick Hinderer Knives features a 3.5-inch blade of CPM S45VN stainless steel. The aluminum handle with titanium half liners is anodized turquoise and inlaid in Arctic Storm FCF. Lock: button lock Clip: Chaos Horsehead model in stonewashed titanium Weight: 5.12 ounces Closed length: 4.75 inches Country of origin: USA MSRP: $495 Available: Late 2025
Fox Knives Pacifico EDC
Fox Knives Pacifico EDC
Designed by BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Terzuola, the Pacifico EDC flipper folder by Fox has a 3.74-inch blade of Thor pattern damascus by Damasteel. The handle is black camo carbon fiber by FatCarbon®. Clip: titanium PVD-coated black Lock: linerlock Weight: 3.88 ounces Closed length: 5.31 inches Country of origin: Italy MSRP: $583 Available: July
Big Idea Design Signal
Big Idea Design Signal
Designed by ABS journeyman smith Mak Kelsay, the Signal utility from Big Idea Design has a 3.5-inch blade of flat-ground Nitro-V stainless steel and G-10 scales with custom pass-through titanium hardware. Weight: 3.4 ounces Overall length: 7.67 inches Sheath (not shown): taco-style Kydex w/titanium pocket clip Country of origin: USA MSRP: $275 Available: May/June
Queen/Smoky Mountain Knife Works Mountain Man Trapper
Queen/Smoky Mountain Knife Works Mountain Man Trapper
The Mountain Man Trapper from Queen/Smoky Mountain Knife Works sports a 3 3/8-inch blade of CPM MagnaCut stainless steel and Lava Flow FatCarbon® scales. Blade pattern: Clip Action: slipjoint Weight: 2.93 ounces Closed length: 4 1/8 inches Country of origin: USA MSRP: $299.99 Available: July
GiantMouse GMP13
GiantMouse GMP13
A 2.4-inch blade in a distinctive modified hawkbill pattern of flat-ground CPM S90V stainless and zirconium scales highlight the GiantMouse GMP13 “defense folder.” Lock: crossbar Clip: ambidextrous Weight: 3.7 ounces Closed length: 3.67 inches Country of origin: China MSRP: $435 Available: NOW
Lionsteel ACHA
Lionsteel ACHA
A contrasting combo of a 4.21-inch blade of M390 sintered steel in an “old black” finish and a burlap Micarta® handle in an integral construction set the Lionsteel ACHA outdoor knife apart. Blade grind: V flat Guard: titanium Sheath (not shown): Leather Weight: 6.24 ounces Overall length: 9.17 inches Country of origin: Italy MSRP: $252 at press-time exchange rate Available: NOW
Spyderco Chaparral
Spyderco Chaparral
Dark Matter Red FatCarbon® scales and a 2.77-inch blade of full-flat-ground CTS-XHP stainless steel highlight the latest iteration of the Spyderco Chaparral back-lock folder. Clip: wire Weight: 2.2 ounces Closed length: 3.6 inches Country of origin: Taiwan MSRP: To be determined Available: To be determined
Ocaso Lucent Automatic
Ocaso Lucent Automatic
The Ocaso Lucent Automatic is a dual-action out-the-front with a 3.5-inch blade of flat-ground Bohler M390 stainless and a 6061-T6 aluminum handle with an ambidextrous deep-carry pocket clip. Weight: 2.2 ounces Closed length: 4.4 ounces Country of origin: China MSRP: $274.99 Available: July
Halfbreed Blades SOFMAK
Halfbreed Blades SOFMAK
Scales of an electric G-10 and partially double-serrated blade of PVD-coated K340 ISODUR tool steel stand out on the MIK-04 SOFMAK from Halfbreed Blades. Blade length: 5.31 inches Weight: 11.14 ounces Overall length: 10.31 inches Designer: Jonathan Loftes in collaboration with Joseph Teti Sheath (not shown): Belt and PALS/MOLLE Country of origin: Comprises Australian and Taiwanese make MSRP: $275 Available: NOW
CobraTec CNC OTF Pen Knife Generation 2
CobraTec CNC OTF Pen Knife Generation 2
The CNC OTF Pen Knife Generation 2 from CobraTec sports a 1.75-inch blade of stonewashed stainless steel. The dual-action out-the-front has a handle of 6061 T6 aluminum with a titanium pocket clip/switch and a safety lock. Includes a replaceable black ink cartridge. Weight: 1.4 ounces Closed length: 5.875 inches Country of origin: China MSRP: $89.99 Available: NOW
Emerson Knives, Inc. Tanto A-100
Emerson Knives, Inc. Tanto A-100
The Tanto A-100 Flipper by Emerson Knives, Inc., cuts with a 3.6-inch blade of CPM MagnaCut stainless in a conventional “V” grind. Handle: G-10 with a hole for a lanyard. Lock: linerlock Closed length: 4.8 inches Additional blade opening option: thumb disc Country of origin: USA MSRP: $295 Available: NOW
Benchmade Mini Crooked River
Benchmade Mini Crooked River
Benchmade’s Mini Crooked River folder sports a 3.4-inch clip-point blade of CPM MagnaCut stainless in a Battlewash finish. The handle is black canvas Micarta® with aluminum bolsters anodized a burnt copper. Lock: AXIS Weight: 3.2 ounces Closed length: 4.5 inches Country of origin: USA MSRP: $320 Available: July
QSP Hyena
QSP Hyena
The Hyena flipper folder from QSP has a striking grip of anodized aluminum and copper-foil G-10 inlay and a 3.25-inch blade of flat-ground Bohler N690 stainless that pivots on ceramic ball bearings. Clip: Titanium, tip up. Closed length: 4.53 inches. Country of origin: China. MSRP: Contact maker for pricing. Available: September.
Maserin Pulse
Maserin Pulse
Black/orange FatCarbon® scales serve as the steering wheel for the 3.149-inch blade of flat-ground CPM MagnaCut stainless on the Maserin Pulse. Blade finish: stonewashed. Lock: W-Lock Clip: Stainless, reversible Weight: 3 ounces Closed length: 4.5 inches Country of origin: Italy MSRP: $219 at press-time exchange rate Available: NOW
Reate PL-7
Reate PL-7
A 3.5-inch upswept blade of Nitro-V stainless in a belt-satin finish and a Micarta® handle top off the PL-7 from Reate. Weight: 4.5 ounces Closed length: 4.5 inches Country of origin: China Knife to know: The PL stands for Pivot Lock MSRP: Pending Available: Pending
CRKT Padawan
CRKT Padawan
An EDC flipper/framelock folder, the CRKT Padawan has a 3.01-inch drop-point blade of hollow-ground 14C28N stainless. Blade finish: nitride coated Pivot: Ikoma Korth Bearing System Handle: stainless steel with carbon-fiber overlay Pocket clip: low profile, stainless Weight: 3.1 ounces Closed length: 4.14 inches Country of origin: China MSRP: $100 Available: NOW
APOC/CAS Iberia Wallace Smatchet
APOC/CAS Iberia Wallace Smatchet
Designed by Mike Wallace, the Wallace Smatchet from APOC/CAS Iberia is a “historically inspired bushcraft” knife based on the classic World War II combat model. The 9 5/8-inch blade is flat-ground D2 tool steel in a titanium coat. Scales: G-10 Weight: 1 pound, 10 ounces Overall length: 15.5 inches Sheath: Kydex with drain hole Country of origin: China MSRP: $175. Available: NOW
BLADE Show ’25 is the author’s 40th BLADE Show—and counting
In the spring of 1985, my fellow U.S. Army lieutenant and knife collector Fletcher Crews told me about the BLADE Show. Having never heard of it, I asked him what it was. His response: “It’s like a gun show but with knives.”
Later in May of that year we took our wives on a road trip from Clarksville, Tennessee, to the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, the show’s former time of year and venue. We allowed ourselves four hours to cover the show. (Don’t get ahead of me; we didn’t know what we were in for.) You have undoubtedly seen TV commercials telling you about someplace in Florida that is the “happiest place on earth.” Those who say this have never been to the BLADE Show!
The highlight of the show for me was meeting BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Jimmy Lile and seeing and handling the Sly II knife he made for the original Rambo movie, First Blood. For those of you who were not fortunate enough to meet Jimmy, he was everything you hear. He was outgoing and friendly, making you feel like he had known you for years. He only made being able to see the knife in person that much better. After all, this is the knife that started me on a path I am still on today.
The BLADE Show has been the Happiest Place on Earth for decades—including here in 2007—and will be this coming June 6-8, too. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)
Heading back to Clarksville, I realized that planning had already started for the 1986 BLADE Show. As it turned out, I would make a life-altering decision shortly after returning home. Several weeks later, my wife Kathy and I were having dinner with Fletcher and his wife Karla.
Karla said, “If you did this as a business, you could go to more shows and write off your expenses.” Jerry Seinfeld famously said on his TV show, “You don’t even know what a write-off is.” That was true of me then but I still liked the sound of it. The following week, I went to a CPA and filled out the paperwork to form Robertson’s Custom Cutlery. I realized I had made a tactical error by only allowing four hours for the show. In 1986, I corrected that. I was, in fact, third in line to get in.
The doors opened and hundreds of people rushed into the room, all taking different paths to the hundreds of tables. I went to the first table closest to me and within 15 minutes was out of money. It was at this show that I learned my next vital lesson. As I walked among the rest of the tables and booths, I realized I had set a land speed record for buyer’s remorse. The essential lesson I learned was to have a plan.
Armed with my recently acquired KNIVES ’86, the plan began to take shape. The book has photos and an equally important index of makers’ contact information in the back. It started me on my path to creating what would become my Robertson’s Maker Market Matrix. In the early days, I used the Matrix exclusively to figure out what specific knives I wanted to buy.
The Sly II, aka the original Jimmy Lile First Blood knife, is the knife that got the author started on his career of buying and selling custom knives 41 years ago. The 9-inch sawtooth blade is bead-blasted D2 tool steel. The hollow handle is cord wrapped with an aircraft-grade aluminum buttcap. Overall length: 14 inches. The leather sheath is custom made. The author’s collector value for one of the originals: $4,000-$6,000.
Using KNIVES ’86 and the information within helped me identify what I wanted and implement my purchase plan. Early in 1987, I started to contact knifemakers, asking them what they were bringing to the show or if they could deliver the particular knife I wanted there. The plan was in place and it was implemented to perfection. I received all five knives I had ordered. With the pressure off, I was allowed to move through the Holiday Inn and Convention Center show hall and really enjoy everything the BLADE Show had to offer.
Gil And Bruce
The 1987 show was memorable for more than just the five knives I bought. I was introduced to legendary Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Gil Hibben, who invited me and others to dinner. He was a gracious host with fascinating stories to tell. At that same show, fellow custom knife purveyor Bob Neal (miss you, buddy) introduced me to Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Bruce Voyles, who owned both the BLADE Show and BLADE, and edited the magazine, too. Bruce couldn’t have been nicer. What impressed me most was his encyclopedic knowledge of older factory slipjoints, multi-blade folders and antique bowies.
In 1992, Bruce gave me another of my favorite memories of the BLADE Show—he asked me to judge the custom knife competition. I’ve judged at more shows than I can remember, but there is nothing like seeing all those knives from some of the best makers in the world all in one room. Bruce introduced me to current BLADE editor, Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Steve Shackleford, who, during a conversation at the 2006 BLADE Show, asked me if I would like to write an article for BLADE. Nineteen years later he continues to ask me to write for BLADE. Bruce and Steve were also instrumental in having me—sometimes with Bob Neal—conduct seminars for both custom knife collectors and makers at several BLADE shows.
At the 1988 BLADE Show, I set up for the first time. With the exception of the show in 1990, I had a table at each BLADE Show until 2011. Having a table at the BLADE Show was an incredible learning experience. It taught me that there is always more to learn about custom knives. Also at the show, custom knifemaker Dave Broadwell and I collaborated and came up with the final design for the MLR Sub-Hilt Fighter. Since then, Dave has made well over 100 MLRs for me in different configurations.
At the 1997 BLADE Show, the author talked to RJ Martin about making a few folders for him. RJ went home and came up with a knife he called the Q30. He later modified it and the result would become his signature model, the Q36, an iteration of which appears here. He went on to win the Best Tactical Folder award at the BLADE Show four years in a row. Today, RJ’s order books are closed. (SharpByCoop image)
At a mid-’90s Knifemakers’ Guild Show, I met a talented maker who at the time was making what I considered the finest Japanese tacticals in the world. However, at the 1997 BLADE Show we talked about him making me a few folders. He went home and came up with a knife he called the Q30. He later modified it and the result would become his signature model, the Q36. He went on to win the Best Tactical Folder award at the BLADE Show four years in a row. His name: RJ Martin.
At the 2015 BLADE Show I met Steve Randall and his wife, Alison. Steve reminded me a lot of the exceptional maker John White. Steve’s knives were clean, incredibly well made and fairly priced. Today, table 3R is always my first stop to check out his knives.
For me, there are many people I talk to throughout the year but I only get to see them once a year at the BLADE Show, and that makes the show even more special to me. Two of those fellow knife nuts are Jack Alsop and Alan Snow.
At the 1987 BLADE Show the author met Gil Hibben, who promptly invited the author and others to dinner. Hibben’s 50th Anniversary Bowie features mirror-polished 440C stainless steel and macassar ebony. The guard and pommel are brass. Blade and overall lengths: 9.5 and 14.25 inches. Hibben’s price for a similar knife: $1,900. (Robertson’s Custom Cutlery image)
What I appreciate most about the BLADE Show, aside from the knives, is the camaraderie of the people there. They are literally from all over the world. They are willing to share their knowledge that, for many, has taken a lifetime to acquire. Like I said previously, forget that place in Florida. The BLADE Show is the happiest place on earth. See you there!
Gabe Fletcher/knifemaker ale collaborations lead to the official BLADE Show Beer.
It’s a winning combination, no doubt—a blend of brews and blades.
Three years ago, Gabe Fletcher began making knives. Then, somewhere along the way he had a brilliant idea. The dynamic combination of his finest craft beers with the custom knives that could be developed in collaboration with friends who appreciate both, just as he does, was too tempting not to try.
Fletcher had been in the brewing business since 1988, and the joint venture of beverage and blade just seemed to fit. “I ran another brewery here in Anchorage for 13 years,” he recalled, “and decided to start my own brewery after so many years. I’m coming up on 27 years of professional brewing, and I started when I was 21.”
Gabe Fletcher (above at his Anchorage Brewing Company) and Salem Straub collaborated on a chef’s knife (facing page) in mosaic damascus and carbon fiber paired with a “niche” beer—a bold, crisp IPA with a low alcohol content.
Gabe knew that the collaboration opportunity was alive and well in the brewing industry, and it just seemed a natural progression. “I do many collaborations with other breweries and I’m pretty well known in the beer world,” he observed of his Anchorage Brewing Company*. “I thought in the beginning that it would be a fun way to get my name out there as a knifemaker. The first collaboration was with award-winning bladesmith Neil Kamimura. He was the person that got me into knifemaking.”
Seeing the knives in Neil’s shop a few years ago provided inspiration for Gabe to give it a try at the forge. At first, he did only beer collaborations as he refined his own knifemaking skills.
“Eventually, I started to get good enough to start actually making knives with these makers. I owe a lot to Mareko Maumasi [page 16]. I would consider him my mentor, and I’ve learned so much from him,” Fletcher reflected. “Working with him so much has really propelled my skills much faster than if I was learning on my own. Now Anchorage Forge and Anchorage Brewing are very connected, and I use it as a way to have fun, collaborate and excel in my knifemaking journey.”
Gabe Fletcher/knifemaker ale collaborations lead to the official BLADE Show Beer
To date, Gabe has completed at least nine knife/beer combos, and there are more to come. Naturally, he gravitated toward one with Mareko. The resulting knife was a dazzling chef’s tool with damascus blade, handle of white oak from the barrel in which the accompanying beer was aged, carbon fiber and G-10 spacers. Respective blade and overall lengths: 10 3/8 and 14.8 inches. Mareko’s price for a similar knife: $3,000.
“Gabe posed the challenge to me to see if I could design a steel that looked like a devil’s skull,” Maumasi explained. “I already had a design for a pattern that looked like a skull, which I hadn’t made yet but had sketched out in a notebook. At that point, all I had to do was figure out how to add horns to the skull. The devil skull came together nicely with the detailed elements for the teeth, cheekbones, eyes and horns. A lot of people who see it assume that it’s a canister damascus steel, but it’s actually a combination of several pattern-welded elements that started out as plate steel. For the forged design, we added a crushed ‘W’s’ flame along the edge of the blade.”
The damascus chef’s knife paired nicely with the latest in Fletcher and Maumasi beer offerings. The pair have actually done more than one brew, and the most recent is a synthesis of tropical flavors to honor Mareko’s Samoan heritage. The first was a Maumasi oak-aged imperial stout, which had a base aged eight months in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels. It was then transferred to freshly emptied Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon barrels for six months before moving to emptied Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for four months, and was finished with toasted coconut and coffee from the Olympia Coffee Company in Mareko’s hometown. The second is the Maelstrom IPA, a smooth and light beverage with grapefruit, passion fruit, papaya and lechee hints.
GABE’S GREAT IDEA
Another example of Gabe’s great idea translated into a chef’s knife collaboration with Salem Straub. It includes a 10.5-inch mosaic damascus blade with a handle of copper/coral carbon fiber that features carbon fiber and G-10 spacers. Overall length: 14.9 inches. The knife sold for $5,850 through Eating Tools.
Plant Eater, a hefty chef’s knife with an 11.1-inch carbon steel blade, carbon-fiber handle with G-10 spacers, and 15.8-inch overall length, is a Gabe Fletcher/Josh Prince collaboration. The beer that accompanies it is a “dank, strongly fragranced IPA.”
“I forged a bold mosaic pattern of ‘distorted finger-type layup’—that’s Steve Filicietti pattern language—and sent Gabe a big chunk sawed from a loaf of that,” Straub related. “He worked his magic and forged a big sleek integral chef’s knife in an angular Western profile from it, and finished it up with some of his signature-style faceting applied to a hidden-tang handle of crazy carbon fiber. The steels in the blade are 15N20 and 1080.”
Salem has been making knives for 22 years and expressed real gratitude for Gabe’s initiative. “He always kills it at what he does, and this was no exception,” Salem observed. “I’ve had a lot of fun sharing his brew with family and friends.”
The Anchorage Brewing product Fletcher and Straub created found a niche among beer lovers. “Our idea was to come up with a bold, crisp IPA with a low alcohol content,” Salem said. “It’s what I would term a ‘performance IPA’ since you can have one or two and still get stuff done. It’s a real challenge apparently to make a beer to these specs, but Gabe is quite a talented and skilled brewer, as well as knifemaker.”
A hefty chef’s knife with an 11.1-inch carbon steel blade, handle of carbon fiber with G-10 spacers, and overall length of 15.8 inches was the result of Fletcher’s collaboration with Josh Prince. The knife sold for $5,850 on Eating Tools.
“I knew Gabe from interacting over Instagram and a few phone calls to talk about pattern and material processes around knives both carbon steel and stainless,” Josh noted. “Slowly, we developed the idea of working together on a knife/beer release. We worked on a chef’s knife in carbon steel in Gabe’s design with a plug-welded element. I provided the damascus plug element and Gabe did the rest. We dubbed it ‘Planet Eater’ after the classic Star Trek episode “Doomsday Machine,” where a mechanical entity consumes entire solar systems.”
In addition to running the internationally known Anchorage Brewing Company in Anchorage, Alaska, Gabe Fletcher is also an ABS apprentice smith.
Based in Rhode Island and making knives since 2016, Prince commented, “It’s just inspiring to work with another maker of such a high caliber and level of motivation and creativity.”
That motivation led to a discussion that brought back a pleasant memory for Josh. “I talked to Gabe about another beer that he made with Ben Kamon of Austria and how much the aroma reminded me of cannabis,” Prince remarked. “Oddly enough, Gabe told me that the hop and cannabis plants are very closely related and could even be grafted together! I asked for a dank, strongly fragranced IPA, and Gabe delivered.”
BLADE SHOW BEER
Adventures in knives and beers with Fletcher and friends doesn’t stop there. Recently, Gabe engaged with representatives of the BLADE Show to craft a unique brew just for the greatest show in knives.
Gabe Fletcher’s chef’s knife/beer collaboration with Austrian knifemaker Ben Kamon resulted in a striking combo.
“It’s an IPA that will be lighter at around 4.5 percent alcohol by volume—very floral and smooth drinking—and the BLADE Show beer will be available at the show in the Cobb Galleria of Atlanta at every bar on the floor and also on the main hotel floor, i.e., in The Pit!” Fletcher advised of the iconic sunken bar in the lobby of the show’s host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly.
“We will also have some of the beer available online through one of my distribution partners, Tavour, where a person can have the beer mailed directly to their home in 23 states in the USA. I went to my first BLADE Show last year and ended up having dinner with some friends and a few people I hadn’t met yet. Henry Wu from the BLADE Show was sitting next to me. We got to talking, and later that year I had the idea of having a beer made just for the show. I pitched it to Henry and he was all about it.”
With his fine pairings of blades and brews already offered and more coming in the future, Gabe melds his two great passions, connects and collaborates with friends, and presents the resulting creations to the world. His love of both brewing and knives shines through in every aspect of the ongoing project.
Mareko Maumasi’s gyuto chef’s knife in a san-mai construction serves as the model for the knife second from right at top in the artwork for the BLADE Show Beer.
“The beer is sold through my distribution network and is mainly free advertising for the maker,” he said. “Also, it’s just a fun thing to do. I mean, who wouldn’t want a beer brewed in honor of them? As far as the knives are concerned, most of them are sold through Eating Tools. Abe Shaw and his crew over there do an amazing job of taking beautiful pictures and telling the story of the knife and beer as a whole.”
It’s a powerful, flavorful and altogether refreshing combination of brewer and bladesmith. Raise a glass. Slice and dice. And feel the fine craftsmanship in both.
*In 2024, Gabe Fletcher’s Anchorage Brewing Company was ranked among the country’s elite beer makers. According to Untapped, an app that allows drinkers to rate their beers, his company was ranked No. 6 nationwide in terms of producing the highest number of brews at a state or national level. The ratings are by nearly 11 million beer lovers covering over 26,000 of the world’s top-rated beers, as reported in Forbes.
Largest class as HOF honors living and deceased legends.
The BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame® is proud to announce its new inductees for 2025: Harvey Dean, Stanley Fujisaka, Rick Dunkerley, Dr. James Lucie, Alfred Pendray, James Schmidt, and Daniel Winkler and Karen Shook.
In a procedural change new for this year, the Hall of Fame has expanded the number of annual inductees from three to seven, the latter including four living and four deceased individuals. (The team of Winkler and Shook is count as one inductee.) They, along with Dean and Dunkerley, are this year’s living inductees, with the balance being the deceased ones.
The new Hall of Famers will be formally inducted, including the posthumous inductions of the deceased members, during BLADE Show 2025 June 6-8 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The induction ceremony will commence the Saturday morning of the show, June 7, at 8 a.m., and will include a breakfast in the Kennesaw Room of the show’s host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly. Tickets are required in advance and are limited. For ticket information email [email protected].
Harvey Dean
Harvey Dean
According to a nominator, “Harvey Dean earned his American Bladesmith Society master smith rating in 1992 and since then has taught an impressive number of students the art of bladesmithing. He became a member of the ABS Board of Directors in 2004 and served four years with distinction as ABS president from 2015-19. He continues to serve on the ABS board today. He was inducted into the ABS Hall of Fame in 2016. He has won an impressive number of judging awards for his knives, including at BLADE Show Texas, multiple times at the BLADE Show, from the Antique Bowie Knife Association and others. His knives have earned him membership in the prestigious Art Knife Invitational, limited to 25 of the world’s top knifemakers by a vote of the member makers.
He is a marvelous bladesmithing teacher, a master leader, a master administrator, and a master ambassador for the forged blade.” Along with award-winning knifemaker Johnny Stout, Harvey coordinated two annual knifemaking seminars in New Braunfels, Texas, for a number of years. He has also passed the knifemaking torch to his son Dillon, who creates utility fixed blades of his own. Concluded the nominator, “Harvey is among those named in the book Greatest Living Knifemakers written by Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Steve Shackleford. I know of no one man deserving of being named to the Cutlery Hall Of Fame more than Harvey.”
Rick Dunkerley
Rick Dunkerley
Rick Dunkerley began making knives in 1983 and started forging them in 1992. He specializes in mosaic damascus folders, winning judging awards for a number of them, as well as an occasional fixed blade. Among others, he’s won judging awards for his knives at the Oregon Knife Collectors Association Show, Montana Knifemakers Association Show, BLADE Show and BLADE Show Texas. His knives have earned him membership in the prestigious Art Knife Invitational, limited to 25 of the world’s top knifemakers by a vote of the member makers. He held many hammer-ins during the ’90s and brought in the best instructors of the time.
Rick has always been generous with information and is an excellent teacher. He’s taught at such venues as the Texarkana College/Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing, the Batson Bladesmithing Symposium, the Massachusetts College of Art, Saskatchewan Western Development Museum, Northern Minnesota Blacksmith’s Association, Northern Rockies Blacksmith’s Association and Western Canada Knifemakers’ Symposium. One of his students, Josh Smith, was the youngest ever to achieve both ABS journeyman and master smith status, and today runs the Montana Knife Co., a factory knife production operation with 80 employees. According to a nominator, “Rick has been on the board of the ABS and does the top shows worldwide. He has paid his dues, is a hell of a guy, always willing to share his knowledge, and makes world-class knives.”
Stanley Fujisaka
Stanley Fujisaka
Stanley “Stan” Fujisaka went full-time making knives in 1984 and was a prolific builder of award-winning folders and fixed blades. He was a beloved mentor in his Kaneohe, Hawaii, knife shop to a number of Hawaiian and other makers, including Scott Matsuoka, Les George, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Ken Onion and many more. Stan played a key role in encouraging Onion to patent his famous SpeedSafe assisted-opening mechanism. As a result and as Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Dan Delavan wrote, “Ken went on to become the savior of Kershaw Knives.”
Stan also generously assisted knifemakers who fell victim to floods, shop fires, medical issues and more. He was a regular exhibitor at knife shows, donating many knives for door prizes. He collected custom knives and promoted them and the custom industry in general by supporting the Bay Area Knife Collectors Association Show, The Knifemakers’ Guild Show and other knife events. Together with his good friend, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Jim Sornberger, Stan co-hosted dinners for knife collectors, area celebrities and others, all of which helped promote custom knives. Finally, when it came to being a goodwill ambassador to the custom knife industry, few if any could rival Stan for his many gifts—including flowers, Hawaiian coffee and boxes of chocolate-macadamia nuts—that he doled out to friends, customers and other patrons at the shows where he exhibited.
Dr. James R. Lucie
Dr. James R. Lucie
According to a nominator, “Dr. James R. ‘Jim’ Lucie was Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer William Scagel’s physician and signed Scagel’s death certificate in 1963. This was the beginning of Dr. Lucie’s Scagel knife-collecting avocation. Scagel is considered by many the father of the modern custom knife. Dr. Lucie discovered his passion for knifemaking in 1990 when he took a class on bladesmithing from Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Bill Moran. Jim was a very talented maker and received several awards for his contributions to the knifemaking community. He assisted other makers often. In 2001, the ABS created the Dr. Jim Lucie Award, which it bestowed on Jim as its inaugural recipient. The award was ‘presented for the unselfish contribution to the preservation of the forged blade. The person receiving this award has gone far beyond the call … and exemplifies the type of person needed to keep … bladesmithing alive.’
Jim also received an ABS Special Service Award in 2002 ‘in recognition of his meritorious and unselfish services on behalf of … the forged blade.’ He also received the ABS Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Service more than once. He was a talented bladesmith, hand-forging mostly Scagel recreations of the highest quality. He improved on Scagel’s designs when it would enhance the knife. Jim dedicated three decades to researching Scagel’s life and collecting his works. Jim’s efforts culminated in Scagel Handmade, a massive hardbound book detailing Scagel’s life, with photos of over 200 knives and other Scagel items. Dr. Lucie hosted a hammer-in in 2001, with over 500 people in attendance. He shared his knowledge of Scagel’s techniques by giving speeches at many bladesmithing events. Late in life, Jim donated his blacksmithing, grinding and finishing equipment valued at $62,700 to the ABS. His actions consistently exhibited honesty, compassion for others and a dedication to the bladesmithing community.”
Alfred Pendray
Alfred Pendray
Alfred “Al” Pendray was a rock to the many bladesmiths he taught and influenced over the decades. “I learned so much from him,” noted ABS master smith Charley Ochs, “not only about knives and metallurgy but also about life and social interaction as a person.” Softspoken but never at a loss for words on the subjects that mattered to him, Alfred possessed an intricate knowledge of many things, including wootz steel, bladesmithing/knifemaking and knife history in general. He had a solid work ethic and led as much or more by example than the spoken word. He knew when to express his views and when not to, a trait sadly lacking in much of today’s discourse. Alfred is co-author—along with Dr. John Verhoeven, a former metallurgical engineering professor at Iowa State University—of articles appearing in eight scientific journals, four bladesmith publications and BLADE on the nature of “genuine damascus,” or wootz steel.
Pendray was granted patent number 5,185,044 on a “method of making damascus blades.” He was a speaker at the Symposium on Damascus Steel at New York University in 1984. He also spoke at the International Conference on Damascus Steel in Germany in 1985 and the same conference in 1992. He lectured at the Imperial College in London, England, in 1992. He joined The Knifemakers’ Guild in 1982 and was awarded his master smith rating by the ABS in 1983. He received the ABS award for the Bill Moran Knife of The Year in 1991 and was elected to the Guild board of directors in 1992. He received the ABS W.W. Scagel Award in 1998 and is a past recipient of the Guild’s Red Watson Award. He served as Guild president from 1998-2004. In September 2001, he was featured on the nationally syndicated Paul Harvey radio show. In 2003, he was inducted into the ABS Hall of Fame.
James Schmidt
James Schmidt
According to a nominator, James “Jim” Schmidt was instrumental in raising the level of knifemaking to compete with the finest crafts ever made. Most importantly, he elevated the pursuit to an art but never forgot the meticulous details of the craft. His knives are immediately recognizable and he influenced so many who came after him in meaningful ways. A spectacular book by BLADE® field editor Mike Haskew memorialized the man and his knives: JAMES A. SCHMIDT, The Great Master. A few passages from the book: “As a custom knifemaker he knew few peers. As a mentor and teacher, he was without equal”; “A man of few words, he allowed the results of his skill, precision, and limitless creativity to speak for him. In silent, stunning beauty, they thundered”; and “He welcomed those who were earnestly interested in improving their bladesmithing and knifemaking skills into his shop … and shared with them the light of precious knowledge that he realized should be readily and freely given rather than hidden.”
In the 1970s, along with Jimmy Fikes and Don Fogg, Jim formed the New England Bladesmith Society to promulgate the skills and techniques of knifemaking. Before long the groundbreaking Ashokan Bladesmithing Seminar was born. Jim was a principal organizer, lecturer and demonstrator. He was one of the earliest members of the ABS and one of the earliest ABS master smiths, and a member of the ABS Hall of Fame. He was a constant member of the Art Knife Invitational, a winner of the Red Watson Award from the Knifemakers’ Guild, the Beretta Award for Outstanding Achievement, and many other honors from a number of custom knife shows. In time Jim decided to let someone else win an occasional award and became a judge at many shows. His approach was to be meticulously but fairly critical and always encouraging. He was indeed the ultimate teacher, his profession for most of his life.
Daniel Winkler And Karen Shook
Daniel Winkler And Karen Shook
ABS master smith Daniel Winkler and Karen Shook first made their mark in the world of knives with custom reproductions of historical knives and tomahawks. Daniel made the knives and hawks and Karen made the accompanying authentic period sheaths, and the two became internationally known for their work. Daniel and Karen taught for the ABS for many years and Daniel was in the vanguard of the Society’s early cutting competitions. The two were at the forefront of early American historical arms and their period pieces were among those featured in the 1992 feature film, Last of the Mohicans. In 1994 a Navy SEAL Special Warfare operator asked Daniel to make a tomahawk because there was nothing on the market that worked for the SEALs at the time. According to a nominator, “Karen designed a sheath the SEALs liked and over the years she and Daniel did more special projects for the SEALs, ultimately inspiring the two to form Winkler Knives II.” Added another nominator, Daniel and Karen’s operation “soon became the cutlery armorer of many top Special Ops teams, from the SEALs to Delta Force, and to those of other nations as well.
For many years Daniel and Karen quietly made the knives, axes and sheaths without seeking glory or publicity for their work. In fact, they insisted that their generosity and unselfishness remain a secret among those who discovered it. It was only upon mention of their work in the book No Easy Day, in which the SEAL Team member on the Bin Laden take-down mentioned he was carrying a Winkler knife, that Daniel and Karen’s work became known to the general public. With such demand, they have expanded into a mid-tech operation and from there into that of a cutlery producer.” Today, Winkler Knives has a 35,000-square-foot facility employing one part-time and 28 full-time workers. “Few have transitioned into the changing markets as well as Daniel and Karen,” the nominator noted, “and none have done so with such humility and class.”
