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Knife Collecting

Gabe Fletcher used the gradient element technique developed by Mareko Maumasi and Peter Burt to arrive at the award-winning pattern on his BLADE Show 2025 Best Damascus winner. (Gabe Fletcher knife image)

Blue Ribbon Damascus: What Makes The Best Pattern-Welded Steel

Cream of the custom crop rises to the top.
Mabels Folding Knife

Knife Collecting: Marble’s Safety Knife

Lasting legacy of the Marble's Safety Knife
A mix of the artistic and innovative—Michael Walker has carved a lasting place among the modern knifemaking greats. (David Ellis image)

A Jeweler’s Eye: Michael Walker Re-engineers The Knife World

The masterful and meticulous impact of the Hall of Famer.
Jimmy Lile's bicentennial set

50 Years Ago In BLADE: Jimmy Lile’s Bicentennial Blades

Stoic Patriot's Knives Had Sober Inscriptions.
Spyderco’s Sage Series includes knives of the same basic design that highlight different lock mechanisms as homage to the history of their designers. The wheel of Sage models is arranged on binders of knife lock patents.

Knife Mechanisms: Gimmicks Or Game Changers?

Folder features evolve at a fast clip
Commissioned by U.S. Army Col. Robert T. Frederick in 1942, the Case V-42 was issued to troops of the joint U.S.-Canadian First Special Service Force. Gene Gutierrez, 98, (right) was with the FSSF when it drove the Germans from Italy’s Monte la Difensa in 1944, and was on hand in 2015 to help Case introduce a repro of the knife at the SHOT Show. The pictured V-42 is an original from the collection of Les George. (Les George knife image)

Legendary knives that gave the U.S. military its edge

These knives formed the tip of the U.S. Military's spear.
Putting his sole-authorship philosophy on full display, Ethan Kolar's folding dagger not only boasts an impeccable feather damascus blade, but an ornate handle including engraving from the smith himself. The white-lipped mother of pearl ups the eye appeal of this eclectic build. (Jocelyn Frasier image)

Feather Damascus: Blades Forged Light And Airy

The popular pattern offers a complex combination of materials and motif.
Vanuti Fiori Dagger

Brazilian Bonanza: A Bevy Of Brazilian-Made Custom Blades

Hot custome knifes from Brazilian makers.
Jon Christensen was commissioned to create the Guardian Sword, a project that retells the Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa in engraved iron panels and a bronze shield on the handle. The project took an estimated 4,000 hours to complete.

Cool Custom: Jon Christensen’s Mythical Undertaking

Guardian Sword proves a painstaking quest.
“The USMC fighting knife has not always been made by KA-BAR, and KA-BAR didn’t even make them first, but they made it their own,” noted Marine Corps veteran/knifemaker Les George. “It’s the stereotypical military knife in the western hemisphere.” It was the Marine Corps knife of choice in World War II, including on the beach landing at Iwo Jima. (Knife from the Les George collection; Les George knife image)

Military Knives: Historic Star-Spangled Steel

Few knives have served America more than those of the U.S. military. Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series on the most...
Designed by Clarence “Bud” Holzmann, the Gerber MK II gained legendary status during the Vietnam War and is still highly sought after today. Its defining feature was its wasp waist, a design adding to its penetration prowess. (Rock Island Auction Company image)

U.S. Military Daggers: Blades That Have Taken Point

Daggers have struck home the U.S. military's point from the trenches of Europe to the jungles of Vietnam. Through the years, the military dagger has...
Robert Wayman quips that he packed a lot into his 14-inch pattern damascus cleaver, mainly in the handle. The grip features a damascus collar, stainless steel and G-10 spacers, cross-cut carbon fiber, green malachite and blue coral accents, stabilized amboyna burl, and a damascus butt cap with stainless mounting pins inset with blue coral, framed with green malachite. (SharpByCoop image)

Custom Cleavers That Have Culinary Chops

Four custom makers push the boundaries of the tried-and-true cleaver. An inclination toward the kitchen and a desire to design and deliver cutlery used on...
Michael Deibert Wakizashi

Custom Gallery: Customs That Demonstrate Martial Mastery

From historic clashes to modern conflict, these fierce custom blades prove there is still a profound amount of art in the tools of war.
Designed to be kept undercover and provide a potent second defensive option, the Contingency Dagger from Colonel Blades is a wicked little tool. (Elwood Shelton image)

Colonel Blades Contingency Dagger Review: Sharp Little Backup

Daring little dagger takes a stab as a defensive secondary.
Lead image of Harvey McBurnette article.

50 Years Ago In BLADE: Big Bucks Bowie

Harvey McBurnette etched his name in high-dollar knife sales.
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