Legislation expunges any related convictions under the old switchblade law.
As a result of Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signing the state’s switchblade ban repeal bill in June, Vermont not only becomes the latest state to legalize automatics but also expunges prior ban-related convictions, the Knife Rights website reported.
At press time, the effective date of the repeal was July 2.
Known as S.109, the bill removes “switchblade knives” from the existing Vermont statute that had banned a “switchblade knife, the blade of which is three inches or more in length.” The new bill also requires that “the Court” order the expungement of any related convictions handed down prior to July 1, 2025.
“This is the first time one of our bills has incorporated an expungement clause,” the site reported.
The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI), along with Knife Rights comprising the two major pro-knife legislative organizations serving the cutlery industry, credited the passage of the bill to “the longtime bipartisan work of two Vermont lawmakers—Patrick Brennan, a Vermont state senator, and Dan Noyes, a Vermont state representative.” According to the AKTI website, the Republican Brennan and the Democrat Noyes teamed up about five years ago to provide a unified approach that “eventually came to fruition.”
As the Knife Rights site indicated, Vermont has Constitutional (Permitless) Carry, so prior to S.109 you could carry any legal firearm open or concealed there, and you could carry any knife open or concealed except an automatic with a blade 3 inches or longer. Until the new bill, that was the only knife you were not allowed to possess in the state.
With the signing of S.109, Vermont becomes the 21st state to repeal switchblade bans or restrictions, the Knife Rights site stated. Beginning with New Hampshire in 2010, those states also include Alaska; Colorado; Hawaii; Illinois; Indiana; Kansas; Louisiana; Maine; Michigan; Missouri; Montana; Nevada; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; and Wisconsin.
UltiClip’s sales and marketing specialist provided a friendly face to the cutting-edge brand.
Ryan Allen Thompson of UltiClip passed away suddenly from a heart attack on July 7. He was 46.
Thompson’s specialty was sales and marketing at UltiClip, a maker, distributor and retailer of an award-winning range of assorted synthetic clips and accessories for sheaths and holsters based in Chicago. UltiClip makes items in the USA that focus “on providing ease of carry, concealment, retention and versatility in one product.”
In June the company’s APH spring steel clip was named the BLADE Magazine 2025 Accessory of the Year. UltiClip also won the Accessory of the Year in 2021 for the UltiLink rapid-attachment, modular linking system.
Ryan made many friends in the knife industry, and his death came as a shock to those who knew him. He is survived by Chastity, his wife of 21 years, and their three children: Isaiah River, Anna Rose and Joshua Rainn.
Remembering Others The Knife Industry Has Lost:
Betty Dowell, Driving Force Behind Knifemaker Ted Dowell, Passes
B. R. Hughes, Pioneering Writer And Bladesmithing Teacher, Passes Away
We captured in film the knives, knife people and lots of fun that marked another great show.
Nothing beats the BLADE Show.
Nearly 1,000 vendors, countless knives and throngs of attendees crowded the Cobb Galleria from June 6–8 for the world’s largest knife shindig. That’s a lot of action—and plenty to take in over the course of three days. But armed with our trusty candid cameras, we at BLADE Magazine gave it our best shot.
Roving the main hall, “baller” room and convention center corridors, we captured glimpses of the knife event no words can fully describe. Take a moment to relive—or get your first look at—BLADE Show 2025 through the lens of those who were there.
Editor’s Note: Click on any photo to launch an enlarged gallery.
Show Saturday was bumper to bumper.CRKT fans get their fill of new knives.A Rosecraft BLADE Show ad greeted guests of the show’s host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly, each time they took the elevator.Knife fans converge on the Rick Hinderer Knives booth.Mardi Meshejian has a firm hold on one of his custom sickles.Blade HQ held Balicomp 25 with Brycen Nelson winning the title, Steve Ash placing second and Landon Morrison third. (Blade HQ image) Tim Reeve (center with arms raised) directs traffic at the Chris Reeve Knives booth as Anne Reeve and Dean Felides (directly to Tim’s right) look on.Jens Anso conducts his BLADE University class.HEPK master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler (left) enjoys a customer visit.Knife deals were there to be had.Patrons wait in line patiently for the BLADE Show to begin.Who says BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® members can’t have fun? Michael Walker gives Bob Terzuola the rabbit-ear treatment. (Larry Hirsch image)Walter Brend (left) and Les Robertson enjoy another BLADE Show.A contestant flips a giant butterfly knife during Balicomp 25.The smiling face dead center is custom knifemaker Koji Hara.Aaron Frederick is back making knives and had a few on hand to show.Knife fans try their hand at foosball at the Big Idea Design booth.
From UG-Tools’ snack-fueled award sweep to Rick Dunkerley’s full-circle Hall of Fame moment, this year’s show didn’t disappoint.
Each BLADE Show has more than its share of entertaining adventures, and the 2025 version was no exception. Two of the more memorable happenings from this year’s event were as follows:
UG Tools Tiny & Twinkies®
1: UG-Tools won both Imported Fixed Blade and Overall Knife Of The Year® for the TiNy Drop Point. Among the more notable features of the award winner is its light weight and the ability to be used for heavy-duty jobs and a variety of different applications, including hunting, fishing, hiking, law enforcement and EDC.
It was the knife’s lightweight/heavy-duty nature the UG folks chose to highlight at the show, doing so by putting the knife in the hands of patrons visiting the company’s booth.
“You could literally see their brains working to figure out why it was so darn light,” UG’s Jan Gierse wrote of the patrons’ reactions and the TiNy. The UG team would then take the knife and baton it through an 8×8 post, the sounds of hammering echoing through the exhibit hall.
Also known as Fixed Knives International and with the UG standing for (Philipp) Utsch and (Jan) Gierse, the German-based company began operations in 2020. BLADE Show ’25 was its first “trade fair” as an exhibitor and the firm’s brain trust had been contemplating how to best convey the low weight of their knives. The solution: say the knife is lighter than two Twinkies® and give away the famed Hostess snack cakes in large quantities to booth visitors. The idea went down well with young and old show-goers alike, and UG quickly became referred to as “the Twinkie guys,” even partaking of a few of the cream-filled treats themselves.
“The sugar was driving our brains to peak performance,” Jan wrote, “[and] we came up with an idea: If we won an award, [one of us would have] to get a tattoo of a Twinkie or a knife. Since we won the Overall award, each of us will get a tattoo. What it will be remains to be seen.”
Jan added that the results can probably be seen at next year’s show.
Rick Dunkerley’s Wild Ride to the Top
At the 1996 BLADE Show, Rick Dunkerley commanded notice for more than just his handforged folders. Late one night after the show he and fellow bladesmith Barry Gallagher mooned The Pit, the beloved sunken lounge in the lobby of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly, from one of the hotel’s see-through glass elevators. As Rick stepped to the podium to be formally inducted into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® the Saturday morning of this year’s show, he began his comments by referring to the now-legendary “elevator exposé.”
“So it was 29 years ago that I was in the elevator and mooned The Pit,” he said to a round of laughter from the induction ceremony audience, “so my advice is that if you want to get into the Hall of Fame, don’t get in the elevator and moon The Pit. I got home from that episode and an ABS master smith called and told me they were going to kick me out of the ABS, and I said, well, if they’re going to kick me out of the ABS for that I don’t want to be in the ABS. But I passed my master smith test the next year, so I guess they didn’t hold it against me. My career has skyrocketed since,” he summarized to even more laughs.
Meanwhile, the induction ceremony was this writer’s first in my new role as Cutlery Hall-of-Fame chairman. In one of my first unofficial acts as chairman, I informed Rick and the audience that while the Cutlery Hall-of-Fame had a “little-known rule” banning anyone from membership if he or she mooned The Pit, the statute of limitations on the rule is—wait for it—28 years, and in his instance had run out. My lame joke aside, on behalf of BLADE®, the BLADE Show and the Hall of Fame, it’s my honor to help welcome Rick and the rest of his fellow inductees to the Hall.
Selling knives takes more than a sharp edge—professionalism, fair pricing and trust are key to long-term success on the show floor.
How you conduct yourself and your knifemaking business when you’re on the selling floor of a knife show is critical. If word comes down the aisle there is a well-known collector in the room, don’t go over and interrupt the business between the collector and crafter by waving your work in front of them, or stepping into the customer’s space.
I’ve seen this too many times over the years. Such crafters are an embarrassment to all who draw from the same collector pool. Stay in your space, behave in a professional manner and wait for the customer to come to you.
The last thing any craft needs is for a crafter to double his prices when a particular collector approaches. As a result, the collector immediately assumes all crafters are a pack of thieves, taking advantage of him. Those who are at the top of their trade will tell you what a bad move this is for any crafter. Such things travel through the collector network worldwide in hours.
Pricing Custom Knives
Sales are the toughest part of the business. Pricing their work is difficult for all crafters. To take some of the mystery out of trying to maintain control of my cash-poor studio, I’ve always gone by the following simple formula.
Work out the minimum amount per month you must earn to eat and pay your bills. Whether you’re paying all or a portion of your bills, it’s the same. How much is the total amount? You can’t drop below netting the figure from your studio. If you spend more than you make, your approach is not working and you need to change something.
Doing things by hand takes time, especially when you start trying to extend your boundaries. BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Bob Terzuola has been extending his boundaries a long time, including at the belt grinder. Collector Chris Schluter watches at left.
I triple my base material and labor figures. This must cover everything and very often doesn’t work out as hoped. Throw in costly materials and things soon get out of balance, not to mention foundry fees and shipping.
Paying Yourself
Pay yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s only a little bit, there is still the psychological impact of being paid something for your efforts. Don’t work for free. No one likes not being rewarded for his efforts.
I’ve been on a schedule of seven 10-hour days a week for most of my career. If I don’t work those kinds of hours the pieces won’t get done, and the bills won’t get paid. There has never been a lot of time for doing Alaska kinds of things, be it hiking or fishing, or just sitting and doing nothing. If I’m home, I had better be in my studio working. Welcome to the world of the full-time crafter. Your family is in the wings, waiting for you to finish up so everyone can go out for pizza.
Most of the time, workers in fast food restaurants make more per hour than crafters. That’s a basic fact. Doing things by hand takes time, especially when you start trying to extend your boundaries.
Developing Your Talent As A Smith
There are very talented people who can’t freehand a drawing of something in their imagination, but give them a clear idea and they can do it with a dedication to detail few ever achieve. Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Bill Harsey’s drawing in 2002 of the “Yarborough” for the Reeve-Harsey Green Beret Knife Project reflects his prodigious artistic talent. (image courtesy of Bill Harsey)
The artisan/crafter who drops the Saturday mall hobby artist status to get into the shows of a size to make the dream of becoming a full-time working artisan/crafter possible must make some adjustments. You will encounter a couple of stumbling blocks along the way. They are big ones and never really go away completely, no matter how much experience you might have.
One is talent—you can’t have enough of it. But the strings attached to it require endless dedication to sometimes crazy rules. There are very talented people who can’t freehand a drawing of something in their imagination, but give them a clear idea and they can do it with a dedication to detail few ever achieve.
Most people with raw talent show it early in life, from the 10-year-old piano protégé and 11-year-old symphonic composer to the ones who talk of space as something tangible to them, to the hands of a 12-year-old who carves hardwoods like the elders around him. They say the spirits of a great carver have moved into his hands. (That’s what I need.)
What do you do if you don’t come loaded down with the skills necessary to get your ideas on paper where you can see them? You don’t have the ability yet to create new and innovative ideas but really like crafting.
Get a pack of white paper, some pink erasers and a pencil sharpener that attaches to your table or bench. Have sufficient light; don’t work in the dark. Try and get the bulk of your idea down the first time, then let it sit and simmer while you look at the rough and try to come up with a direction to take your drawing to next.
For a project that may take months or years to complete, be sure you cover the bases as much as you think is possible. One of the author’s longer-term projects is his famed Chugach Dragon. Commissioned to make a sword “capable of slaying a dragon,” he not only built the sword, he also made a “dragon” from whalebones and caribou hides. (Weyer International image)
Work with small thumbnail-size sketches. They can be quick and you can do a number till you find something that appeals to you in a short time. Scan it and blow it up to the size it needs to be when finished. Instant gratification art!
Don’t design far beyond your skill sets; keep them in mind when you begin drawing.
I look on my sketches as my guidelines for the final finished piece. I work out the design issues on paper until I’m satisfied. I don’t begin anything until I have a possible route to take to achieve the end product I want. I’m not locked into it but I know there is at least one way that my chances are good, or there’s a reasonable risk, of me pulling something off. When you’re working on something that may take months or years to complete, make sure you have covered the bases as much as you think is possible.
Skills come from continual practice. You don’t have to be Picasso to make a raku* tea bowl. It may not be your original idea but the joy available just in doing the more mundane tasks is tangible. Being able to do raku means you have acquired a new skill set that will tweak your craft view a bit, that will give you the view from another craft’s perspective.
The more skills you can master, the broader your creative strokes can be. It’s not necessary that you learn every technique to the level of a master, only that you can do it without issue the few times it is required.
Ray Appleton’s IQ folders are famous for being difficult to figure out how to open and close, but one (though not one of those shown below) he put on the author’s table at a Solvang Knife Show may have been the most difficult ever.
Sales Presentation
A good idea poorly presented has no positive aspects. Keep it under the table until you work out the kinks at some later date.
Twenty years ago, celebrated knifemaker Ray Appleton came to the Solvang Knife Show. He is well known for his IQ folders, so named because it takes some thinking to work out how they open and close.
He didn’t have an exhibitor table, so he didn’t have anything to sell. He laid a small, leather-slip-covered folder on my table and stepped away. Ray was very tall, so he walked over by the show entrance and stood there to watch what happened. Someone had spotted him putting the knife down and was at my table immediately. The person asked for permission to look at it, which I gave, as Ray had asked.
The man fiddled with the folder for five minutes, then handed it off to someone else. It went through the hands of at least 20 people in an hour. Then Ray came back over to my table. He picked the knife up and slipped it in his denim shirt pocket.
“Did anyone open it?”
“Not as far as I could tell,” I said.
“Neither can I,” he said with the usual twinkle of the jokester in his eye, a man who saw enough humor in life to drive from central Colorado to Solvang on the California coast just to play a 20-minute joke. Ray was someone who knew the joys available in life for an eternal prankster.
The point here is don’t send customers photos of unfinished projects. Their imaginations aren’t usually up to your level, so it is easy for them to misinterpret something by a large margin. When you show up with the final, they will be expecting something different.
*Editor’s Note: Raku is a low-fire process of making pottery.
Get a look at everything that went down at the world’s largest knife show.
The 44th Annual BLADE Show in Atlanta was yet another in a historic line of three-day edge-stravaganzas of the present, past and future of an international knife industry that seems to advance daily by leaps and bounds.
The latest and best knives, knifemakers and related accessories the planet has to offer, the pioneers that laid the groundwork for what the knife community is today, the new, up-and-coming knifemakers and knife companies that hold such great promise for tomorrow, and so much more all showed their sharpest stuff June 6-8 in the Cobb Galleria Centre.
Jason Yount displays his damascus pizza cutter under the watchful eye of BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Steve Schwarzer. Steve called it the best BLADE Show in a few years.
It was about what you would expect from the world’s largest, most important international knife event.
BLADE University provided a full slate of topics, including knife and sheath making, how to sharpen, fundamentals of blade grinding, how to etch damascus and many more. BladeSports International conducted the annual BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition and Blade HQ held Balicomp 2025.
Custom knifemakers and bladesmiths from around the globe displayed their wares, including members of the American Bladesmith Society, Knifemakers’ Guild and unaffiliated makers from everywhere. Meanwhile, various knife collector groups, knife rights organizations and other outfits met and discussed their favorite topic as only they can each year during the BLADE Show.
Through it all, knife enthusiasts of all stripes renewed old acquaintances, made new ones, and otherwise immersed themselves in the world’s keenest three-day weekend, capped off each night with food and beverages in The Pit, the legendary sunken lobby lounge of the host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly.
It was knife heaven on steroids.
BLADE Show Sales
The BLADE Show has always been unlike any other knife event and this year’s rendition was no exception. Attendance ebbed and flowed Friday and Saturday, and Sunday was its usual slow-to-middling self. While some exhibitors raved about the attendance and sales, some said both seemed off from last year.
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.
One reason for the differences in observations may have to do with the sheer size of the show hall as opposed to the smaller size of the adjoining Baller Room. The show hall is so large that waves of attendees seemed to gravitate like flocks of birds from one side to the other, constantly in search of the latest, coolest knives. As a result, one area that was flooded with patrons for a while might be somewhat devoid of them minutes later. By contrast, the smaller Baller Room seemed to have fairly steady traffic throughout.
Another factor has to do with the exhibitors themselves. As with any business, those who are constantly on the go, looking to make deals or offering giveaways are usually the ones who experience the most success. Smiling faces and engaging, upbeat demeanors sell knives. Those who stand or, worse yet, sit behind their tables with their arms folded waiting for something to happen usually have a long if not endless wait.
Custom knife purveyor Michael Donato was constantly on the move, talking and probing for those who wanted to buy and/or sell knives. He said his company, KnifePurveyor.com, had its best show ever in 24 years of BLADE Shows.
John Horrigan’s 16.5-inch Kings Dagger features Gorgon flower damascus, petersite, a red agate, and 24k-gold engraving with a ruby, diamond, sapphire and emerald inset in the crown. John’s price for a similar knife: $14,500. (Jocelyn Frasier image)
“Many of my colleagues shared with me how well they had done at the show as well,” he noted.
Matt Bando of Demko Knives was stoked about Demko’s performance.
“We brought the largest number of knives we have ever brought to a show and sold out faster than any other,” he noted. “All of our USA models were sold by 2 p.m. Friday. There seemed to be a lot of people at the show and every year it seems to grow.”
Demko is one of those exhibitors who employs giveaways to drive sales and create enthusiasm.
“We had a large turnout for our giveaway on Saturday. We gave away five different packages. For the main giveaway, we gave a USA-made titanium AD20 in 3V. A young man entered his younger brother into the raffle and ended up winning his first Demko knife. Great story. “We were blown away and pumped.”
Two blade enthusiasts try out/talk knives at the McNees Knives booth.
Custom knifemaker Rhidian Gatrill not only won for Best Miniature in the custom knife judging competition but, along with Jeremy Yelle, also captured Best Collaboration. “Rhid” exhibited 13 knives, two of which were miniatures, and sold all but one.
“Most sold within the first few hours on Friday but the others sold slowly through Saturday and my minis within the last hours of the show Sunday,” he wrote. Still, he said he thought the buying was slower than last year, which was his first year exhibiting at the BLADE Show.
Vince Evans specializes in high-end historical swords and knives. He brought four swords and sold two, both on Friday.
“Most of my clientele are interested in historical pieces,” he stated. “Swords are a more limited field as some collectors don’t have the room to collect and/or display larger pieces.” Vince indicated the show seemed slower than last year and that a few regular local attendees did not come. “Friday and Saturday seemed fairly busy,” he wrote, adding that on a scale of 1 to 10, Friday and Saturday were “about a 7” and Sunday “about a 2.”
The VK-Zame—aka Shark—in M398 stainless steel and titanium was among the knives Poikilo Blade debuted at the BLADE Show. MSRP: $580-$600. Available to the public: August/September. (Poikilo Blade image)
Gregarious Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Steve Schwarzer was pleased. “I had a great show, sold most of my carved pieces and took several orders,” he commented. “It was the best show in a few years. It was very busy.”
As usual, the South Texas Slipjoint Cartel boys all seemed to do well, including sellouts by Tanner Couch and Toby Hill, the latter who sold all 11 of the knives he displayed. Bobby House only brought three knives but sold them all by early Friday afternoon. He indicated his most-sought-after knife was a high-end Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Bill-Ruple-design Ax Handle with wasp nest damascus bolsters and shield that went for $2,800 to a French buyer. The other two buyers were Americans, the latter being Arizona Custom Knives.
The Baller Room buzzed all three days.
“I thought attendance was up on Friday and Saturday,” he wrote, giving Friday a 7 rating. “Friday attendance was the people wanting to buy custom knives. They are there to get the first shot at our custom builds. Saturday attendance is more for entertainment purposes. They want to look and see all types of knives, but they have funds to buy also.”
He gave the Saturday attendance an 8, concluding, “Overall, it was one of the best shows that I have been involved in. Great job by the BLADE Show crew!”
BLADE Show Treasures
A highlight of all BLADE Shows is you never know what unusual old knife or sword, new knife introduction, mechanism or material, or other notable hidden treasure may turn up.
“I always enjoy seeing what the antique dealers bring to the show,” Evans wrote. “I purchased an antique quillon dagger for research and a future replication project.”
It’s easy to get mesmerized by knives at the BLADE Show, here at the table of Alex Hossom (left).
An antique also caught the eye of knifemaker David Kramp, who sold 10 of 12 knives and won Best New Maker in the custom knife judging.
“There was a French knife from the 1830s that was very intriguing,” he wrote. “I’m very much looking forward to that potential build with a fellow maker.”
Winner of Best Damascus in the custom knife judging, Gabe Fletcher came across a product that piqued his interest. “The Gator Skin Blade Coating from Baker Forge seems very interesting,” he wrote. “I picked some up to try on my damascus.”
Both Kramp and knifemaker Jared Oeser were gobsmacked by Gatrill’s lockback whittler automatic that won Best Collaboration in the show’s custom knife judging competition.
Conducted by Blade HQ, Balicomp 2025 drew a packed house on show Saturday.
“I’m not ready to make something like it yet but that auto slipjoint was impressive,” Kramp observed. Oeser, who brought 14 knives and sold out by Saturday afternoon, chimed in, “One thing that stood out to me was Rhidian’s automatic lockback whittler. I’m gonna have to try [making one like] that.”
Next Up: BLADE Show West
It was indeed another BLADE Show for the ages. Speaking of which, next year’s show will return to the Cobb Galleria June 5-7. For more information, visit bladeshow.com. Meanwhile, it’s not too late to make plans to attend BLADE Show West Oct. 10-11 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah (bladeshowwest.com). See you there!
See what’s soon to be cutting up the scene with the new knives debuted at the 2025 BLADE Show.
As the world’s largest knife show, BLADE Show is a prime venue for the introduction of new knives. Every year, manufacturers unveil fresh creations at the Cobb Galleria, hoping to get the hottest new blades in front of the most motivated buyers and collectors.
The 2025 BLADE Show was highlighted with a ton of factory knife drops—some of them available as of the show, others trickling out later this year. Here is a look at some of the soon-to-be most coveted blades hitting the scene at your local cutlery.
Dauntless Surgeon-R
Knife type: Fixed EDC scalpel Designer: Chris Moss Blade length: 2.5” Blade material options: AEB-L and MagnaCut stainless and CPM 3V carbon steel Rockwell hardness: 60 HRC for AEB-L and 3V; 63 HRC for MagnaCut Blade grind: Flat Blade at the thickest: 1/8” Blade pattern: Scalpel Blade finish options: Tumbled, black oxide, and nitride Construction: One piece Handle material: Steel Pocket clip: Deep carry Overall length: 7” Sheath: Polymer, deep carry Country of origin: USA MSRP: Starts at $245 Available for sale: NOW
TOPS Knives Tick
Knife type: Fixed blade Designer: Leo Espinoza Blade length: 3” Blade material: 1095 carbon steel Rockwell hardness: 56-58 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade at the thickest: 3/32” Blade finish: Tungsten Cerakote® Construction: Full tang Handle material: Tan G-10 w/black liner Weight: 2.2 ozs. (3.4 ozs. w/sheath) Overall length: 6.38” Sheath: Black Kydex w/UltiClip for pocket carry Knife to know: The Tick is the first TOPS knife with a sheath specifically set up for pocket carry. Country of origin: USA MSRP: $220 Available for sale: NOW
Spyderco Shaman(SMKW Exclusive)
Knife type: Folder Designer: BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Sal Glesser Blade length: 3.58” Blade steel: CPM S45VN stainless Blade at the thickest: .145” Blade pattern: Drop point Blade finish: Black DLC Blade opener: Spyderco round thumb hole Handle material: Grey canvas Micarta® Lock: Compression Closed length: 4.67” Country of origin: USA MSRP: $279.95 Knife to know: Made by Spyderco, the Smoky Grey Shaman is sold exclusively through Smoky Mountain Knife Works Available for sale: NOW
Bradford USA 6” Utility Kitchen Tool
Knife type: Culinary Designer: Bradford USA Blade length: 6” Blade steel options: AEB-L and MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 61-62 HRC Blade grind: Full-height flat Blade at the thickest: Thin .1” distal taper Blade finish: Satin stonewash Handle material options: G-10, carbon fiber, G-Wood G-10 Weight: 5 ozs. Overall length: 11” Sheath: Flat black leather sleeve Country of origin: USA MSRPs: AEB-L $169 and MagnaCut $209 Available for sale: NOW
Chaves Knives Dissident
Knife type: Double-action out-the-front Designer: Ramon Chavez Blade length: 3.7” Blade steel: S35VN stainless Rockwell hardness: 58-60 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade at the thickest: .15” Blade finish: Stonewash Construction: Screw Handle material: Aluminum Lock: Trigger Opening mechanism: Auto Pocket clip: Titanium skull model, tip down, right-handed Weight: 4.73 ozs. Closed length: 5” Knife to know: The Dissident has the new Petrified blade finish. Country of origin: Utah, USA MSRP: $400 Available for sale: Summer 2025
Demko Knives AD20XL Double-Wide
Knife type: Manual folder Designer: Andrew Demko Blade length: 4” Blade steel: MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 60-62 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade at the thickest: .18” Blade pattern: Drop point Blade finish: Stonewash Handle material: Titanium Lock: Shark-Lock® Pivot materials: Ball bearings Pocket clip: Stainless steel /standard carry Weight: 9.6 ozs. Closed length: 5.5” Country of origin: USA MSRP: $850 Available for sale: NOW
Bear Edge Brisk 2.0 Zytel Assisted Sideliner
Blade length: 3 1/8” Blade steel: 440 stainless Blade finish: Black Blade pattern: Drop point Blade opener: Ambidextrous thumb studs Handle material: Rift Blue stainless Lock: Sideliner Pocket clip: Reversible Knife to know: The handle has gimping for enhanced control Weight: 3.4 ozs. Closed length: 4 5/8” Country of origin: Alabama, USA MSRP: $40.99 Available: NOW
Reiff Knives The Vicon
Knife type: Tactical fixed-blade field knife Designer: Stu Shank in collaboration with a group of active U.S. Special Forces members Blade length: 5.19” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 60-62 HRC Blade grind: Flat saber Blade at the thickest: .188” Blade pattern: Clip point Blade finish options: Black DLC, FDE PVD and stonewash Construction: Full tang Handle material options: Black or OD green G-10 and black or green canvas Micarta® Weight: 9.8 ozs. Overall length: 10.22” Sheath: Modular ambidextrous Kydex w/removable drop plate and removable Kydex belt clip Special features: False edge clip point, fuller, gimping; partially exposed pommel w/gimped thumb ramp for reverse grip use Country of origin: USA MSRP: $420-$435 Available for sale: NOW
Maserin 632 CB-1
Knife type: Folder Designer: Coltellerie Maserin Blade length: 3.15” Blade steel: MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 62 HRC Blade grind: Compound Blade at the thickest: .13” Blade pattern: Drop point Blade finish: Stonewashed Construction: Screw Handle material: Neon yellow G-10; other options include Micarta and FatCarbon® Glass Lock: Crossbar Pivot materials: Steel ball bearings Pocket clip: Deep carry, tip up, reversible, stainless steel Weight: 4.23 ozs. Closed length: 4.48” Special features: 632 CB-1 is Maserin’s first knife featuring a crossbar mechanism; drop point blade w/a sporty, futuristic design; four blade opening options enhance ambidextrous deployment: dual thumb stud, thumb hole, crossbar and flipper Country of origin: Italy MSRP: $199 (Micarta and G-10) and $215 (FatCarbon Glass) Available for sale: Mid-September
Emerson Knives COMANCHERO
Emerson Knives COMANCHERO
Designer: Ernest Emerson Blade length: 3.8” Blade steel: MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 62-64 HRC Blade grind: Conventional “V” Blade at the thickest: .125” Blade pattern: Bowie Blade finish options: Stonewash and Thunderstorm Blade opener: Thumb button Pivot materials: Teflon washers Handle material: G-10 Lock: Titanium linerlock Pocket clip: Hardened stainless steel, tip up Weight: 5 ozs. Closed length: 5.1” Special feature: Emerson Wave opening Country of origin: USA MSRP: $319 Available for sale: NOW
Utica Critical Hit II
Knife type: Necker Designer: Utica Blade length: 2.5” Blade steel: MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 55-57 HRC Blade grind: Taper Blade at the thickest: .12” Blade pattern: Spear Blade finish: Powder coat Construction: Full tang Handle material: G-10 Pocket clip: Stainless steel, tip down Weight: 2.45 ozs. (4.2 ozs. w/sheath) Overall length: 6.75” Sheath: ABS synthetic w/paracord Country of origin: USA MSRP: $170.71 Available for sale: NOW
Condor Tool & Knife Jungle Bowie
Knife type: Fixed blade Designer: Arlan D. Lothe Blade length: 11.2” Blade material: 1075 carbon steel Rockwell hardness: 50-55 HRC Blade grind: Convex Blade at the thickest: .12” Blade finish: Natural stonewash Construction: Stick tang Handle material: Thermoplastic elastomer Weight: 16.93 ozs. Sheath: Handmade welted leather Country of origin: El Salvador MSRP: $89.98 Available for sale: NOW
CRKT Redemption Compact
KNIFE TYPE: EDC folder Designer: BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Ken Onion Blade length: 3.28” Blade steel: MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 61-63 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade at the thickest: .13” Blade pattern: Spear point Blade finish options: Stonewash and black Cerakote® Construction: Screw Handle material: G-10 w/stainless steel bolster Lock: Crossbar Pivot materials: IKBS ball bearing Pocket clip: Reversible, deep carry, tip up Weight: 4.1 ozs Closed length: 4.31” Country of origin: USA MSRP: $225-$250 Available for sale: NOW
Hogue Knives Mysto Water
Knife type: EDC folder Designer: Scott Bruhns Blade length: 3.4” Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut stainless Rockwell hardness: 62-64 HRC Blade grind: Flat Blade at the thickest: .115” Blade pattern: Clip point Blade finish: Stone tumbled Construction: Screw Handle material: Blue Canyon Richlite Lock: ABLE Lock® Pocket clip: Deep carry, tip up, ambidextrous Weight: 2.5 ozs. Closed length: 4.4” Special features: Titanium backspacers anodized a light blue Country of origin: USA MSRP: $179.95 Available for sale: NOW
