Knife enthusiasts converged on Atlanta in June for the annual BLADE Show + Living Ready Expo. This is the largest and most prestigious knife gathering of the year. This is the Super Bowl of the knife industry. Always eagerly anticipated are the Knife of the Year Awards. Below is a list of this year’s winners:
- Overall Knife Of The Year: Zero Tolerance 0454
- American-Made Knife Of The Year: Hogue Elishewitz EX-04
- Imported Knife Of The Year: Fox Knives Modras
- Most Innovative American Design: Microtech D.O.C. Kill Switch
- Most Innovative Imported Design: CRKT Ken Onion Swindle
- Best Buy Of The Year: CRKT Endorser
- Kitchen Knife Of The Year: Ken Onion Chef Works
- Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year: Pro-Tech Newport
- Knife Collaboration Of The Year: Microtech Mick Strider
- Manufacturing Quality Award: Chris Reeve Knives
- Accessory Of The Year: CRKT Onion Survival Parasaw
- Industry Achievement Award: American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith Joe Keeslar for introducing the ABS and modern bladesmithing to France through annual workshops, as well as teaching bladesmithing in the USA via seminars and his books, for his award-winning knives, and for his leadership via several terms on the ABS Board Of Directors and as chairman of the ABS, and;
- Publisher’s Award: Joyce Laituri, marketing manager of Spyderco, for almost two decades of setting the standard for how to best promote and publicize a knife company’s knives—in this case, those of Spyderco. Her ability to work with the media in terms of providing Spyderco knives, knife imagery, knife information and other materials has been a model for all others in public relations to emulate. No one has done it better.
Zero Tolerance 0454 – Overall Knife of the Year!
Hogue Elishiwetz EX-04 – American-Made Knife Of The Year
Fox Knives Modras – Imported Knife Of The Year
Microtech D.O.C. Kill Switch – Most Innovative American Design
CRKT Ken Onion Swindle – Most Innovative Imported Design
CRKT Endorser – Best Buy of the Year!
Ken Onion Chef Works Rain – Kitchen Knife Of The Year
Pro-Tech Newport – Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year
Microtech Mick Stride – Knife Collaboration Of The Year!
Chris Reeve Knives – Manufacturing Quality Award
- CRKT Onion Survival Para-saw – Accessory Of The Year
CRKT Onion Survival Para-saw – Accessory Of The Year!
American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith Joe Keeslar – Industry Achievement Award
Joyce Laituri, marketing manager of Spyderco – Publisher’s Award
CUSTOM KNIFE WINNERS:
- Best Tactical Folder: Sniper Bladeworks
- Best Fixed Blade: David Lisch;
- Yvon Vachon Best Miniature Award: Yoshio Sakauchi;
- Best Sword: David Mirabile;
- Best Damascus: John White;
- Best Art Knife: Steve Rapp;
- Best Collaboration: Bob Terzuola and Brian Fellhoelter;
- Best New Maker: David Sharp;
- Best Folder: Scott Sawby;
- Best Bowie: John White;
- Best Handle Design: E. Scott McGhee;
- Best Fighter: E. Scott McGhee;
- Best of the Rest: Steve Culver;
- Most Innovative Design: Grant and Gavin Hawk;
- Best Utility Hunter: Alan Hutchinson;
- Hugh Bartrug Best of Show Award: John White.
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