The Art of …


… blades. These photos are from the 2019 Knife Awards, a yearly competition held in Atlanta by Blade, the world’s’ #1 knife publication. The event wasn’t held in 2020 due to Covid, but they are planning a June 2021 show, for those of you interested aficionados. Today, I’m sharing just the best custom knives from the show, but if you want to see the full cadre of winners the link is here. I’ve saved the best of show for last. All photos are from Blade Magazine.

Best Art Knife, by Veronique Laurent

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Folder, by Javier Vogt

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Bowie, by Jerry Fisk

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Kitchen, by Doberman Forge

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Damaascus, by Franco Custom Knives

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best new maker, Esnyx Knives

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Collaboration, by David Lisch and Andrew Meers

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best handle Design, by Ben Breda

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Fighter, by Brian Sellers

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best of the Rest, by RonNewton

Photo from Blade Magazine

Most Innovative Design, by RJ Martin

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Utility Hunter, Ben Breda

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Sword, Vince Evans

Photo from Blade Magazine

Best Mini, by Ohbuchi Isao

Photo from Blade Magazine

and finally, Best of Show and Best fixed blade, by Harvery Dean

Photo from Blade Magazine

Comments

  1. says

    Most of those are specifically designed to be as difficult as possible to produce. Like the last one, for example: first you gotta make a really gorgeous feather damascus billet, then make a perfectly ground blade out of it, then chisel the inlays into the steel and hammer gold into them, then polish it perfectly, and fit the whole thing together so there’s no air space anywhere. Oh, and look at the repousse on the ricasso of the blade, right above the plunge-line: the guy who did that made that gold square there so that he could show that the plunge-lines are machinist accurate, because if they weren’t the square wouldn’t be. Daaaaaamn.

    When someone goes to get certified Master BladeSmith the knife they submit is examined closely for any flaw. So, on top of all that, make it as hard as possible. Sure, why not?

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