… 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
**THUD** Holy cow those are GORGEOUS. Wow!
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?
Consider me to be drooling.
amazing stuff.