Another BLADE Show has come and gone.

While I wasn’t able to attend this year, I’m not going to ignore one of my favorite events of the knife-filled weekend: the awards.

The Knife of the Year awards are designed to recognize the highest achievements in the factory-made and custom knife industries. Some experts in the field have argued that the winners of the awards have not reflected the consensus of the wider knife community. However, it is interesting to see which ones take home the top prize.

Overall Knife of the Year: Fox Knives SURU

Image from Blade Magazine

First up is the biggie: the Overall Knife of the Year. Fox Knives took home the top prize with the SURU. Designed by Jesper Voxnaes (as you can plainly see), the SURU is the first frame mechanism made from 90 percent carbon fiber and 10 percent TPI stainless steel. I imagine the carbon fiber makes it extremely lightweight.

It is a darn sexy knife with flourishes like titanium screws, Vegas Forge Herringbone Damascus steel, and a titanium clip with a zirconium oxide ball.

American Made Knife of the Year: Chris Reeve Impinda

Next up is the American Made Knife of the Year. The Impinda is the first slip joint from Chris Reeve Knives and looks as though it captures the same quality and finish you can expect from other CRK models like the Sebenza. It has a 3.123-inch S35VN blade with a titanium handle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjmwcrxjIS3/

Imported Knife of the Year: Spyderco Paysan

The Paysan was just released in the Spyderco 2018 Mid-Year Guide a few days ago and was one of the knives we were most excited for. It’s not hard to see why.

This Taiwanese-made knife boasts a one-piece handle machined from solid titanium along with a sexy S90V  blade.

This is the successor to the now discontinued Nirvana and becomes Spyderco’s most expensive model at more than $500… street price.

Most Innovative American Design: Rick Hinderer Tri-Way Pivot System

Image from Blade Magazine

I’ve always been a big fan of this award (as evidenced by my recent look back at all the winners of this award ever). The winner this year is the Hinderer Fulltrack, which utilizes the innovative Tri-Way Pivot System. The knife itself is a larger version of the Halftrack with some excellent flourishes.

Here’s Hinderer talking about the knife.

The knife comes with a detachable tool that can be used to disassemble the knife. If that innovation wasn’t enough, the reason you’d want to take it apart is to decide which type of pivot system you want: bearings, nylon teflon washers, or phosphorous bronze washers.

Most Innovative Imported Design – V Nives C.R.A.B.

What in the world is this crab-like creation? It’s the Cut Rescue Assist Break multitool that is packed with features. It is designed in part by Mike Vellekamp who also won the Most Innovative American Design in 2016 for the Cold Dead Hands Karambit (which has a similar concept).

Instead of describing the tool, here’s Mike talking to Blade Magazine about some of the features.

Best Buy of the Year: CRKT Caligo

The Caligo is a sleek and sexy knife from CRKT and TJ Schwarz (who helped design the 2015 Most Innovative American Design). It was also chosen as the official knife for Blade Show 2018, but they wanted to make it clear that didn’t impact the voting.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bim3OWlH_6P/

The materials aren’t great but for the MSRP of $49.99, you get a nice little folder from an up and comer in the knife community.

Accessory of the Year: CRKT KMT

CRKT also took home an award for the Knife Maintenance Tool, which is a tool to maintain your knife on the go. It has two sizes of Torx (T6 and T8), a tungsten carbine field sharpener, and a ceramic honing edge. There’s also a bottle opener and flathead screwdriver.

This thing folds up into a small accessory you can easily hang on your keys.

Kitchen Knife of the Year: Viper Sakura

Jesper Voxnaes (along with Jens Anso) was bestowed with a second award for a line of kitchen knives called Viper. The blades are nitrogen stainless steel Buderus nitro b with vacuum and cryogenic heat treatments. The handles are precious woods 3D manufactured and assembled with customized-capped screws.

These are some of the sexiest kitchen knives I’ve seen.

Full List of BLADE Show Winners

  • Overall Knife of the Year: Fox SURU
  • American Made Knife of the Year: Chris Reeve Impinda
  • Imported Knife of the Year: Spyderco Paysan
  • Most Innovative American Design: Rick Hinderer Tri-Way Pivot System
  • Most Innovative Imported Design – V Nives C.R.A.B.
  • Best Buy of the Year: CRKT Caligo
  • Investor/Collector Knife of the Year: Protech Newport Diamond Elite Ultimate
  • Manufacturing Quality Award: Lionsteel
  • Accessory of the Year: CRKT KMT
  • Kitchen Knife of the Year: Viper Sakura
  • Knife Collaboration of the Year: MKM by Bob Terzuola and Lucas Burnley for FOX, Lionsteel and Viper
  • Publisher’s Award: Randy Rousseau
  • Industry Achievement Award: Buck Collectors Club
  • Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame Inductees: Phil Lobred & Dan Delavan

BLADE Show Custom Winners

  • Best Fixed and Best in Show: Anders Hogstrom
  • Best Sword: Matthew Parkinson
  • Best Damascus: Jimmy Chin
  • Best New Maker: Ed Cope
  • Best Art Knife: Jean Louis Regent
  • Best Knife Collaboration: Ben Breda & Ben Seward
  • Best Folder: Gustavo Cecchini
  • Best Utility Hunter: Haley Desrosiers
  • Most Innovative Design: Corrado Miro
  • Best Fighter: Josh Fisher
  • Best Handle Design: Steve Rapp
  • Best Bowie: Jean Louis Regel
  • Best of the Rest: Thomas Ward
  • Best Miniature: Toshiaki Michinaka
  • Best Tactical Folder: Svarn II by Cultrotech