Blade 2024 Knife of the Year Awards

Delgadonine said:
It's not opinion, it's fact: I should have never clicked on that link. I now want to spend money I don't have. That Spartan is so tempting!

I only buy American, but I would never disagree with Lionsteel earning that award. Fantastic work, theirs!
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I like that lion steel as well. Looks clean
 
Ilikesharpstuff said:
...the umpteenth variant of the PM2 is really the most innovative thing to happen this year? Because the scales have some new milling and it's Magnacut? I like Spyderco and feel they have done a ton of innovation over the years, but this ain't it.
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Yeah that one had me asking why. I was a bit confused and wasn’t sure if they changed some internals or something but it appears it’s the same with different steel and scales. I wish they gave a little more insight as to how they decided the awards
 
AusLoX said:
Yeah that one had me asking why. I was a bit confused and wasn’t sure if they changed some internals or something but it appears it’s the same with different steel and scales. I wish they gave a little more insight as to how they decided the awards
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Honestly I'm underwhelmed by everything on the list, but looking at the awards from past years I'm not blown away either. I'm not sure what the criteria are for eligibility or judging, but there are a ton of excellent quality, innovative, and wildly popular knives that never show up on these lists.
 
The criteria is -

1) Be around a while.
2) Be somewhat innovative in the industry over those years.
3) Be nice to the owners or be popular enough within the industry that they can't stonewall you.
4) Spend money with Blade's industries - the mag, the sister mags, the show, etc.....
 
Ilikesharpstuff said:
...the umpteenth variant of the PM2 is really the most innovative thing to happen this year? Because the scales have some new milling and it's Magnacut? I like Spyderco and feel they have done a ton of innovation over the years, but this ain't it.
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Exactly what I came here to say. When I saw that award on Spyderco's IG, I was like ".....what?"

😐
 
I can't speak for Medford but you need to be at the show to be considered. Lots of interesting knives out there that might have been winners but they didn't set up in Atlanta. And like Titt said, spending money with Blade, Recoil, Off Grid etc. helps a lot too.
 
Sidehill Gouger said:
I can't speak for Medford but you need to be at the show to be considered. Lots of interesting knives out there that might have been winners but they didn't set up in Atlanta. And like Titt said, spending money with Blade, Recoil, Off Grid etc. helps a lot too.
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Well, both Hinderer and Medford were at BLADE. However, and I say this purely as an observer who did not buy anything from either of them this year (and am not really in the deep fanbase for either brand): Hinderer's booth was a real pain in the ass since it's right to the left of the entrance, and there was a crowd stacked two or three deep absolutely all day long on both Friday and Saturday, and you have to try and fight your way through that small mob in order to get to all the tables/areas past it whenever you come into the main room and go left. They really should put his booth somewhere else, honestly. But man, he's definitely still got the fire going. I was in with Early Bird tix, and that crowd started immediately right at ten.

Now, as for Medford's big open space "booth" further back, I walked by so many times during both days I was there, and there might be a few folks, but more than a few times, I walked by and no one was really there, and there certainly was never any mob that I saw. I distinctly recall walking past once or twice and Greg was sitting there on one of the two leather couches they had, just scrolling on his phone. He did walk down the Early Bird line on Friday (I got a pic with him like I do every year) introducing people to his daughter, who was working the counters at his booth.
 
Quiet said:
Well, both Hinderer and Medford were at BLADE. However, and I say this purely as an observer who did not buy anything from either of them this year (and am not really in the deep fanbase for either brand): Hinderer's booth was a real pain in the ass since it's right to the left of the entrance, and there was a crowd stacked two or three deep absolutely all day long on both Friday and Saturday, and you have to try and fight your way through that small mob in order to get to all the tables/areas past it whenever you come into the main room and go left. They really should put his booth somewhere else, honestly. But man, he's definitely still got the fire going. I was in with Early Bird tix, and that crowd started immediately right at ten.
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Yeah tons of folks on the Hinderer FB group showing their scores from blade. Seems he had more battle hounds and BPUs than ever…. Plus the new hollow grind eklipse with textured lock sides, new colors and Bowie autos.
Hell now I think about it, RHK has been way more innovative lately than Spyderco
 
tony281sc2 said:
Yeah tons of folks on the Hinderer FB group showing their scores from blade. Seems he had more battle hounds and BPUs than ever…. Plus the new hollow grind eklipse with textured lock sides, new colors and Bowie autos.
Hell now I think about it, RHK has been way more innovative lately than Spyderco
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An amusing anecdote, a good friend I was with stopped by there Saturday midday/early afternoon and asked about a specific knife (XM18 with this or that, I forget!) and the guy behind the counter saying "Honestly, not sure what all we have, I'm just taking stuff out of these packing boxes and putting them out at this point, everything's going!" Though, that said, I have to imagine all of their super rare/hot special stuff went Friday morning if that mob is any indicator.
 
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