Blade Show 2025 Recap

Blade Show 2025 is in the books, and I’m sad to see it go. Blade Show is always the biggest party in the knife community, and this year was one I’ll long remember. We saw old friends, made a few new ones, and above all, saw some amazing knives. Below, I’ll break down the most exciting trends and highlights we saw at Blade Show 2025 and what they mean for the knife community. 

In This Article: 

• An Era of Innovation 
• Tactical is Back-tical 
• Food, Glorious Food 
• Steel Nerds Rejoice 
• YouTubers Take a Stab at It 
• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work 
• What’s Next?

An Era of Innovation 

There’s always a tendency to revisit traditional designs in the knife world, but this year I noticed a clear trend toward the new and exciting. Magpul showed off the Breslau, complete with its metal injection molded blade. A new company called Sleeping Tiger Ltd. released a slick automatic knife called the Tigress. You wear it on your wrist and deploy like Spider-Man, which is as fun as it sounds. The Knife of the Year, as awarded at Blade Show, was a UG Tools fixed blade with a 3D printed titanium handle. There’s a lot of space-age innovation happening right now in the knife world, and it was a thrill to see. 

Tactical is Back-tical 

This year, more than any other Blade Show I’ve attended, tactical knives were front and center. TKell Knives, owned and operated by a Marine Corps veteran, had everything from tiny EDC self-defense knives to full-size combat knives, and they were selling fast. Reiff Knives, known for outdoor blades, released a new fixed blade designed for and in collaboration with active-duty Navy SEALs who are using it in the field right now. Auxiliary Mfg launched a new production line of self-defense blades, Spyderco released a sprint run of the Starmate, and the list goes on. The knife community is going tactical again. 

Food, Glorious Food 

I noticed a surprising number of kitchen knives coming from companies traditionally known for EDC and tactical designs. Bradford Knives expanded their kitchen line with new chef knives in high-hardness MagnaCut. Benchmade is adding more models to join the Station Knife on the culinary side. Even Microtech, the king of switchblades, released a line of USA-made, ultra-premium kitchen knives. I think after Blade Show, a lot of knife collectors are going to be cooking. 

Steel Nerds Rejoice

We got two amazing new blade steels this year, both from Dr. Larrin Thomas. The first is CPM MagnaMax, which I believe is the best folding knife steel ever made. It offers edge retention on par with steels like K390 and 10V, along with decent toughness and excellent corrosion resistance. It won’t replace MagnaCut, which still leads in toughness and stain resistance, but for knives that need maximum edge retention with strong marks in every other category, MagnaMax is a game-changer. 

Second, we got Pop’s ProCut, a carbon steel made specifically for forging. It’s excellent on its own, but also serves as a nice upgrade to 15N20, the current standard for Damascus steelmaking. 

YouTubers Take a Stab at It 

If you follow knife content, names like Raven the Pirate, Best Damn EDC, Tactical Tavern, and MelissaBackwoods probably sound familiar. Each of them, along with several other knife influencers, debuted original knife designs at Blade Show this year. I have to say, all that time spent using and carrying knives has clearly paid off, because each of their designs is impressive. Keep an eye out, as most of their knives will eventually land at Blade HQ. 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work 

In the past, most knife companies stuck to their own lanes, and collaborations were few and far between. But this year, some of the greatest knifemakers in the world teamed up to create some incredible blades. Emerson and LionSteel joined forces to make the LEOne Mid. Joseph Vero and Jared Oeser collaborated on the Shift Tengu fixed blade (pictured above). Jack Wolf launched their JWK (Jack Wolf Kollab) series with the Cerberus Knives Tango. And that’s just a few of the highlights. If Blade Show 2025 is any indication, we’ll be seeing a lot more collaboration in the knife world. 

What’s Next? 

The knife industry never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think there’s nothing new under the sun, someone with a bold idea and the skills to make it happen comes along and surprises me. I see a future filled with rising stars, increased collaboration, and constant innovation. That’s inspiring. 

The same opportunity to make something new with nothing more than an idea and determination—the one that legends like Sal Glesser and Les de Asis built their companies on—is open to you right now. And if you have a good idea and put in the work to bring it to life, I’ll see you at Blade Show 2026.