Shot Show 2026 Recap – What We’ll See This Year

It’s the Monday after SHOT Show 2026. I’m tired, my dogs are still barking from walking all over Vegas, and I’m positively AMPED for the next year of knives! In this article, I’ll break down some of the coolest knives we’ve seen, some things we see on the horizon, and some things to look out for. Let’s jump in! 

Everyone Loves a Good Remix 

This year at SHOT Show, especially from the USA-made brands, we saw a ton of new variants of popular models. For example, Benchmade took all they learned on the ultra-thin Narrows and applied it to the Bugout, providing a leaf-spring-powered AXIS Lock and a super skinny aluminum handle, complete with a new texture, backspacer, and blade steel for the line. We also saw a new take on the Microtech SOCOM Elite featuring the patented RAM-LOK, an automatic variant of the Chaves Scapegoat made by Pro-Tech, and more! 

We didn’t just see new colors and materials, but we saw new mechanisms, internals, and design tweaks to tons of existing models. It should be a fun year for completionist collectors! 

Thin and Light 

It’s pretty amazing just how thin and light companies can make knives these days. The biggest example is the Spyderco Paramilitary 2 Lightweight. It’s not just polymer handle scales, but a complete redesign of the liner system to minimize the steel required to make it. It’s substantially lighter than the original with similar feel in hand and cutting power. Spyderco also made a new knife called the Charisma, with a 3" blade and a steel lockback that weighs less than an ounce. Part of me wonders if it floats… 

The knives that have been popular over the last few years show a clear trend: people like thin, lightweight knives, and brands like Spyderco, Benchmade, Vosteed, and even hard-use powerhouse Cold Steel brought the heat for them. 

A Study in Steel 

Last year, Crucible Industries was in a pickle and there was a lot of uncertainty about the future of blade steels. Crucible was acquired by French steel company Erasteel, and while many blade steels are still being produced (yes, MagnaCut is one of them), some steels are becoming much harder to find. As a result, many knife companies are adopting steels from other manufacturers. I saw Uddeholm Elmax being used where 20CV used to be common, several Carpenter steels finding their way onto knives, and even Z-Wear, a high-performance powder steel made by little-known German supplier Zapp, on a Benchmade. 

The moral of the story is that the worldwide knife industry has a lot of cool steel from many makers, and it was fun to see those brands shine. 

Top Liner Locks Abound 

The crossbar lock has dominated the last few years. Basically every major knife manufacturer has at least one model with a crossbar lock in production or in development. But the new frontier is the Top Liner Lock, which had its patent expire in 2021. Integrating a new mechanism is no small feat, but the brands are starting to do it. The first on the scene with that was Vosteed, but we saw tons of new models from CIVIVI, QSP, Artisan Cutlery and more. A few of those even have those foxy top frame locks…. 

Only at Blade HQ 

I can’t go into details about who-what-when-where-why on this section, but this much you should know: There are a TON of new exclusives coming down the pipeline at Blade HQ. Some you’ve been begging for for years. Others you didn’t know you needed, but once you hear about you’ll go nuts. Some will include crossovers you’d never see coming. Others will be more unique than you thought our suppliers would allow. 

I spoke to a lot of visionaries at that show, and I must say that I’m very excited for this year at Blade HQ. I think it will be the best yet! 

Conclusion 

There’s a whole lot going on in the knife industry right now. At every knife company, people are hard at work bringing the best quality they can muster for you. So follow Blade HQ on social media, join our email list, and strap in – it’s going to be a wild ride!