2013 Blade Show Winners

The Blade Show 2013 annual awards were annouced announced Saturday night at the BLADE Magazine Awards Banquet at the Cobb Galleria Centre, honors in 13 different categories included 10 knives and one knife accessory. Two awards also went to individuals for special achievement in the knife industry. 

OsoGrandeKnives extends our congratulations to all of the 2013 Blade Show winners and nominees!  The categories and winners:

• 2013 Overall Knife of the Year: Zero Tolerance 0454 
• 2013 American Made Knife of the Year: Hogue EX04 
• 2013 Most Innovative American Design: Microtech DOT Killswitch 
• 2013 Best Buy of the Year: CRKT Endorser - This value minded design comes up big on cutting utility while still offering a stylish design worthy of any knife enthusiast’s pocket. CRKT used its engineering magic to incorporate both their patented Fire Safe® opener along with OutBurst® assist into the Endorser™ while still keeping it very reasonably priced.

• 2013 Imported Knife of the Year: Fox Knives Modras
• 2013 Most Innovative Imported Design: CRKT Ken Onion Swindle - Who better to “cheat” the rules of typical folding knife design and push the envelope of innovation other than renowned maker Ken Onion? The Swindle™ design flows from tip to tail with the slightest of uphill curve. It innocently seems to trick the eye at first sight, but once in the hand the functional subtleties become apparent.

• 2013 Collaboration of the Year: Strider Knives and Microtech Knives
• 2013 Accessory of the Year: CRKT Onion Para-Saw Survival Paracord Bracelet - Ken’s version of the popular paracord bracelets worn by so many military and outdoor enthusiasts alike. The Onion Survival Para-Saw™ is made of colored nylon paracord, which is woven into a bracelet. Cleverly contained inside of the weave is a tungsten carbide cable coated stainless steel wire saw that is encapsulated in a plastic shroud for safe keeping until you need it. Simply unweave the paracord to expose the cable saw, remove the plastic covering and you now have a saw to fashion a shelter, gather wood or any multitude of survival warranted uses. And the paracord can be used for lashing, securing, or paired down for fishing line or thread if needed.

• 2013 Kitchen Knife of the Year: Ken Onion Chef Works
• 2013 Investor Collector Knife of the Year: Protech Newport
• 2013 Industry Achievement: Joe Kiesler... American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith Joe Keeslar for introducing the ABS and modern bladesmithing to France through annual workshops, as well as teaching bladesmithing in the USA via seminars and his books, for his award-winning knives, and for his leadership via several terms on the ABS Board Of Directors and as chairman of the ABS.
• 2013 Manufacturing Quality Award : Chris Reeve Knives
• 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee: Wayne Goddard
• 2013 Publishers Award: Joyce Laturi the marketing manager of Spyderco, for almost two decades of setting the standard for how to best promote and publicize a knife company's knives-in this case, those of Spyderco. Her ability to work with the media in terms of providing Spyderco knives, knife imagery, knife information and other materials has been a model for all others in public relations to emulate. No one has done it better.

Check them out at OsoGrandeKnives.com.