IWA Knife Award
The yearly IWA OutdoorClassics in Nuremberg, Germany, is not just a gun, hunting or outdoor fair; it is also probably the largest European fair of industrially manufactured knives. These have been treated a little stepmotherly for a while. A few years ago, the IWA Knife Award was even abolished. Fortunately, people have come to their senses. The annual IWA awards are back, and this time the organisers had set up a whole programme around knives in a Blade Demo Area, with talks by various speakers. For instance, director Dr Sixt Wetzler of the Klingenmuseum in Solingen gave several talks on 'Fascination Sword'.
As for the prizes, a jury looked at the various entries, but visitors could also cast their votes. The theme was 'Between Tradition and Innovation'. The visitors chose as the winner a hunting knife by Spanish Manufacturas Muela, the Covarsí-C.TH, so named after the famous hunter Antonio Corvarsí. It is an impressive knife, with a 26 cm blade, which Covarsí used when hunting wild boar. Pictured here is the limited edition celebrating the knife's 30th anniversary.
As for the prizes, a jury looked at the various entries, but visitors could also cast their votes. The theme was 'Between Tradition and Innovation'. The visitors chose as the winner a hunting knife by Spanish Manufacturas Muela, the Covarsí-C.TH, so named after the famous hunter Antonio Corvarsí. It is an impressive knife, with a 26 cm blade, which Covarsí used when hunting wild boar. Pictured here is the limited edition celebrating the knife's 30th anniversary.
The anniversary edition of the Muela Corvarsí-C.TH.
The innovation award went to France's Laguiole and Aubrac with the Bee-Back, a slipjoint folding knife. The knife gets its name from its mechanism. When the blade is closed, it is locked. It is released using the stylised bee at the end of the handle. The 8 cm blade is made of 12C27MoV steel, the handles are made of Aubrac wood. The Classic prize was won by Otter's Mercator K55K 'Katze' knife.
The innovation prize was won by the Bee-Back by Laguiole and Aubrac.
Mora Ash Wood Outdoor Collection
Although Mora was not among the IWA award winners, the Swedes did have the most important news: the Mora Ash Wood Outdoor Collection. After years of making cheap (but great) knives, Mora now comes out with some high-end products. The Ash Wood Outdoor Collection (so named after the wood of the handles - ash) consists of four models, given the first names of people who have been important in Mora's history: Finn, Wit, Lok and Rombo. They are all full tang knives made of recycled Swedish stainless steel with a black PC coating on the sides of the blade.
The Finn Ash has an 87mm long and 2.0mm thick blade. The overall length is 189 mm. The White Ash is a size larger, with a 103mm long and 2.5mm thick blade, and a total length of 213mm. The Lok is slightly larger again: 109mm long and 3.2mm thick blade. The Rombo, finally, is a completely different knife, made especially for outdoor cooking. All four knives come with a sheath made of vegetable-tanned leather.
The Finn Ash has an 87mm long and 2.0mm thick blade. The overall length is 189 mm. The White Ash is a size larger, with a 103mm long and 2.5mm thick blade, and a total length of 213mm. The Lok is slightly larger again: 109mm long and 3.2mm thick blade. The Rombo, finally, is a completely different knife, made especially for outdoor cooking. All four knives come with a sheath made of vegetable-tanned leather.
The Mora Ash Wood Outdoor Collection. From left to right the Finn, White, Lok and Rombo.
Maserin
Maserin's range of new knives is modest, but the Italians also always come up with something special. For example, there is the Silver, designed in collaboration with master knife maker Bruno 'Graciut' Bruna. Depending on how you want to look at it, the Silver is an EDC or a Gentleman's Knife. It is a linerlock folding knife with a flipper. The 65mm blade made of Elmax steel rotates on ball bearings. The handle is your choice of titanium, Fat Carbon or poplar briar.
The Maserin Energy is a very successful collaboration with Sergio Consoli. It is an elegant Every Day Carry framelock folding knife, with a 105 mm blade made of D2 steel. The blade has a flipper for easy opening. The handle is titanium, with anodised titanium carry clip and screws.
The Maserin Energy is a very successful collaboration with Sergio Consoli. It is an elegant Every Day Carry framelock folding knife, with a 105 mm blade made of D2 steel. The blade has a flipper for easy opening. The handle is titanium, with anodised titanium carry clip and screws.
The Maserin Energy EDC folding knife.
The Maserin Silver in one of its three versions.
Za-Pas
Za-Pas is a fairly new Polish knife company which concentrates on the outdoors: hiking, camping, hunting or climbing. The company uses several types of steel such as VNMV (the Polish version of O2 steel), German 1.4031 (420), and NC11LV (D2). The blades have a stonewash finish, are glass bead blasted or have a Cerakote finish. The handles are made from G10, Micarta or wood. Each knife comes with a Kydex or leather sheath. Pictured here is the Ultra Outdoor, with an full tang O2 blade, 4.4mm thick, and a G10 handle. For more information see https://zapas-knives.pl/.
Peltonen
The Finnish company Peltonen Knives has been around since 1995, established by J.P. Peltonen. Working as a military observer in Lebanon, he got his hands on an American military knife. In his own designs he combines its weight, usability and balance with the conditions of the North. Peltonen Knives makes two models: the M95 Ranger Knife and the M07 Ranger Knife, pictured here. Both have a blade made of 80CrV2 carbon steel and a TPE handle. The M95 has a 15cm blade; that of the M07 is 12.5cm long.
Böker
Every spring and autumn, Böker presents a large number of new models. Theme series have been popular in recent years: knives made from damask of warships or tanks, aircraft-based models or, as a new series, muscle cars. In that area, Böker starts with the 1969 Z28 Damascus. Designed by Italian Tomasso Rumici, the knife is an ode to the Chevrolet Camaro Z28, according to Böker. The knife has an 8 cm blade of Chad Nichols damask, and a 'Le Mans Bleu' aluminium handle.
