A trade show is the ideal opportunity to meet business partners both new and old to discuss the latest trends and opportunities in your specific sector. But that’s not the only way to spot a trend. Sometimes, just walking the aisles and being observant can teach you a lot about the industry too. The observant visitors to IWA OutdoorClassics in 2025 will have noticed a very strong presence from the knife market – a market which we have already detailed in previous articles is growing at a steady pace.
Growth is good for any product category, it’s what we’re all trying to achieve. But one of the natural downsides of growth is increased competition. If you’re a knife company right now, you are operating in an extremely competitive market where every tiny detail can be the difference between gaining or losing a few percentages of market share. So, how do knife companies ensure they stand out to dealers? We spoke to a range of knife industry leaders from around the world to find out.
Lean on tradition
For some knife producers, the key to being noticed is to have always been there. That’s how it is with Finnish brand Marttiini Oy, which has been producing high-quality cutlery and knives for almost 100 years. Of course, there are several other knife brands that have been established for a long time, but Marttiini leans into this heritage with its marketing, its product design, and its overall image.
“Our long history has given birth to many well-known knives, which are still part of our selection,” Marttiini’s Jaanus Aus told us. “Examples include the Handy, which came about in the 1970s and the animal-themed range of knives from the 1980s. In fact, our best-selling series of knives – the Lynx – is based on a knife that was first produced by the company all the way back in the 1920s
