At the cutting edge: why IWA’s Knife Award is key to community

For more than half a century, IWA OutdoorClassics has been the epicentre for the hunting and shooting sports industry. This annual get-together in Nuremberg has a firm place in the calendars of firearms professionals around the world. But as the show has evolved, it has begun to encompass more and more affiliated and related market segments, widening its scope and becoming relevant to a growing number of businesses. Examples of sectors that have thrived in the halls of IWA include airsoft, clothing, paintball, and tactical equipment

Written by David Guest

A close-up photo of a Halfbreed fixed blade knife — The BLADE Demo area at IWA OutdoorClassics has become a ‘community within a community’

These mini ‘communities within the community’ are part of what makes IWA such a valuable and enjoyable experience for visitors and exhibitors alike – and perhaps one of the strongest of these over the past few editions is the knife sector. Knives and blades play an essential part in a wide range of outdoor enthusiasts’ lifestyles, from hunters to hikers, target shooters to fishermen. So, it stands to reason that this segment has blossomed at IWA – and to celebrate that, this year’s event had a special BLADE Demo Area, aimed at becoming a meeting place for the international knife industry.

Companies from around the world attended, showcasing different ideas and innovations for specific applications and trends. This culminated in a showpiece event – the IWA Knife Award 2026 – which was making a highly anticipated return after it received a record number of entries in 2025.

Judged by a panel of international experts in the blade sector, brands entered the awards in two new categories for 2026: EDC Folding Knives and EDC Knives Fixed Blade. As well as prizes in these two categories, an overall Visitors’

Favourite award was also handed out – all aimed at recognising innovation in design, manufacturing, and quality. But the IWA Knife Award seemed to become something much bigger this year: the celebration of a community and everything it stands for.

Building a strong international knife community

“Maybe it’s easy for us to say this, because we have won and finished second in the awards for a few years, but we think the Knife Award is a really great part of IWA OutdoorClassics,” explained Frauke Wahrmann from German knife brand Otter, which collected second place in the EDC Folding Knives category for its Kumpel.

The Kumpel, which means ‘friend’ or ‘mate’ in German, was designed to be just that. This pocketknife features a stainless steel blade and fork/bottle opener attachment set into a bog oak handle, making it a reliable and trustworthy companion for any outdoorsman.

Otter’s Frauke Wahrmann poses with the Kumpel knife

“To be honest, it’s really nice to get recognition from the jury because they are experts in the field – it means a lot to us as a company,” Frauke continued. “I also think it means a lot to the knife industry as a whole, especially because we have many challenges like changes to the laws here in Germany. It’s nice to be able to celebrate the great products we all make together.”

That community feel was not restricted only to German or even European companies. Brands from all around the world appreciated the BLADE Demo Area and Knife Award as a place where they could network, share ideas, develop ideas to overcome challenges, and grow together.

Jonathan Loftes is CEO of Australian firm Halfbreed Blades, which won second place in the EDC Knives Fixed Blade category for its LFK-03 Gen-2.

“I’m honoured to come second in the awards here, and the guys that won also had a really great product, so I’m happy for them,” he said. “This year, the way that IWA has laid out the knife area is really good – it feels like a nice community, and it flows better. Everyone seemed very happy to be involved, and we were too.

“With these awards, there were a lot of very competitive designs in both categories – they help each company to push each other. To come second, among people we really respect in the industry who have been around a lot longer than us, is really cool.

“Our particular product that was recognised is actually a ‘gen 2’ of our LFK-03, which has been around for a few years. This new version was a revamp that we made based on interest and feedback from customers in Europe, and this is the first time we are really showcasing it properly. It’s a really tactical fixed blade but in a very compact package, so it fits into the everyday carry genre nicely.”

Halfbreed Blades CEO Jonathan Loftes poses with one of his fixed blade knives at IWA — Halfbreed Blades CEO Jonathan Loftes was delighted to be among innovative brands in the knife area.

Halfbreed Blades is a relatively new kid on the block at IWA, making only its second appearance this year. Another fresh face was British brand BMC, making its debut in 2026. BMC claimed third place in the fixed blade category with its M13 Imp Neck Knife.

While owner Ian Lowsley was delighted with that, he was also really moved by the strength of the community in the global blade sector at IWA: “There were so many beautiful knives on display in the competition that I was just happy to be among them,” he explained.

BMC owner Ian Lowsley poses with his M13 Imp Neck Knife — BMC’s Ian Lowsley marked his debut showing at IWA with recognition in the Knife Awards.

“To be recognised in the awards was absolutely fantastic, so unexpected. This is my first time exhibiting at IWA, too, and I’ve found it to be a very friendly community, and I’ve met a lot of people in the industry, which has been very valuable. There’s a great blade community here. I’m really happy to be recognised by them.”

Celebrating design and innovation – no matter what form it takes

The breadth of companies and designs that claimed prizes at the 2026 IWA Knife Award showcases that this is a market segment that knows good design when it sees it. Trends are important, but a well-thought-out design with useful materials, high-quality manufacturing, and reliable uses in the field are the key factors for anyone who uses a blade with any regularity.

This was displayed perfectly by German brand Windmühlenmesser, which won the Special Prize in the folding knives category for its IBEX S. This adaptation of its already popular IBEX makes it easier to operate one-handed and even features segmented movement of the blade, so it’s easy to feel it opening and closing without even looking at it.

More striking than that is the very traditional look the knife has, which was a very deliberate play, according to its designer Tim Wieland: “It was actually pretty unexpected to be recognised in the awards,” he said. “We are a brand that focuses on the traditional forms; we are not trying to catch attention by making special materials or extraordinary forms. We keep it simple, and we stick to hand manufacturing, so it was pretty cool to get recognised for that and have this special award for blending tradition and innovation. It’s nice to see that the market still has an appetite for the traditional style knives.”

The importance of recognising craftsmen and their considerate work was also not lost on French company Laguiole en Aubrac, which picked up first prize in the folding knife category and the Visitor’s Choice award for its The Gatsby knife.

Laguiole en Aubrac’s Caroline Dubois poses with two IWA Knife Awards on the show floor — Laguiole en Aubrac’s Caroline Dubois was delighted her company scooped two awards.

“I think the awards are actually very important for the craftsmen who design the knives,” said Laguiole’s Caroline Dubois. “The craftsman in our team who came up with the design for the Gatsby is actually quite young, only really just starting out in the industry, so to get this kind of recognition is very important for them. The awards are definitely a good addition to the show. We had quite a few people coming to our booth after the awards on Saturday night and also on the final day of the show to see our winning product – so, that was a nice feeling.”

Another unexpected win came for Mercury, which claimed first prize in the fixed blade category with its Hawky. The brand’s Luca Andrean explained: “Picking up this award was actually quite unexpected for us – a pleasant surprise. The project for this knife was presented to us by our Italian designers, and we liked it and decided to go with it and see how it went – I am very happy we did.”

Two team members from Mercury knives pose with their Knife Award at IWA — Winning an award was an unexpected but welcome surprise for Mercury.

MKM’s Alessandro Tomizza poses with the company’s IWA Knife Award and Roar winning knife — MKM’s Alessandro Tomizza was happy his company’s special knife was recognised.

“Showing the product here was the first time we have displayed it in Europe, and we already had a lot of good feedback – to get the award too is very special and important for us. It’s really interesting to see all the different designs and the variation in the industry through the awards – it shows that we are in a healthy place for innovation.”

Perhaps one of the most moving stories of the Knife Award was from Italian brand MKM, which claimed third place in the folding knife category. The company’s Alessandro Tomizza explained: “To be recognised in the Knife Awards really means a lot to us as a company, because the product we entered – the Roar – is a commemorative knife to remember the 50th anniversary of a terrible earthquake that shook our region of Italy back in 1976. It was designed by Matteo Pignatelli, who lived at the epicentre of the earthquake when it happened.

Full IWA OutdoorClassics Knife Award winners:

Category: EDC Folding Knives

No. 34 LAGUIOLE TRADITION with THE GATSBY
No. 26 OTTER-Messer GmbH with OTTER ‘Kumpel’
No. 36 MKM - Consorzio Coltellinai Maniago with MKM ROAR

Special Price: No. 29 Robert Herder GmbH & Co. KG with IBEX S

Category: EDC Knives Fixed Blade

No. 8 MERCURY SRL with HAWKY
No. 4 Halfbreed Blades Australia with LFK-03 Gen-2
No. 12 BMC Bladeworks with BMC M13 “Imp” Neck Knife

Visitors' favourite

No. 34 LAGUIOLE TRADITION with THE GATSBY

Author

David Guest

IWA OutdoorClassics