From Blade Magazine:  http://www.blademag.com/blade-show/winners-list-2016-knife-of-the-year-awards

2016 BLADE Show Knife of the Year® Award Winners

Representatives from BLADE Magazine (www.blademag.com) distributed Knife of the Year® awards in 15 categories. Two of the awards—Industry Achievement and Publisher’s—went to a retail knife store and a knife-related organization, respectively, for their contributions to the world of knives.

• Overall Knife Of The Year®: Lionsteel – Metamorphosis
• American-Made Knife Of The Year®: Spartan Blades – SHF
• Imported Knife Of The Year®: Dragon King – Dragon Claw
• Most Innovative American Design: Mike Vellekamp Knives & Designworks – The Ultimate Knife
• Most Innovative Imported Design: CRKT – Field Strip Homefront
• Best Buy Of The Year: CRKT – Tighe Tac Two
• Kitchen Knife Of The Year®: KAI-USA – Shun Hikari
• Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year®: Pro-Tech – BR-1 Ultimate Custom
• Knife Collaboration Of The Year®: Florian Knives & Russ Kommer – Sniper
• Manufacturing Quality Award: Chris Reeve Knives
• Accessory Of The Year: Work Sharp – Combo Knife Sharpener
• People’s Choice Knife Of The Year®: Schrade – SCHF52
• Industry Achievement Award: The Delavan Family and Plaza Cutlery
• Publisher’s Award: Forged in Fire
• BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© Inductee: CJ Buck

All entrants in the Knife of the Year® competition were judged on a number of factors, including utility, design, creativity, materials, aesthetics, feel and other traits.
2016 BLADE Show Custom Knife Winners
The 2016 BLADE Show Custom Knife Award Winners were also announced on Saturday, June 4, 2016, at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.

• Hugh Bartrug Best of Show: Mike Quesenberry
• Yvon Vachon Best Miniature: Shigeru Tozazi
• Best Folder: Gus Cecchini
• Best New Maker: Michael Zieba
• Best Bowie: Brian Thie
• Best Handle Design: Regel Jean-Louis
• Best Fighter: Bill Luckett
• Best Art Knife: Bertie Rietveld
• Best Collaboration: Mike Quesenberry
• Best Damascus: Dionatam Franco
• Best Fixed Blade: David Broadwell
• Best Tactical Folder: Kirby Lambert
• Best Sword: Ron Chen
• Best Utility Hunter: Josh Fisher
• Most Innovative Design: Phil Booth
• Best of the Rest: CAS

Complete article at: http://www.blademag.com/blade-show/winners-list-2016-knife-of-the-year-awards