IWA 2022 – Spartan Blades and Ka-Bar

Spartan Blades and Ka-Bar shared a booth at this year’s IWA in Nuremberg, as the two companies formed Pineland Cutlery together some time ago.

The two were among very few companies which showed up at this year’s show and as a result had the added attention of visitors. While Ka-Bar had only a very small selection of knives from its portfolio, among some other neat items, Spartan Blades had their full line up there with the exception of the upcoming silver line knives (Pine-Bar, Nesmuk and Kukri).

As the newly introduced knives from Pineland Cutlery are still in the process of fine tuning and getting the sheaths ready, they were not exhibited at the show.

The Moros however was present and certainly the highlight next to this year’s ltd editions of the Harsey Folder.

The Moros

After following Spartan Blades for more than a decade, I have to say that the Moros is the most beautiful of Curtis’ designs yet. It is the epitome of a fighting knife in my opinion and I cannot remember when it was the last time that I was so excited about a knife.

Design, feel in hand, the practical size… all of this make for a serious military fighting knife.

Zelos

This one is actually not a new knife, but the in-house designed and produced automatic knife never had the chance to be showcased in Nuremberg because of Covid. It was also the first time I had the knife in hand and I was pleasantly surprised as this is much better looking in real life and also works like a charm.

Ka-Bar

This may sound ridiculous, but the most exciting item for me from Ka-Bar was the Pizza cutter. The other items I already knew and they are well established so far. It was great to talk with the boss of Ka-Bar about all things ranging from knives to skiing in the alps.

The cooperation between Ka-Bar and Spartan Blades certainly bears fruit and from what I have heard and seen, there will be even more collaborations on knives together with ANV Knives.

So while the show was a bit of a disappointment when it came to the number of attending companies, it sure was an excitement in terms of Spartan Blades and Ka-Bar.