AWARDS 2023: Summary of Kick-Off stream with Categories, requirements and timeline

The Australian Knife Making Awards or AWARDS for short is a free to enter, online knife making competition held each year in May by Nordic Edge for the Australian and New Zealand knifemaking community.

Each maker gets feedback on their knife to help up their knife making, as well as the opportunity to win trophies and prizes.

We are very lucky to partner with the Australian Knifemakers Guild for scoring and judging the knives, so you will get quality feedback from very experienced makers here.

Hosts

During May there will be live streams on the Australian Beginner Knifemaking Group, your hosts this year is Riley Burns and Christian Mathieson.

You can enter only 1 knife so make sure you pick the category that is right for you.

Knife made in May 2023

This is only for makers in Australia and New Zealand and the key criteria is that the knife has to be completed in May 2023. It could be started at any time, and this is not super strict, you could say you sharpened it in May if wanting to squeeze something in. But just like with the "beginner vs open" categories, this is based on the honesty principle and you know yourself if the knife was really completed in May or not.

Timeline

Entries open 15th of May

Entries close 28th of May, 4 PM Sydney time.

WINNER announcements on the live stream Wed 31st of May 8 PM

Categories

There are 4 categories, 2 "beginner" and 2 "open" or advanced.

Beginner is here defined as not being a member of the Australian Knifemakers Guild, never having exhibited at a physical knife show, as well as never having won 1st, 2nd or 3rd Prize in the AWARDS before.

Open categories means they are open for any skill level, AKG members etc, based in Australia or New Zealand.

Best Beginner Kit Knife

This category has to use a ready-made blade that is commercially available. This means it can be bought by anyone, not a one-off made by a custom maker.

You make the handle, and are judged on blade shape as a design feature and fit for purpose. Then on your own work in material selection, consistency and finish, as well as design, dimensions and flow over the overall knife.

Best Beginner Outdoor Knife - new criteria

This is the only Beginner category where you need to make the blade as well. And this year we have upped the ante, the knife has to have a metal guard if stick tang, and metal bolstes if fulltang.

No damascus, only monosteel blades with max blade length from tip to start of metal guard 250 mm. Fixed blades only, no folding knives. 

This and the 2 open categories are judged on the same criteria set; a cut-down version of the Entry criteria to the AKG. Being an online competition with only 4 photos per knife, the judges will do what they can, based on your photos.

Pro tip: Download the judging form from the AKG and score your own knife to fix any issues before submitting.

Best Chef Knife

For the first time, this is now an "Open" category open to makers of all experience levels. 

Note the monosteel requirement - no damascus or san mai blades.

Any kitchen style blade, stick tang or fulltang. Blade length max 250 mm.

Best in Show

As earlier years, the Best in Show is the big one where "anything goes" with blade length up to 500 mm, and damascus is ok. The only category not requiring a monotsteel blade, this is to give the "Best in Show" knives a little extra freedom to shine.

Every livestream has a giveaway spot, this one was no exception.

Those watching could answer some questions and win prizes.

Last nights questions were:

1. Why was the elephant afraid to use his laptop?
2. Who was the person on the slide for the Best Chef Knife Category?
3. What is the capitol city of the country where ApexUltra is made?

Timeline:

• Make or at least complete the knife in May
• Entries open May 15th (link on Australian Beginner Knifemaking Group then)
• Entries close Sunday May 28th at 4 PM Sydney time
• Judging starts Sunday 28th of May 6 PM
• WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT stream Wed 31st at 8 PM on the facebook group

International makers

We would love to have you along on the live streams to see what the Australian and New Zealand maker scene is doing, jump on the Nordic Edge facebook page to see the streams there!

And a big thank you to all the experienced makers of the Guild taking their time to help new and experienced makers alike with feedback on their knives to help out on how to improve.