Knives of SHOT Show 2019

The name SHOT Show makes many think the show is just about firearms and firearms accessories. Sure, SHOT is an acronym for Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade, but I’ve never actually heard someone call it anything but SHOT. If you’ve never been, you may be surprised to see the number of knives at the show. SHOT is typically the place where guns make their big debuts, but a few new knives make an appearance at SHOT too.

As I scoured the show for the latest and greatest, as well as those free candy bars, I kept my eyes opened for knives that spoke to me. Some are new, some were announced recently, and one is already on the market. These aren’t reviews or endorsements, but a quick rundown on what caught my eye at SHOT Show 2019. Also excuse the photos, SHOT doesn’t exactly provide the best light in the world.

Magpul Rigger

The Magpul Rigger is Magpul’s first knife. The Knife’s official name is Magpul Limited Edition Frame Lock – Rigger. Let’s call it the Rigger for short. Magpul is a company known for making tons of different firearm’s accessories, including magazines, stocks, foregrips, bipods and more. It’s a big deal when they go well outside of the norm.

The Rigger is a cool knife, and it will be highly collectible. The initial run will be short, and the knives will be individually serialized. The blade is made from S35Vn, so it does use premium steel in its construction. The blade is a modified Wharncliffe with a tapered dual bevel grind and a stonewash finish. The blade is 3.4 inches long, and the entire knife will weigh 4 ounces.

The knife uses a manual flipper and as the name implies a frame lock is present in the design. The frame lock isn’t the only lock though. Right behind the frame lock is a secondary locking system that clicks into action. The secondary locking feature is put in play with the thumb and is very easy to use. It clicks into place like a 1911’s safety. It’s both tactile and audible in an enjoyable way. The idea is with the secondary lock in play there is no way the frame lock can fail.

The pocket clip is titanium and is reversible for ambidextrous use. The frame is also titanium. Some knives will have titanium scales, and others will use G10 grips. The Rigger will even come with a custom dedicated polymer case. The Rigger doesn’t have a set release date or price, but it likely won’t be cheap or easy to get.

The Spyderco Efficient

The main thing that caught my eye about the Spyderco Efficient was the price tag. Spyderco seems to keep finding ways to make outstanding knives at a killer price. The MSRP for the efficient is 68 bucks, with retail around $40. The knife blade is a short, and stubby 2.98 inches. The blade is made from 8Cr13MoV and uses a full flat grind.

Editor: Also pictured is the interesting and not-quite-yet released Spyderco Smock.

The blade is made for everyday carry, and the knife overall weighs only 4.1 ounces. The handles are made from G-10 material with a nice aggressive texture to it. The blade will come with either a straight blade or a serrated one. The clip position itself can be swapped to either side.

The Spyderco Efficient is a sweet little knife. It feels very comfortable, and the angle of both the blade and the grip makes it an ergonomic knife for slicing and dicing. The angle seems like it would allow you to push the blade through thicker materials with ease.

The Spyderco Efficient has a liner lock, lanyard hole, and an efficient little opening hole. The Spyderco Efficient lives up to its name in both design and price.

The Gerber Key Note

I could choose a million different knives from Gerber. They seemed to have hundreds at their booth, and plenty of them are new. The one that caught my eye the hardest was the little Key Note. This little guy is adorable. Unfortunately its hard to find any details on the knife regarding materials, and features. The blade hasn’t made it to the internet just yet, and it wasn’t in the catalog.

From what I could see and handle with the Key Note I can tell you it’s tiny, super lightweight knife that is keychain sized. The Key Note is a folding knife with a frame lock. It comes with a keychain ring and is available in both black and FDE. The grips are metal, and I’m assuming aluminum. The knife is deployed via a small thumbnail slot on the top of the blade.

The blade is shaped almost like a chisel. It’s a square edge with a small point that’s great for slicing. It’s an EDC knife for those who want an ultra lightweight option that can be carried and forgotten. It does have a pocket clip that does appear to be a right hand only carry. Also, the MSRP is a mere 23 bucks.

The SOG SEAL XR

If you have ever had the desire to take a SOG Seal Pup and convert it to a folding knife, then SOG has you covered. According to SOG, the SEAL XR was derived from speaking with operators and professional users who wanted the Seal Pup in a more compact package. The SEAL XR is utilizing the XR lock system. This is a solid lock that is proven on the Terminus XR series of knives.

The SOG SEAL XR is a big knife and its made from a premium grade S35VN steel. The blade is huge, and overall the knife is also massive. The design is still pocketable and easy enough to carry. The SEAL XR has a heavily textured handle and a reverse pocket clip. Overall the knife is very beefy and feels like its quite strong.

The blade and lock design allow you to open the knife with a flipper that is ultra smooth and sends the blade flying out of the handle. The lock is easy to defeat, but will not come loose when the knife is being handled and used. The blade itself incorporates a small handguard to keep your hand from slipping into the blade. SOG hasn’t placed the knife on their website just yet, and the model at SHOT is a late model prototype that is the closest to representing the final product. The knife itself is coming to the market in July 2019. Keep a lookout if you need a big boy folding knife.

Knives of SHOT Show 2019 – Final Thoughts

SHOT show displayed tons of knives, and I could have filled this list with a dozen different models. I chose these four for a few reasons, but the biggest reason is these are all knives I want to own. Did you fine folks see any knives at SHOT Show 2019? Let us know below.

Editor: I hope you enjoyed this little bit of knife coverage from Travis. I have yet to attend SHOT so it’s nice to live vicariously through him a little. As always you can support the site by buying knives at BladeHQ and Amazon through our links at no additional cost to you. We greatly appreciate any support.