Benchmade, CRKT, Gerber, Leatherman, and Steelport Knife Co teamed up to form the Portland Knife Center of Excellence.
All 5 companies are headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Knife Center of Excellence has the shared mission to:
establish Portland as a destination that connects and celebrates a passionate knife community, while
building pride in American craft, education and innovation.
The first public engagement will be the inaugural Portland Knifemaker Showcase, which will take place at the Steelport Knife Co factory in Saturday, August 24, 2024, from 10am to 2pm PST.
There, visitors will have the opportunity to engage with all 5 Portland Knife Center of Excellence (PKCoE) brands.
Portland government officials will also be at the event to make an official proclamation, declaring the date as the Portland Day of Excellence in Knife Manufacturing.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience a life knife forging demonstration, and there will also be a showcase of Portland’s knifemaking history.
There will also be local food and drink.
Press materials mention that:
Over 50-percent of knives sold domestically are manufactured in the Portland Metro area, and the region boasts the highest concentration of knife and hand-tool companies in the country.
The founding members have joined together in an unprecedented show of collaboration and community building to uplift their shared craft, supporting both local and global economies with job creation and demand for high-quality utility products.
Here’s a shared statement from all member brands:
As the founding members, we recognize the significance of our collective craftsmanship and the legacy of our brands. We represent more than 200 years of combined experience in knife design and manufacturing here in Portland, where the competition is fierce. We’ve long admired each other’s dedication to excellence and innovation. Now, we are proud to unite and uphold a spirit of collaboration that will spotlight Portland’s impact on the knife industry.
If you’re wondering about the image at the top of the page, all that could be yours!
The PKCoE is kicking things off with a massive giveaway with a selection of products from all 5 knifemakers, with a retail value of over $5000.
Here’s a link to the PKCoE knife package giveaway.
(If you win thanks to seeing this post, you don’t need that Steelport paring knife, right?)
The giveaway ends at 11:59pm PST 8/24/24.