Dawson Knives

The story of Dawson Knives began in 1973, when Barry Dawson returned from service in Vietnam, established his first knife workshop in an old barn, and built much of the required machinery himself. Today, the family business is operated by its third generation of knifemakers. Every knife and sword is handcrafted, with all essential production steps—from design, cutting, grinding, and heat treatment to finishing, sharpening, and final testing—completed in-house. Each piece is individually numbered and supplied with a signed certificate documenting its serial number and year of manufacture.

Dawson New Releases 2026

Dawson Knives by Model

Below you will find all Dawson Knives models currently in production. Stock is usually limited to one or two pieces of each version.

Browse Dawson Knives by Blade Steel

Dawson uses a variety of blade steels for its knives. Some models may be available in different blade steels. The steel used for each version is specified in the product name and description.

CPM MagnaCut is one of the highest-performing modern stainless powder-metallurgy blade steels. It combines high toughness with excellent edge retention at a level otherwise associated primarily with high-performance non-stainless steels such as CPM Cru-Wear and CPM 4V. Its exceptionally fine carbide structure allows the blade to take a very finely honed and remarkably sharp edge.

ProCut is a new non-stainless blade steel developed by metallurgist Dr. Larrin Thomas, the developer of CPM MagnaCut. The alloy combines very high toughness with good edge retention and can be heat-treated to favour either maximum toughness or increased wear resistance. This makes ProCut particularly suitable for hard-use outdoor and utility knives.

80CrV2 is a proven non-stainless high-carbon chromium-vanadium steel that Dawson refers to as its “Heritage” steel. Combined with Dawson’s proprietary heat treatment, it offers a balanced combination of high toughness, strength, and impact resistance. At the same time, the steel supports a hard, sharp edge that can be reliably resharpened. These properties make 80CrV2 particularly suitable for hard-use outdoor and utility knives.

CPM 3V is a powder-metallurgy, non-stainless tool steel developed by Crucible Industries in the USA. It combines very high toughness and resistance to breakage and chipping with good wear resistance and edge retention. This balanced combination makes CPM 3V particularly suitable for premium outdoor, survival, and utility knives designed for hard use. To protect the blade against corrosion, it should be cleaned, dried, and maintained regularly.

Succulent in a white pot in front of light blue background

Gold frame sunglasses on reflective marble surface

Browse Dawson Knives by Blade Coating and Finish

Dawson uses a variety of Cerakote blade coatings and surface finishes to give its knives a distinctive appearance. At the same time, these coatings provide the blade with additional protection against corrosion, abrasion, and everyday wear. Regular cleaning and maintenance of the blade are still recommended.

Wildfire

Warm gold and burnt-bronze tones blend with smoky ash-grey shades to create a striking finish inspired by fire and heat.

Rainstorm

A dramatic composition of deep grey and black storm clouds above rugged desert cliffs.

Satin

An evenly satin-finished blade surface without an additional coating. The finely ground surface gives the blade a clean, classic appearance.

Hamon Line

Inspired by traditional Japanese swordmaking, the Dawson Hamon (刃文) is the visible transition line created by differentially hardening the blade. Dawson produces it through its own combination of modern and traditional heat-treatment techniques, giving the cutting edge and spine deliberately different hardness levels. This combines a hard, edge-retaining cutting edge with a tougher and more resilient spine.

Arizona Copper

The copper tones of the Dawson Arizona Copper finish are created directly on the steel surface through a specialized heat-treatment process. They are not painted on or applied as a conventional coating. Natural variations in colour and tone make every blade unique.