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Manly Knives Starts 2020 with the Blaze, Manly USA Closes its Doors

February 20, 2020

Manly Knives is putting out the Blaze, a new bushcraft fixed blade option. 2020 also marks the end of Manly USA, the stateside distribution outfit for the Bulgarian company’s products.

Like virtually all of Manly’s output, the Blaze starts with traditional, utility-driven shapes that are heightened by a super clean aesthetic. It has a 4.59-inch drop point blade with a wide profile and a 2/3 flat grind. These characteristics situate it in the outdoors and bushcraft genres, with chopping, carving, and even light batoning distinct possibilities for use. Manly offers the Blaze in a pair of steels: D2 appears on the more budget-friendly model, while the premium version comes in CPM-154.

Linearly-textured G-10 or smooth walnut wood scales are letterboxed by the Blaze’s full tang. There’s a finger groove present, further accentuated by large chamfers cut into the scales. The Blaze comes with a Kydex sheath for carry and weighs 7.41 oz.

After four active years Manly USA, the stateside sub-brand for Manly, announced its closure – or, rather, a shift in focus. “It looks Manly USA will not be selling Manly knives anymore,” says brand representative Lyubomir Trayanov. “Instead, we will focus on our own brand, Maker Blades.”

What is Maker Blades? According to Trayanov, it is going to be a small batch showcase for Bulgarian makers. “With Maker Blades, we plan to bring small custom runs of folders and fixed blades from other popular Bulgarian makers.” If all goes according to plan, the Maker Blades debut should be here sooner rather than later. “We are currently working with couple of [makers] and in the next few months we will release the first models.”

Knife in Featured Image: Manly Knives Blaze

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