OKNIFE’s first LightGear community co-creation event invited EDC enthusiasts to imagine new ways of bringing light and practical everyday functions together. Following an open call and two rounds of community voting, the winning designs have now been announced.
What Is OKreator 2026?
In July 2026, OKNIFE launched OKreator 2026: LightGear Idea Awards, our first community co-creation design event centered on the future of LightGear.
The event grew from the idea behind the OKNIFE LK—a compact EDC tool that brings a folding knife and flashlight together. With OKreator, we invited the community to take that idea further and show us what LightGear could become next.
The competition was open to EDC users and creative thinkers, with no professional design experience required. Participants could submit hand-drawn sketches, digital drafts, renderings, or AI-assisted visuals, provided that the central idea and design direction were their own.
Submissions followed one of two design directions:
New LightGear Concept
Participants could propose a new EDC product combining light with another practical function, such as a screwdriver, multitool, cutting tool, or other everyday-use feature.
LK Appearance Design
Participants could also reimagine the existing OKNIFE LK through a new colorway, material, finish, pattern, or visual theme while retaining its core product form.
The submission period ran from July 18 to July 31, 2026, giving participants two weeks to develop and submit their ideas.
From Open Call to Community Vote
After submissions closed, entries were reviewed for originality, relevance to the LightGear theme, practicality, and overall presentation.
The approved designs then moved to public voting on the official OKreator 2026 voting page .
The first round took place from August 1 to August 5, 2026. Community members could select up to three entries, with the eight most-supported concepts advancing to the final vote.
The finalists were:
- LK Multitool by Benny Ynneb
- Oknife Folding Knife Lighting System Concept Design by Jarvin Jones
- Lightning Strike Titanium LK by Bryant Petrey
- Lava Matrix by Jiawen
- LK Loki by Andy Lee
- LK Trail by Andy Lee
- Copper Bones by Matt Naquin
- LK Roadster Horizon Hybrid by Sherri Rusch
The final round moved to the OKNIFE Facebook Group and ran from August 5 to August 8, 2026. The eight finalists were presented in a community poll, with each member able to vote for one design.
Voting closed at 11:59 PM EDT on August 8, and the final results were announced on August 10, 2026.
Meet the OKreator 2026 Winners
Gold Award: LK Multitool
Designer: Benny Ynneb · Prize: $300
The LK Multitool builds on the original knife-and-light format by bringing more everyday functions into a compact tool. Its practical approach to expanding the LightGear concept received the most support in the final community vote.
Silver Award: LK Roadster Horizon Hybrid
Designer: Sherri Rusch · Prize: $200
Inspired by motorsport design, the LK Roadster Horizon Hybrid uses a high-contrast sky-blue and bright-orange color scheme. The combination gives the LK a more energetic, engineered identity while making it easier to spot inside a dark bag or outdoors.
Bronze Award: Copper Bones
Designer: Matt Naquin · Prize: $100
Copper Bones introduces a copper-inspired visual treatment developed with EDC collectors in mind. It keeps the recognizable LK form while giving it a warmer and more distinctive character.
More Than Three Winning Designs
Five additional concepts reached the final round and received Finalist Awards:
- Oknife Folding Knife Lighting System Concept Design by Jarvin Jones
- Lightning Strike Titanium LK by Bryant Petrey
- Lava Matrix by Jiawen
- LK Loki by Andy Lee
- LK Trail by Andy Lee
Together, the eight finalist designs showed two very different sides of LightGear innovation: creating new ways to connect illumination with everyday functions, and giving an existing product a new identity through materials, color, and visual storytelling.
Designed With the Community
OKreator 2026 gave us an opportunity to hear directly from the people who carry and collect EDC gear.
The submissions reflected a clear interest in compact multifunctional tools, useful lighting, distinctive materials, and products with a stronger visual identity. While an award does not guarantee that a concept will enter production, the ideas and voting results will help inform future discussions around OKNIFE and LightGear design.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a concept, shared feedback, and voted during the event.
The first OKreator has come to an end, but this is only the beginning of more conversations—and more ideas—created together with the OKNIFE community.