I'm sorry but this Blade Show absolutely stunk

Karl was high on my list of people to meet and I got to talk with him for a few minutes. I also thanked him for teaching and sharing his method's for building a knife and making the videos. If you haven't watched them you really need to check them out. Great guy.

I also got to meet Lin Rhea, another high on my list, and have long conversation with him. Very friendly and knowledgeable man. Also a great guy.

I talked to a bunch of other great makers but those are the two most notable. I missed others i was looking for.

I bought an arm load of 1084 and micarta and went home a happy man.
 
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I haven't been to blade yet but have wanted to go for many years. The show I usually attend is the Jersey City show. I started going when it was at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC. Lately it has been mostly the tacticool flippers etc. I have stopped going to that show. I was hoping to get to the Blade show soon because I looked forward to seeing more of the ABS thing and the old guys. I was even planning on moving south to be closer to that scene but if all I have to look forward to is another tacticool scene on steroids I'm going to have to rethink this.

It would be good if there was an invitation only type of show on the East Coast where a core group of old guard, like minded makers would screen applicants in favor of ABS style makers.
 
Gun shows went the Nazi memorabilia/400 flavors of jerky route long before Blade went tacticool. I remember in the mid 90's you were already seeing that in Florida. Look at the list of things NOT permitted at the Wannamacher show in Tulsa. There is a reason for that list. :D
 
You have to wonder whether physical shows have a place anymore? n2s

Seriously? They expanded the show to include another ball room this year and there is still a huge waiting list for tables.
I have a nice relationship with the show manager and had a nice talk with her.
On Saturday they had acquired 1000 more wrist bracelets for admission than last year - and ran out.
 
Seriously? They expanded the show to include another ball room this year and there is still a huge waiting list for tables.....

I was there on Friday and enjoyed the show immensely. The show is something that I have been doing since the mid 90s. But, as has been said already, it has taken on a flea market character in recent years and seems to be bursting at the seems. Parking was a nightmare. I ended up so far from the venue that I had to ask for directions; would it have killed anyone to put up a few signs?

I also miss the many interesting lectures by industry leaders that were offered in past shows. It used to be great to be able to take a break from the main room and learn something.

It would have been fun to have organized a sidebar presentation and tips on things like the Forged in Fire shows, and it would have spared many from having to answer the same question hundreds of times during the show; and imagine how much fun it would have been to have showcased these forums and others like it.

The show may make money, but as a whole, it lacks class. Perhaps, the problem with the Blade show is the magazine itself. They are no longer as central to the community as they once were, but remain unwilling to share the limelight with others.

N2s
 
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I have gone to several Blade shows over the past years (even flew back from Spain last year to attend). Unfortunately I was down South this year and was unable to attend. I agree that some of the "tactical, survival kit, Bug Out gear" displays are kind of annoying, but there are still a large number of custom makers and high quality production tables and booths to enjoy.

When I go, it is more to hang out with old friends, meet new ones, drink and play with sharp and shiny objects in the pit. I have met many great folks from the knife community at Blade over the years. To me, that is what it is all about.
 
My post I just put on FB:
Blade Show 2018 is in the books.
Every year begins with a bit of anxiety and excitement.
Every time I walk through that door on set-up day I am grateful for my health, my ability and desire to make knives, and the chance to, once again, see friends from around the world.
I had no idea 20 years ago I would become friends with people from South America, South Africa, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, Asia, etc.
Pretty crazy.
The show - and the knife world - is evolving. But my connection to the people remains the same.
When I started doing what so many of us love I dedicated myself to making new friends and learning new things every year.
I have yet to be disappointed, and the Blade Show reinforces that goal every single time. Without fail.
I will continue to attend the Blade Show - until I can't.
See you next year.
You know who you are.
 
Parking has always been an issue. You park at your hotel if you have one or at the mall. It is only a problem if you are a vendor, but you tend to get their earlier anyway. I never had an issue finding parking on site the years that I had a table.
 
This was my first ever trip to Blade Show, and I was AMAZED! I had a great time and wished I had booked a hotel so I could come back on Sunday. I met some great makers (I'm mostly interested in slip joint making) and got a TON of useful tips and tricks that will help me take my knives to the next level. It was great to put names to faces of people I talk to on here as well as instagram. I got to pick through more than my share of handle material...all in all, I had a great time and saw some amazing knives. It's definitely not "dead" for me. Already planning to go back next year.
 
I had a great show! By far the largest crowd of any show in recorded history!!!

The only real negative thing I can say is it was chaotic & the table badge change sucked.

If we are complaining about the show, it just shows we are getting old & want it the way we remember it. Nothing is the way we remember it. But most people live in their memories, not in the moment. :D
 
If we are complaining about the show, it just shows we are getting old & want it the way we remember it. Nothing is the way we remember it. But most people live in their memories, not in the moment. :D

I think this is one of humanity’s greatest failings, for some reason we forget the bad and really only remember the good of the past.

We fantasize about how good the “good old days” were. And in reality things are better world wide than in any time in human history.

Check out this Ted Talk:

Glad to see some people out there are still seeing the positive side of things!
 
I am a fan of Blade Show, and enjoyed part of being there this year--the record setting crowd caused numerous issues. Parking was the worst it has ever been--and yes I've been to all of them except last year--had a 'microstroke' and couldn't go...this year they had NO handicapped parking--NONE-they even told me and my friend I brought that handicapped spaces anybody could take--WTF--being a handicapped person who actually has difficulty walking, this directly impacted me. Also the check in 'get your badge' process was retarded--I held VIP credentials and it still cost me $20 plus a 45 minute wait in line--this on Saturday at 10:45 in the morning--they have expanded the show to use all of the space in the Galleria facility, and the entrance to the Main Hall was 2/3 of the way back around the entire facility from the 'get your badge' area. Very poorly managed.
I happen to agree with those who think tac-gear crowd, welcome also, but the overall # of exhibitors has gotten over the top. I tired to see several of my knife heroes, and they were not at their affiliated booth, but I did get to see Walter Sorrells, Jim Skelton, Jason Brous, Travis Wuertz, Todd begg and George from NorthRidge--a friend of mine, and Matt Poe from AMK. which was great. I also got to see Mike Stewart of Ekim knives and YouTube fame as well as Jason Luhmer from LUMA blades, which was great and I purchased a knife from Jason, and also Todd Begg.

I don't know how they can improve access, but it currently SUCKS, and they really need to thin out the amount of exhibitors--they had some folks squished into tables outside of the two main rooms-and this was bad for them as they didn't get the traffic flow they deserved buying a table from Blade folks. Prices on supply materials were above market levels, with a few exceptions, and that disappointed me as well. Bottom line I still see a lot of stuff I don't anywhere else, and people as well, but Blade-or whoever is in charge really needs to re-do a lot of stuff to bring the show back to the quality it was-this is the first time I've thought I might not go back-but most likely will anyway--but I will agree with those that say this was the worst version yet!
 
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Bah, I had a great show.

I don't like the changes, and the totalitarian attitude of the show organizers, *but*, I had a blast this year, after missing last year for the first time since I started making knives. Just as much as any year previously. Personally, I think the issue with the tactical/gear booths, is better now than it was when they first started having them a few years back, and some of the crazy bullshit showmanship of certain mid-tech/production outfits has at least been toned down, to the point of not being invasive for those of us, that simply don't give a shit about the next "ganza" whatever the hell they call it.


As far as materials goes, I came away with a literal pile of fossil ivory, tons of great pearl, stag, misc cool new modern materials, supplies, etc. I sold knives I didn't even intend to sell, made a bunch of new friends, and overall, had one of my best shows. Yeah, good stag is hard to find, for a few years, there was a lot of REALLY high end stuff dumped on the market, at all sorts of tables, because Tim Balda, sold the last of a huge stash he'd been stockpiling for decades, as he moved out of the market. Good tapers and rolls are mostly non-existant, but Culpepper still had tons of good scales if you know how to select them. All of this has zero to do with the knife industry or blade show, and everything to do with what it always has been, India's ban on exporting Sambar.


There was stuff tucked away all over the place, if you took the time to seek it out. Vintage/Westinghouse micartas, odd-ball composites, bargain basement prices on some really cool CF, great great ivory at premium and budget prices, etc, and of course, *TONS* of great knives.


I did miss people because of the general confusing nature of the place, but that's nothing new.



Blade Show is, and always will be a free for all. The crowds are bigger than ever, and for us makers, that's a good thing. For collectors, that don't like this, I *HIGHLY* recommend you support a show that caters to just custom makers, like the ICCE Show in KC, and stop complaining that Blade isn't your personal exclusive playground filled with just the people you think deserve it. ICCE is exactly the opposite of blade, small, exclusive to custom makers, organized, and intimate, which I also prefer, but in the case of blade, for the makers, we need as much fresh blood as we can get, and there's room for both types of shows. Do I think the show organizers are being cut-throat corporatists that don't really give a shit about the makers or collectors at Blade? Absolutely, but that's a whole other issue.
 
have only been there once years ago but have been in the game now like 16 years markets morph and the hot thing will always filll more booths. any maker that stagnates too long has a dam strong chance of being left behind. there is roomm for midtec and hand inlayed moran style blades. my kitchen knife friends said more options then ever at the show and i think thats great as is the butterfly knife blow up
 
This was my 4th year going to Blade. The first year I went as a spectator. The last two years I had a table in the ABS section but, I decided to sit this year out so I could focus on my books. Big mistake; I will probably not get anywhere near table 8P again! I don't know how they are organizing things now but it looked to me like the whole sections concept is just about out the window. There were ABS and Guild guys stuck in the "other" room while vendors of stupid trinkets dotted the designated sections for each group.

In terms of what was there, it seemed to be about the same proportions I've seen the last four years...just more quantity. There were a lot of very high quality handmade knives at this years show! If you didn't see the King/Queen dagger set or Quesenberry's rapier or the DesRosiers'/CAS collaboration then you weren't there to see great knives and probably missed a lot more. I think the ABS guys and gals absolutely killed it this year!

For me, the crowds are offputting. I'm not a fan of being in large groups of people and the crowds this year were insane. I will really need to think about whether I'm going to sign up for a table again.

One more thing that I haven't seen mentioned is that the show (and Blade magazine) have been sold. I'm sure the new owners were watching carefully at how things went at this show and will at least have to consider what, if any, changes need to be made when the show falls under their responsibility next year.

Bob
 
I had a great show! By far the largest crowd of any show in recorded history!!!

The only real negative thing I can say is it was chaotic & the table badge change sucked.

If we are complaining about the show, it just shows we are getting old & want it the way we remember it. Nothing is the way we remember it. But most people live in their memories, not in the moment. :D
Old Philosopher.....
 
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