How to? to Blade

SVanderkolff

Well-Known Member
This will be my first trip to Blade, I have a table, and I am coming from Canada. We plan on driving from southern Ontario to Detroit and then flying to Atlanta. What is the best way of getting my knives down there? How much of the table set up do guys usually bring. And how do they get it down there? With the current restrictions on luggage I am leery of carrying my normal table set up down. What do the rest of you do that fly in? Never done this so any and all advice is very much appreciated.
Thanks
Steve
 
I have never flown with my knives to a show but I have heard several knifemakers say that they ship thier knives to the show, their hotel or a friend rather than take them on the plane.

Sean O'Hare's knives got held up in customs and didn't make it the Guild Show last year. He was lucky enough to have pictures of the knives that he displayed on his table and was able to make sales from the pictures and delived the knives later after he got them from customs.

Most people just bring a table cover and whatever they need to process sales.
 
If I fly with my knives, I put them in a lockable double rifle case. Then I just toss a small pistol in too (even a BB pistol will do) and declare the gun. TSA inspects the case, I lock it and keep the key and they mark it for special handling. So far no problems because they sure do NOT want to explain how a gun disappeared at an airport. I do't know how this would work with customs though.
 
I would pack them in a US fedex box. When you get to Detroit I would mail them to the hotel you are staying at next day air. It would be cheaper and there would be no customs paperwork to fill out.

I pack a table cloth, my name sign, business cards, small portfolio of past work and usually something to display my knives on. I have these oval suede mat board cutouts that I put each knife on. It makes keeping track of them much easier.
 
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