Blade Show 2017

Stormcrow

Well-Known Member
Nothing is finished yet, but a lot in the works. I have two tables again this year, with the plan being one for forged work and one for stock removal.

Small forged knives:

34601868975_92f22e902e_c.jpg


Large forged knives:

34601881515_8b2b69d682_c.jpg


My eye-catcher is, of course, the post-nuclear barbarian sword, with a 21" blade and 33" overall length.

34598790185_32bea37ff5_c.jpg


And hopefully I'll have some stock-removal Little Roks, Benghazi Warfighters, and mini-parangs, as well as tomahawks.

34440124542_004560a079_c.jpg


33792057973_36a8dabb74_c.jpg


34560501506_630fff90c0_c.jpg
 
Got my mid-tech stuff powdercoated and took it to get my touchmark laser engraved this morning at JB Knife and Tool, who will be my neighbor in the San Antonio colony.

Here's a Woodsman 'hawk getting frickin' laser beams shot at it.

33914819364_9b694604c7_c.jpg
[/url]
 
I finished up the post-nuclear barbarian sword, so at least I won't have an empty table. :D

For some reason it looks shorter in photos than it seems in person. Final weight is 3.25 pounds. A little weighty, but I had no trouble working it one-handed on the whetstone.

34812407742_51b852123c_c.jpg


34976184015_65017ccdbc_c.jpg


Both edges shave hair.

34165356043_fa2e56a98d_c.jpg


24" of Kydex for a 21" blade. This is the maximum that I'm set up to comfortably handle.

34112190494_97318b8f18_c.jpg


Everything else that is forged has the wraps epoxied and sheaths molded.

34162803903_84e9cdb846_c.jpg


34085778454_4853e01a8e_c.jpg


34540343070_d7b1bf1dd3_c.jpg
 
Finally doing a Blade Show after-report.

It was the best knife show I've done, and it flew! I didn't get to get around to talk with more than a small handful of the folks I wanted to, and sold all but three pieces at the show. Those three were all claimed before I made it back home.

It was the biggest Blade Show yet. The first year I was there, a large margin of empty space surrounded the tables. The year after that they pushed to the outer walls. This year they had booths in the foyer out front.

I haven't done a show yet where I didn't end up putting the final edges on in the hotel room.

34878795602_479680d94f_c.jpg


It was my buddy and fellow Forged in Fire champion Tobin Nieto's first time to have a table at Blade, and he, of course, made it entertaining. My loverly bride holds a glaive that he made, and he has my sword. You always need an eye-catcher on your table, and these are ours.

34249786623_315f8e1f0f_c.jpg


Always enjoy it when Dan Keffeler comes by. Among other things, he had a Super Assassin with him.

34897895822_253b5ab8ef_c.jpg


Which Tobin seemed to like.

34904126672_7b051e94bc_c.jpg


This fellow bought several blades from me, including the Ludicrously Oversized Bowie.

34896542902_46751f3e99_c.jpg


Got to meet Ryu Lim, fellow Forged in Fire champion.

34673073450_f42fd2957a_c.jpg


Jason Knight was a contestant on the unaired pilot episode of Forged in Fire. He won with this Damascus gladius. He did all right. :D

35060801135_ea611ca888_c.jpg


Mardi Meshsejian (another FiF contestant) made a katzbalger that was undoubtedly prettier than the one I built for the show. Mine was lighter, though; there's a full pound of sterling silver in the guard! Gorgeous work with a stainless san mai blade, anodized titanium handle, sterling guard, and fossilized walrus ivory pommel.

35060821165_223ddd3b53_c.jpg


He also had this gorgeous o-tanto with stainless san mai blade and fossilized walrus ivory handle.

35020716086_35ca84fe1e_c.jpg


Tobin was as enthralled with RMJ Tactical's official rendition of the Frank Frazetta Deal Dealer ax as I was last year.

35049221956_51086c739e_c.jpg


There was a small disagreement that was amicably settled.

34925247752_dbaf027874_c.jpg


Luke Swenson liked Tobin's glaive in spite of it not being a slipjoint. :D

35049347806_e6670dd3be_c.jpg


My brother-in-law talking with Tracker Dan. An interesting study in contrasts.

34245927754_2f9660624a_c.jpg


Ed Calderon, the Taco Ninja, poses with some $5 foam nunchucks someone sold my nephew. Tobin's wife and daughter are in the background, oblivious that they are being posted across forums and social media.

34245937014_50ae28cbbe_c.jpg


Don Carlos Andrade, who makes beautiful culinary cutlery, and Joe Flowers, who designs for Condor Tool and Knife.

34279175553_0412189734_c.jpg


This bolo, o-tanto, and sword were the only items that didn't sell at the show.

34260504934_20d9933e91_c.jpg


We got invited to tour RMJ Tactical's new shop in Chatanooga, TN, on the way back home. Enjoyed it a lot! Ryan made some comment about "the bellies of bladesmithing". :D

34993903201_1d6da86e90_c.jpg


While my wife and I spent a couple of days in the Smoky Mountains on our way home, I shot some better pics of the unsold items. All three were bought before we got back to Texas.

34338504903_872c1dcbec_c.jpg


35108470356_3ef2dc7256_c.jpg


35148783215_432feb151b_c.jpg


35017484771_c4744ab720_c.jpg


This Sasquatch waded into the stream and grabbed the sword, but eventually wandered off.

34303456114_b4053143bb_c.jpg


In spite of the long handle on the sword, the Sasquatch's paws filled it with a two-handed grip.

34762153660_b6643564c6_c.jpg


I didn't get a good picture of my two tables at the show. I did have one of the four smaller tantos travel back with me so that I could ship it to the customer so he wouldn't have to mess with getting it back home.

35183798846_6bdd71e7d5_c.jpg
 
The Forged in Fire contestants who were at Blade Show got together for a group photo. There were a lot of us!

35386514862_fa2a9ec8dd_c.jpg
 
Last edited:
Wow, what to say?...great write up and great pictures. my wife and I were there for the first time to check out this show and we had a great time. we'll be back next year. still debating on getting a table in 2018 or 19 but I got to say, that's was the show of knife shows.
 
Last edited:
Great writeup James. This year was my first time at the show and since I didn't have a table I got to walk around and talk to everyone that I wanted to talk to, you and Tobin included. I'm still debating getting a table next year. Yes it would be great to get some exposure and sell some of my stuff, but then again, it would cut into my time that I could be talking shop with other makers and learning as much as I can!
 
Back
Top