Blade show?

K

KenH

Well-Known Member
Hello all - this is the first year I didn't make Blade in a couple of years. I did see a video somebody posted where he was walking around Sat morning. From his video it didn't look as crowded as years before. Would somebody comment on that - was the crowd down any this year compared to previous years?

Wife has already said we're going next year.... so I listen and obey :57:

Ken H>
 
I have been going for ten years now.

Friday was the best day anyone recalls for sales.
Traffic was good Saturday and Sunday.

Most makers and vendors told me they were really pleased on sales results for the show.
A few makers mentioned it was slow. In looking at their table, prices seemed to be a bit high as compared to say 20 other tables with similar knives. The problem with pricing for a show is you are tied to a table and don't get to see what the average prices are around them for similar knives. It may be worth it to cover your table up for an hour and take a look around you to see others are getting for the types of knives you have on your table.

Tactical folders ruled. Period.
No doubt there were plenty of fixed blades sold. Thousands of fixed blades were sold but tactical folders drive the show and have for several years.

I surprised to see how many blades were blackened and/or bead blasted. Truth is, if you bead blast and blacken a blade, it's less labor than giving it a satin or higher finish.

We had a couple of own OG forum members here earn their JS stamp when testing at the show. Jim Coffee and Josh Dabney both earned their stamp and were pretty happy dudes. Congratulations to them. I'm sure there were other KD members that tested but I didn't see the complete list so I apologize for not pointing that out here. Let us know please.

I watched the World Cutting competition organized by Bladesports.org Dan Keffler won again. It looks like a blast. I am going to work on getting a sanctioned cutting competition set up for our location next spring. I have some work to do in advance on that but in talking to the key organizers of the group, they were very supportive of the idea and will help us get there. A sanctioned event is typically on a saturday/sunday with Saturday being safety training and training on technique. Sunday would be the actual competition.

On a tangent, here at the shop, we have set up a knife throwing target out back and several of us are practicing knife throwing for break time. I have not talked to either of the dominant throwing organizations yet but will about having a sanctioned regional throwing contest. My goal will be to have a combined throwing and cutting competition weekend. Basically a throwing competition and a cutting competition on the same weekend and anyone can participate in one or both. It should be a hoot...
 
Thanks for the informative fill on Blade - I knew from times I've been there the aisles are usually full of folks walking and looking..... and buying:) It was just the video I saw showed so many almost empty aisles, but I'm sure the photographer picked those aisles to better show the vendor's tables.

Interestingly enough, I think my wife enjoys Blade almost as much as I do, so we're on again for next year.

I sure wish I wasn't so far away from ya'll waaay off up there in the frozen north country - ya'll sure do have a NICE get together there. Knife throwing? Now that's my cup of tea..... or it was before I got old 'n broken down with bad shoulders so I can no longer throw.

Ken H>
 
I just made it back home last night. My assessment would be pretty much a repeat of Tracy's. It was a VERY good year for me sales wise, and I got a couple of offers from different companies.... that IF they come to pass, will make the show results better then I've ever had.

I was there alone this year, (usually my wife Cindy goes, and my kids drive up from Florida), so I apologize that I wasn't able to visit with very many people.
 
Ed, I do remember a very pleasant meeting with you at your table the past 2 years when I was at Blade (no way you could possibly remember me). Congrats on such a good sales year, and do hope those offers come thru for you.

Looking forward to meeting you again next year at Blade - wife says we ARE going to Blade!

Ken H>
 
Glad to hear the show was a success. With the economy as shaky I'm surprised people were spending. The Canadian guild did not have a show this year.

Congrats to the new JS's well earned and deserved.
 
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised at the crowds. I spoke with some of the Blade Show Staff, and they told me that there were more people through the doors by mid day Saturday, then we had the whole show last year. You cold really tell the difference on Sunday.....generally by noon it's a ghost town..... but the room was well populated until about an hour before the show closed. Whatever they did for advertising worked well! :)

Here are the names of the new ABS MS and JS:

Our new Master Smiths:

Steve Randall - North Carolina, USA
Scott Mc Ghee - North Carolina, USA

Our new Journeyman Smiths:

Eduardo Berardo - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Neels Van den Berg - Pretoria,South Africa
Paul Brach - Georgia, USA
Jim Coffee - Ohio, USA
Larry Cox - Arkansas, USA
Joshua Adam Dabney - Florida, USA
Luiz Gustavo Goncalves - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Andre Klen - Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mark Steele Knapp - Alaska, USA
David Knowlton - Massachusetts, USA
Erik Markman - Nieuwkoop, Netherlands
Matthew Parkinson - Connecticut, USA
William J Vanheteren - New Jersey, USA
Wilson Fallaw - Georgia, USA
William Greulich - New Jersey, USA

Congratulations to everyone!
 
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I went on Friday and wandered around for a while. It was my first time going and it was a last minute decision to go. I had hoped to meet some knifemakers from my old area (New England) that I knew and meet new knifemakers from my new area (South Carolina.) Not so much luck on either front.

I admit I was overwhelmed and a bit turned off with all the tactical booths. I visited with a couple of knifemakers at their tables. It became more crowded later in the afternoon and I hit my limit of dealing with the congestion and bugged out. I don't deal well with being in a crowd, usually I am on the other side of the table in events like this. Hopefully next time I go to Blade I plan better or have my own table.

I was hoping to find the USA Knifemaker table but I couldn't.

edited to add:

I just looked at my avatar.... I don't look that skinny anymore and don't have that much hair.... I was a big ol' bald guy in a red and white Hawaiian shirt.
 
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