A veteran knifemaker exemplary in terms of teaching and mentoring his fellow makers in the fine art of building knives, Mel Pardue is the 2016 BLADE Show winner of the Edda and Aldo Lorenzi Award.
Edda and Aldo Lorenzi, owners of the old G. Lorenzi retail knife store in Milan, Italy, continue to support the custom knife industry through the Aldo and Edda Lorenzi Award, an honor bestowed annually at both the BLADE Show and the International Custom Cutlery Exhibition (this year Sept. 23-25 in Kansas City). Each carries a $1,000 prize graciously provided by the Lorenzis to the honoree.
Pardue made his first knife in 1952. He participated as a voting member of the Knifemakers’ Guild for 39 years, and served on the Guild’s board of directors in various capacities for 14 of those years. He is the first person without membership in the American Bladesmith Society to teach at the Bill Moran School of Bladesmithing, where for five years he conducted classes on how to make folders. He has taught the same subject at the Batson Bladesmithing Symposium for the past half-decade or so, and has held seminars and classes in his shop for almost 40 years. He received the Ron Little Award in 1992 and is a past winner of the Guild’s Red Watson Award.
Pardue has over 15 design and utility patents with Benchmade Knife Co. He has served on Benchmade’s board of directors several years. He taught the Benchmade staff how to refine three production models in the company’s Gold line of knives.
Mel Pardue won the Edda and Aldo Lorenzi Award at the 2016 BLADE Show.
It’s only 13 days until the 31st Annual BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com), June 8-10 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. In conjunction with the show and new for 2012 to address the expanding survival market, the former Tactical Gear Show has been enhanced with the latest in survival equipment and renamed the Survival+Tactical Gear Expo.
The STG Expo will be held in the back left corner of the BLADE Show’s main hall. All things tactical and survival related—in addition to knives, duty gear, eyewear, hydration equipment, hearing protection, flashlights/accessories, survival seminars and more—will be presented. BLADE Show ticket holders are admitted free.
For more on the latest knives, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where and much more, subscribe to BLADE Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication.
Knives, knives, more knives, knives, knives, this knife, that knife, other knives, knives and more knives. It’s BLADE Show time!
If the first day of BLADE Show 2017 could be summed up in one word, it’d be “the line.” That’s actually two words, but it’s fitting for the enormous early turnout of knife enthusiasts waiting for the doors to open. Never before has the line gone literally out the door, and into the parking lot, and probably crossed a few state lines.
Make no mistake, folks. The world of knives is alive and well, and beating expectations on every front. The official tallies will be made later, but this must’ve been a record. A first for a Friday!
Here’s what the show floor looked like moments after the doors opened:
In fact, it was a show full of firsts. How could it not be with the length of those lines? There’s bound to be a few newbies in there.
BLADE Show first-timer Erin Healy, BLADE‘s new managing editor, cut her teeth with a cool Kit Carson sword find. Did you know Kit Carson made swords? Well, now you do.
The learning didn’t stop there. BLADE University opened up a whole new world of knifemaking to attendees with not one, not two, but three classes on knife grinding. Instructors also zeroed in on how to select blade steel, making knives from simple tools, selecting an edge style and more.
Tom Krein dishes the dirt on knife grinding secrets. He conducted three well-attended sessions.
The Knife of the Year entrants went on display outside of the main show floor this year, as they did for the past few. This not only made it easier to check out these incredible knives, it put some of the best knives in the world front and center for first-time show goers. They’re the first knives they see when they arrive. What could be better?
Glenn Klecker puts the finishing touch on his display with a pencil eraser before submitting to the Knife of the Year Awards. Knifemakers want their works to look their best, and it shows at every booth and table at BLADE Show.
A second day of all of that and then some, that’s what. Tomorrow will be full of more knife events, and the Knife of the Year Awards will be announced. Online ticket registration is closed, but you can still find BLADE Show information at bladeshow.com.
To understand why the Delavan Family and Plaza Cutlery won the BLADE Magazine 2016 Industry Achievement Award at this year’s BLADE Show, join us in a trip down memory lane.
The Delavan Family and Plaza Cutlery are the winners of the BLADE Magazine 2016 Industry Achievement Award. From left: Lois, Dan and Pam Delavan inside Plaza Cutlery in 2007.
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It was over 42 years ago that Del and Lois Delavan, along with their son Dan, fresh out of the Army, opened Plaza Cutlery, a brick-and-mortar retail knife store in what is today the South Coast Plaza Shopping Resort in Costa Mesa, California.
A few years later Dan married Pam, and Pam took to knives as only a Delavan can. One of the keys to Plaza Cutlery’s remarkable longevity is that Dan and Pam have a passion for knives that is genuine—and the people who buy their knives and the vendors who work with Plaza Cutlery know it. It is a passion Dan and Pam come by honestly, a passion shared by Dan’s dad, Del, who became a Case salesman in 1959, and Dan’s mom, Lois. After Del passed away, it was Lois who took up the torch and became one of if not the first female traveling sales reps for Case. She helped run Plaza Cutlery until she, too, passed away just a few years ago.
It is retail knife stores such as Plaza Cutlery supporting both custom makers and knife companies over the decades that have helped make the knife industry the dynamic entity it is today. Whether selling knives to customers face to face or via their well-stocked and constantly changing website, the Delavans—in addition to Dan and Pam, their son Andrew, their son Bryan’s wife, Yuko, and Dan’s brother Russ—are known throughout the cutlery industry not just for their vast knowledge of knives, but also their reputation as straight shooters when it comes to providing the best in knives and customer service. It’s hard enough to maintain such a knowledge and reputation for just one year—it’s a monumental achievement to do it for 42.
Goddard considers it all part of paying your dues to go to knife shows, spend countless hours getting ready and perhaps not even selling enough to cover your expenses. But what you will come away with is contacts. You’ll meet people who can help you better your knifemaking skills, get you better materials to work with, photograph your work or help you get it publicized.
Thousands of knife enthusiasts from all corners of the globe will descend on the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta June2-4 for the BLADE Show. (PointSeven image)
I say, come prepared. Professional business cards are cheap to make up, like less than $10 for 500 at Vista Print, for example. Make sure you triple-proof your phone number and email address because those are the primary ways people get in touch with you. Include how your professional Page is listed on Facebook, and if you’re still mixing business with pleasure, it’s time to start driving folks to a professional page. Include your Instagram handle. You can have one of your photographed knives as a background image one side of your card and a photo of yourself on the other side. A little space on the front or back allows either you or whomever you’re conversing with to jot down something to prompt them to remember how to follow-up with you.
2. Gain Perspective On Your Work
Goddard’s second reason to go to a knife show is somewhat dated. You can clearly see what knives are being made in the industry through magazines like BLADE®, online through visually focused Facebook and Instagram, and through websites. There are books to read and endless hours of You Tube videos to absorb. However, the only thing none of these outlets will provide is touch.
Shows offer you a chance to pick up knives, open them, close them, weigh and balance them in hand. You’ll be able to get ideas on what you can do to improve your work, or in which direction you want your style to head.
3. Establish A Broad Customer Base
You can indeed stay quite busy just through website or Facebook orders, but Goddard brings up a good point about making sure you bring some of everything you offer to a show so there will be something for everyone. A collector may never know about you unless he sees you at a show. He has to hear about you before he can look you up online. Sometimes we only expand our tastes if we are forced to. At a show, buyers will at least glance at knives that normally they’re not drawn to. Every once in a while, they stop and buy something out of character for them, and you’ve just sold a fixed hunter to a guy who thought he only liked tactical folders.
I would add that you might want to consider bringing a few knives to a show that would fit a youth or woman. Sometimes finger placement isn’t comfortable for smaller hands. There could be an extra sale or two for you in a sometimes overlooked segment of the knife-buying population.
4. Show Off Your Art
If you have a wild and crazy, beautiful and bejeweled, historic or psychedelic piece of artwork that people admire but are hesitant to spend money on, the knife show is your outlet. Chances are someone just might buy it, but you’ll also get the accolades such work so richly deserves.
5. See The Country, The World
The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, is the site of this year’s BLADE Show, but there are many other knife shows all over the country. Get to a few.
Not only is a knife show an excuse to travel the country, but it’s a chance to meet people from all over the world. You just never know. You could meet someone from the Netherlands, strike up an online friendship and the next thing you know, you’re ordering a plane ticket to attend your new buddy’s local show.
6. Sell Knives
This is the last thing you should be thinking about if you’re just starting out. Goddard explains that it’ll take a while to figure out what sells for you and what doesn’t. Don’t get discouraged. Keep at it. If there’s a waiting list for the show you want to get into, then put your name on the list and wait.
I would add to practice going to local or regional shows first. Let’s be honest, shows can be exhausting. You’re on your feet all day, always “on” and having similar conversations with many people. It’s hard to take breaks to refresh yourself, but it’s probably one of the best things you can do. Go visit a few booths that have something you’d be interested in buying. Figure out what works for you and what doesn’t so that you stay refreshed and positive for your customers and yet get something for yourself out of the show too.
And although it’s tempting to start packing up early, resist. There’s nothing worse than thinking you can hit the last hour of a show only to find vendors packing up. That last customer may be your best one of the day.
Learn From A Master
There’s so much to learn, and you can’t learn it all in one day, but Wayne Goddard’s “The Wonder of Knifemaking” is a great place to start.
Wayne Goddard not only shares his suggestions for getting the most out of attending knife shows in “The Wonder of Knifemaking,” but he also shares his experience in setting up workshops, accumulating tools and, of course, making knives. Right now you can save $10.17 off this knifemaking library essential.
The most extensive knife collection displays anywhere helped highlight this past weekend’s 31st Annual BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia. Four won awards for being the best of the lot, with Brent and Dee Schindewolf topping them all by winning Best Of Show for their special collection of Buck knives.
The winners, by award:
Best Of Show: Buck Gen Five Josh Buck Skinners, by Brent and Dee Schindewolf
Judges Award: Miniatures: Faberge of Firearms, by Tom and Gwen Guinn
Judges Award: Buck Factory Production Knives of the 1960s, by Larry Oden
Judges Award: Buck 110s, by Jim Seagle (a Buck 110 is pictured at left)
Build Your Own Knife Display Case
Every knife collection needs a secure way to display its blades. Learn how to build your own with the $5 Cutting Edge Display Case download. It contains all the instructions you need to craft a handsome knife display case.
We’ve added some great features this year, including a filter option for our exhibitor list, a sponsor profile page for maximum exposure, a “featured exhibitors” home page rotator and a “Show Updates” page for detailed releases throughout the campaign.
The BLADE Show celebrates 35 years in 2016! We are just as excited as you are! As we kick off 35 years, we are set to bring you the largest BLADE Show event yet! Our show floor will be jam-packed with all of your favorite knife vendors. There’s so many more exciting things happening at this year’s show, we can’t wait to see you all in June!
