The Chris Reeve Sebenza 2014 BLADE Show Knife is available NOW—and you’d better hurry if you want one because they are in a super-limited edition of only 12. Historically, the lower the number of the limited edition, the more valuable the knives will be, and 12 is one of the lower limited-edition numbers on knives you will see, especially for a BLADE Show knife.
Only 12 of the Chris Reeve Sebenza 2014 BLADE Show Knives will be sold.
Voted No. 2 in BLADE® Magazine on the list of the top custom knives from the years 1989-2000, the Sebenza is Reeve’s most famous knife and remains his most popular model. Made today in a factory iteration, the knife recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with the introduction of the Model 25, an exclusive version of which serves as the 2014 BLADE Show Knife.
Featuring the official 2014 BLADE Show logo and limited-edition number embossed on the handle, each of the dozen knives includes new concepts Chris Reeve brought to the Model 25, all in celebration of the 25th anniversary. Click here to buy one of 12 BLADE Show Sebenzas.
Those concepts include:
The first blade to feature Large Hollow Grind Technology, a blend of the best of hollow and flat grinds;
A shaped phosphor bronze washer on the lock side brings additional stability to that side of the blade;
An eighth-inch ceramic ball acts as the interface between the lock bar and the blade, and doubles to drop into the detent, ensuring the blade stays in place when closed;
Larger perforations in the washers reduce friction, store more lubricant and offer space for small dirt particles to move away from the blade/washer interface, helping prevent the blade action from becoming “sticky”;
416 heat-treated stainless steel drop pin;
Asymmetrical pattern thumb serrations on the blade’s curved thumb ramp give excellent purchase, and;
At .140 inch thick, the blade is more robust than previous Sebenza models.
Machine Assisted Custom Knives (M.A.C.K.) are at the cutting-edge of custom knife manufacturing.
For many, a knife resides in one of two manufacturing categories—handmade or machine-made. In the world of custom knives, historically there hasn’t been a lot of middle ground between the two and occasional animosity. Understandable, especially for the folks ringing an anvil to wrought a dazzling creation from sweat and steel. However, times are changing.
To that end, Machine Assisted Custom Knives (M.A.C.K.) have grown in popularity from a number of intrepid pioneers who—for lack of a better description—utilize the best of both worlds. Quite simply, knives in this category aren’t completely handmade, nor are they 100-percent machine creations. Combining the two disciplines of the same craft has proven a boon for the knife industry, creating a diverse and wonderful center course—one BLADE® Magazine and BLADE Show celebrate.
Starting at the 2023 BLADE Show Texas, the event expanded its Custom Knife Awards to include M.A.C.K.’s. And again, the Custom Knife Of The Year Awards at the June 2-4 BLADE Show at the Cobb County Convention Center will include this burgeoning category—most likely in all its glory. So, what exactly does it take to qualify a knife in the M.A.C.K. class? Certainly more than taking a production knife and scratching a design on its scale by hand.
We explained the category thusly in custom knife competition rules:
“The knife must be of the folding/locking, non-slip-joint, EDC variety that is first and foremost a cutting tool. It must be functional, beautiful and have great ergonomics, yet still have practical applications and uses. It must consist of both at least one handmade feature—such as hand-ground blades, hand-contoured scales, manually machined parts, etc.—and of automated features such as waterjet-cut liners/scales, CNC’d handles, etc. … The blade should open and close easily and smoothly, and lock open properly and securely. All aspects of quality folder design—line and flow, blade centering and clearance, proper fit and finish, a comfortable handle, etc.—apply as well.”
Of course, given the skill of the craftsmen who enter the competition, it’s potentially difficult for the judges—almost all Master Bladesmiths themselves, mind you—to tell the machined parts from the handmade. Thus, there’s a bit of a twist found in this category, as compared to others.
“Each entry must be accompanied by an informative, to-the-point description of which part/parts is/are handmade and how. For example, “I did the filework by hand with such-and-such type of file.” The description must be 100 words or less so the winner will be judged on the knife and not on his/her writing skills. The judges will assume that the knife’s parts that are not handmade are made through a machine-aided process.”
Already, in one show competition, the entrees have been stunning. At the 2023 Texas show Keanison Knives took home the hardware in the category with a stellar flipper in what proved a competitive field. We expect the pow-wow in Atlanta will produce an equally as hot, if not hotter competition in this class.
If you’re an exhibitor at BLADE Show, and you have a knife that falls in this category, you should bring the best of kinetics, aesthetics and handcraft to the custom knife competition. If you’re a knife aficionado and look to keep your collection at the cutting edge of the industry, keep your eyes peeled for M.A.C.K.’s when you’re walking the floor. The style of the knife is certainly progressing what’s possible in the knife world.
With the 31st BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) but 12 days hence at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, don’t miss your chance to see the work of such award-winning makers as Brazil’s Rodrigo Sfreddo. Sfreddo’s “Magnifique” (above) won Best Fixed Blade at last year’s show, and this year’s custom winners promise to be among the finest examples of cut, too.
The show’s custom knife judging competition regularly draws more knives entered by more makers than any such competition anywhere. However, it’s not so much the sheer number of entrants that is so impressive as the quality of the work itself. In fact, many of those that don’t win are among the finest knives you will ever want to see.
The award categories are (with the 2011 BLADE Show winners in parentheses): Hugh Bartrug Best In Show and Best Art Knife (Dennis Friedly); Best Fixed Blade (Rodrigo Sfreddo); Best Folder (Richard Rogers); Best Tactical Folder (Brian Fellhoelter); Best Damascus Knife (John White); Best Fighter (RJ Martin); Best Bowie (John White); Yvon Vachon Best Miniature (Yoshio Sakauchi); Best Handle Design (Vince Evans); Best Utility Hunter (Dan Farr); Most Innovative Design (Joe Caswell); Best Knife Collaboration (Dennis Friedly and Gil Rudolph); Best Sword (Vince Evans); Best New Maker (Rod Watts); and Best Of The Rest (Mardi Meshejian).
The show will be June 8-10. Don’t miss out!
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.
WHAT: BLADE Show WHERE: Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta WHEN: June 7-9 DAYS and TIMES: Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (early bird ticket holders can enter at 10 a.m.) Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Thirty-five countries—including an increase in international exhibitors from 118 to 152—will be among the almost 950 exhibitors total for the 43rd Annual BLADE Show June 7-9 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
Sponsored by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, the BLADE Show is where more knives—custom, factory, antique, classic collectibles, etc.—are exhibited, bought and sold than at any other knife event. Exhibitors will bring their latest and greatest knives and examples of most every edged tool extant, accessories, knifemaking supplies and more. Sharpeners, knife collections, knife purveyors and other cutlery entities too numerous to mention will showcase their wares as the world knife community makes the yearly pilgrimage to Georgia.
Knives debuted by factory companies for the first time anywhere, the educational knife instruction of BLADE University (see sidebar), and a selection of informative, entertaining and action-packed free demos (see sidebar) are among the sharp goodies awaiting show patrons. The BLADE Magazine 2024 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards, the custom knife judging competition and the knife collection display judging competition are others. The American Bladesmith Society (ABS) Knife Auction, formal inductions of the latest members of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame®, and some of the best knives the ABS and the Knifemakers’ Guild and unaffiliated makers in general have to offer are still others.
Italy’s Manuele Messori will be among the record-setting number of international exhibitors at BLADE Show ’24. An example of his edged wizardry is his folder in a blade of Damasteel Grossrosen damascus, an interframe handle of zirconium with Gibeon meteorite inlay, and 24k-gold engraving. (Francesco Pachi image)
And don’t forget The Pit, the after-hours meeting place in and around the sunken bar of the host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly, where show patrons and exhibitors will party into the wee hours beginning the night before the show through the end of the weekend to compare knives, swap lies and otherwise celebrate the year’s most momentous cutlery weekend.
International Boom
As the world continues to recover from the travel, business and other bans spawned by the pandemic, the BLADE Show reflects that recovery in the boom in international exhibitors. In fact, that boom might even provide proof that the recovery is complete—at least as far as the BLADE Show is concerned. France leads the way among exhibitors from other countries with 21. South Africa is second with 18, Italy is third with 15 and Brazil is fourth with 13.
Some of the top names by country among the internationals are Bertie Rietveld, Theuns Prinsloo, Henning Wilkinson and Neels van den Berg (South Africa); Franco de Souza, Rodrigo Sfreddo, Fabio Barros and Gus Cecchini (Brazil); CAS Knives and Mauricio Daletzky (Argentina); Halfbreed Blades (Australia); WE Knife, Reate and Ketuo (China); Kiku Matsuda and Koji Hara (Japan); Lionsteel, Manuele Messori, Fox Cutlery and Maniago Knife Makers (Italy); Anders Hogstrom (Sweden); Helle Knives (Norway); Jean Louis Regel, Veronique Laurent and Samuel Lurquin (Belgium); and Grace Horne (United Kingdom).
BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Michael Walker will exhibit his world-renowned knives at a BLADE Show for the first time in quite a spell. His Platinum Zipper features Michael’s fourth-generation BLADElock system. (Francesco Pachi knife image)
Among some of the more recognizable American makers will be BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member Michael Walker, who will be exhibiting knives at a BLADE Show for the first time in recent memory. Others include Cutlery Hall-Of-Famers Bill Ruple and Steve Schwarzer; ABS master smiths Harvey Dean, Mike Quesenberry, Shane Taylor, David Lisch, Jordan LaMothe and Andrew Meers; slipjoint makers Tom Ploppert, Luke Swenson and Tim Robertson; Vladimir Kolenko; and Owen Wood (a native of South Africa, Owen now calls Texas home).
Blade University: Added Day
Avail yourself of the latest knifemaking techniques and other trending sharp subjects during the 11th Annual BLADE University on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. New for this year is a special Thursday class taught by award-winning knifemakers Tom Krein and Lucas Burnley the day before the show begins. See the sidebar for more on it.
Sponsored by Work Sharp Sharpeners, BLADE University has the most extensive schedule of knife, knifemaking and other instruction held at any knife show. For the full list of classes, see sidebar.
THURSDAY, JUNE 6 4 to 5 p.m. The Art of Selling at a BLADE Show, Room 104. Knifemakers Tom Krein and Lucas Burnley outline what makers who are serious about selling knives should do and how they should behave behind an exhibitor table during the BLADE Show.
FRIDAY, JUNE 7 8 to 9:30 a.m. Fundamentals of Grinding, The Courtyard. AmeriBrade and guest makers cover grinds, technique and different equipment. 10 to 11:30 a.m. How To Run a Small Successful Knifemaking Business, Room 103. ABS master smith Bob Kramer shares his 30 years of experience running a productive knifemaking operation. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thermal Cycle Steel for High Performance, Room 104. Larrin Thomas examines how to heat treat steel after forging, normalizing and grain-refining cycles, thermal cycling stainless steels after forging and more. 1 to 2 p.m. Symmetrical Quillon Dagger 101, Room 107. ABS master smith Neels van den Berg discusses making a symmetrical quillon dagger, covering design, proportions, aesthetics, materials, fluting and finally the entire manufacturing process. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Intro to Power Forging, Room 103. Bring your forging questions to our group of expert panelists including Logan Gillihan, Will Stelter, Salem Straub and Charlie Ellis. 2 to 3 p.m. Metal and Wood Fitting Techniques for Keyhole Handles, Room 113. ABS journeyman smith Henning Wilkinson outlines the correct techniques for fitting metal and wood in the construction of the keyhole integral knife handle. 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Hands on Sharpening, Room 113. Bring your knife or a borrowed one and learn the progression of shaping a bevel, sharpening and edge maintenance from the team at Work Sharp Sharpeners. 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Originality: Experimentation, Innovation and Ingenuity, Room 107. Can creativity be learned? Lucas Cao, founder of Squid Industries, explores tools and techniques that anyone can apply to become more original.
SATURDAY, JUNE 8 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Elevating Your Handle Appearance: Spine Filework, Handle Shapes and Pin Placement, Room 113. Knifemaker Kyle Daily shares how to enhance your knife with distinctive features that go far beyond standard production models. 9:30 to 11 a.m. Insert Welding, Room 104. ABS master smith Bob Kramer covers how to forge weld inserts with high precision and control to create realistic depictions of animals and patterns. 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. How to Make the Most Difficult Pocketknife, Room 107. Knifemaker Tim Robertson delineates what makes lockback whittlers so hard to make, with a major focus on backspring design and function. 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Process Is the Product, Room 113. Knifemaker/designer TJ Schwarz shares his insights on how to create a successful knife business, including the key point of understanding actually what it is that you’re selling. 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Let the Pros Critique Your Knife, Room 114. ABS master smiths Bob Kramer and James Rodebaugh and leading makers David Carver, Enrique Pena and Luke Swenson examine your knife and tell you what’s good about it, what’s not and how to make it better. 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Hands on Sharpening, Room 113. Bring your knife or a borrowed one and learn the progression of shaping a bevel, sharpening and edge maintenance from the team at Work Sharp Sharpeners. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Making Scissors in a Knife Workshop, Room 107. Grace Horne examines the early history of scissors, methods of producing the blanks, inside information on the twist and the curve, and her method of scissors making that requires no specialist tools or equipment. 4 to 5 p.m. Pattern Welding Panel, Room 104. Salem Straub, Mareko Maumasi, Charlie Ellis, Josh Prince and Will Stelter explain the steps that went into creating their wild mosaic damascus billet collaboration, Consortium.
Knives Of The Year
The BLADE Magazine 2024 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards will be announced and presented during the BLADE Magazine Awards ceremony Saturday at 8 p.m. by The Pit of the Atlanta Renaissance Waverly Hotel lobby.
The entries are limited to BLADE Show factory booth exhibitors, and will be on display show Friday and Saturday under glass in a special locked cabinet in the lobby. The winners will be announced on BLADE’s blademag.com website after the awards presentation, and a list will be posted outside the show entrance Sunday morning.
Custom Knife Awards
Leading industry authorities will pick the best custom knives by BLADE Show exhibitors in the annual knife judging competition, with the winners announced during the BLADE Magazine Awards ceremony Saturday at 8 p.m. in The Pit.
Neels van den Berg won the 2022 B. R. Hughes Award for the best knife submitted by a master smith applicant for his European quillon dagger. Join him for his BLADE University class, Symmetrical Quillon Dagger 101. (Eric Eggly/PointSeven image)
The categories are: Hugh Bartrug Best Of Show; Best Fixed Blade; Best Damascus; Best Kitchen Knife; Yvon Vachon Best Miniature; Best Art Knife; Best Fighter; Best Bowie; Best Handle Design; Best Tactical Folder; Best M.A.C.K. (Machine Assisted Custom Knife); Best Utility Hunter; Best Folder; Most Innovative Design; Best Knife Collaboration; Best Sword; Best New Maker; and Best Of The Rest.
The competition is open to the show’s custom knife exhibitors only. The winners will be announced on BLADE’s blademag.com website after the awards ceremony, and a list will be posted outside the show entrance Sunday morning.
World Cutting Titles
The BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competitions will be conducted by BladeSports International (BSI) and held in The Courtyard, the parking lot of the host hotel, the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly, Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
At press time, contestants in both men’s and women’s divisions were scheduled to compete. Last year, Ben Propst won the men’s division and Michael Clifton the women’s. Second through fourth place in the latter went to Sara Maly, Sue Ann Propst and Jo Carothers, respectively. The same respective place finishers in the men’s division were Gary Bond, Dan Keffeler and Donavon Phillips.
Jo Carothers finishes off the 2×8 in the women’s division of last year’s BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition.
Seminars & Events
Seminars and demonstrations are held in classrooms inside the Cobb Galleria or under the BLADE University tent in The Courtyard—the latter in the parking lot of the host Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel. Admission is free to BLADE Show ticketholders. Two of the highlights include:
In what he termed will be the most important seminar he has ever given, Ernest Emerson of Emerson Knives, Inc., will deliver a no-holds-barred analysis of what it takes to be “made in America.” He will present a true insider’s, behind-the-scenes look at how difficult and yet how important it is to recognize the vital importance of American-made knife companies for the future of the knife industry.
High-Endurance Performance Knife master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler will ask just how confident you are that your EDC can handle everything from light office duty to saving a life. Key questions will include what is the knife made for? The design is what you see but the quality is up to the maker. The title of Ed’s seminar says it all: Can Your EDC Cut It?
SATURDAY 8 a.m.: BLADE Magazine Cutlery-Hall-Of-Fame Inductions, Kennesaw Room, Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel 10-to-11:45 a.m.: ABS Knife Auction (page 30), Room 103 Noon-to-1 p.m.: Can Your EDC Cut It? High-Performance Endurance Knife master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler, Room 107 Noon-to-2 p.m.: NEW LOCATION 8th Annual Battle for Bali-Champion, conducted by Blade HQ, Garden Court area inside the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel (flipping starts at 12:30) 1-to-2 p.m.: What It Means to be Made in America, Ernest Emerson, Emerson Knives, Inc., Room 104 12-to-3 p.m.: Buck Collectors Club, Room 103 4:30 p.m.: BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competitions, conducted by BladeSports International in The Courtyard
Cutlery Hall of Fame
The BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® will formally induct three new members at 8 a.m. show Saturday in the Kennesaw Room of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel. (At press time, the new members had not been determined.) Tickets are required ahead of time for the ceremony, which includes a breakfast. Seating is limited.
Knife Collections
Outstanding knife collections will be on display, with the best recognized via a judging competition. Last year’s winners included Gene Merritt, who took Best In Show for his Buck Yellowhorse display. Judges Awards went to Tim Lindsey for his display entitled “Vern Taylor Buck Collectors Club Founder” and Ed Cooper for “Yellowhorse Knives.” Sarah Lindsey won the Youth Award for her display, “One of a Kind Buck Custom Character Knives Incredible!”
Bali Title: New Location
Top balisong flippers will vie for the title of “Grand Master” in the 8th Annual Battle for Bali Champion sponsored and conducted by Blade HQ.
Balisong Competition placers
BLADE Show ticket holders are invited to watch the competition in the Garden Court area located inside the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel on show Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. This is a venue change from last year’s Courtyard location, so please make a note. Competitors will start flipping knives at 12:30 p.m.
The top three finishers will receive prizes and all participants will get swag bags. The competition will be limited to 48 contestants. Landon C. Morrison was crowned Bali-Champion last year, with Corbin Lovins finishing second and Gene Keli Castillejo third.
More To Come
The final BLADE Show-sponsored event for 2024 will be BLADE Show West, Oct. 4-5 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For details, visit bladeshowwest.com. BLADE Show Texas 2025 will be March 7-8 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Visit bladeshowtexas.com for more on it. And, of course, it’s never too late to start thinking BLADE Show 2025 June 6-8 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. For details, visit bladeshow.com.
Learn the latest about knifemaking techniques and other trending sharp subjects during the 9th Annual BLADE University 2022 Friday and Saturday of the BLADE Show.
Sponsored by Work Sharp, BLADE University has the most extensive schedule of knife, knifemaking and other instruction held at any knife show. New classes for 2022 include How To Forge a Sub-Hilt Knife with ABS master smith Steve Randall; Post-heat-Treat Grinding with custom knifemaker RJ Martin; How To Start a Knife Company with Diane Carver and Kimi Jensen of Brighten Blades; Keys to Outstanding Hamons with ABS master smith Brion Tomberlin; and more.
For the full list of classes, see the accompanying schedule. For enrollment and other information visit show.com/show-info/classes, or the Registration Counter in the show lobby.
8 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Fundamentals of Grinding, The Courtyard. Award-winning knifemakers Tom Krein and Lucas Burnley take you through the process. 10 a.m.-11 a.m.: Exploring the History of Synthetics, Room 107. The Hawks Nest Customs team explores some of the types of synthetic materials used on knives. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Cryo-Quenching Steel: What It Does and Is It For Your Blades? Room 104. Steel authority and author Larrin Thomas explains the subject in detail. 1 p.m.-2 p.m.: How To Forge a Sub-Hilt Knife, Room 107. Steve Randall outlines his process for forging and building his hidden-tang sub-hilt model. 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Bladesmithing: A Teacher’s Angle, Room 103. ABS master smith Murray Carter delineates how he operated the Muteki bladesmith apprenticeship program for 10 years and provides advice on starting a larger knife manufacturing business. 3 p.m.-4 p.m.: Keys to Outstanding Hamons, Room 107. ABS master smith Brion Tomberlin will school you on most everything you need to know on the subject. 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.: Hands-On Knife Sharpening Workshop, Room 113. Bring your own knife or a borrowed one and learn the progression of shaping a bevel, sharpening and edge maintenance from the team at Work Sharp. 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.: Knives With History, Room 107. Knifemaker Jason Fry discusses different ways to incorporate historical material into knives.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4
8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Decorative Filework, Room 113. Knifemaker Kyle Daily of KHDaily Knives shows you his preferred files and step-by-step how he creates his five most popular patterns. 8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Post-Heat-Treat Grinding, The Courtyard. RJ Martin demonstrates techniques for grinding premium stainless steels after they have been heat treated. 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.: How to Make A Coffin Knife Handle, Room 104. ABS journeyman smith Mace Vitale explains how he constructs the handles and shows you as well. 9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.: How To Start a Knife Company, Room 107. Diane Carver and Kimi Jensen of Brighten Blades recently started their new knife concern and share how you can start one, too. 11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Women’s Bladesmith/Knifemaker Panel, Room 113. Join ABS master smith Veronique Laurent of Belgium, Grace Horne of Sheffield, England, ABS journeyman smith Lora Schwarzer and Abie Lyons as they outline how to succeed as a woman in a male-dominated industry. 2 p.m.-3 p.m.: How to Texture Titanium Knife Handles, Room 104. Shane Magnussen of Scorpion 6 explains the grinder, appropriate machine setup, varieties of abrasive belts and more for the texturing method. 2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Hands-On Knife Sharpening Workshop, Room 113. For a redo of the class by the same name (see the description under Friday at 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.), here’s your chance in Work Sharp’s encore presentation. 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: Exotic and Advanced Knife Techniques Used in Bushcraft, Room 107. Joe Flowers, knife designer and jungle guide, demonstrates and gives a presentation on outdoor-based knife skills from around the world. 4 p.m.-5 p.m.: Linerlock/Framelock Design & Construction Geometry, Room 104. David Carver of Carver Knife Co. teaches basic design, steps to build and the processes needed in detail, as well as flow, lock geometry and completion.
The world’s largest and most important knife event, BLADE Show 2018 will return next year at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta—and there’s no time like now to make plans to attend the annual edge-stravaganza that true knife enthusiasts can’t afford to miss.
Slated for June 1-3, BLADE Show 2018 will assemble thousands of knife exhibitors and knife enthusiasts from around the globe, and with international attendance increasing every year, it’s wise to make your hotel plans now.
If you have attended the BLADE Show before, you know how fast hotel rooms disappear–not only at the Renaissance Waverly, the host hotel, but at lodging anywhere near the Cobb Galleria. If you’ve never been to a BLADE Show, then you cannot know the mad rush that is BLADE Show planning time. Don’t learn the hard way and get left out–plan and make your hotel reservations now!
BLADE Show West Rocks Salt Lake City And Packed The Salt Palace Convention Center.
Call it home.
After bumping around the greater Pacific and Mountain West, BLADE Show West definitely felt it found its place in Salt Lake City. For two days–Oct. 7-8–the Salt Palace Convention Center was packed to the gills with top knifemakers and blade aficionados.
The main question on everyone’s lips–aside from, “How much does that knife cost?”–was, “Is BLADE Show West coming back here?” To set everyone’s heart at ease, yes, the foremost knife show in the west is due back in Salt Lake City, Oct. 13-14, 2023.
Until then, there’s plenty to discuss on what made this year’s gathering such a top-notch shine dig.
Attendance
More than 200 vendors descended on the Beehive State for the show from all across the United States. Of course there were big makers like Microtech and Spyderco in attendance but smaller factories like Schenk from Idaho and Stroup Knives from North Carolina were also on the show floor.
Blade HQ, a sponsor of the show, had a huge booth and gave out free shirts to attendees throughout the day Friday.
With so many vendors in town expectations were high, and the knife community did not disappoint. Thousands of fans came to the Salt Palace to buy, browse, and catch up with friends.
Best In Show Awards & After Party
A big thank you to Black Rifle Coffee for welcoming Blade Show West with open arms.
BLADE Show West featured stiff competition in the factory and custom knife awards. The We Knives x Peter Carey Nitro Mini collected Factory Best in Show and Trevor Morgan Jr’s kitchen knife won Custom Best in Show accolades.
Handing out the hardware was a pretty special affair, as Black Rifle Coffee hosted the awards ceremony and its after-party. Situated next to the company’s HQ, the nearly perfect Utah night added a great finish to a heated competition.
Demos Pack The House
Outside of the main convention hall was a series of demos that across the board drew large crowds. Two of the best attended were the sharpening clinic, hosted by Wicked Edge, and the knife critique, which had a panel of masters review makers’ knives.
Wicked Edge’s seminar was especially enlightening, give the company gave attendees a close-up view of the sharpening process, employing a microscope projected onto the big screen. Everything from creating a burr to polishing the edge was made crystalline with the visual aid.
As for the knife critique, Enrique Pena, Steve Schwarzer, Lucas Burnley, Bill Ruple, and Will Stelter reviewed around 20 knives created by intermediate, new, and hobbyist makers. The advice these well-respected masters gave in their critiques extended well past the knives being reviewed, but to knifemaking in general
Other demos focused on everything from texturing titanium handles with Shane Magnussen, and ABS Master Smith Neels Van Den Berg ran a course on making a Symmetrical Quillon Dagger from start to finish.
West Coast Flipping Championships
The balisong competition award winners were all smiles at the end of Blade Show West
The thumping of music and the clacking of bali-songs closed out the slew of events at BLADE Show West with the West Coast Flipping Championships. Sponsored and run by Squid Industries, the competition swelled to well over 200 participants and audience members.
The crowd was so large, the venue eventually was expanded by removing a retractable wall to the conference room next door. In the end, Nick Minges took home the $1,000 top prize with Tanner Knapp taking second and Sebastian Campas third.
BLADE Show West Vendor Highlights
Microtech
Microtech had a booth so big it even had a back room built into the signage to hold its extra product. The company has new models coming later this fall, but pieces like the Glycon caught eyes throughout the weekend.
The Glycon was one of many eye-catching knives Microtech had in its cases.
Kizer
Kizer was showing off some new knives, and showcased some of their funkier knives, like this awesome Aquaman-inspired folder.
Kizer’s Aquaman-inspired knife was definitely one of the cooler knives on the tables in Salt Lakt.
307 Forge
Being in the Mountain Time Zone brought out many makers from the Big Sky and Pacific States. The family-run 307 Forge of Big Piney, Wyoming had a wide selection of knives and showed that even in America’s least-populous state, knifemaking is thriving.
307 Forge was one of many makers from the Mountain Time Zone on hand selling their blades.
Knife And Gun Finishing Supplies
The team at Knife And Gun Finishing Supplies from Lakeside, Arizona had multiple tables dedicated to just handle materials. All sorts of woods, treated and untreated, metals, synthetics, Knife And Gun had almost every type of handle material covered.
It was materials galore at the Knife And Gun Finishing Materials Booth
Already Gearing Up For BLADE Show West 2023
It was, by all metrics, a rousing success at BLADE Show West. Start planning now to be at the Salt Palace next year for another edition of BLADE Show West on October 13-14, 2023.
