Some of the world’s top knives and knifemakers will descend on Jersey City, New Jersey, March 1-3 for the 24th Annual East Coast Custom Knife Show (ECCKS).
Ron Lake’s stag interframe tab-lock folder. (Dave Ellis photo)
Ernest Emerson, one of the leading names in both custom and factory knives, will conduct another of his always popular seminars at the 2013 BLADE Show and Living Ready Expo at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta May 31-June 2.
Entitled “Fight Like A Madman,” the seminar will give you the tools to train “your most effective weapon” against violence: your mind. “Train the mind and the body will follow,” Mr. Emerson noted. “Confront evil with the tools to stop it dead in its tracks.”
A pioneer of tactical folders with such pieces as his world-famous CQC-6, Mr. Emerson has been conducting seminars at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) for many years now. He always delivers in terms of information any and all can use in their daily lives. An accomplished martial artist in addition to being a world-class knifemaker, Mr. Emerson has developed a self-defense regimen called Emerson Combat Systems that has been taught to police officers, military units and civilians. His knives and systems have been celebrated in magazines, books, television, on the Internet and just about every media form known.
Mr. Emerson’s BLADE Show seminars focus more on the mental approach to dealing with outside threats to you, your family, your friends and those around you. As the saying goes, before you do anything well you’ve got to get your mind right, and Mr. Emerson stresses the importance of that in his BLADE Show seminars.
Mr. Emerson will conduct his BLADE Show seminar in the usual place and time: Saturday, June 1, at 1 p.m. in Room 104 of the Cobb Galleria Centre. All BLADE Show ticket holders are admitted free of charge. However, seating is limited, so first come, first served.
See who took top honors in Long Beach for the 2021 Blade Show West Awards.
BLADE Show West took place Oct. 8-9, 2021, at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calf. It was the show’s inaugural year in California and drew custom makers, manufacturers and collectors from around the county.
It also drew an impressive cadre of entrants for the BLADE Show West Factory and Custom Knife Awards. For Factory Knives, awards were given in five categories, while the Custom Knives awarded six categories.
The Factory section was evaluated by a panel of undisclosed industry experts who judged the blades on a number of factors, including utility, design, creativity, materials and other traits. The Custom section was judged by a number of expert knifemakers along similar lines.
Factory Knife Award Winners
Best Tactical and Best In Show
Civivi Tamashii designed by Bob Terzuola, SharpByCoop Image
Monterey Bay Knives wharncliffe flipper folder, SharpByCoop Image
Custom Knife Award Winners
Best Folder and Best In Show
Mike Tyre mosaic damascus folder, SharpByCoop Image
Best Damascus
Mike Shindel Merovingian Sword in a 4-bar Turkish twist, and a random-pattern wrap-around edge of 1084 and 15N20 carbon and nickel-alloy steels, SharpByCoop Image
Best Slip Joint
Luke Swenson split-backspring whittler, SharpByCoop Image
Best EDC
Tobin Hill one-blade trapper, SharpByCoop Image
Best Chef’s Knife
Nicholas Berkofsky/Fell Knives 7.5-inch Protein Petty, SharpByCoop Image
Best Hunter
Mike Shindel integral bolster hunter, SharpByCoop Image
OK, it’s been two years since the last BLADE Show as of this writing in 2021, so, in case you’ve forgotten authorized BLADE Show protocols, here’s your official “How To BLADE Show Manual.” This is to supplement the knife show courtesy guidelines here.
Walk, Don’t Run
Walk, don’t run, when you first enter the BLADE Show. I know, the temptation will be to sprint into the exhibition hall to get to your favorite maker’s table or booth. However, please don’t. For one thing, you might run me over. On the other hand, I understand your excitement, so if you do happen to flatten yours truly, please don’t wipe your feet on me.
Acceptable Whooping
To all ABS members who, if and when you first learn early Friday morning of the show that you’ve earned your master or journeyman smith stamp: Please feel free to let out your best war whoop (not that you need our permission, of course). We would, too, if it were us.
Winning Awards
The same (see previous) goes for those who win BLADE Magazine Knife Of the Year® or Custom Knife Judging Competition honors. Celebrating in such a manner releases endorphins and puts you on an emotional sugar-type high, which is something we all need after waiting 730-or-so days for it.
Spread the Word
If you see or find a maker you think has tremendous promise or could well be the next great one, make note of it and tell all your friends. Some of today’s best makers got their start at, or were inspired by, the BLADE Show. That is a tradition we cherish and want to sustain, because it is another thing that makes our show so splendiferous.
Say Hi
When you see a BLADE Show legend or BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® member (for one of the latter, look for the new Hall-Of-Fame badge each of them will be wearing), smile, nod, and say hi. They will appreciate it. Make them feel welcome.
They are fountains of knowledge and most if not all of them not only want to share that knowledge, but feel a need to for both the present and future good of the knife community.
Be Mindful
If you see people in wheelchairs and/or with oxygen tanks, make room for them and even offer to assist them if they need it. Such people obviously love the BLADE Show more than most. Why else would they to so much effort to attend?
Listen Up
I’m hoping the PA system in the show hall will be somewhat easier to understand this year but, just in case it isn’t, if someone claims to have a device that automatically translates the system’s Charlie-Brown’s-teacher-ese into English, let me know. I want one.
No Amateurs After Hours
Choose wisely in the Pit after show hours. There are no doubt going to be some amateurs who go coo-coo for crazy puffs and imbibe a liquid refreshment or two too many.
Hey, after two years of no BLADE Show, that will be quite understandable, even for the old pros. My advice: nurse your beverage responsibly. The better you do that, the less likely you will be to suffer the “show hall shimmy” the following day.
Take Note
Finally, keep track of the youngest and oldest knife enthusiasts you see. They are all reminders of how we both were and, hopefully, some day will be when it comes to experiencing all things sharp. In a nutshell, they really are much of what the BLADE Show is really all about.
Find more information about the BLADE Show on bladeshow.com.
Rick Hinderer will be among the leading names in knives serving as instructors at the 2nd Annual BLADE University.
Leading knifemakers Rick Hinderer, Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical, ABS master smiths Jerry Fisk, Joe Keeslar, Tim Potier and Lin Rhea, Lucas Burnley, Tom Krein, Jason Brous, Murray Carter, HEPK master smith Ed Fowler and many others will be among the instructors for the 2nd Annual BLADE University.
Held the Thursday prior to and through the Saturday of the BLADE Show—the latter which will be June 5-7 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta—BLADE University is a whole new concept in knife show instruction that covers knifemaking, knife collecting, engraving, Japanese swords, knife design, bushcraft, sharpening and much more.
The class schedule:
THURSDAY, JUNE 4
Knives The ABS Way, Room 104
10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Introduction to Bladesmithing—ABS master smith Tim Potier
12:30 p.m.-2 p.m.: How To Make a Knife From Meteorite, with ABS master smith Lin Rhea
2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Part I of Handles and Guards, with ABS master smith Joe Keeslar
3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.: Part II of Handles and Guards, with ABS master smith Joe Keeslar
FRIDAY, JUNE 5
How To Grind a Knife Blade Part I, Room 109
8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Proper Tools and Safety Gear/Tips, with knifemakers Tom Krein and Lucas Burnley, and Chris Williams of Wilmont Grinders
-How To Grind a Knife Blade, The Courtyard
9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.: How To Grind, Part I, with knifemakers Tom Krein and Lucas Burnley, and Chris Williams of Wilmont Grinders
-How To Grind a Knife Blade, The Courtyard
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: How To Grind, Part II, with knifemakers Tom Krein and Lucas Burnley, and Chris Williams of Wilmont Grinders
GRS Engraving Instruction, Room 107
8:30 a.m.-10 a.m.: Introduction and techniques, including drawing, transfer and graver sharpening
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Hands-on engraving, including hand engraving, finishing and Q&A
How To Sharpen Any Blade, Room 104
12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.: Big Knives, Axes/Tomahawks, Razors and More, with knifemaker Murray Carter
How To Choose Your Knife, Room 104
2 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Choosing a Knife You Can Depend On For Survival, including Design Aspects, Construction and Questions to Ask The Maker, with Ed Fowler, HEPK Mastersmith
Collecting Wartime Randall Knives, Room 109
3:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m.: What’s Hot In Wartime Randall Knives, with Randall knife purveyor Gary Clinton
Collecting & Maintaining Japanese Swords, Room 107
5 p.m.-6:15 p.m.: What To Look For When Buying a Japanese Sword and Proper Japanese Sword Care/Maintenance, with Wally Hostetter
SATURDAY, JUNE 6
From One-Man Shop To Semi-Production/Production: How The Pros Do It, Room 107
8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Jason Brous/Brous Blades
9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.: Rick Hinderer/Rick Hinderer Knives
Bushcraft Knife Survival School, Room 109
9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.: Knife Design & Function, with Abe Elias
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Knife Skills: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Knife, Including Proper Grips and Cutting/Chopping Techniques, with Abe Elias
Using 3D CAD/CAM Software In Knife Design & Knifemaking, Room 107
11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Ryan M. Johnson, RMJ Tactical, LLC
Designing and Making a Combat Knife, Room TBD
11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Design, Manufacture, Uses, Soldiers’ Needs, Peacetime Effects and More, with knifemaker Bill Harsey and Curtis Iovito and Mark Carey of Spartan Blades
How To Get Your Knife Design Put Into Production/Do A Factory/Custom Collaboration, Room 104
12:30 p.m.-1:45 p.m.: Knifemaker Brian Tighe and Rod Bremer of CRKT
3:30 p.m.-4:45 p.m. ABS master smith Jerry Fisk & John Cammenga of White River Knife & Tool
For details on how you can enroll for BLADE University and/or to buy tickets for the BLADE Show, visit bladeshow.com or CLICK HERE. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
Recommended for You:
Knife Grinding Secrets (Download)
Author R.J. Martin, whose knives are some of the most popular and sought-after in the industry, instructs on flat- and double-hollow-grinding knife blades. Martin a frequent contributor to BLADE® Magazine, frequency, offers up his methods for blade grinding. You won’t be disappointed. Follow along as R.J. covers:
– Profiling a Chisel-Ground Blade
– Grinding the Bevel of the Kwaiken Model
– The Finesse of Grinding
– The Feared Flat Grind
– More!
The Blade Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards are voted on each year at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) by the show’s exhibiting booth holders, plus a panel of five special judges, the latter whose votes count double. The 2013 BLADE Show will be held May 31-June 2, once again at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.
For the latest knives, knife trends, knifemakers, what knives to buy and where, knife legislation, knifemaking instruction, and much more, subscribe to BLADE® Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication. Click on http://www.shopblade.com/blade-magazine-one-year-subscription-us/?lid=blss092712
Tomorrow it all begins: the 31st Annual BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) June 8-10 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. To see all 900 exhibitors and thousands of knives and knife accessories, you’d better bring your best, most comfortable walking shoes. Some people bring two pair, switching out one for the other for the second half of the day’s walking and standing.
Show hours are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Daily ticket prices are $15. As part of our “Welcome Home Troops” theme for the show, all active military will be offered a discounted show ticket rate of $8. The discount applies to law enforcement personnel, too. An active I.D. card must be presented onsite to receive the discount.
See you soon!
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.
