Attend the World's Greatest Knife Show

Walk With Knife Industry Legends

Steve Shackleford

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April 25, 2016

Ken Onion, custom knifemaker — KNIFE INDUSTRY LEGENDS: Ken Onion, perhaps the world’s most famous contemporary custom knifemaker. (Duane Weikum image)

Walk with knife industry legends at the 35th Annual BLADE Show June 3-5 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

You will see any number of knife industry legends, including such members of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame© as A.G. and Goldie Russell, Ken Onion, Bill Adams, D’ Holder, Bruce Voyles, Sal Glesser and others at the BLADE Show.

Goldie became the first female member of the Hall two years ago and, in the process, joined husband A.G. as the Hall’s only husband-and-wife team. A.G. is one of the few living founding members of The Knifemakers’ Guild and a treasure trove of information on the history of modern cutlery. Goldie basically runs operations at A.G. Russell Knives now and plays an active role in supporting the American Knife & Tool Institute and its goal of protecting the rights of all knife enthusiasts.

Goldie Russell, A.G. Russell Knives — KNIFE INDUSTRY LEGENDS: Goldie Russell of A.G. Russell Knives, first female member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame©.

Want information on the history of knives in general? Knife industry legends Adams and Voyles can regale you with vintage tales of the knife industry, both domestic and international. Speaking of knife industry legends, Onion may be the world’s most famous custom knifemaker and has designed any number of knives for CRKT and other knife companies. A card-carrying member of knife industry legends, Holder has made knives since the 1970s and served as president of the Guild for a number of years and has worked closely with AKTI.

Glesser’s Spyderco has set sporting knife industry standards in introducing and/or popularizing such knife features as the hole in the blade for easy opening, pocket clips and serrated edges. Sal also has worked closely with AKTI.

Knife industry legends abound at the BLADE Show. Ernest Emerson not only is famous for his CQC-6 and CQC-7 folders but also for teaching self-defense courses to military and law enforcement officials worldwide.

Stop by and see J. Neilson of Forged In Fire for the latest on television’s hottest show on knifemaking. Visit with knifemaker Steve Johnson, who worked in the shop of the legendary Bob Loveless for several years and is now one of the world’s leading custom knifemakers. Talk to Al Pendray, the “Wizard of Wootz,” who rediscovered the method of making the centuries-old steel.

Custom maker Tony Bose — KNIFE INDUSTRY LEGENDS: Tony Bose, the world’s leading maker of custom slip joints and multi-blades. (Kerry Hampton image)

See the knives of Tony Bose, the world’s leading maker of custom slip joints and multi-blades. Talk to BLADE® Magazine field editors Kim Breed, Joe Szilaski and Ed Fowler. Hang out at the booths of CRKT, Spartan Blades, Spyderco, Kershaw and hundreds of others.

You never know what knife industry legends might stop by to visit with them—and much, much more, all at the 35th Annual BLADE Show.

BLADE U.: Your Knife Design Into Production

Steve Shackleford

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April 13, 2016

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BLADE U.: Your Knife Design Into Production

Tighe/CRKT Tighe TAC Two Clip Point. — Brian Tighe’s latest collaboration with CRKT is the Tighe TAC Two Clip Point.

One question we often hear is, “How do I get my knife design reproduced by a factory knife company?” Here’s your answer.

In the BLADE Show University class “Your Design Into Production” with custom knifemaker Brian Tighe and CRKT founder and chairman Rod Bremer, you can learn straight from the horses’ mouths the ins and outs, ups and downs and other facts concerning the process.

Like most of the classes that will be held during the 3rd Annual BLADE University at this year’s 35th Annual BLADE Show June 3-5 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Bremer and Tighe’s class will be taught by those who have been there/done that. Tighe has had quite a few of his designs reproduced by CRKT, including the 2015 BLADE Show Knife, and he and Bremer have worked together on all of them.

“Our hope is that anyone attending this session will have a basic understanding of what expectations might be from both the production knife company and the custom knifemaker/designer,” Bremer notes. “We will be reviewing typical licensing agreements, intellectual property issues, how best to present your idea/design to a production knife company, and typical marketing and sales expectations.

“We would hope that the attendee would leave the class with a solid understanding of how a potential collaboration might work with a production knife brand. During the class we will approach the entire subject of the basics of how to bring your very cool/innovative design to a brand and to potentially design a knife to a brand’s needs, as well as developing a design around the company’s set criteria. While all companies operate differently, we will explore the likely ways to submit your designs/ideas so that they receive the attention they deserve, along with the realities that it takes time. Clearly, factories have limitations based on manufacturing and materials, and while we won’t get into great detail, the subject will be addressed. The very nature of a collaboration is somewhat of a marriage, and both parties want to make sure that they will be happy working with and representing each other.”

You can sign up for BLADE U. classes online at bladeshow.com or stop by the Registration Counter at the BLADE Show.

BLADE Show: Where The ABS Shines

Steve Shackleford

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March 28, 2016

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Levi Miller

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For his journeyman smith applicant knives, Levi Miller used the carbon steels 52100 and 80CrV2 for blade material. (SharpByCoop image)

The annual BLADE Show hosts the awarding of both master and journeyman smith stamps by the American Bladesmith Society (ABS), and the 35th rendition of the world’s largest knife show will, too.

Set for Jan. 3-5 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, the BLADE Show hosts knifemaker and knife company exhibitors from every continent but Antarctica—and who knows, there may even be an Antarctic exhibitor this year, too.

Five master smiths and 12 journeyman smiths earned their stamps at last year’s show. The masters were Veronique Laurent, Jean-Louis Regel, Andrew Meers, Haley DesRosiers and David Lisch. The journeyman smiths were Wess Barnhill, Sandro Boeck, Dionatam Franco de Souza, Stephan Fowler, Kyle Gahagan, Micah Kamer, Levi Miller, Facundo Montenegro, Nick Rossi, Bobby Wetten, Russell White and Robert Wright. Adding to the international flavor is that of the masters, Laurent is from Brussels, Belgium, and Regel is from France. Meanwhile, of the journeyman smiths, Boeck and de Souza are from Brazil, and Montenegro is from Argentina.

Though the requirements differ for both the master and journeyman smiths’ knives, all must submit five models that are judged by a panel of ABS officials on a number of traits. (For more on those traits, visit americanbladesmith.com.) Herein is a selection of some of the knife quintets submitted by the successful applicants last year. If you attend the 2016 BLADE Show, you can view the knives that are submitted for master and journeyman smith status this year. For more information at/during the show, visit the ABS at table 1P.

Forged In Fire at BLADE University

Joe Kertzman

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March 18, 2016

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Do you have what it takes to appear on Forged In Fire? Learn if you do from ABS master smith J. Neilson, one of the judges on History™ channel’s hit TV show, in his BLADE University class on what the program’s officials look for in bladesmithing contestants.

Held in conjunction with the 35^th annual BLADE Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, the third annual BLADE University begins the day before the BLADE Show, June 2, and runs through show Saturday, June 4. The BLADE Show will be June 3-5.

ABS master smith J. Neilson—here testing a blade on History™ channel’s Forged In Fire—will give tips on how to be chosen to appear on the hit TV show in his special class at BLADE University. (Miller Mobley/HISTORY)

Having begun its second season Feb. 9, Forged In Fire (page 84, December BLADE) pits bladesmiths against each other to see who can make the best knife in a limited amount of time, with the winner of each episode earning a $10,000 first prize. Last year’s FIF included such well-known forgers as ABS master smiths Murray Carter, Ray Kirk and J.D. Smith, David Goldberg, Peter Martin, ABS journeyman smith Mace Vitale and others, as well as many relatively unknown bladesmiths.

See page 10 of the May 2016 issue of BLADE to find out more.

NEW BLADE Show Website is Live!

BLADE Show

Joe Kertzman

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December 15, 2015

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The 2016 BLADE Show website is live! New site features make it easy for those who plan to attend the 2016 BLADE Show, June 3-5, 2016, to buy tickets, see what’s new at the show, register online (including a discount for online registrants!), find out about BLADE University classes and much more.

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.

You can book your hotel or explore Atlanta.

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!

BLADE Show Recap BLADE Out NOW!

Steve Shackleford

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August 11, 2015

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Tim, Anne and Chris. — (From left) Tim, Anne and Chris Reeve basked in the limelight after Chris was inducted into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame© during the BLADE Show. (Piotr Makuch image)

Emerson Mutant debuted at the BLADE Show. — The Mutant from Emerson Knives, Inc., was one of many factory knives that debuted at the BLADE Show.

Hunters by Timberline, White River Knife & Tool, Steel Will and Boker Arbolito. — Gracing the new BLADE are new fall hunters, from left: two Timberline/Russ Kommer models, the Jerry Fisk Sendero repro by White River Knife & Tool, the Steel Will Druid 220 and the Boker Arbolito Sendero

The BLADE Magazine 2015 Knives Of The Year®, the 2015 BLADE Show recap, new BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© inductee Chris Reeve and much more highlight the November BLADE®, on newsstands now!

The world’s finest knives descended on Atlanta for the 34th Annual BLADE Show, and the best of the best blades were on display for record crowds to drool over in the Cobb Galleria. Among the knives were the winners of the Knife-Of-The-Year Awards for the factory knife industry. See which knives won—one of the winners is this issue’s cover knife, the Desert Fox by Fox Knives—and also the best in the show’s custom knives and much more in respective stories on pages 12 and 46.

Few modern knives have had the impact of the Sebenza by Chris Reeve Knives, and the man who serves as the company’s namesake took his place among the industry’s elite when he was inducted into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame the Saturday night of the BLADE Show. Chris’s good friend, custom knifemaker/designer Bill Harsey, gave the speech inducting Chris, and it was one of the more popular inductions in recent memory. Get the details on page 22.

Rick Hinderer has been one of the knife industry’s great success stories. He has worked hard over the years and catapulted from a relatively unknown maker of art knives to being one of the industry’s leading makers of tactical folders—and one of the lottery movement’s biggest successes in the process. He has opened a new 14,000-square foot facility to bring more of his knives to his many fans. Learn more on page 28.

Also this issue: what’s hot in custom tactical fixed blades of the stock removal variety; a test of the Johnson Adventure Blades SEEK 3.5 and Battle Horse Knives Large Workhorse; a field test of four of the latest hunters by Timberline (a Russ Kommer design), White River Knife & Tool (a Jerry Fisk design), Steel Will and Boker Arbolito; a plethora of factory knives that debuted at the BLADE Show; a test of four new bushcraft models—the Condor Tool & Knife Final Frontier, CRKT Saker, ESEE Camp Lore RB3 and TOPS Scandi Woodsman; and much more.

BLADE Show: Knife Debuts Rule!

Steve Shackleford

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July 6, 2015

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The BLADE Show witnessed a record number of patrons and knives—including knife debuts that were off the charts. Here are eight among the many factory knife introductions.

A 6061 aluminum handle in Class III anodization and self-lubricating roller bearings in the opening mechanism are among the cool features of the MRX-LW from Rat Worx. MSRP: $299.

The ASH 2—”ASH” stands for “Anniversary Steel Heart”—from Busse Combat Knife Co. boasts a bountiful 9-inch blade of the company’s quarter-inch-thick INFI carbon steel.

The Spectrum from Emerson Knives, Inc., has a 3.8-inch blade of 154CM stainless and a NASA-certified black G-10 composite handle. MSRP: $263.95.

Pohl Force adds to its “Mike” line with the Mike Four Tanto in a hard-coat anodized aluminum handle with a glass-breaker screwed into the butt, and a stylish lanyard sporting a skull bead.

A new Integral Lock folder from Chris Reeve Knives, the Inkosi is a cool gent’s folder with a 2.75-inch blade of CPM S35VN stainless steel. Closed length: 3.875 inches. MSRP: $375.

Brous Blades gives the bird’s-beak handle butt a fresh look with the Enforcer flipper folder in the karambit style. MSRP: $319-$359.

Buck’s Inertia assisted opener sports a 3 1/8-inch blade of stonewashed 420HC stainless and an anodized aluminum handle. MSRP: $90.

The first-ever collaboration between Spyderco and Canadian custom knifemaker Brian Tighe, the Tighe Stick is highlighted by a titanium handle 3D machined with Tighe’s trademark swirling-groove look and texturing.

Recommended:

Stay abreast of the latest developments in the world of knives with a subscription to BLADE magazine!

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Walk With Knife Industry Legends

BLADE U.: Your Knife Design Into Production

BLADE Show: Where The ABS Shines

Levi Miller

Forged In Fire at BLADE University

NEW BLADE Show Website is Live!

BLADE Show Recap BLADE Out NOW!

BLADE Show: Knife Debuts Rule!

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