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Guild Show: Granddaddy Custom Knife Event

Steve Shackleford

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September 17, 2013

Guild Show: Granddaddy Custom Knife Event

The Knifemakers’ Guild Show will hold its 44th annual rendition—the granddaddy of all custom knife shows—this weekend at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Knifemakers, knifemaking suppliers, purveyors and more from all over the world will convene in Derby Town, where some of the best custom knives will be shown and sold.

The Guild got its start in February 1970 when the Guild’s “founding father,” BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member A.G. Russell, rented tables at the Sahara Gun Show in Las Vegas and invited several knifemakers to display knives there. Later that year, 11 makers met in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to form the Guild. The makers were John Applebaugh, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Blackie Collins, John Nelson Cooper, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Dan Dennehy, Ted Dowell, Chubby Hueske, John Kirk, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Bob Loveless, John Owens, Jim Pugh and G.W. Stone. Loveless was elected secretary—the Guild office title today is president—and A.G. Russell was made honorary president.

The purposes of the Guild are to:

1) Promote custom knives and knifemakers

2) Assist the knifemaker technically;

3) Encourage ethical and professional business conduct;

4) Sponsor an annual business meeting and knife show.

The show has been held in assorted venues over the years, including Kansas City, Dallas, Orlando, New Orleans, Las Vegas and now Louisville. Some of the earliest Kansas City shows were held at the old Muehlebach Hotel, where, in addition to Loveless and Dennehy, such Guild legends as Cutlery Hall-Of-Famers Buster Warenski, Bill Moran, Ron Lake, George Herron, D’ Holder, Frank Centofante, Gil Hibben and many others displayed their knives and kick-started an organization that continues to be recognized worldwide today. Hibben, in fact, remains active in the Guild today, and is in his seventh and final year as Guild president. He will step down this year.

Make plans now to attend the show this weekend. There will be a special President’s Gala Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Seelbach, and should be a great place to see Gil and Linda Hibben in their final show as the Guild’s first family, as well as all the other makers and their great knives show Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

For the latest in knives and knife news, keep it here at www.blademag.com.

Do’s & Don’ts of Knives

Steve Shackleford

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September 12, 2013

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The do’s and don’ts of knives are many. Knowing them will make your knife experience much more rewarding and satisfying. Here are but a few:

DO use a sharpener to touch up the edge of your knife after each use or at the end of each day of use.

DON’T use your knife as a pry bar (unless it has a pry tip and is designed for such use).

DO rinse off and dry your non-stainless carbon steel knife after each extended use or at the end of day of each use (it’s probably not a bad idea to do the same no matter what the blade material is).

DON’T store your knife in a leather sheath for extended periods.

DO cut away from other people/your body when cutting rope, cardboard boxes open, etc.

DON’T show off flipping your folding knife open and closed at knife shows in crowds of people or around any area crowded with people, for that matter.

DO ask a maker’s permission to pick up a knife from his table at a knife show.

DON’T open more than one blade at a time on a multi-blade folder (it puts unnecessary pressure on the backsprings; besides, it’s a good way to get accidentally cut).

DO carry a knife whenever possible where it is legal to do so (and when the knife meets local legal requirements).

DON’T pull out a loupe/magnifying glass to closely inspect a new custom or handmade knife at a knife show (it’s just not considered good form; besides, unless you’re legally blind, if you can’t see what’s right or wrong with a knife with the naked eye, then it’s not worth worrying about).

DO attend as many knife shows as you can and view knives up close and personal and meet the makers who build them.

DON’T interrupt a conversation between a maker and someone he or she is talking to at his or her table at a knife show. It’s rude.

DO read as much as you can about knives, their history and their makers.

DON’T take everything you read about knives as gospel. Always look for at least one additional opinion on the subject.

One final DO is to check out these knife deals BLADE‘s lined up for you at ShopBlade.com.

What’s Your Favorite Knife Design?

Joe Kertzman

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September 6, 2013

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With over 100 knife designs to choose from—101 to be exact—there’s plenty to mull over in coming up with an ultimate favorite blade design or pattern. Renowned knifemaker and heckuva nice guy, Murray Carter, known to stand behind his table at knife shows, including the BLADE Show, honing knife blades and demonstrating to attendees how to sharpen their own edges, reveals his favorite 101 Knife Designs.

In his book, 101 Knife Designs, Carter displays not only gorgeous knife photography by none other than famed photographer Hiro Soga, but drawings, patterns, scaled designs and supportive text, allow aspiring bladesmiths to create their own knives using Carter’s popular, time-honored designs. Dazzling, full-color images of the completed knives provide inspiration and direction. 101 Knife Designs will show the reader why certain distinct blade designs have stood the test of time and remain popular even to this day. Practical blade patterns follow several rules of thumb. When these rules are applied to new knife designs, there is a greater chance the design will stand the test of time and use.

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About the Author: Murray Carter (cartercutlery.com), one of the most popular custom knifemakers at the annual BLADE Show, regularly conducts wildly popular seminars on shaving with a machete, and is known for standing at his booth sharpening knives while teaching the techniques to interested attendees.

Video: Jenn Coffey Keynote Address

BLADE Show

BLADE Staff

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June 24, 2013

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Best knife book — Knives 2014 is available for pre-order now. Click the cover to order.

The Hon. Jenn Coffey offered this keynote address at the 2013 BLADE Show. Although a good deal of her speech talked about knife rights, she also mentioned counterfeiting.

“We have all seen the hard work, dedication and imagination of our friends and family stolen, and knock-offs made and sold as if they were the real thing,” Coffey said.

Another idea she addressed was pairing knife manufacturers with car dealers. Seat belt cutters are an important tool. Could it be time for the two sides to meet and offer seat belt cutters in new vehicles?

What are your thoughts on these important issues? Leave a comment below.

Conversation Overheard @ the BLADE Show

Joe Kertzman

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June 4, 2013

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So I was working behind the table at the book booth during the BLADE Show this past weekend in Atlanta, a great show, by the way, best ever. And this gentleman was interested in buying the “First 25 years of BLADE Collection: 1973-1997” DVD. He said he already owned the DVD that came after it, “BLADE 1997-2007.”

The lady he was with asked, “Why don’t you just subscribe to BLADE®?”

He replied, “I can get 25 years worth of the magazine for $42.99, why would I want to pay $21.98 for one year?”

She said, “The subscription is new magazines, not old magazines, that’s why!”

It got me thinking that neither one of them was wrong. I prefer to get my magazine when it comes out, but to each their own. And I’m just glad they enjoy the magazine well enough to have the conversation.

BLADE Show Names Top Knives

Steve Shackleford

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June 3, 2013

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The Blade Magazine 2013 Best Buy Of The Year is the CRKT Endorser, named during the 2013 BLADE Show. (CRKT photo) — The CRKT Endorser took home the BLADE Magazine 2013 Best Buy Of The Year Award at the 2013 BLADE Show. (CRKT photo).

The world’s top knives were recognized during the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

The leading factory knives were honored with the BLADE Magazine 2013 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards, while the world’s pre-eminent custom knives were named in the show’s custom knife judging competition.

All entrants in the Knife-Of-The-Year and custom knife judging competitions were rated on a number of factors, including utility, design, creativity, materials, aesthetics, feel and other traits.

Announced Saturday night at the BLADE Magazine Awards Banquet in the Cobb Galleria, honors in 13 different Knife-Of-The-Year categories included 10 knives and one knife accessory. Two awards also went to individuals for special achievement in the knife industry. The categories and winners:

•Overall Knife Of The Year®: Zero Tolerance 0454;

•American-Made Knife Of The Year®: Hogue Elishewitz EX-04;

•Imported Knife Of The Year®: Fox Knives Modras;

•Most Innovative American Design: Microtech D.O.C. Kill Switch;

•Most Innovative Imported Design: CRKT Ken Onion Swindle;

•Best Buy Of The Year: CRKT Endorser;

•Kitchen Knife Of The Year®: Ken Onion Chef Works;

•Investor/Collector Knife Of The Year®: Pro-Tech Newport;

•Knife Collaboration Of The Year®: Microtech Mick Strider;

•Manufacturing Quality Award: Chris Reeve Knives;

•Accessory Of The Year: CRKT Onion Survival Para-saw;

•Industry Achievement Award: American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smith Joe Keeslar for introducing the ABS and modern bladesmithing to France through annual workshops, as well as teaching bladesmithing in the USA via seminars and his books, for his award-winning knives, and for his leadership via several terms on the ABS Board Of Directors and as chairman of the ABS; and, finally:

•Publisher’s Award: Joyce Laituri, marketing manager of Spyderco, for almost two decades of setting the standard for how to best promote and publicize a knife company’s knives—in this case, those of Spyderco. Her ability to work with the media in terms of providing Spyderco knives, knife imagery, knife information and other materials has been a model for all others in public relations to emulate. No one has done it better.