BLADE Show

Only at the BLADE Show do the continents come together so well.

With the possible exception of Antarctica and a stray archipelago or two, knife fans and knifemakers from every continent and beyond will come together as one for the 44th Annual BLADE Show.

Sponsored by Smoky Mountain Knife Works, the BLADE Show June 6-8 in Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Centre is where more knives—custom, factory, antique, classic collectibles, etc.—are exhibited, played with, bought and sold than at any other knife event. Nine-hundred-fifty exhibitors from 35 countries will showcase their newest, coolest knives and examples of most every edged tool extant, accessories, knifemaking supplies and equipment, and more. Knife purveyors, pro-knife legislation entities, knifemaking teachers and other cutlery outfits too numerous to mention will display their wares as the world knife community undertakes the yearly pilgrimage to Georgia.

WHAT: BLADE Show
WHERE: Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta
WHEN: June 6-8
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.

Get Your 2025 BLADE Show Tickets Now!

Factory knife debuts, the educational knife instruction of BLADE University, and informative, entertaining and action-packed demos are among the sharp goodies awaiting show patrons. The BLADE Magazine 2025 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards and the custom knife judging competition are others. The American Bladesmith Society (ABS) will name its latest master and journeyman smiths, and some of the best knives the ABS and The Knifemakers’ Guild and unaffiliated makers offer will be on display in all their sharpest glory.

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.

Among the outstanding makers from a potpourri of countries who will be exhibiting:

Some of the leading American exhibiting makers will be BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame® members Bill Ruple and Steve Schwarzer; ABS master smiths Harvey Dean, Mike Quesenberry, Shane Taylor, David Lisch, Jordan LaMothe, Josh and Karis Fisher, and Andrew Meers; slipjoint makers Stanley Buzek, Tom Ploppert, Luke Swenson and Tim Robertson; Allen Elishewitz; Les George; Walter Brend; Murray Carter; Strider Knives; Hawk Knives; Vince Evans; Vladimir Kolenko; Owen Wood, a transplanted South African who now calls Texas home; factory companies Spyderco, Case, TOPS Knives, Chris Reeve Knives, Spartan Blades, Pro-Tech, Microtech, Kershaw, Squid Industries, KA-BAR and Heretic Knives; and many more.

Knives Of The Year Revamp

The BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards are the factory knife industry’s premier honors. In its ongoing effort to maintain the awards’ preeminent position in the knife industry, the BLADE Show is changing the way the winners are determined. Instead of being exhibited in the BLADE Show lobby display case for judging, this year the knives will be judged in a private room. In this way, BLADE Show officials believe, it will be much easier for the judges to fully examine the knives minus the hustle and bustle of onlookers and passersby that engulfed the display case area in past years.

In another change, a new category, Best Of The Rest, has been added to address entries that do not fit any of the existing award categories. Moreover, the Automatic Knife Of The Year sponsored by PVK.com that debuted last year returns.

As in the past, the entries are limited to BLADE Show factory booth exhibitors, all of whom received the rules well before the show outlining the new changes. Like last year, the winners will be announced and presented during the BLADE Magazine Awards Reception Saturday at 8 p.m. in the room on the floor above The Pit. The winners will be listed on BLADE’s blademag.com after the awards reception, and a list will be posted outside the show entrance Sunday morning.

Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards Categories:

BLADE University

Get current on the latest knifemaking techniques and other trending sharp subjects during the 12th Annual BLADE University on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Sponsored by Work Sharp, BLADE University has the most extensive schedule of knife, knifemaking and other instruction held at any knife show.

Thursday, June 5

• Material Conservation for the Forging Smith, 4-5 p.m., Room 104. Award-winning bladesmith Mareko Maumasi shares techniques and approaches he uses to reduce guesswork and material waste in the workshop.

Friday, June 6

• Material Conservation for the Forging Smith, 4-5 p.m., Room 104. Award-winning bladesmith Mareko Maumasi shares techniques and approaches he uses to reduce guesswork and material waste in the workshop. FRIDAY, JUNE 6
• Fundamentals of Grinding, AmeriBrade and guest grinders, 8 to 9:30 a.m., The Courtyard. AmeriBrade and guest makers provide a general overview on grinds, techniques and different equipment.
• Deep Dive into Culinary Knives, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Room 103. Mareko Maumasi returns to help collectors and makers better understand the nuances of high-performance culinary knives.
• Brakimo: Forged for the Field, Room 107. Nick Italiano, Recoil OffGrid associate editor and host of the Raise The Flag Podcast, interviews knife designer Joe Flowers on the untold story of how the TOPS Knives Brakimo knife was crafted for survival and other uses.
• Take Damascus Etching to the Next Level, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Room 103. Baker Forge & Tool’s Greyson Weltyk of Grey Blades and Jordon Berthelot of JB Blades teach step-by-step processes on how to use Gator Piss etchant to enhance intricate patterns in damascus, including in-person demos with damascus knives.
• How To Steal Designs (But Not from Other Knifemakers) and Make Them Your Own, 2 to 3 p.m., Room 113. Drawing inspiration from such sources as Byzantine-era cathedrals, Art Deco and Art Nouveau and others, Jason Knight shows you how to take your knife idea and make it uniquely yours without copying anyone else’s work.
• Hands on Sharpening, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 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.
• Leather Sheath Making Tips, Tricks & Tools, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Room 107. John Dennehy shares the sheath-making tips he’s learned after working leather for almost 50 years, including leather selection, the tools he uses and why he uses them.

Saturday, June 7

• Elevating Your Handle Appearance: Spine Filework, Handle Shapes and Pin Placement, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Room 113. Knifemaker Kyle Daily shares how to embellish your knife with distinctive features that go far beyond standard production models.
• Demystifying Damascus, Mareko Maumasi, 9:30 to 11 a.m., Room 104. Mareko Maumasi helps collectors gain a better appreciation for the skill required to make damascus patterns and deepens the makers’ understanding of pattern design and composition.
• The Cutting Edge, Nick Italiano, 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., Room 107. Nick Italiano returns to discuss the nuances of various blade grinds. From common everyday uses to survival situations, Nick covers several common grinds and their real-world function.
• Level Up Using Lasers, Ninjas and Other Cool Tools, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Room 113. Join Neels van den Berg and dive into how laser engravers, digital design, and jigs and process design can streamline your workflow and improve your work. Plus, explore the mindset and discipline—the “ninja skills”—that separate good makers from great ones.
• Designing Knives: Philosophy, Tools and Inspiration, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m., Room 104. Jens Anso shares his approach to knife design, including how he thinks about form and function, the tools he uses and where he finds inspiration.
• You Can’t Make Knives! 2:30-3:30 p.m., Room 107. Jason Knight returns to explain why he ignored the warnings and made knives anyway—and how you can survive, flourish and establish yourself as a timeless, classic knifemaker.
• How to Select the Best Steel for Every Knife, 4 to 5 p.m., Room 104. Steel metallurgist Dr. Larrin Thomas covers which steels are more optimal for a large chopper, kitchen knife, folder and more, covering cost, edge retention, forgeability, grindability and other factors.

*Work Sharp sponsors BLADE University.

Enroll In BLADE University Now And Sharpen Up Your Knife Knowledge!

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 Reception Saturday at 8 p.m.

The categories are:

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 Championship Cutting Competition

The BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition 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. Attendance is free to BLADE Show ticketholders.

Returning to defend their titles in the men’s and women’s divisions are the first-ever same-year husband-and-wife champs: Mr. and Mrs. James and Michael Clifton. While the BSI Nationals (April 26) were still to be held at press time, 16 men and 14 women had qualified for the BLADE Show World Championship.

Bali Grand Master

Top balisong flippers will vie for the title of “Grand Master” in the 9th Annual Battle for Bali Champion sponsored and conducted by Blade HQ.

BLADE Show ticketholders are invited to watch the competition on the floor above The Pit of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel on show Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Competitors will start flipping knives at 12:30 p.m.

The top three finishers will receive prizes and all participants will get swag bags. Steven Ash was crowned Bali-Champion last year, with Corbin Lovins finishing runner-up for the second year in a row and Seiji Brown third.

Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame

The BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® will formally induct its new members at 8 a.m. show Saturday in the Kennesaw Room of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel. Tickets are required ahead of time for the ceremony, which includes a breakfast. Seating is limited. For ticket information, email [email protected].

Hall of Fame inductees includes:

• Harvey Dean
• Rick Dunkerley
• Stanley Fujisaka
• Dr. James R. Lucie
• Alfred Pendray
• James Schmidt
• Daniel Winkler
• Karen Shook

Classroom Seminars

Classroom seminars are held inside the Cobb Galleria. Admission is free to BLADE Show ticketholders:

The History, Mystery, and Meaning of Emerson Knives: Emerson Knives has always been more than just a knife company. Don’t miss this opportunity to spend an hour with Ernest Emerson as he pulls back the veil to give you the history and the reasons Emerson Knives has come to represent more than just knives. You’ll also get a chance to ask questions about all things Emerson from Ernest himself.

The Unadulterated Story of Knifemaking: High-Endurance Performance Knife master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler will examine what made the great makers great. They could have gone into other occupations—why didn’t they? Are today’s knife goals different than they were then? What are the ways to price your knives? What can makers do to gain their markets? Ed will examine the topics as only he can.

Saturday

• 8 a.m.: BLADE Magazine Cutlery-Hall-Of-Fame Inductions, Kennesaw Room, Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel (tickets required in advance; contact [email protected])
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: The Unadulterated Story of Knifemaking, High-Performance Endurance Knife master smith/BLADE® field editor Ed Fowler, Room 107
• Noon to 2 p.m.: 9th Annual Battle for Bali-Champion, conducted by Blade HQ, on the second floor at the top of the escalators of the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel (flipping starts at 12:30)
• Noon to 3 p.m.: Buck Collectors Club, Room 103
• 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.: The History, Mystery, and Meaning of Emerson Knives, Ernest Emerson, Emerson Knives, Inc., Room 104
• 4:30 p.m.: BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competitions, conducted by BladeSports International in The Courtyard

Knife For A Novel

Colonel Blades will showcase the Contingency dagger designed by military veteran and author Tom Marshall specifically for his debut novel, Close and Destroy, at the BLADE Show.

While training and researching for the book, Marshall realized he hadn’t found an EDC fixed blade that did quite what he wanted for the characters in his story. He shared his vision with Colonel Blades, who brought it to life with the no-frills, EDC-friendly Contingency in AUS-8 stainless steel and G-10. The author will be at the Colonel Blades table signing copies of the novel that inspired the knife.

Colonel Blades also will display the BRB, a new breaching tool done in partnership with Good Dude Concepts, a company with deep roots in tactical law enforcement. The BRB is a compact, lightweight breaching tool for residential structures and vehicle extrication. It is especially equipped for vehicle work with its glass-ripping profile, a feature that allows it to literally saw through laminated safety glass such as the kind used in car windshields.

Colonel Blades will display its latest knife, the Yoru push dagger, as well. Made by Fox Knives, the compact, sturdy push knife features an oversized finger hole and thumb gimping to maximize the ergonomic experience.

What’s Next?

The final BLADE Show-sponsored event for 2025 will be BLADE Show West, Oct. 10-11 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. For details, visit bladeshowwest.com. BLADE Show Texas 2026 will be March 20-21 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 2026 June 5-7 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. For details, visit bladeshow.com.

Editor’s note: Smoky Mountain Knife Works is the official sponsor of BLADE Show 2025. WE Knife is the floor plan sponsor. Rosecraft Blades is The Pit sponsor. Work Sharp sponsors BLADE University. Nottingham Tactical is the lanyard sponsor. Hogue Knives is the housing sponsor. EKnives is the concessions sponsor. Kizer Cutlery is the Wi-Fi sponsor. The other sponsors are Heretic Knives, TOPS Knives, Reate Knives, QSP, Artisan Cutlery, McNees Knives and Ketuo/Rike Knives.

More On The Blade Shows:

• BLADE Show Beer: Brew That Taps Into Blades
• 2025 BLADE Show Texas Custom Knife Award Winners
• 2025 BLADE Show Texas Factory Knife Award Winners
• 2024 BLADE Show West: Recap Of Salt Lake City Show

BLADE Show ’25 is the author’s 40th BLADE Show—and counting

In the spring of 1985, my fellow U.S. Army lieutenant and knife collector Fletcher Crews told me about the BLADE Show. Having never heard of it, I asked him what it was.  His response: “It’s like a gun show but with knives.”

Later in May of that year we took our wives on a road trip from Clarksville, Tennessee, to the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, the show’s former time of year and venue. We allowed ourselves four hours to cover the show. (Don’t get ahead of me; we didn’t know what we were in for.) You have undoubtedly seen TV commercials telling you about someplace in Florida that is the “happiest place on earth.” Those who say this have never been to the BLADE Show!

The highlight of the show for me was meeting BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-of-Fame® member Jimmy Lile and seeing and handling the Sly II knife he made for the original Rambo movie, First Blood. For those of you who were not fortunate enough to meet Jimmy, he was everything you hear. He was outgoing and friendly, making you feel like he had known you for years. He only made being able to see the knife in person that much better. After all, this is the knife that started me on a path I am still on today.

Heading back to Clarksville, I realized that planning had already started for the 1986 BLADE Show. As it turned out, I would make a life-altering decision shortly after returning home. Several weeks later, my wife Kathy and I were having dinner with Fletcher and his wife Karla. 

Karla said, “If you did this as a business, you could go to more shows and write off your expenses.” Jerry Seinfeld famously said on his TV show, “You don’t even know what a write-off is.” That was true of me then but I still liked the sound of it.  The following week, I went to a CPA and filled out the paperwork to form Robertson’s Custom Cutlery. I realized I had made a tactical error by only allowing four hours for the show. In 1986, I corrected that. I was, in fact, third in line to get in. 

The doors opened and hundreds of people rushed into the room, all taking different paths to the hundreds of tables. I went to the first table closest to me and within 15 minutes was out of money. It was at this show that I learned my next vital lesson. As I walked among the rest of the tables and booths, I realized I had set a land speed record for buyer’s remorse. The essential lesson I learned was to have a plan.

Armed with my recently acquired KNIVES ’86, the plan began to take shape. The book has photos and an equally important index of makers’ contact information in the back. It started me on my path to creating what would become my Robertson’s Maker Market Matrix. In the early days, I used the Matrix exclusively to figure out what specific knives I wanted to buy. 

Using KNIVES ’86 and the information within helped me identify what I wanted and implement my purchase plan. Early in 1987, I started to contact knifemakers, asking them what they were bringing to the show or if they could deliver the particular knife I wanted there. The plan was in place and it was implemented to perfection. I received all five knives I had ordered. With the pressure off, I was allowed to move through the Holiday Inn and Convention Center show hall and really enjoy everything the BLADE Show had to offer.

Gil And Bruce

The 1987 show was memorable for more than just the five knives I bought. I was introduced to legendary Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Gil Hibben, who invited me and others to dinner. He was a gracious host with fascinating stories to tell. At that same show, fellow custom knife purveyor Bob Neal (miss you, buddy) introduced me to Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Bruce Voyles, who owned both the BLADE Show and BLADE, and edited the magazine, too. Bruce couldn’t have been nicer. What impressed me most was his encyclopedic knowledge of older factory slipjoints, multi-blade folders and antique bowies. 

In 1992, Bruce gave me another of my favorite memories of the BLADE Show—he asked me to judge the custom knife competition. I’ve judged at more shows than I can remember, but there is nothing like seeing all those knives from some of the best makers in the world all in one room. Bruce introduced me to current BLADE editor, Cutlery Hall-of-Famer Steve Shackleford, who, during a conversation at the 2006 BLADE Show, asked me if I would like to write an article for BLADE. Nineteen years later he continues to ask me to write for BLADE. Bruce and Steve were also instrumental in having me—sometimes with Bob Neal—conduct seminars for both custom knife collectors and makers at several BLADE shows.

At the 1988 BLADE Show, I set up for the first time. With the exception of the show in 1990, I had a table at each BLADE Show until 2011. Having a table at the BLADE Show was an incredible learning experience. It taught me that there is always more to learn about custom knives. Also at the show, custom knifemaker Dave Broadwell and I collaborated and came up with the final design for the MLR Sub-Hilt Fighter. Since then, Dave has made well over 100 MLRs for me in different configurations.

At a mid-’90s Knifemakers’ Guild Show, I met a talented maker who at the time was making what I considered the finest Japanese tacticals in the world. However, at the 1997 BLADE Show we talked about him making me a few folders. He went home and came up with a knife he called the Q30. He later modified it and the result would become his signature model, the Q36. He went on to win the Best Tactical Folder award at the BLADE Show four years in a row. His name: RJ Martin.

At the 2015 BLADE Show I met Steve Randall and his wife, Alison. Steve reminded me a lot of the exceptional maker John White. Steve’s knives were clean, incredibly well made and fairly priced. Today, table 3R is always my first stop to check out his knives.

For me, there are many people I talk to throughout the year but I only get to see them once a year at the BLADE Show, and that makes the show even more special to me. Two of those fellow knife nuts are Jack Alsop and Alan Snow.

What I appreciate most about the BLADE Show, aside from the knives, is the camaraderie of the people there. They are literally from all over the world. They are willing to share their knowledge that, for many, has taken a lifetime to acquire. Like I said previously, forget that place in Florida. The BLADE Show is the happiest place on earth. See you there!

More On The Blade Shows:

• BLADE Show Beer: Brew That Taps Into Blades
• 2025 BLADE Show Texas Custom Knife Award Winners
• 2025 BLADE Show Texas Factory Knife Award Winners
• 2024 BLADE Show West: Recap Of Salt Lake City Show