BLADE Show

Other than the name, what sets BLADE Show West apart from BLADE Show? They’re both dedicated to knifemaking, knife collecting and appreciating the rich tradition of knives, but there are a few things that set them apart.

And just so we’re clear:

• BLADE Show: Takes place annually in early June in Atlanta
• BLADE Show West: Takes place in Portland, Oregon, with the first installment happening Oct. 5-7

1) Location

With the BLADE Show firmly ensconced as the world’s largest and most important knife event—next year’s rendition will return to the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta June 7-9—show officials decided to offer a sister show in Portland, Oregon, to spread the sharp cheer to western BLADE Show fans who can’t make the trip southeast. It takes place at the Oregon Convention Center.

2) EDC Gear

In addition to knives, you’ll find loads of everyday carry gear to round out your daily ensemble. This includes anything and everything that’s handy and sized for pockets. Check out the full exhibitor list here to get a feel for what this means.

3) New Awards

BLADE Show West’s exhibitor awards will be a mix of the old and new. Custom and factory knives will each have the same categories: Best in Show, Best Fixed Blade, Best Folding Knife, Best EDC Knife and Best “Weird” Knife. Each also will have a Best Non-Knife EDC category for a tool or item that, as the name notes, is not a knife.

The Best in Show, Best Fixed Blade and Best Folding Knife are all self-explanatory. One proviso with the Best in Show is that, like at the BLADE Show, it is the category-winning knife judged best of all the category winning knives. The Best Non-Knife EDC will not be eligible for Best in Show. (Hey, after all, this is a knife show.)

The Best EDC Knife must be “a knife designed to be carried easily on an everyday basis for everyday cutting and other knife needs. It can be a fixed blade or folder, though if a fixed blade it must have a sheath or other carry system that makes it easy to carry on a daily basis.”

The Best Non-Knife EDC must be “a tool or item designed to be carried easily on an everyday basis for everyday needs.”

The Best “Weird” Knife will be a “knife that is best in keeping with Portland’s unofficial motto of ‘Keep Portland Weird.’ The motto is designed to promote ‘individuality, expressionism, local art’ and ‘atypical lifestyle choices and leisure activities.’ In other words, the sky’s the limit on this category. The weirder, the better.”

4) Laid-Back Programming

Unlike the BLADE Show and its BLADE University and demos, BLADE Show West will go for more of a laid-back approach to its seminars and demos, focusing more on quality than quality and quantity. All seminars and demos are free to BLADE Show West ticket holders.

With some of today’s top custom makers in attendance there will be a focus on knifemaking, including from the standpoint of the beginner and experienced knifemaker, as well as the buyer and collector of custom knives.

Click here to see the full schedule.

5) Roundtables

Two of the hottest genres in custom knives are slip joints and chef ’s knives, and BLADE Show West assembles some of the leading names in both categories for roundtable discussions.

Award-winning knifemaker Bill Ruple, along with some of his well-known pupils, will host a roundtable about the keys to the best custom slip joints, the importance of the mentor/mentee relationship and more.

Custom chef ’s knives have been hot for some time now and BLADE Show West has two of the leading authorities on both selling and making those knives: Daniel O’Malley of The Epicurean Edge/Bladegallery.com and ABS master smith Bill Burke, respectively. Join them as they decipher exactly what makes outstanding chef ’s knives.

See more here.

6) No Sales Tax

Unlike Georgia, Oregon doesn’t have a sales tax. That means you can put what you save toward something else, like another knife, a cool EDC gadget, some fun after the show, or, heck, lunch.

7) Reduced Ticket Pricing for Tiny House Expo

The Tiny House Expo takes place Oct. 6-7 adjacent to BLADE Show West. Your BLADE Show West ticket will earn you reduced entry to that show (and vice versa).

More Information

Find more information about attending BLADE Show West here. Hope to see you there!

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 ƒthe 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.

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.

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.

In addition, the knife features:

• CPM S35VN stainless blade steel;
• Blade length: 3.625 inches;
• Weight: 5.2 ounces, and;
• Closed length: 4.71 inches.

Click here to buy one of 12 BLADE Show Sebenzas exclusively from ShopBlade.com. Hurry!