The BLADE Blogs Archives

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.

Why Get Knives Photographed?

Joe Kertzman

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May 29, 2013

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Knifemakers have a hard enough time making a living doing what they love without added expenses. So what are the benefits of paying a professional photographer to photograph their knives for them?

The reasons to have knives photographed are many. As managing editor of BLADE Magazine, I can tell you that often when knifemakers send me images of their newest models for possible publication, the self- or friend-taken digital images are low resolution, fuzzy, with busy backgrounds or too low quality for a high-gloss, color magazine. The images might look good on a website, computer screen or printed, but once reproduced on quality magazine paper, in four color, they lose their crispness and look fuzzy.

Here are some other reasons to have your knives photographed by a pro from photographer Jim Cooper of SharpByCoop.com.

The benefit of a professional image will promote you in a number of ways:

Large clear print for your portfolio
Crisp website image for email or display
Large digital file for printing
Posted and viewed by thousands on Bladeforums, CKCA forum, and our SBC Facebook page
All files are sent to USA and International editors of knife magazines
Guaranteed: Your knives are always available to view and search on our extensive website
A professional image shows you take pride in your work

Tips To Enhance Your BLADE Show Experience

Steve Shackleford

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May 29, 2013

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Tips To Enhance Your BLADE Show Experience

With folks already arriving at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta for the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com), here are some tips to enhance your overall show experience:

•Get there early. The show opens to the public at 2 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The best knives always go first–which means early. Get there then to get the best;

•Stay hydrated. There are water fountains at the show entrances and concession stands in the back of the show hall. Also, apples are a great source of both nourishment and water. Eat one mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon, whichever works best for you.

•Wear comfy shoes. There are almost 1,000 exhibitors to see, and walking and standing can take a toll on your feet. Wear the most comfortable shoes you’ve got. It doesn’t matter what they look like, just be sure they’re comfy. In fact, if you’ve got two such pairs of shoes, bring both. Wear one pair in the morning and the other pair in the afternoon. Also, whenever you get the chance, sit down and rest.

•Wear a small backpack. Carrying stuff gets old in a hurry. A small backpack is a great way to carry knives, knife literature, that extra pair of shoes, etc.

•Dress for warm temperatures. With scores of people jamming the hall in late spring in Atlanta, chances are it will be warm inside, too. Shorts, T-shirts and sandals or tennis shoes are the uniform of the day.

•Study the seminar schedule and attend the ones that interest you most. Not only are there some most entertaining and educational seminars to enjoy, but you can find a seat at all of them (if you get there early enough) and rest for a spell, killing two birds with one stone.

•Follow the pack. The BLADE Show is one of those happenings that has many surprise/spontaneous events within the event. If you hear/see a commotion going on, go to it. You never can tell what kind of cool knives/accessories are being sold or, in some cases, even given away.

BLADE Show Will Determine Top Custom Knives

Steve Shackleford

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May 23, 2013

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BLADE Show Will Determine Top Custom Knives

The world’s top custom knives will vie for elite honors during the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo’s (www.bladeshow.com) judging competition next week in Atlanta.

Slated for May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre, the show assembles an international potpourri of knives, including custom and factory. Of the almost 1,000 exhibitors, most are custom makers, and many will enter their knives in the judging competition on show Friday, May 31.

More knives are entered in the BLADE Show judging competition than any other like competition in the world. Makers from over 20 countries work feverishly to prepare their best knives, with the winners taking home trophies and the publicity the awards generate in BLADE® (www.blademag.com) Magazine, the World’s No. 1 Knife Publication, and elsewhere.

The categories are: Hugh Bartrug Best of Show, Best Sword, Best Tactical Folder, Most Innovative Design, Best Handle Design, Best Folder, Yvon Vachon Best Miniature, Best Art Knife, Best Fixed Blade, Best Bowie, Best New Maker, Best Fighter, Best Knife Collaboration, Best Utility Hunter, Best Damascus and Best of the Rest.

Michael Ruth Jr. won both Best of Show and Best Sword last year for his “Maritime Law” model, based on a naval boarding cutlass. The 21-inch, flat-ground blade is a ladder-pattern damascus. The D-guard is Turkish twist damascus. The handle is pre-ban ivory. Overall length: 26 inches. Ruth’s list price to make a similar piece: $5,500.

The judging is open only to BLADE Show table holders and custom knives. Entrants are to bring their knives to Room 104 of the Cobb Galleria at 3:30 p.m. the Friday of the show. No knives will be accepted after 4 p.m. The names of the winners will be posted outside the BLADE Show office the following morning.

For the complete story on the winners, see the November BLADE, on newsstands Aug. 13, or stay tuned to www.blademag.com for further details.

Knives So New, They’re Not Out Yet!

Joe Kertzman

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May 22, 2013

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It’s my pleasure to share with website visitors some research I conducted on knives that will debut at the BLADE Show in Atlanta, May 31-June 1. These are models some of the largest knife manufacturers in the world plan to debut at the show, so consider this a “sneak peek,” if you will.

Spyderco C28POR2 Orange DragonFly2 Lightweight

The BLADE Show has fast become one of two main venues companies use to introduce knives, entire knife lines, accessories, and for new outfits and divisions themselves to be launched.

Coast Products FX350

Unlike the SHOT Show, the BLADE Show is a consumer and trade event ideal for debuting new models to a targeted, educated knife-loving audience as diverse as the show offereings. It’s the place to be for all industry pros, dealers, collectors, purveyors, users and enthusiasts.

Smith’s Abrasives Pocket Pal X2 Sharpener and Survival Tool

As Russ Cowen, marketing manager for the sporting goods and hardware division of Smith’s Abrasives, says, “The BLADE Show will expose this product to knife enthusiasts and media outlets that will, in turn, communicate the message to the consumer base. There is no faster way to create buzz about a new product than exposing it to BLADE Show exhibitors and attendees, who happen to be the most passionate and verbal people in the industry.

Boker Plus 02BO610

“BLADE Show attendees like to talk about knives, other cutting tools and accessories,” he adds. “They’re also creators, inventors and marketers, so when they see something they classify as neat or innovative, they naturally want to talk about it.”

World’s Most Important Knife Awards

Steve Shackleford

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May 22, 2013

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The world’s most important knife awards—the BLADE Magazine 2013 Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards—will be named next week at the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com).

Set for May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo attracts knife manufacturers and knifemakers from all over the world to display and sell their knives.

Companies that rent booths at the show are eligible to enter knives and/or accessories in the Knife-Of-The-Year Awards competition, which includes categories for 10 factory knives, one accessory and two individuals who have furthered the betterment of the knife industry.

The Knife-Of-The-Year categories are: Overall, American Made, Imported, Most Innovative American Design, Most Innovative Imported Design, Manufacturing Quality, Best Buy, Investor/Collector, Kitchen Knife, Knife Collaboration, Accessory, Publisher’s and Industry Achievement. The winners will be announced the Saturday night of the show during the BLADE Magazine Awards Banquet in the Cobb Galleria Centre (tickets required). The winners will be listed outside the BLADE Show office in the Galleria Centre the morning after.

There is a Knife-Of-The-Year Display Area in the BLADE Show hall for entrants to display their knives. New for this year, the display area will be in the back left of the show hall as opposed to the former location in the center of the hall. There, show patrons can look at all the individually displayed knives, many of which will include accompanying information on blade steel, handle materials and more. Entrants may also display their entered knives at their booths, though that is optional. Representatives of each company may stop by the display to examine and vote on the knives for the awards. Voting begins the Friday of the show and ends Saturday.

For more on the awards, stay tuned to www.blademag.com and/or see the November issue of BLADE®, on newsstands Aug. 13.

BLADE Show Preview Issue of BLADE® Out NOW!

Steve Shackleford

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May 21, 2013

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BLADE Show Preview Issue of BLADE® Out NOW!

Know what will be happening at the BLADE Show and Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) beforehand with the latest issue of BLADE® Magazine (www.blademag.com), on newsstands NOW!

Get current on the knives, the exhibitors, the knifemakers, the events, the seminars—everything you need to know about the upcoming BLADE Show set for next week, May 31-June 2, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta—in the current issue.

Sporting Ron Welling’s repro of a William Scagel bowie on the cover, the new BLADE also includes:

•Your first look at some of the upcoming BLADE Show factory knife/accessory debuts, details on the BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® Awards, the show’s custom knife judging, the upcoming induction into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall Of Fame® and more;

•The seven hottest BLADE Show/ABS auction knives;

•How to make a Japanese sword guard, by ABS master smith Wally Hayes;

•How an Ernest Emerson custom CQC-7 that had been lost for many years was discovered in the same shop where it was initially mislaid;

•The hottest knives for Dad for Father’s Day;

•15 steps to heat treating the high-endurance performance blade;

•A test of the Bark River Knives Special Hunter;

•How to deal with the 5 most dangerous knifemaking tools;

•How small knives can be tactical, too;

•And more.

The largest, most important knife show in the world, the BLADE Show and Living Ready Expo annually draws the biggest and best names in cutlery. It also attracts some of the industry’s biggest celebrities, including R. Lee “The Gunny” Ermey of TV and big screen fame, and Larry “The Hammer” Harley, one of the stars of National Geographic TV’s “Lords of War.” Ermey will appear at the booth of SOG Specialty Knives & Tools to sign autographs the Saturday of the show, and Harley will exhibit his knives at his table and also conduct a special seminar, the latter also the Saturday of the show.

Get all the latest on these and other events in the latest issue of BLADE.

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BLADE Show Names Top Knives

Why Get Knives Photographed?

Tips To Enhance Your BLADE Show Experience

BLADE Show Will Determine Top Custom Knives

Knives So New, They’re Not Out Yet!

World’s Most Important Knife Awards

BLADE Show Preview Issue of BLADE® Out NOW!

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