Page 236 – BLADE Magazine

BLADE Show: Who’ll Be the 50th Hall-Of-Fame Inductee?

Steve Shackleford

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May 28, 2013

BLADE Show: Who’ll Be the 50th Hall-Of-Fame Inductee?

Who will be the 50th inductee into the BLADE Magazine (www.blademag.com) Cutlery Hall Of Fame at this week’s BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com)? Find out when the world’s biggest and most important knife show begins Thursday, May 31, and runs through Sunday, June 2, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

While there, check out the latest in the finest custom and factory knives, the greatest knifemakers and knife companies, the legends of the industry, the most comprehensive seminar slate of any knife event, and much more.

Last year knifemaker Harold “Kit” Carson was a most popular 49th inductee into the Cutlery Hall Of Fame, and a who’s who of the knife industry attended the BLADE Magazine Awards Banquet the Saturday night of the show to celebrate the occasion. The 50th inductee will be announced at the BLADE Magazine Awards Banquet show Saturday night this year, too (tickets required).

The induction process began in February when living members of the Cutlery Hall Of Fame were contacted to submit a maximum of two nominations each for this year’s induction. Once those nomination submissions were made, a final ballot was compiled for the members to vote for their choices. Each member could vote for up to two nominees, with their first choice receiving two points and their second choice one point. The person with the most points is this year’s inductee.

Who will it be? Attend the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo to find out. The inductee’s name will be included in a special news release that also will announce the BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year® awards and will be sent out via electronic media after Saturday night’s banquet.

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.

BLADE Show: Experience Ed’s Homespun Knife Knowledge

Steve Shackleford

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May 16, 2013

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BLADE Show: Experience Ed’s Homespun Knife Knowledge

BLADE® field editor and ABS master smith Ed Fowler will offer another of his seminars as only he can in “Knives That Survived The Frontier” during the 2013 BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo (www.bladeshow.com) May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Ed’s seminar will be show Saturday at 2 p.m. in Room 104.

Ed will discuss an antique Huber bowie, Ames Rifleman Knife and a T-backed wootz knife.

“The Huber bowie made in 1832 looks to have been in combat as evidenced by the cuts in her blade,” he noted. “The Ames Rifleman’s Knife from 1849 was used hard, most probably during the Civil War. Her scabbard was refurbished on the frontier with what was available.

“The T-backed wootz knife collected by a British soldier who traded a carton of cigarettes for her while driving a lorry over the Khyber Pass during World War II is another knife with a great history visible through repairs where few tools and materials were available,” Ed continued.

“Those who attend will be invited to hold, study and discuss what aspects of design and steel made these knives great. These aspects of design remain as hallmarks of the high performance knife of today.”

Author of his “Knife Talk” column in BLADE for over two decades, Ed is well known for his controversial opinions and approaches to not only bladesmithing/knifemaking, but also to knives and their history in general. He also has written Knife Talk I and Knife Talk II—compilations of his Knife Talk columns in BLADE.

BLADE Show & Bladesmithing For Kids

Steve Shackleford

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May 15, 2013

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Let some of the world’s top bladesmiths teach your children about the craft in the American Bladesmith Society’s “Bladesmithing For Kids” seminar at the BLADE Show (www.bladeshow.com) & Living Ready Expo May 31-June 2 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

Join American Bladesmith Society (ABS) master smiths Joe Keeslar and Tim Potier and ABS journeyman smiths Wes Byrd and Larry “The Hammer” Harley of Lords Of War TV fame as they explain the ancient art of bladesmithing. The seminar will be show Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in Room 109.

All four men have extensive experience teaching children about bladesmithing, and all four are great at relating the craft to youngsters in language kids can understand.

Founded in 1976 by Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© members Bill Moran and B.R. Hughes, as well as Don Hastings and Bill Bagwell, the ABS is the world’s oldest and pre-eminent organization of bladesmiths—that is, those who forge the blade steel for their knives by hand or with power hammers. The ABS holds its annual meeting at the BLADE Show, where it selects new master and journeyman smiths, announces its annual awards, elects officers to its board of directors, holds a knife auction and much more.

The ABS also has a long history of instructing children on bladesmithing. It has conducted a number of special kids’ bladesmithing events at such venues as the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo and also at Smoky Mountain Knife Works (SMKW) in Sevierville, Tennessee. In fact, the ABS Youth Hammer-In will be held just a few weeks after the BLADE Show & Living Ready Expo, June 28-30, at SMKW (visit www.americanbladesmith.com for more information). Mr. Harley has conducted children’s bladesmithing seminars at his forge in Bristol, Tennessee, as well.

BLADE Magazine

BLADE Show: Who’ll Be the 50th Hall-Of-Fame Inductee?

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!

BLADE Show: Experience Ed’s Homespun Knife Knowledge

BLADE Show & Bladesmithing For Kids

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