Most of us have been to a knife show.  You go in, you have an opportunity to handle knives you have been reading about in the magazines and seeing online!  You may even be able to meet a dealer you have been buying from!  With fewer and fewer Brick and Mortar knife stores, having a show to go to somewhat locally is a great option.  So why do people travel the world to attend the Blade Show?

Because it is an event not just a show.  Can you see every kind of knife possible there?  YES!  Just check out the vendors list.  It is literally a who's who in knife making and supplies.  But the entire weekend is a chance to learn.   Just take a look at the Seminar list

• Steve Culver’s “Laffite’s Revenge” cut ’n shoot knife/pistol was the cover knife for the July BLADE®, and won “Best Of The Rest” in the 2013 BLADE Show custom knife judging competition. Steve will dissect the piece as only he can in  “How To Make a Cut ’n Shoot”

• In “Ivory: Past, Present and Future,” knifemaker Jim Hammond and scrimshander Sandy Brady will explore ivory’s role as the ageless canvas of man, the primary types of ivories used in knifemaking, how to make and maintain an ivory handle, and existing ivory laws, along with the issues that lie ahead for knife enthusiasts and the knife industry.

• In “Sharpening On a Stick,” knifemaker Jared Williams will cover different ways to sharpen a knife wherever you are with whatever’s handy, including stones and other common items—even mud on a stick. He also will discuss different types of edges for different types of work.

• Abe Elias uses, designs and writes about bushcraft knives on a regular basis. He will show you how bushcraft knives are used, what to look for in the knives, proper blade grinds and more in “How To Use Bushcraft Knives”.

• Ernest Emerson will review the seven essential skills needed to survive a deadly attack in “Surviving Inside the Kill Zone.” As Emerson notes, “Never be the one who says, ‘I never saw it coming’”.

• Tactical and handforged knives have more than their share of adherents. Purveyor Les Robertson specializes in selling both and knows what to look for in them all. Let him school you on these two hot knife genres in “Tactical & Handforged: What To Look For”.

• Will your loved ones know what to do with your knife collection and how to get the most out of it if for some reason you are unable to? BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall-Of-Fame© member Bruce Voyles tells you how to prepare for such eventualities in “Estate Planning and Your Knife Collection”.

• Want to make knives but don’t know how to get started? Bladesmith Chris Amos apprenticed under Ed Fowler and knows what it’s like to break into the bladecrafting game in today’s climate. He discusses how to get going, the basic tools needed and answers any and all questions in “Knifemaking For Novices: How To Get Started”.

• In “How To Read a Knife,” ABS master smith/BLADE field editor Ed Fowler will demonstrate the difference between “showboat knives” and the workhorse knives of the historic Texas frontier, and also those from the Civil War and World War II.

• In “Camera Basics and Studio Setup,” Eric Eggly of PointSeven Studios, the official BLADE Show photographer, will explain F-stops and shutter speeds and the whys, what’s and how’s of each, and how to build a studio setup on a budget.

• In “How To Throw Knives & Tomahawks,” Bobby Branton will outline and demonstrate the sport of throwing knives and hawks—including maybe even a new factory hawk or two—the best tools for the job, and more.

• Bid on some of the American Bladesmith Society’s top handforged damascus, straight-carbon-steel and other knives, with proceeds going toward the Society’s educational efforts, in the ABS Auction.

• James Williams performs the tameshigiri—the cutting of straw mats—demonstrates the proper techniques of iaido—the drawing, using and replacing of the sword—and more, in his always popular “Japanese Sword Demonstration”.

• In “Bladesmithing For Children,” the American Bladesmith Society’s Wes Byrd, Larry Harley, Joe Keeslar and Tim Potier outline how kids can get involved in the forging of knives under the supervision of those who do it for a living.

Then there are the Exhibits!

BLADE Show World Cutting Championship

The 12th Annual BLADE Show World Championship Cutting Competition will be conducted by BladeSports International and, at press time, included such qualifiers as returning champ Dan Keffeler and also past champ Ted Ott, Donavon Phillips, Jim Cottingham, Brad Stallsmith, David Rudzinski, David Corona, Bud Robbins, Dwight Schoneweis and Scott Wickham.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

 NEW for 2014! Looking to dive deeper into the world of knife-making? BLADE Magazine has prepared an exciting line-up of classes for those "knife junkies" on popular knife-related topics. Spend one-on-one time with well-known professionals in the industry and hang out with other passionate knife enthusiasts. Start exploring the classes below and take your knife knowledge to the next level! Add any of these exciting classes to your Blade Show ticket purchase by registering below!

• Thursday, June 5

  • Knives the ABS Way - 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
    (Class fee $75 per person)

• Friday, June 6

  • Collecting Bob Loveless Knives, with Maj. Louis Chow - 8:30 AM-9:30 AM(Class Fee $20 per person)
  • GRS Engraving Instruction - 8:30 AM-12:00PM (Class Fee $45 per person)
  • Collecting Randall Knives, with Gary Clinton - 9:45 AM-10:45 AM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • Collecting Bill Moran and Jim Schmidt Knives, with Dave Ellis - 11:00 AM-12:00 PM (Class Fee $20 per person)

• Saturday, June 7

  • How to Wrap the Japanese Handle, with Wally Hayes - 8:30 AM-9:30 AM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • Sword Fittings and Temper Lines, with Wally Hayes - 9:45 AM-10:45 AM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • What to Look For When Buying a Japanese Sword and Proper Japanese Sword Care/Maintenance, with Wally Hostetter - 11:00 AM-12:00 PM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • Knife Designs of The Masters, with Jerry Fisk - 11:00AM -12:15 PM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • Knife Designs of The Masters, with Bill Harsey - 12:30 PM-1:45 PM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • Knife Designs of The Masters, with Chris Reeve - 2:00 PM-3:15 PM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • Knife Designs of The Masters, with Tony Bose - 3:30 PM-4:45 PM (Class Fee $20 per person)
  • Knife Designs of The Masters, with Jerry Busse - 5:00 PM-6:15 PM (Class Fee $20 per person)

So why do folks travel the globe for this show????  Meet us there and we can experience it together!