2010 Guild Show

martinr said:
I'm at the show. I'm not exaggerating, sales were basically non existent. There were a few bright spots but few is the operative word. Attendance was poor, I doubt more the 25 collectors showed up. The room was just empty. That said I was picked in the Lake drawing, the SRJ drawing, and three times (two friends and myself) in the Emerson drawing. The Lake and Johnson are sold and the Emersons will be too. I wa fortunate but was lucky mainly because there weren't many people in the drawings. SRJ had four knives and four entrants in the drawing. That pretty much says it all about the show. But................ Chicago is a great town.
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martinr said:
I was at the Guild show. Mark (knifeologist) and Les are accurate in their descriptions. There were a lot of makers of every type of knife and there really was something for everybody. I thought the crowd was pretty good, knives weren't flying off tables but sales were being made. It's a three day show but a buyer could do it in one day. There were lottery knives available at the Gala dinner but I spoke to a couple of makers and they got zero slips dropped in their boxes. I pretty sure they sold the knives the next day. I spoke to a maker from Alaska, he had a lot of knives for sale in the lower price range and I personally don't see how a guy like that can come out ahead due to travel, hotel, and show expenses. Maybe a newer maker that wants to get his knives seen could justify the expense but it seemed to me just by way of casual observation that quite a few guys there selling knives didn't sell too many. Louisville is a nice place for a few days, the hotel is great, comfortable and reasonably priced. I had a great time, bought two knives from Steve Hoel, talked with Steve Thursday evening, and had lunch with Steve and Barry Lee Hands on Saturday. I learned a lot, got two great knives, had a good time in Louisville and would go back. I even met a young local couple (non knife people) at a bar on Saturday night and tried to convince them to go to the show on Sunday. Not sure if they did but I tried.
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Starting to sound like the Guild Show was very positive in regard to attendance and sales, at least in comparison to other recent shows.

Martin, from your reports of the Chicago and Guild Shows it seems you are a good example of the collectors who are attending shows are being exposed to and taking advantage of some very good opportunities.

Thanks for your reports.
 
Good to see a little talk about the show. Was beginning to wonder.

I did speak with two table holders and sounded fairly positive. I might do it next year.
 
Is there a sticky thread somewhere in BFC that lists upcoming knife shows, and more specifically custom knife shows? If not, do the mods think this might be a good idea?
 
black mamba said:
Is there a sticky thread somewhere in BFC that lists upcoming knife shows, and more specifically custom knife shows? If not, do the mods think this might be a good idea?
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Not sure if there's a sticky or not. The CKCA maintains an accurate annual worldwide custom knife events schedule most complete with show links on their website.
We posted it on the BF at the first of the year. The monthly e-mail update which members receive also list all shows/events scheduled that month.

http://www.customknifecollectorsassociation.com/Events.html
 
I added a third page to my review with about 150 of Edmund Davidson's excellent photos. See http://www.cartertown.com/Guild2010Edmund.htm

The show wasn't a barn-burner but then no show in the past year has been. However, with most shows taking big hits in this economy, the Guild Show has held it's own with attendance and sales on par with last year. I take that as a positive.

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I have to agree with Kevin that posting photos and reviews is a lot of work and a very time consuming process. I simply do not have time to post everything on all of the knife forums. That's why I post them on my personal website and then put a link in the forums.

I should also point out that show photos can be deceiving regarding attendance. We often shoot photos of tables early or late in the day (or before the show opens to the public) when the crowds are thin and we have time to walk around and shoot without interrupting interaction between makers and customers.
 
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Looks like an excellent facility for a show.
That was a very fine gesture for Bill Luckett to give the first soldier through the doors a custom knife.
 
I myself really enjoyed the Knifemakers Guild Show very much.
For me it was the first time and I was "conned" into choosing this year by
my friend Edmund Davidson who already knew the fact that I was chosen
to be honored with the 2010 Nate Posner award...

The award presentation occurred during the Guild's Business Meeting,
early on Thursday morning. Edmund prompted me to come (08:00) and
I was watching in the background with the sunlight streaming in through
a crack in the curtain behind the speaker's podium (see attached picture)...
Then they called my name - and the rest was a blur. All I remember
is that I spoke my surprise and went on to tell the story of my great
adventure in the world of custom knives... I really hope that it came out okay...

2010-Guild-meeting_s.jpg


I kind of watched the show from the side, enjoying the people and
the action as it unfolded during three days. I got to meet knifemakers
that I only heard about and see some truly amazing handcrafted knives
by knifemakers I only read about in magazines.
I also got to meet some old friends and collectors and spend time with
a few of them and with Eric Eggly (Point Seven) during the show and
in the evenings.

The banquet on the first evening was a true delight and the choice of food
and drinks was extremely well done and beautifully presented.

The hotel was a jewel from the decor of the rooms to the wonsedful
setting of the show hall. Over one hundred years old and beautifully
preserved/restored!

A Knife Show worth going to again and again especially for those
who do not have to travel 8,000 miles to get there!

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
Here are three beautiful folders by Koji Hara photographed at the
Guild Show last week.

Koji, who as usual works way too hard, could not make it but sent
his son and daughter-in-law to display his art and man his table.
He usually attends at least 11 shows every year all over the world!

These three beauties will make a page in one of my next books,
probably "ART KNIVES, The Cutting Edge of Creativity" planned for 2013...

I also made plans at the show with several other knifemakers to have
some of their knives displayed in that book too, and with one of them
to have a whole section in the introduction about his knife art... :)

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

Koji-Hara-2010_s.jpg
 
Charlie and I had a table at the Guild Show and had a great time. We sold some knives, met a lot of new, to us, collectors and got to spend time with both old and new friends. It is what going to a show is all about to us. To me, it was a better show than last year.

With there being two of us it is easy for us to spend time on the other side of the table in the role of the collector and still keep the table manned. Time looking at the work of others and asking questions is an important part of the show experience to us. It has provided us with some valuable information over the years as well as some great knives.

The Seelbach Hotel is a great place to hold a show. It is within easy walking distance of some good restaurants. It was easy to get to on Thursday afternoon and easy to get out of on Sunday. The best part was there aren't but about four traffic lights between my house and the hotel. :D It does have the second smallest bathroom I have ever seen in a hotel and the smallest shower, but I guess it was big enough. Just don’t drop the soap!

Charlie and I both were surprised by the number of people that seemed to be new to custom knives. We had several people walk up to our table and make the statement that they were just blown away by the choices. One guy asked me how you ever pick just one knife. I told him that you don't, you pick several. Another guy said that he had no idea that the kind of knives he was seeing even existed. It was exciting seeing people introduced to the world of custom knives for what we figured was the first time.

There was one other thing I noticed at the show that kind of left me with a hollow feeling. Something didn't seem right on Friday morning and I couldn't really put my finger on it. Then I realized that Mr. Dowell was not there. Makers come and go to these shows. Not everybody can make every show. Mr. Dowell has always been there and this time he wasn't. I have always enjoyed stopping by his table and have had one of his knives for a long time. If it wasn't for a couple of long conversations with him and his encouragement we would likely not have made any of the integrals we make. I said a prayer for him and hope that he can make it back.
 
On the table next to Edmund Davidson's I got to chat with Warren Osborne.
These two turtle-shell Interframe folding daggers of his really caught my eye...
Aren't they begging to be engraved as a matching pair?

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)


Photo: Eric Eggly, PointSeven Studios
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I would leave them just as they are David. With all the activity in the damascus and the handles looking like they are on fire with the tortoise shell inlays, the polished steel on the balance of the handle gives your eyes a place to rest. Anything else, to me, would be way too much. That is what makes them both so appealing. Just the humble opinion of a flatlander from Georgia that was knocked over by these two. Sometimes the hard part is knowing when to stop.
 
You are right, I suppose, Harry, they are good enough (an understatement)
as they are, but from experience I know that the owner will probably like
to have them "overdone" with an elaborate full coverage engraving...

I wonder which of us will be right when they surface again after being
photographed for their new owner by Coop or Eric...

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
Mike, by hard to get to I mean I could not get a direct flight (from Kansas City area to Louisville), i did fly in. As to driving as an option it is a bit too far, for me, to drive in a single day.
 
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Knifeologist said:
Mike, by hard to get to I mean I could not get a direct flight (from Kansas City area to Louisville), i did fly in. As to driving as an option it is a bit too far, for me, to drive in a single day.
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That is surprising. Our airport is served by most of the major airlines and they often advertise very low rates to places like Chicago and St. Louis. But then the airlines are dopping routes trying to save money.
 
David, my guess would be that you will be correct in that they will likely be engraved. It will be interesting to see how they look when they next show up. My likes and dislikes in knives have been set pretty solid over the years, and pretty much follow my conservative nature. I understand that other's tastes will be different. That is why they make so many different flavors of ice cream I guess. On these two knives I think that Mr. Osborne nailed it. Again, just my humble opinion, but I like them as is!
 
Les Robertson said:
Hi David,

I had a couple mention that to me. When I asked them to point you out...we couldn't find you.

Im sure it is only a matter of time before we meet.

BTW, congratulations on your award.
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Thanks to this picture Les, taken by Edmund Davidson with you
and Bill Luckett, I shall not miss you next time....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)

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WOW!! David, those Koji Hara folders seem to be quite a departure and a big step up for him and his folders. They are very impressive and I'm thinking some simple and unobtrusive engraving would do very nicely on those Osborne folders. I find highly polished folders without engraving keeps the cleaning cloth too busy.
 
In regards to Warren's folder, I shot one of these in the Summer for one of my better clients.

I still love the look, even without engraving. It's such a classic, almost Greek column design.

orig.jpg


If they had just a touch of fluting to break up the bolster area I wouldn't touch a thing.

Those above will look fantastic engraved as well. Great photo by Eric. Nice also without the guards. Warren's got a winner.

Coop
 
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