2015 Miami International Knife Show • MORE PHOTOS included!

SharpByCoop

SharpByCoop

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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 8, 2001
Messages
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Hi friends,

Welcome to Miami! :thumbup:

From vivacious Miami, FL I have set up and am awaiting the opening of this important new show, hosted by Fifty FiftyProductions.

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This is the first time a show of this caliber has been hosted here. The list of makers is impressive and long:

Burke, Jim
Cecchini, Gustavo
Crawford, Pat
Davis, John H.
Dwyer, Duane - Customs
Elishewitz, Allen
Embretsen, Kaj
Emerson Knives
England, Virgil
Erikson, Curt
Esposito, Emmanuel
Fogarizzu, Antonio
Fogarizzu, Tore
Frank, Henry
Frederick, Aaron
Galloway, Daniel
Grangette, Alain
Hammond, Pat
Hensley, Wayne G.
Hinderer, Rick
Horn, Des
Horton, Jeremy
Imel, Billy
Kelly, Steven
Kressler, D.F.
Lake, Ron
Lambert, Kirby
Lemelin, Stephanie
Lerch, Matthew
Loerchner, Elizabeth
Loerchner, Wolfgang
Lozier, Don
Marfione, Anthony
Marsh, Jeremy
Martin, RJ
Medford Knife & Tool
McClure, Jerry
McGinnis, Gerry
Muller, Jody
Pease, W.D.
Puddu, Salvatore
Randolph, Walter
Rapp, Steven
Ruple. Bill
Smith, John W.
Solomonik, Eugene - Olamic Cutlery
Steigerwalt, Ken
Strider, Mick - Customs
Strider Knives
Suchat Custom Knives
Terzuola, Bob
Thorburn, Andre
Tighe, Brian
Victors, Gilles
Walker, Michael
Warenski-Erickson, Julie
Williams, Lee
Zscherny, Michael

It's been a lonnnng last couple of days to prepare and travel--by Delta Airlines. I have had to slim down my normal entourage of 'stuff' to make it all fit in two 50lb. luggage bags and two carry-ons. I did.

I've traveled alone, however I'll have an assistant to work with me doing writeups and knife running while I'm working. (Thanks to Carlos Lopez (Knife Treasures) and his son Brandon to score me an honor student friend, Alex Alston!)

I've already shot a '35th Anniversary in Knifemaking' folder by Michael Walker (A special piece by every measure!)

I've met Stephanie Lemelin, Wolfe and Elisabeth Loerchner, Emmanuel Esposito and many others.

I will update as I go along, and offer you to post your own impressions.

Talk soon,

Coop
 
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Nice location. The marina at the Marriot property is where they have held the in water powerboat display for the big Miami boat show for years.
 
Thanks for that info Coop. Quite the magnificent lineup. Looking forward to your comments about the show and the images of knives.
 
Wow, that's quite a line-up! Seems like this show came out of nowhere? Where/how has it been advertised before? Too bad it's scheduled the same time as the Seattle show.
 
^^^ The list of makers is prominent, however 95% of them do not post on this forum. Gus Cecchini started his Miami thread a page or two ago. That's it.

I am also guilty and paying for it: I ought to have promoted the show and myself beforehand. I'm down in portfolio shots from a comparable NYC show, however, I am swimming in shooting my dealer network of knives. (I've shot 37 pieces all told. Almost all folders.)

The Show is going well, with lotteries abundant, and there appears to be a healthy crowd. I am never a great barometer, as I'm somewhere else when it's Showtime. :D

Had dinner with Neil and Sheila Ostroff and Chris Schlueter. GREAT Asian food. So much so, I had to do a workout upstairs in the Fitness center to get a head start on calorie burning. LOL!

Off to work....
 
Interesting show compared to my last. Room had its share of stars. The more I dug for info, the more top brass in the industry I introduced myself to.
Learned and saw allot so well worth the time.

Gary
 
The room was medium sized to small on third floor of a nice Marriott downtown Miami. By Saturday, show started Friday, allot of the tables were vacant. My first impression was what is going on? I just paid $40 bucks for this?
Then I realized that there was some of the top knife makers there with just portfolios. Pictures of knives that people would die to get there hands on. One exhibitor brought a deck of cards and one knife which I never saw. The action happens fast and early. Friday and the day before probably.
The playing cards were cut in half. I believe 18 people took their half with the hopes of being the first to have a chance to purchase this special knife, a folder. No auction, you simply pay the asking price or see you later.
I did get to talk to a traditional knife maker from Texas. His folders were very well built and thought out. He had three knives.
So this was not a giant exhibitor traditional knife display type show but you were able to shake hands with the top brass in the knife making World.
I remember asking an elderly gentleman who was at the time all by himself at his table if he would make a knife for me. I kinda felt bad he was lonesome looking. He replied I don't take orders. OK... If you want one of my knives a man over there has 2 folders. I went over to see. It was a single blade folder 3 inches long. I flipped it over. $3500.00 was marked on the back. That guy that sent me over must of thought I was nuts.
I do not take pictures at shows these days so sorry. Still learning the ropes.

Gary
 
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Some of those makers who had auctions had knives for MUCH more than $3500. (Maybe you met lonely Wolfe Loerchner? $3500 was a steal. LOL!)

Michael Walker had a drawing knife. 35th Anniversary of his career. You will see.

This show came four weeks away from the ECCKS and many makers were hard pressed to offer more than one deluxe knife. I shot a Tore Fogarizzu knife which was wonderful and was one of these.

This was a high-end show. You will get mixed reviews if you expect tables full of knives from every maker.

I barely left my room. No show photos from me. You've seen what a show looks like. :)

Coop
 
About that deck of cards. I'd bet money that out of those eighteen people there wasn't one collector that wanted the knife for himself. Everybody was hoping to get their name drawn so they could flip it to a dealer for a profit. Some of the show knives are already on dealer websites, one bead blasted titanium handled folder is for sale for $5250. What a joke.
 
OK, I was a little unsettled with the goings on at first. I took a breath and started cold calling on some of the knifemaker 'stars' and was pleasantly surprised in most cases. The Lakes and Walkers were more than happy to share info. Did I ask stupid questions...you bet but I was learning and they knew that. This method of pre-show sales seems to be popular among the elite knife community but at least some of the stars put in some table time for us lookers. Some of these people have been working with tiny parts, machine shops, prototype development their entire lives and their work translated to knife building shows. Incredible craftsmanship and a popular name equals big bucks.
I got a laugh from some of them, they didn't know what a rope knife was which I collect so...

Gary
 
I talked to Dlack with Fifty Fifty, and next year they want to move the show to a site on the beach as in surf and sand so the big timers have something to do after they sell out their goods and get tired of answering stupid questions. I try to shut up but I can't help myself.

Gary
 
That $5250 folder I mentioned has already been sold! Maybe the new owner can attend the show next year and try and flip it. If the show is on the beach he can go for a dip and take a second bath.
 
GaryFlorida said:
I talked to Dlack with Fifty Fifty, and next year they want to move the show to a site on the beach as in surf and sand so the big timers have something to do after they sell out their goods and get tired of answering stupid questions. I try to shut up but I can't help myself.Gary
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Welcome to the world of knives, Gary.

There is something for everyone.....when you say "rope knife"....I've been collecting knives for 30 years, and don't know what you are talking about.

There are "competition cutters" that cut rope, and there are traditional "yacht" or "nautical" knives that cut rope. Which do you collect?

Asking questions is always a good way to get involved, and learn.

However, there is LOTS of information available on the internet. If you are asking the "same" questions that newbies ask, you are showing your lack of homework and consideration....frankly, in this day and age, that gets old, and I don't blame makers at all who get tired of that.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
GaryFlorida said:
I talked to Dlack with Fifty Fifty, and next year they want to move the show to a site on the beach as in surf and sand so the big timers have something to do after they sell out their goods and get tired of answering stupid questions. I try to shut up but I can't help myself.

Gary
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LOL... Funny stuff Gary. :D Come to the Blade Show in Atlanta first weekend in June. Plenty of Rope Knives. But do get there on Friday. ;)
 
Rope knife has a sheepsfoot blade kind of chunky. Sheffield started making them and a host followed like Miller Bros, Schrade and so on.

Questions: I was looking through Ron Lake's portfolio. Most of the high end looking knives were professionally engraved to the hilt. I asked where he was sending his knives. I got the look. Too deep. None of my business. He does not engrave his knives, the new owners do. So they send Mr. Lake pictures of his knives after the fact. It is up to the new owner to decide what subject matter gets put on. OK makes sense.

Michael Walker is built like a rock for his age so I ventured away from knives and asked if he went to the Y or something. He laughed and said no I mountain bike in high altitude parks in Northern New Mexico chasing Golden Eagles.... OK that will work I suppose.

Gary
 
GaryFlorida said:
Rope knife has a sheepsfoot blade kind of chunky. Sheffield started making them and a host followed like Miller Bros, Schrade and so on.

Questions: I was looking through Ron Lake's portfolio. Most of the high end looking knives were professionally engraved to the hilt. I asked where he was sending his knives. I got the look. Too deep. None of my business. He does not engrave his knives, the new owners do. So they send Mr. Lake pictures of his knives after the fact. It is up to the new owner to decide what subject matter gets put on. OK makes sense.

Michael Walker is built like a rock for his age so I ventured away from knives and asked if he went to the Y or something. He laughed and said no I mountain bike in high altitude parks in Northern New Mexico chasing Golden Eagles.... OK that will work I suppose.

Gary
Click to expand...

Yacht knife is the more common terminology if you do a search on the internet than rope knife. It is not generally a high end knife, which is why the high end makers won't know what it is, especially if you are using antiquated terminology. Picked up one last year at a tool swap, US model with the locking marlinspike. I have to re-handle it because the scales cracked.

You would have known the answer to your question on Lake knives and engraving if you had done online research first.

You can ask any maker inappropriate questions about personal issues, that is generally not going to go over well. They are there to sell their work and market it, not so much themselves. If you are looking for bodybuilding advice, there is a section here on BFC that you can likely ask that question.....Community.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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