The 32nd annual Oregon Knife Show is being held this saturday and sunday at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. With 470 tables and knife makers from all over the world as well as reps from many companies in the knife industry, it is billed as "the largest knife show in the world". If you're anywhere in the vicinity, it's well worth the trip! Hope to see you there.
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Anybody Going To The Oregon Knife Show This Weekend?
- Thread starter sasafrass
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2005
- Messages
- 5,874
The OKCA is a must see.
All of your cutlery wants and needs satisfied instantly under one roof.
What I did there last year: Discuss law with Mr. Levine, drop my jaw in awe over an unheard-of makers standard setting new offerings, stock up on sharpening supplies, view profoundly complete collections you won't see elsewhere and acquire bargain production items.
Yea, I'm goin.
oregon
All of your cutlery wants and needs satisfied instantly under one roof.
What I did there last year: Discuss law with Mr. Levine, drop my jaw in awe over an unheard-of makers standard setting new offerings, stock up on sharpening supplies, view profoundly complete collections you won't see elsewhere and acquire bargain production items.
Yea, I'm goin.
oregon
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2004
- Messages
- 592
I'll be there, pushing a stroller with my 6 month old son. Wouldn't miss this for anything.
To put this thing in perspective for those who have never been - there are 470 tables. If you spent 30 seconds at each table, it would take you a hair under 4 hours just to make a single circuit of the show. The size can be overwhelming.
This will be my third Eugene show. Last year I found a great deal on big slabs of sheep horn for my knife kit projects and picked up a mint 1983 Al Mar Hawk. It's a fun and huuge show.
To put this thing in perspective for those who have never been - there are 470 tables. If you spent 30 seconds at each table, it would take you a hair under 4 hours just to make a single circuit of the show. The size can be overwhelming.
This will be my third Eugene show. Last year I found a great deal on big slabs of sheep horn for my knife kit projects and picked up a mint 1983 Al Mar Hawk. It's a fun and huuge show.
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2004
- Messages
- 277
I was one of the original group of guys who sat in Wayne Goddards front room and decided to establish the OKCA. At the time I was a neighbor of Wayne's, was roughing out blades for him and was well on my way to developing the largest Wayne Goddard knife collection in the world. I have a small album of pictures from a couple of those early shows. Heck, I still have my original members badge somewhere in my storage unit.
Then along came the depression of '82 and the wood products industry shut down and I was out of work for two years. During that time I had to make a decision, do I sell my collections and keep my house or do my wife and three kids carry boxes around as we moved out onto the street? So I sold my comic books, my rifles and my knives.
For almost 20 years I hardly looked at a knife other than to cut a string. Then one day in in April I was driving down the street and saw a billboard advertising an OKCA knife show so I stopped in. Yep, got bit by the knife bug again. I was totally amazed to see how the knife world had changed, not once but twice. I had totally missed the knife revolution of the 80's and early 90's.
I started picking up knives again and found that I had a taste for the tactical, starting with the Spyderco Endura. I got hooked up with a local teacher and started training. I don't think I've missed an April or December show since then.
One big improvement I've seen in the last couple years is the increasing presence of Manufacturers. I'd seen Mr. Glessor of Spyderco as he attended the show, but it was only last year that he had a table. He's listed as a table holder again this year. I hope to get to speak to him again, he's a nice guy.
One of my biggest disappointments is to see so many knifemakers making "hunting" knives with artsy fartsy handles of gemstone, exotic wood and mirror polish blades for multiple hundreds of dollars. I've stood around their tables and heard some of them complaining about not being able to sell knives. Gee, I wonder why.
I've had some health problems over the last couple of years but am now back to training. One of my goals for this show is to find a custom maker who has a real understanding for tactical knives and materials without trying to be a "handle messiah".
Then along came the depression of '82 and the wood products industry shut down and I was out of work for two years. During that time I had to make a decision, do I sell my collections and keep my house or do my wife and three kids carry boxes around as we moved out onto the street? So I sold my comic books, my rifles and my knives.
For almost 20 years I hardly looked at a knife other than to cut a string. Then one day in in April I was driving down the street and saw a billboard advertising an OKCA knife show so I stopped in. Yep, got bit by the knife bug again. I was totally amazed to see how the knife world had changed, not once but twice. I had totally missed the knife revolution of the 80's and early 90's.
I started picking up knives again and found that I had a taste for the tactical, starting with the Spyderco Endura. I got hooked up with a local teacher and started training. I don't think I've missed an April or December show since then.
One big improvement I've seen in the last couple years is the increasing presence of Manufacturers. I'd seen Mr. Glessor of Spyderco as he attended the show, but it was only last year that he had a table. He's listed as a table holder again this year. I hope to get to speak to him again, he's a nice guy.
One of my biggest disappointments is to see so many knifemakers making "hunting" knives with artsy fartsy handles of gemstone, exotic wood and mirror polish blades for multiple hundreds of dollars. I've stood around their tables and heard some of them complaining about not being able to sell knives. Gee, I wonder why.
I've had some health problems over the last couple of years but am now back to training. One of my goals for this show is to find a custom maker who has a real understanding for tactical knives and materials without trying to be a "handle messiah".