Atlanta Blade show disappointment

Darrell3644

Darrell3644

Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
31
I just got back from the Atlanta Blade show and I must say I was disappointed. There were quite a few knives that I wanted to purchase, but was unable to.

There were several Cold Steel knives that I wanted to purchase and look at, but they didn't even show up even though they paid for a booth.

I needed a couple of Gerber sheaths for my multi-tool, and one of their axes, but unlike last year, they weren't selling anything and no one else had them either.

I also wanted to buy a Spyderco Aqua Salt in a serrated edge and some diamond sleeves for their sharpmaker, but no one had any to sell.

I found a Kershaw Outcast that I wanted to buy, but Kershaw wasn't selling anything and again, no one else had one either. I did find a Scrap Yard knife that I was going to purchase, but it didn't come with a sheath. I am not buying a knife without a sheath.

Last year, I could have found all of these knives there to puchase. I know I can buy them online, but I figured I could get everything at the blade show.

On the positive side, I did get to meet Sal Glasser's son and daughter and talk to them. Sal's daughter and son in law make the sheaths for their knives and I got to talk to them about some of the problems I have had with their sheaths not being tight enough to hold some of their knives in adequately; the Street Beat in particular. He is going to make me a new sheath for it. I also found out that they make custom sheaths which I am going to get them to make for a few of my knives.

I also wanted to buy a few Condor knives which they actuallywere selling and I bought the last ones of the machetes that I wanted. I also bought a Snow & Nealley axe. I am anxious to try these out.

Some of the manufacturers did not have their full lines to show. If I hadn't been to the past several shows, I would have thought that normal, but I don't know what was going on in their heads this year.

I am going online now to purchase what I wasn't able to get there.
 
Darrell3644 said:
I did find a Scrap Yard knife that I was going to purchase, but it didn't come with a sheath. I am not buying a knife without a sheath.

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I also found out that they make custom sheaths which I am going to get them to make for a few of my knives.
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Now you know the reason Busse family blades don't include sheaths - it gives you the freedom to get exactly the kind of sheath you want, whether that be kydex or a hand-tooled custom leather job.


For my part, I had a complete blast at the show, and wish I could spend more time there. It was a bit disappointing that some of the big names weren't selling knives, but I bet their dealers really appreciate it.
 
i just spent 5 hrs. and $ 700 dollars at BLADE. sorry, if you could'nt find what you wanted. maybe you just were'nt REALLY wanting to buy. :rolleyes: paul
 
I agree with Darrell. If your taste runs toward high end custom, you might have been happy, but if you lean toward production items you were out of luck. There were plenty of industry icons there though. Up close and personal for $15.00, not a bad Saturday afternoon diversion.
 
If you are a Spyderco Tenacioius fan, check out the smaller prototype of the upcoming Persistence located at their booth. It is everything the Tenacious is in a 3/4 size. Perfect for EDC.....
 
swiss navy knife said:
I agree with Darrell. If your taste runs toward high end custom, you might have been happy, but if you lean toward production items you were out of luck. There were plenty of industry icons there though. Up close and personal for $15.00, not a bad Saturday afternoon diversion.
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i was there to buy customs. i can put my hands on most production knives anytime. BUT to get all those custom makers together at one time under the same roof???!!!!:eek::D:thumbup: thats why i went.
 
I went there to see friends and happened to buy a few knives. :D.
It is hard for me to understand how a knife nut can be disappointed by being at the biggest knife show in the world.

Walter Brend and his wife:
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A high polished model 2 and 5 wandered home with me.
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Richard Rogers and Joel Chamblin. I am fortunate to be able to call them friends.
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A knife from Richard Rogers drawing that manged to come home with me.
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Tanya and Todd Begg.
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Tony Bose and some of the gang from the Traditional Forum at BFC.
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Gene Shadley, Gus Kalanzis (aka Bastid) and Blues.
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Well said. If you are a cutlery nut of any stripe, you will find it entertaining, just don't expect to walk out with a sack full of production items. I was eyeing a sodbuster in 1095 and the attendant appologized for not being able to sell at the show. He said that he did not want to charge list price for what I could by for less somewhere else and then proceeded to write down the web address for a major online retailer. That may have been the collective attitude of most of the production companies.
 
Keith,

Attendance was a little odd.
Friday was the lightest I have seen in 15 years and a lot of very desirable knives were still around last evening.

Today things were very different. Lots of empty tables and a lot of folks were very happy with what was going on.

Blade is a chance for the large production companies to show their line up, but few sell there directly to customers. They leave the selling to their dealers who sell to the attendees. Some type of emergency must have popped up for Cold Steel. They are usually there, so I am sure they were missed by a bunch of folks.
 
Great pics Gus. I wish I were there with you. Next year G-d willing.....;)
 
I thought the show was great, but I am a knife fanatic and consider it to be the best 2 or 3 days of the year.
Its also the only time of the year I'm jealous of the rich:p

I found all I needed, or could afford, within a few hours friday. Got a couple of Doziers first, then a Case Stag Trapper (Blue Scroll), over to get two Sterlingear Beads, a sheath, then over to Busse for a couple and I was finished and broke quick. 3 friggin hours, then thats when the "I'm jealus of the rich" set in:p
 
I planned to go this year for the first time but I ended up staying home. Wish I could have gone since Atlanta is a comfortable drive from here.

Feel free to razz me for a complete noob question, but is the Blade show held in Atlanta every year or does it rotate to different cities? I'll definitely go next year if it's still in GA.
 
sidecutter said:
i just spent 5 hrs. and $ 700 dollars at BLADE. sorry, if you could'nt find what you wanted. maybe you just were'nt REALLY wanting to buy. :rolleyes: paul
Click to expand...

I didn't go there to just look. I can afford to buy just about any knife I want. The knives I wanted weren't being sold there. Please read my statement again.

Last year, I could have found and bought any of the knives I was looking for this year, hence my disappointment.
 
MustardMan said:
Now you know the reason Busse family blades don't include sheaths - it gives you the freedom to get exactly the kind of sheath you want, whether that be kydex or a hand-tooled custom leather job.


I didn't know they didn't make sheaths and yes I found someone that can make me a kydex sheath, but it is a riveted kydex, not and injection molded sheath that I would rather have. I don't know who can make me one of those.

The best kydex sheath design I have found is on the Benchmade Nim Cub II. I don't like riveted kydex since it makes the sheath too wide, but that's the only choice you have with spyderco. Even the one I am going to get made is really only a modification to an existing spyderco sheath.
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Darrell3644 said:
I didn't go there to just look. I can afford to buy just about any knife I want. The knives I wanted weren't being sold there. Please read my statement again.

Last year, I could have found and bought any of the knives I was looking for this year, hence my disappointment.
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darrell, point taken. :) good luck on the search!! :thumbup:
 
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