Blade Show 2019

D

Diablogt90

Joined
Dec 10, 2018
Messages
112
I am 90% sure I will be going to blade show this year. Has anyone else been to blade show or plan on going this year? What was your experience like? Any tips to a first timer?

A few specific questions:

I have seen filler tabs for Hinderers with the year printed on them. From what I gather these are blade show exclusives is this true? Are they available to purchase usually? Also are they available in different finishes to match my black stonewashed dlc xm-18? I actually am having a hard time just finding pictures of one.


I know Microtech sells a blade show exclusive ultratech every year. Despite not being able to carry it in my state I would like to pick one up to play with/ use around the house maybe. Do these sell out pretty much immediately? Like if I get there when blade show opens do I need to go get in line immediately.

Those are really the two things I would like to pick up at blade show as well as maybe a full track if I can.

Anything else cool/exclusive I should look out for?

Also if you are planning on going what do you want to get/see.
 
Read somewhere that the Blade show was recently bought by F&W Media subsequent to the 2018 show. I believe they're a British publishing company. Not sure what changes this might portend for the show. Anybody have any thoughts?
 
I live about 30-40 minutes from the Cobb Convention Center (where the Blade Show is held), and I go to the show every year. I'll just throw a few things out there that come to mind. Some of it is kinda common sense stuff, but bears repeating:

- If you want the Microtech "Show Special", an early bird pass will be required, as will getting in line EARLY on Friday morning. Those knives are super popular and sell out very quickly. Other brands also have show specials. I couldn't say about Hinderer, because I've never fooled with them. I do know that Heretic, which is very similar to Microtech (Heretic is owned by the son of Microtech's owner) has a show special knife.

- Friday is the best day to go, in my opinion, if you are interested in a specific knife/maker. You get first dibs on the inventory offered. Don't get me wrong, Saturday is awesome, PLENTY to see. Sunday is a mixed bag. Some makers that have sold out pack up and leave, while other makers that maybe have not had a good show sometimes offer deals and are willing to negotiate.

- Parking is a premium. If you are renting a car/driving yourself, I can't stress arriving early enough. If the Braves are home that weekend, that area in the evenings is gonna be FUBAR. Just plan accordingly.

- You are going to do a buttload of walking. Tons and tons of walking. I can't stress enough to wear comfortable footwear. No joke, your @$$ is gonna be going some walking. Likewise, the convention hall tends to get warm in the afternoons. Wear comfortable, cool clothing if possible.

- There's *TONS* of swag, catalogues, info that is free for the taking. If you want to get all that stuff, I'd recommend a backpack. Toting a bag with all of that crap in it tends to get old.

- When you get in the lobby of the convention center, there will be a magazine with an insert that has a map in it, a list of vendors/makers, etc. Get one of those and bring a pen. You can circle makers you want to double back on, make notes, etc. The place is HUGE. You "think" you're going to remember where everybody is....you're not going to.

- While most makers take cards, I always bring cash, and it's served me well.

- Speaking of money, bring a lot of it. Take your pie in the sky budget, and double it. No joke. If you're a knife guy, it's a freaking dream come true. You're gonna drop some serious coin.

That's about it. I'll jump in again if I can think of something else.

Feel free to ask me any questions. I'm familiar with the area, I'll help if I can.
 
Fort Payne's Finest said:
I live about 30-40 minutes from the Cobb Convention Center (where the Blade Show is held), and I go to the show every year. I'll just throw a few things out there that come to mind. Some of it is kinda common sense stuff, but bears repeating:

- If you want the Microtech "Show Special", an early bird pass will be required, as will getting in line EARLY on Friday morning. Those knives are super popular and sell out very quickly. Other brands also have show specials. I couldn't say about Hinderer, because I've never fooled with them. I do know that Heretic, which is very similar to Microtech (Heretic is owned by the son of Microtech's owner) has a show special knife.

- Friday is the best day to go, in my opinion, if you are interested in a specific knife/maker. You get first dibs on the inventory offered. Don't get me wrong, Saturday is awesome, PLENTY to see. Sunday is a mixed bag. Some makers that have sold out pack up and leave, while other makers that maybe have not had a good show sometimes offer deals and are willing to negotiate.

- Parking is a premium. If you are renting a car/driving yourself, I can't stress arriving early enough. If the Braves are home that weekend, that area in the evenings is gonna be FUBAR. Just plan accordingly.

- You are going to do a buttload of walking. Tons and tons of walking. I can't stress enough to wear comfortable footwear. No joke, your @$$ is gonna be going some walking. Likewise, the convention hall tends to get warm in the afternoons. Wear comfortable, cool clothing if possible.

- There's *TONS* of swag, catalogues, info that is free for the taking. If you want to get all that stuff, I'd recommend a backpack. Toting a bag with all of that crap in it tends to get old.

- When you get in the lobby of the convention center, there will be a magazine with an insert that has a map in it, a list of vendors/makers, etc. Get one of those and bring a pen. You can circle makers you want to double back on, make notes, etc. The place is HUGE. You "think" you're going to remember where everybody is....you're not going to.

- While most makers take cards, I always bring cash, and it's served me well.

- Speaking of money, bring a lot of it. Take your pie in the sky budget, and double it. No joke. If you're a knife guy, it's a freaking dream come true. You're gonna drop some serious coin.

That's about it. I'll jump in again if I can think of something else.

Feel free to ask me any questions. I'm familiar with the area, I'll help if I can.
Click to expand...

Wow thanks this is exactly why I posted a thread. This is all a huge help. I was just looking at the early bird tickets so I will probably do that. I plan on arriving Thursday night, and going Friday as early as I can get in. I'd like to visit the Atlanta aquarium Saturday to see the whale sharks and possibly even scuba dive with them (certified diver)dependent on flight times for Sunday. I will unfortunately be flying back Sunday.

Maybe this is an obvious question but I just want to be sure.. it is a convention center after all. Can I bring my own knife in?

I would like to stay at one of the hotels within half a mile of the show. I am looking into prices now. I know you live in the area but do you have any experience with any of them/know anyone who has stayed in any of them to give an recommendation (to stay or stay away from).
 
Decided this thread could use some eye candy too.
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Diablogt90 said:
Wow thanks this is exactly why I posted a thread. This is all a huge help. I was just looking at the early bird tickets so I will probably do that. I plan on arriving Thursday night, and going Friday as early as I can get in. I'd like to visit the Atlanta aquarium Saturday to see the whale sharks and possibly even scuba dive with them (certified diver)dependent on flight times for Sunday. I will unfortunately be flying back Sunday.

Maybe this is an obvious question but I just want to be sure.. it is a convention center after all. Can I bring my own knife in?

I would like to stay at one of the hotels within half a mile of the show. I am looking into prices now. I know you live in the area but do you have any experience with any of them/know anyone who has stayed in any of them to give an recommendation (to stay or stay away from).
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Absolutely, you can bring knives in, no problem. There's a lot of trading and selling going on. There is a no firearms policy at the facility, but there are no bag checks or metal detectors, so make of that what you will. The area is nice, and pretty safe.

There are a few hotels that are close to the convention center. Some of the hotels that are not 'that' close offer a shuttle service. You might save some money staying a bit further out and Uber/Lyft over to the convention center. I can't really recommend a hotel, because I live local. However, I do know the hotels are very Blade Show friendly.

As far as good eating goes, across from the convention center is Cumberland Mall. There's a Ted's Montana Grill, P.F. Changs, Cheesecake Factory, that kind of thing. You can also go to The Battery at Sun Trust Park (where the Braves play). There's lots of restaurants, bars, etc. It's a fun place to hang out and have a good time. Murphy's is right there at the convention center (Dale Murphy, former Braves great, owns it). They have burgers, wraps, etc. Cool place and close.

The aquarium is just down 75, probably 20-30 minutes (depends on traffic). The College Football Hall of Fame and World of Cola-Cola are right there at the aquarium, as well. All three are amazing.
 
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Fort Payne's Finest said:
I live about 30-40 minutes from the Cobb Convention Center (where the Blade Show is held), and I go to the show every year. I'll just throw a few things out there that come to mind. Some of it is kinda common sense stuff, but bears repeating:

- If you want the Microtech "Show Special", an early bird pass will be required, as will getting in line EARLY on Friday morning. Those knives are super popular and sell out very quickly. Other brands also have show specials. I couldn't say about Hinderer, because I've never fooled with them. I do know that Heretic, which is very similar to Microtech (Heretic is owned by the son of Microtech's owner) has a show special knife.

- Friday is the best day to go, in my opinion, if you are interested in a specific knife/maker. You get first dibs on the inventory offered. Don't get me wrong, Saturday is awesome, PLENTY to see. Sunday is a mixed bag. Some makers that have sold out pack up and leave, while other makers that maybe have not had a good show sometimes offer deals and are willing to negotiate.

- Parking is a premium. If you are renting a car/driving yourself, I can't stress arriving early enough. If the Braves are home that weekend, that area in the evenings is gonna be FUBAR. Just plan accordingly.

- You are going to do a buttload of walking. Tons and tons of walking. I can't stress enough to wear comfortable footwear. No joke, your @$$ is gonna be going some walking. Likewise, the convention hall tends to get warm in the afternoons. Wear comfortable, cool clothing if possible.

- There's *TONS* of swag, catalogues, info that is free for the taking. If you want to get all that stuff, I'd recommend a backpack. Toting a bag with all of that crap in it tends to get old.

- When you get in the lobby of the convention center, there will be a magazine with an insert that has a map in it, a list of vendors/makers, etc. Get one of those and bring a pen. You can circle makers you want to double back on, make notes, etc. The place is HUGE. You "think" you're going to remember where everybody is....you're not going to.

- While most makers take cards, I always bring cash, and it's served me well.

- Speaking of money, bring a lot of it. Take your pie in the sky budget, and double it. No joke. If you're a knife guy, it's a freaking dream come true. You're gonna drop some serious coin.

That's about it. I'll jump in again if I can think of something else.

Feel free to ask me any questions. I'm familiar with the area, I'll help if I can.
Click to expand...

I ve been to Blade twice and I understand all the things in this post . One really good recommendation is to take a large amount of cash.
 
Be ready for way too many people and men wearing skirts/kilts. Not just one guy but like 50 or 100 of them in skirts. 16 year old kids flipping balisongs everywhere.

A bigger venue would make the show much better IMO. Too many people in too small of an area makes it less enjoyable than it could be.

I wish they would leave out all of the "state fair" type crap booths too. Or put them in another room with the $5 straight from China knife booths.

Braves game gridlock makes for a good time too. You think planning the show for when the Braves are road might be a good idea?

All of the big name designers will be sold out before you even get in the door, if you get there late on Friday, at like 3pm like I did.

Other than that it's a good time. GEC brought a bunch of nice stuff at great prices.
 
Awesome thanks everyone so far for chiming in. Just checked and the Braves are out of town until that Monday so I should be good. I think I'll probably try to check out the world of Coca-Cola too while I'm there.
 
I live a little over an hour away and have been going regularly for twenty years or so.
The one thing nobody mentioned was that when you find THE knife that speaks to you that day, BUY IT. It will not be there when you come back an hour or a day later.
Also, be prepared to be “knifed out” at the end of day one, but go back for days two and three anyway. I start looking forward to next year by the second week in June.

Hope you enjoy yourself!
Jim
 
presz said:
Be ready for way too many people and men wearing skirts/kilts. Not just one guy but like 50 or 100 of them in skirts. 16 year old kids flipping balisongs everywhere.

A bigger venue would make the show much better IMO. Too many people in too small of an area makes it less enjoyable than it could be.

I wish they would leave out all of the "state fair" type crap booths too. Or put them in another room with the $5 straight from China knife booths.
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I don't know if you attended last year or not, but some of the things you suggested have been implemented.

The Blade Show now is in two convention 'halls', not just one. There's the main hall, and a new secondary hall just around the corner (same floor). It helped with some of the congestion and opened up space to new makers, as well.

Some of the exhibits are now in the lobby (like the VERY large Buck knives display) which also opened up some floor space for new makers.

There was less 'non' knife stuff last year. I know Going Gear, for example, wasn't there due to their owner passing away. There seemed to be a strong emphasis on knife and knife related businesses.

Long story short, several new changes last year, all of them seemed to be positive.
 
Fort Payne's Finest said:
Absolutely, you can bring knives in, no problem. There's a lot of trading and selling going on. There is a no firearms policy at the facility, but there are no bag checks or metal detectors, so make of that what you will. The area is nice, and pretty safe.
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Oops, never noticed the no-firearm policy. I've carried there several times. Excellent info Fort Payne! I live in Augusta, so we typically drive up for the day. Last year, I was forced to only go on Sunday, which was a big waste. Most of the vendors were packing up, no demo's, and all the owners were already gone. I'll be home from Afghanistan in May, so my son and I are going to get a hotel Friday night so we can hit it Friday and Saturday. It's big...really big. I would recommend mapping out who you want to really visit and know where the those booths are. Popular stuff goes quickly. Many of the smaller vendors are excellent to visit with and all were very gracious to my son, making him a knife-nut since his very first visit when he was 14 years old (he's 20 now). I only use my credit card for a planned, big purchases, but agree that cash is king, especially with personal sales and smaller vendors. I try real hard to stick to a budget...but it's real hard:D

Out plan for this year is to meet with a few of the makers/owners. My son loves Ernie Emerson, who's always been very kind to my son; so we'll go see the Emerson booth first thing. We will map out what we want to see and figure out what's on the "budget list". I have no "needs", so I'll just be looking for something that my catch my eye. My son wants to get another Emerson. Saturday, we'll hit many of the smaller, custom vendors. My wife wants me to get a photo with Dave Canterbury...she's always like him:rolleyes: I personally know Tim Wagner from Blade-Tech, so if he's there, I'll get a chance to visit. Ironically, if you've seen any pictures of prominent members here, you'll identify several at the show, like me:D



It's a lot of fun and an excellent group of people. I don't necessarily like large crowds, but the people at Blade Show are by-and-large, very courteous and simply fun people to be around and converse with.

ROCK6
 
I've never been but I would like to go one year. I just checked out the website and was floored by the amount of vendors.

Edit to remove gigantic list in case it the links are not permitted.
 
I started going to Blade in 1990. Don't go every year. Depends on how much loose cash I have. Hopefully I'll attend again this year.

I frequently drive and park at the show. Get there early as parking becomes a problem especially within a couple 100 yds of the convention center. I carry a shoulder bag, but I usually take breaks and wander out to my vehicle and drop off my loot for another go at it.

My biggest advice is bring or have access to a good amount of money. If you deal in cash, bring 2x whatever you planned on bringing along. If your budget is $500, bring $1000 and so forth. Both factory and custom/handmade knives are for sale there.
 
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The personal trading occurs in "the pit". I honestly spent little time in that area wanting to spend my time inside the show. So, I saw little individual trading or selling going on.

I would suggest you try to attend Friday. Spend the night, spend saturday at the show. Sunday's aren't so good as most things are sold and vendors are packing up.

As Rock6 said, decide what vendors you are most interested in visiting and head there first. Then wander around. It will be tiring, but a good tired. Only happens once a year.
 
Agree with the advice above. Also, don't forget the classes and demos that they have out in the courtyard. The cutting competition is also great fun to watch.

I do wish they would do something about the balisong flippers. It's just a matter of time until one of those idiots (they aren't all idiots but the ones flipping their knives on the crowded floor ARE) hurts someone.
 
Triton said:
Agree with the advice above. Also, don't forget the classes and demos that they have out in the courtyard. The cutting competition is also great fun to watch.

I do wish they would do something about the balisong flippers. It's just a matter of time until one of those idiots (they aren't all idiots but the ones flipping their knives on the crowded floor ARE) hurts someone.
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Yeah, agreed. The dudes in kilts kinda go with the territory, but the balisong boys kinda need to be reeled in a bit. There was a vendor last year that was adjacent to a balisong vendor, and I couldn't look at the guys knives from all of the 13 year old boys slinging blades around. It was just that one situation, but that was enough.
 
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