Blade Show: advice for my first knife-only show?

Rev. Pete

Rev. Pete

Joined
Aug 25, 2001
Messages
843
It looks like I WILL be able to make it to the Blade show in Atlanta at the end of May. I hope I will get to meet some of my fellow knife collectors from bladeforums. This is my first knife-only show. I took a break from gun/knife shows a few years ago as they slowly degenerated into Y2K survivalist shows). I want to look around at all the nice knives and buy some. So...

- How much money should I bring? (heh...) Seriously, I want to get at least one nice custom knife and one Sebenza-class factory folder.
- Should I plan on using cash only or are checks/credit cards accepted?
- Can you actually carry a knife (or two) to the show?
- Is haggling (over price) normal/frowned upon?
- Are any particular days of the show better than others (ie Friday vs Sunday)?
- Can I walk from the show hotel to the show site?
- Do they have decent beer in the vicinity of the show?
- Any other advice you care to give me for getting the most out of the show?

Thanks for your kind advice.
 
Best advice I can give you is sleep for three solid days before Blade, take every cent you can scrounge, make sure your camera is set right so you don't blow 2 rolls of film that would have turned out to be pix of the absolute butt kickinest knives on earth, consume mass quantities of regular coffee the morning of the show, wear the most comfy shoes you own, and be prepared for three days of total lunacy! It's a blast Reverend, just be ready to be dazzled and worn out! Oh yeah, take the time to sit down and yack with some of the makers, especially the forumites! Oops, I almost forgot the forumite law of knife shows, post lotsa pictures of the show and any knives you get home with!
 
Rev. Pete,

Yeee haaaa. Man I can’t wait. I always see some of the Bladeforums people there, but I’m always too shy to speak to them. Then I get to see all of these great knife makers (Fisk, Reeve, Tom & Jerry, Carson, too many to name, sorry) and that’s a thrill. I just smile and take it all in.

How much money? A Sebenza: $280. A working custom folder: $400. A working fixed blade: $230.

Cash is best and you’ll certainly see loads of it being moved.

Carry a knife (or two) to the show? Ask Dexter. I always eat at the restaurant outside the front entrance to the Cobb Center and love watching the folks come in with 14” fixed blades. They always seem to have trouble sitting down in the booths.

Haggling. A recent thread in the custom knife forum indicates this is not a good idea for custom knives. It certainly takes the pressure off.

Go Friday since some folks sell out immediately.

There are two hotels within walking distance, but one is sold out.

Lots of beer available.

Have fun. It is a magical time and place.
 
- How much money should I bring? (heh...) Seriously, I want to get at least one nice custom knife and one Sebenza-class factory folder.


Just bring it all. That will save the hassles of bank transfers at the show.



- Should I plan on using cash only or are checks/credit cards accepted?

Dealers generally accept CCs, some makers do. But cash is definitely king.



- Can you actually carry a knife (or two) to the show?

But of course.



- Is haggling (over price) normal/frowned upon?

Do it gently.



- Are any particular days of the show better than others (ie Friday vs Sunday)?

Selection is best on Friday. Prices are best on Sunday.


- Can I walk from the show hotel to the show site?

That depends on where you're staying. Keep in mind that while we often talk about this show as being in Atlanta, it's actually in a suburb. The Cobb Center is a good 30-40 miles from downtown Atlanta.



- Do they have decent beer in the vicinity of the show?

Just down the steps.


- Any other advice you care to give me for getting the most out of the show?

Wear comfortable shoes and bring some sort of carry bag/case.
 
Originally posted by L6steel
make sure your camera is set right so you don't blow 2 rolls of film that would have turned out to be pix of the absolute butt kickinest knives on earth
Click to expand...

Is it okay to take pictures of knives at the shows? (I'm assuming you should get the vendor's permission first).

Also, are Traveler's Cheques as good as cash? I'd hate to carry that much cash around. I'm not going to the Blade Show, but I was thinking about attending the SHOT show next year.
 
First off, you can often get a better deal with cash for 2 reasons. The credit card companies charge a percentage of the purchase as a processing fee.This may get passed on to you. Also, some maker/vendors charge tax on a credit card, money order or check purchase since it leaves a paper trail, but don't charge tax on cash purchases.
I hope this doesn't open a whole can of worms, but I think it is okay to initiate a little haggling. Just don't offer a price that is ridiculously lower than the asking price or you will only offend the maker/vendor. A little judicious freindly haggling is okay, but if one plays a hard line dickerer, the generally independant thinking knife people will blow you off.
As far as carrying a knife, carry whatever you want! I walked around a good deal of the time last year with a 14" bladed Al Mar Pathfinder as a neck knife, just as a goof! I finally had to take it off since it was slowing blood flow to my brain;) I still wouldn't openly flick a large auto in from of a cop while standing outside the door. No sense in pulling on the dragons tale.
The main thing to take is lots of time. There is so much knife content that it takes the whole show to really see everything.
As far as the time to attend, if you want something really bad from a custom maker, go Friday during the VIP session and make a beeline to the maker. Last year Kit Carson sold out in 20 minutes! Darrel Ralph sells out fast, as does Tom Mayo and others. This is by no means a compresensive list. I hope others will add to the "Hottie" list as this thread evolves.
However or whenever you can get there, you will meet wonderful people and see so much cool steel that your mind will overheat!
Dave
 
Thanks for the advice folks. I have an idea of what I want for my first custom knife but I want to look around to get a better idea (and maybe to see if my wishes match my funding).

Now I have a couple more questions...

go Friday during the VIP session and make a beeline to the maker
Click to expand...

-How does one get to be a "VIP" anyway?

-What is the name of the nearby hotel that is NOT full already?
 
You know, there is a knife show that's bigger than Bladeshow and it goes on 24/7. It's the world-wide-web. Most every maker has a site now. So, my advice would be to spend some time surfin' and go to Bladeshow with a good idea of what you want from whom. You can also call the makers ahead of time and talk to them and maybe even persuade them to hold a piece or two for you for a few hours so that you don't have be quite so pressured in the first hour of the show.
 
Zeng, I always ask out of courtesy and I've never had a negative response. I know it would sure make me proud and happy if someone walked to a table with my knives laying on it and asked if they could take some pix!
 
WANTED BLADESHOW VIP PASSES/I'M a first timer,Someone out there got 2 passes?Forumites help me out!Got a #1 Ferret Knives Hawk folder being finished hopefully in time for the show.Plan on a little Show & tell. Thanks, DESPERATELY SEEKING BLADESHOW PASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Make sure you walk down every aisle. Don't buy nothing till you have done that. You might have to look quick, but make sure you walk pass every table first. Then go back to what caught your eye. Then go back to what ya can afford. Then make a list, and check it 3 times, then it is lunch time. :) Good luck and have fun!!


Blades
 
I had never been to a big show before Oregon last month. Here are a few things I figured out:
-Plan on getting there early and spending the whole time. Even three days is not enough to see and do everything.
-Check out the demos and seminars.
-write down the locations of items you are interested in or you may have trouble finding them later.
-carry a bag or something to hold brochures, cards e.t.c.
-it is good to be rich and have a lot of money.
-there is more selection early, but more price flexibility later.
-most importantly, plan on a permanent increase in your travel budget, because you will quickly realize you are going to have to go to these shows on a regular basis!
 
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