Blade Show- My opinion

[G.Moll]

Just thought Id share my blade show 2015 experience! feel free to tell yours or share your scores.

This year was my 4th year in a row i attended Blade Show. The first time i went i was just getting into knives. I live only 30 minutes from Atlanta, and was driving through the city on my way to a baseball game that weekend when I decided to swing in to see what it was all about. At the time, I didn't realize how big Blade Show was, and experiencing blade show as a novice knut was something else. I didn't realize how awesome the knife community was! I was hooked.

This year I went to the show on Sunday. I usually try to make it Friday or Saturday so I get a full day to look at as many booths as possible, but I enjoyed the few hours I spent there. I got to meet some awesome small time knife makers as well as talk to some big names in the knife industry. I particularly enjoyed my conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Bradford from Bradford knives. I will be ordering a guardian 3 not only because its an awesome knife, but because of how personal they both were.

Its great to get to talk to the minds behind the designs. Spyderco had a case of concept design and prototype knives to get feed back from the community, and I was impressed with all the big time companies that asked for my opinion on knife designs. Its great that the companies try to really connect with their consumers. The reps at all the booths i visited happily answered all my questions and didn't try to pressure me into buying. As an 18 year old kid, I half expected to be talked to as if I was unknowledgeable. The knife community really is a friendly one.

If you ever have the chance to go to Blade Show, go. You get to handle all the knives you could want, meet some great people, and find new makers you weren't previously aware of. But beware, if you bring a debit card, you'll end up swiping it more times than you want!

 

[Ankerson]

I was there from Thursday around 12:30 until Monday Morning.

Not too many Members approached me over the show other than the knife makers and company reps etc, pretty much what I expected to happen so I wasn't surprised at all.

 

[Mike157]

The Bradfords are great folks. I didn't make it to Blade but met them at the Seattle Knife Show. I had a very enjoyable conversation with them. Very down to earth and very personable. It was fun to meet them because I already had several of their knives, and came away with another. I'm sure you'll like the Guardian 3. I'm glad you had a good time at the show. Mike

 

[22-rimfire]

Glad you enjoyed it. I generally attend every other year it seems and that is purely based on my work schedule and availability of funds. Visited on Saturday this year. Enjoyed it and recommend that folks interested in knives attend if they can.

The show is a bit overwhelming and always has been. This may sound stupid, but I would love for Blade to have coffee mugs made up with the show year. People would buy them like crazy if they were well made. I have one from a show back in Knoxville TN which was the first Blade Show I ever attended..... didn't even know it was Blade at the time; just a knife show and I was very actively attending gun and knife shows at that time.

 

[HST]

Love the show, but I will always order on-line. I go, so I don't waste my time wondering about a knife. No way I'm paying more for a knife, because it's in front of me...

 

[22-rimfire]

You aren't generally paying more and I didn't see booths selling at MSRP at the show. You just are pretty much paying the same and I will pay more at a knife store because I support their business and feel that they have to pay for their stock, retail employees etc.

 

[MikeH]

This year was my 12th Blade Show in a row. The last 11 of those have been for the entire duration of the show, except for the last two hours on Sunday afternoon. They have all been worth the effort. Of course, I live only a couple of hours away in Birmingham.

I collect Busses. Busse Blade show prices are always lower than on-line or on the secondary market.

 

[HST]

You aren't generally paying more and I didn't see booths selling at MSRP at the show. You just are pretty much paying the same and I will pay more at a knife store because I support their business and feel that they have to pay for their stock, retail employees etc.

I guess you didn't go by Microtech. I commented in another thread how they wouldn't even match Blade HQ prices. Microtech even went on to say that Blade HQ shouldn't be below MSRP, and they were one of the main sponsors. Most of the time, I've always paid more at that show than from an on-line store. Maybe, KnifeCenter will beat their own prices, if you ask. I've always gotten my best deals from them at that show. I do not care about supporting others, I've done that enough with my family and community. No way I'm doing that in a retail situation. Now I have personal shoppers or long term relationships (jewels and watches) and they take care of me. I got a bad taste from some of the vendors asking monetarily what that they did.

This year was my 12th Blade Show in a row. The last 11 of those have been for the entire duration of the show, except for the last two hours on Sunday afternoon. They have all been worth the effort. Of course, I live only a couple of hours away in Birmingham.

I collect Busses. Busse Blade show prices are always lower than on-line or on the secondary market.

DPx was below anything on-line and I'm sure there were others - like you stated - but nothing I really wanted.

I will go next year as well, and the every year it's in my state.

 

[RevDevil]

I was there from Thursday around 12:30 until Monday Morning.

Not too many Members approached me over the show other than the knife makers and company reps etc, pretty much what I expected to happen so I wasn't surprised at all.

See, you scared everyone off. Good job Jim!

 

[M.FREEZE]

The Bradfords are great folks. I didn't make it to Blade but met them at the Seattle Knife Show. I had a very enjoyable conversation with them. Very down to earth and very personable. It was fun to meet them because I already had several of their knives, and came away with another. I'm sure you'll like the Guardian 3. I'm glad you had a good time at the show. Mike

I met Brad and his wife for the first time at Blade this year. I've had several email conversations with him and own a few of their knives. He was busy talking with a lot of people, but his wife was available to talk. She was the nicest and most enthusiastic "knife wife" ever. She was very gracious and couldn't believe the response to their booth. She knew the ins and outs of their product and they debuted a M390 flipper at the show. Great people!

 

[Ankerson]

See, you scared everyone off. Good job Jim!

Guess not a lot of people knew what I looked like and I was wearing an Exhibitors badge.

 

[Quiet]

Guess not a lot of people knew what I looked like and I was wearing an Exhibitors badge.

I'd say that's fair. I only know you from the wrists down! LOL

I'd have said hello if I had run into you! It was a fantastic show, and I was bumping into celebrities (well, to me they're celebrities) all day.

 

[Ankerson]

I'd say that's fair. I only know you from the wrists down! LOL

I'd have said hello if I had run into you! It was a fantastic show, and I was bumping into celebrities (well, to me they're celebrities) all day.

I was on the move for the most of the time, took breaks once the crowds started to get bad, that sorta thing, was outside a lot lets say.

 

[Clinto.]

I guess you didn't go by Microtech. I commented in another thread how they wouldn't even match Blade HQ prices. Microtech even went on to say that Blade HQ shouldn't be below MSRP, and they were one of the main sponsors. Most of the time, I've always paid more at that show than from an on-line store. Maybe, KnifeCenter will beat their own prices, if you ask. I've always gotten my best deals from them at that show. I do not care about supporting others, I've done that enough with my family and community. No way I'm doing that in a retail situation. Now I have personal shoppers or long term relationships (jewels and watches) and they take care of me. I got a bad taste from some of the vendors asking monetarily what that they did.

I used to be a Territory Manager for a nation wide company (not a knife co.). We made sure that when working a show and "selling direct" to absolutely NEVER under cut our "dealers". Dealers were the companies that carried and sold our product. If we pissed off our dealer by under cutting them, it was same as biting the hand that fed you. It was forbidden.

I can't imagine that Microtech would want to piss off Blade HQ by "beating" BHQ's price. Can you imagine what BHQ's owner would say if he found out? He'd say, hey Tony (Marfione) are you trying to make me look bad? Why should I continue to support you and your product when all you do is f*** me?

Tony Marfione is an upstanding guy, and in my humble opinion, is treating his dealers with the utmost respect by not fuc*ing them.

 

[22-rimfire]

I have zero interest in buying a Microtech blade and if I visited their booth, I wouldn't know one way or the other what their prices were--high, low, or average retail. Clinto expressed what I would expect from a factory booth at Blade. Traditionally, the factory booths are not set up for selling at all.

 

[HST]

A perspective I wouldn't have thought of; however, Microtech - just an employee at the booth - did say Blade Hq shouldn't be selling them at a discount. If there's so much respect to vendors, then maybe the employees working that show should reconsider their words.

I used to be a Territory Manager for a nation wide company (not a knife co.). We made sure that when working a show and "selling direct" to absolutely NEVER under cut our "dealers". Dealers were the companies that carried and sold our product. If we pissed off our dealer by under cutting them, it was same as biting the hand that fed you. It was forbidden.

I can't imagine that Microtech would want to piss off Blade HQ by "beating" BHQ's price. Can you imagine what BHQ's owner would say if he found out? He'd say, hey Tony (Marfione) are you trying to make me look bad? Why should I continue to support you and your product when all you do is f*** me?

Tony Marfione is an upstanding guy, and in my humble opinion, is treating his dealers with the utmost respect by not fuc*ing them.

 

[Clinto.]

A perspective I wouldn't have thought of; however, Microtech - just an employee at the booth - did say Blade Hq shouldn't be selling them at a discount. If there's so much respect to vendors, then maybe the employees working that show should reconsider their words.

I hear you brother. I didn't mean for my words to sound "douche-ie" either. When I first wrote my post on this thread, I wrote it more in tongue and cheek, but now that I re-read it, I see how it could sound a little off..

I know I sound like I'm blindly defending Microtech, but again back to my experience in that sales position; we wanted our dealers to profit a "fair and just" amount. An amount that was fair for the dealer and fair the consumer. That amount was the full retail price set by us, the manufacturer.

If every dealer would offer the product at the same retail price, it would help keep the peace among our dealer base. Every once in awhile we would have a dealer offer our product at near cost at a really low rate/cost, and then other dealers would accuse us of lowering our factory direct price the dealer who sold the product so cheap. Needless to say we didn't like the drama.

So again, the best way to keep the peace was for everyone to sell at the same "fair and just" retail price. So I can see why that employee said it.

But if the employee said it all douche-ie like, then shame on him. Blade Show is all about having fun and selling knives. It sounds like Microtech's employee ruined a perfectly good sale by stepping out of line a bit with you. Who knows, maybe he or she was having a long day, or just got yelled at by someone else?

 

[Ludwig]

Dang - eight years I have been into knives and I have yet to make it to any show let alone Blade.

Seriously need to make it a point to go to at least once and as soon as possible at that!

 

[22-rimfire]

There is a big show in the NYC area every year (NJ I think).

 

[alclark2]

I had an outstanding time and plan to return as much as possible. I went to look at custom knives, meet makers, look at some production knives I've considered buying, etc.. The manufacturers were usually selling at MSRP and I understand why. There were a handful of vendors to shop around and get decent prices on production stuff.