Blade Show Texas 2026

Quick critique: Overall, solid show, but it had some issues compared to last year....
Likes:
--A few new makers showed up
--They opened up the arena area for food tables, etc
--They re-vamped the wifi; it actually worked this year
--The Door Lady security guard is still working the door. She's been doing it for years. She's cool to talk to.
--Bad or good depending on perspective: Almost everyone had the same table spot as last year.
--The EK Knives Sebbie was badass, was nice to chat with Tim Reeve.
--Picked up an Imamba from Arno. Super nice guy.
--Ramon Chaves looked at a couple of my very first "Production" 229's, which he stated more more custom then production.
--Crowd was mellow. Bali-kids area was pretty sparse. No fidget spinner tables.

Dislikes:
--Quite a few grumpy makers. If you dont want to display or sell, stay home. If you want to play on your phone and ignore the customer base, stay home.
--Many empty tables: Blade Organizers are trying to crack down on makers, etc who buy tables, then sell out very early, or even before the show starts. This was really bad on Saturday, especially before Noon.
--"Designer" not maker tables. Worse: "Designer" tables that were holding lotteries for their overseas OEM'd pieces. One was approaching 4K...For an OEM Reate...
--Non-Dealer types buying everything. MUCH worse than last year. Saw it twice: A guy would approach, usually from a certain country, and buy out an entire display case, with a fatass wad of hundreds. Maybe to avoid tariffs? Dont know.
--Even worse: Tables, manufacturers that would take Dealer orders and sell massive amounts of product directly at the show. Especially problematic at the Protech booth (though they were trying to limit it). This is almost "Digital brown bagging"...And the number of dealers selling Blade Show "Finds" is getting ridiculous and is hurting the show: Why attend, if I can just buy a show exclusive or new release from a dealer, the next day, or even the same day?

Overall, pretty solid show, but the participants haven't changed much (same with all the Blade shows). The vibe this year was off compared to last year, and the buying crowd was notably smaller...It just never seemed super crowded.
 
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This was my 2nd year to attend. I enjoyed it. The most difficult part was trying to go back to a custom maker after walking through that area. I needed a floor layout that I could mark which tables I wanted to go back to.
 
Mk-211 said:
Tell us more about the two in the center!
Click to expand...
The first one is a Sanji by Billy Cho, that was his open bid piece. It’s Mike Norris damascus and the onlays are Westinghouse micarta. The onlays in the lock side act as an overtravel stop for the lockbar. It has an extremely unique clip made of monochrome timascus.

The other one is a Jester by my friend David Beaver, tpt scales with mother of pearl inlays.

Here’s a better pic of the Cho:

IMG_7511.jpeg
 
MarbReds said:
The first one is a Sanji by Billy Cho, that was his open bid piece. It’s Mike Norris damascus and the onlays are Westinghouse micarta. The onlays in the lock side act as an overtravel stop for the lockbar. It has an extremely unique clip made of monochrome timascus.

The other one is a Jester by my friend David Beaver, tpt scales with mother of pearl inlays.

Here’s a better pic of the Cho:

View attachment 3141825
Click to expand...

Amazing pieces, thanks!
 
This was my first Blade Show (thanks to my wonderful wife pushing me to go!) and though I don’t have the past experience to draw from, I do agree with some of the aforementioned quips.

There were a ton of “designers” with just a few items for sale. Some had wonderful ideas, for sure, but the organization of the floor was a little odd as a first timer because you’d find an established, well known bladesmith between or next to someone who is debuting their first design. I couldn’t decide if I liked that randomness or if maybe it would be more efficient to have each subgenre kind of organized better.

I really enjoyed meeting and seeing the “famous” knife people, knifetubers, and designers. It’s certainly an overwhelming sensation to be surrounded by so much interesting hobby related items and then see someone you’ve been watching for years walk by.

I agree that many of the older makers seemed disinterested in getting your attention. I’d walk up to a table and say hello, only to watch them turn around or walk off while I was looking. The few knives I picked up, on the contrary, had makers who held a conversation with me for several minutes.

The venue was nice, I went both days and it never felt overcrowded. I avoided a couple of booths when doors opened but was able to snag the one knife I “went for”. I will say I wish they had more food options nearby. I ate at the center one day and it was alright, but the other day I walked about 4 blocks to get a burger and ended up spending twenty dollars on a smash burger. Not really anybody’s fault but it would be cool if the venue allowed food vendors to put stands in there.

Overall it was a wonderful experience. I don’t know if every aspect lived up to the expectations (good and bad), but I’m looking forward to future shows! I’ll post pick up picture tonight!
 
On behalf of those of us who couldn’t make it this year, just wanted to say that I appreciate the info and pics. Thank you, please keep ‘em coming. . . 🙏🏼
 
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