Eccks

[The Amazing Virginian]

My buddy Phil Lobred told me that the hordes of tactical knife collectors swept past Michael Walker without even glancing at his wares, knowing who he was...

I think that is your buddy Phil Lobred talking with Michael Walker at the right of the first photo I posted. And that is Mr. Walker's table at the lower left hand corner of the second photo. See any knives there?

I think that your use of the plural "wares" was poetic license. I went by his table at 11 AM when they opened the doors, and then stopped back later a couple of times. I saw exactly one knife. Which was gone at 3 PM to a drawing.

But he did have a some nice knife pictures on his table, which you can see in my second picture.

No doubt at all that Michael Walker is one of the greatest, most innovative, and most important living knifemakers. Arguably number one on those lists. But if those hordes of collectors came to actually see and handle knives (never mind purchase something), why would any of them have spent much if any time at Mr. Walker's table?

 

[SharpByCoop]

LOL! Ken, you're incorrigible.

I checked your time stamp on that photo and it was 5:13. The show closed at 6. Sad to see.

I was swamped all weekend, so my ONLY opportunity to actually step in and see the show was around 1pm on Sunday, and it was slow, but OK for that time.

The Walker points remind me of a story I'd heard long ago:

A woman goes to a deli in NY and orders a bagel.

"How much, please?"

"That will be $20."

"Twenty dollars?! How in the world can you make any money selling bagels at twenty dollars?"

"We only have to sell ONE...."



All I know is what I experienced. Also: Paul Shindler (Knife Legends) told me it was his best show EVER. I can't deny that sad photo, though.

My Gallery will come out soon.

 

[The Amazing Virginian]

LOL! Ken, you're incorrigible.

I checked your time stamp on that photo and it was 5:13. The show closed at 6. Sad to see.

I was swamped all weekend, so my ONLY opportunity to actually step in and see the show was around 1pm on Sunday, and it was slow, but OK for that time.

. . .

All I know is what I experienced. Also: Paul Shindler (Knife Legends) told me it was his best show EVER. I can't deny that sad photo, though.

My Gallery will come out soon.

Why am I incorrigible? What about me needs to be corrected or reformed?

I posted my honest, unvarnished, assessments. I wasn't angry, personal or mean about it. However, I wasn't a cheerleader. But as time goes by, honest, candid, less-than-flattering opinions seem to be less accepted here, and I guess posting them makes you incorrigible. But it's cool - I've been called worse (a LOT worse - LOL!)

As for the time stamp on my picture . . . really? I went by my memory when I said that it was about an hour before closing, and it turns out that I was wrong. I apologize - it wasn't taken about an hour before closing. It was actually taken about an hour and three quarters before closing. The second picture was actually taken at 4:13 PM. I took it with my wife's camera, which I borrowed, and I just checked the time in the camera menu and for whatever reason, it is set an hour fast. So shoot me. Not sure what the point was anyway. 4:13, 5:00, 5:13 . . . those pictures are a fair representation of what things looked like later in the first afternoon of the show, and I posted them to illustrate what Jonathan Brand had posted earlier.


BTW, thanks for posting your ECCKS gallery thread. Beautiful pictures of beautiful knives! I have really enjoyed looking at them. If all of those knives had actually been exhibited by the makers on their tables at ECCKS, IMO it would have been a better show.

 

[SharpByCoop]

Ken: The winky smily thing next to my words: It means everything.

I wasn't contesting you at all. I'm poking you (I thought) in a fun way.

I completely understand and the timestamp thing VALIDATED your response. I hear you.

Damn interwebs.

Thanks for the props on the Gallery. You can see why I was unaffected.

Coop

 

[martinr]

Here is a knife from the show that wasn't on the table, but really, why would I want to risk having a bunch of people handle and possibly scratch it? I have a feeling that's why a lot of delivery knives go right into a collectors bag or room safe.
Anyway, the knife is an Emmanuel Esposito Stingray dagger, #8 of a series of ten with different inlays.

 

[willywills]

I went Friday part of Saturday and like 20 mins on Sunday it was pretty crowded at 1 pm on Friday, when I got there at 11 am it wasn't that crowded cause it was only the VIP people but through out the day more and more people came in. However I came back later Saturday like 35 mins before it closed and a lot less people were there and many of the dealers had already left. But nobody ever said this was a huge show thats Blade Show, I went to ECCKS because I wanted to meet makers like Rick Hinderer, Todd Begg, and the guys at Strider, also to purchase some knives from Neil at TNK and to just have a great time which I did. Although some tables were empty and some makers left after they didn't have more inventory plenty of people still stayed the entire weekend for example on Sunday I checked out the show before I took off from the hotel and there was a lot more people than I expected for Sunday because the people who couldn't make the other days came to check out the show.

 

[Dave R]

I went had a great time and would like to thank all who dropped by my table and look at my engravings. I got to see beautiful knives and meet some great people.
Thanks David

 

[Nephilim Killer]

Dave you are one talented dude.

 

[The Amazing Virginian]

Here is a knife from the show that wasn't on the table, but really, why would I want to risk having a bunch of people handle and possibly scratch it? I have a feeling that's why a lot of delivery knives go right into a collectors bag or room safe.

Oh, I get that. The reason why I mentioned delivery knives is that it might distort one's perspective about the show itself. For example, while Coop may be photographing these beauties at the show for the convenience of the maker and/or new owner, and while the folks who bought or sold them are justifiably happy, it really doesn't have one damn thing to do with the show itself. Just from the perspective of an attendee, aficionado and collector, who was only exposed to the things that were actually being exhibited there, I never saw any of those knives that were presold or on delivery. So when folks see all those pictures posted here, they might not realize that the folks who travelled and paid to attend the show did not see those knives, and folks might get the wrong impression that all of these great knives were exhibited there when they weren't, making the show appear a lot better than it really was. The show was definitely not worthwhile to me and was largely a waste of my time and money. YMMV, of course.

BTW, that is a gorgeous knife. Congrats and thanks for sharing the pictures here!