Knife Shows~Do we need them?

I have attended four knife shows in my life and that was years ago. Though I would like to attend Blade and the ABS show, whenever I check into my cost of attending, I always decide to spend the money on another knife instead.

Shows are important to makers, becuase it gives them the chance to meet both old and potential customers. This is only a good thing for the makers as long as they use the shows to their best advantage.
 
It is interesting that we have some type of discussion about the health of the custom knife world regularly. This tells me that many here feel, however subliminally, that trouble is coming our way.

Don (Hanson), you will continue to sell out because you are a top maker. The wealthy collectors will still be around. However, I think that you are wrong to say that the media are overplaying it. They are exaggerating some aspects, yes, but they're completely underestimating the risk of inflation.

Yes, there are too many shows. Makers should be much more selective in which shows they attend, and they should let the least adapted shows die.

Makers do not use the internet enough. I don't know how often I have to say it. I follow closely the sites of 20+ makers. The ONLY top makers who have regularly new work for sale on their sites are Jerry Fisk & Harvey Dean. Don Hanson has made some inventory available by helping his past customers sell their older pieces on his site - email list. This is a great value added service that certainly would make me more likely to buy from him. Those are no brainers from an economic standpoint.

If makers cut half the shows they attend a year, and were dedicating the production they would take there to their website, they would be able to attract and keep interested a much larger population of customers - worldwide mind you - at a fraction of the cost.

Letting some of those shows die would be beneficial to collectors, who could then see more of their fav' makers in a single show.
 
Joss said:
It is interesting that we have some type of discussion about the health of the custom knife world regularly. This tells me that many here feel, however subliminally, that trouble is coming our way.
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I don't know what kind of effect it will have, but the looming recession will have an impact on people's spending habits. My guess is that it will also have an impact on the attendance at knife shows.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
I don't know what kind of effect it will have, but the looming recession will have an impact on people spending habits. My guess is that it will also have an impact on the attendance at knife shows.
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Is Canada out of its recession yet? I think it started in 1955 or so.
 
Don already adressed this somewhat, but I was going to say that $1000 in expenses for a show assumes that you go by yourself to a reasonably priced show, drive to said show (or fly Southwest and not have to rent a car), are able to stay in a reasonably priced hotel and don't eat too much:D As best as I can figure, Blade would cost you around $1000 just for table fees, fleabag hotel WAY off site and a cheap plane ticket to Atlanta. I would figure that staying in one of the two hotels on site would run that up to at least $1200-1300 including feeding yourself if you were able to get a decent air fare from Delta or Airtran. A show like Paris would probably run yo closer to $2500-3000 even if you only stayed for the duration of the show. You could do New York for as little as $2000 if you live near a major airport, but you wouldn't be eating well. The good thing about shows is that they are like going to strip clubs for knifemakers...lol.
 
Don Hanson III said:
My show season is just fixin to start :D

Kevin, didn't you say the Blade show was the one that got you into custom knives? Like has been said, we need shows to help bring in new collectors.
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Yep. I was in Atlanta on a business trip around the Galleria area and finished up early and had a 1/2 day to kill so I dropped in the show and immediately got hooked.

Started studying up on customs then went to a show in western Va. months latter and met Larry Bailey saw his great display and collection then I started buying that day.
 
I have attended four knife shows in my life and that was years ago. Though I would like to attend Blade and the ABS show, whenever I check into my cost of attending, I always decide to spend the money on another knife instead.
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Until recently I did the same as Keith...spend my money on knives instead of going to shows. In the meantime I learned that going to a show is more than browse with an intend to buy. My visit to Milan last year was an eye opener for me in this regard. I finally met with people that I corresponded with for a while and now that we met the interaction has changed for the better. That is one of the major reasons that I'm going to Blade this year. To meet up with a few makers that I haven't talked to live yet....and to browse with an intend to buy of course:D

So yes I think we do need shows. Do we need as many as there are? I can't speak for the US market but in Europe there are only two major shows (Milan and Paris) and a few more lets say "regional" shows and I think there would be room for a show like the AKI (I mean an invitational) in Europe.

Marcel
 
Has anyone ever considered putting together a virtual show?
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The Australian Knifemakers Guild did something like that last year. Whether or not it was a success I don't know.

Marcel
 
Makers have to do shows, out of sight- out of mind! People tend to forget about you, especially if you don't advertise, have a website or participate in forums.

Doing shows requires more work than just making knives. You have to book flights, find hotel rooms, find transportation to and from the airport and stand behind a table all weekend.

There are things that you can do to make the cost of the show cheaper. Do you have to stay at the hotel where the show is? No, you can stay across the street for less, making your cost of the show less, it's just less convienent.
Travel with someone, if you drive to the show split the cost of gas, hotel rooms ect.

So what if it's expensive to do shows? It's a break form the shop, you can meet new people, take orders, pick out materials and most of it can be a tax write off.

Less than 3 months to blade, I better get some work done.
 
Keith Montgomery said:
I have attended four knife shows in my life and that was years ago. Though I would like to attend Blade and the ABS show, whenever I check into my cost of attending, I always decide to spend the money on another knife instead.
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Keith, as you are a very knowledgeable collector this doesn't apply to you but I expect many novice collectors look at shows or more the cost of going to shows in the same way. Not considering the value of the show experience.

For example, attending a certain couple of dealer's seminar could be worth thousands over a collector's years of collecting. How about contacts you make at shows that allow you to have exposure to the better knives as they become available? How about the friendships that are made by meeting collectors/makers/dealers at shows?

All considered, that single knife may not be the best use of a collector's money after all.

As I said earlier, IMO we need to look at the BIG picture.
 
Keith - although you are a very knowledgable collector, I would be willing to bet that if you ponied up the dough to go to Blade, you would find the experience itself easily worth more than the $1k knife you would otherwise buy, from social, educational, networking and life-experience standpoints.

Roger
 
Regarding makers being paid to attend shpws, that is correct. I know makers who are paid to attend Blade. Other promoted shows are no exception. They may receive a free table and expenses, they may receive more, but it is true. That's why some big name makers alwas attend certain shows. It makes the show look like it brings in the top makers all by itself.

That said, I don't have a problem with it. It's part of the promoter's promotion and probably comes out of the advertising budget.

Gene
 
To a maker, shows are still essential. There are always new customers to meet, to talk to, and to impress.

I do 3 major shows a year- BLADE, NY Custom Knife and ECCKS.

I don't see any problem with business. If a maker offers great knives at a fair price, and focuses on what his customers want, he can sell out every time. And, by selling out, I mean "sell enough knives to make going to the show very worthwhile".

As to "A" or "B" list makers, I don't know where I fit in. No promoter is giving me a free table, however. Oh well, I'll just keep trying to be "someone" :)
 
RogerP said:
Keith - although you are a very knowledgable collector, I would be willing to bet that if you ponied up the dough to go to Blade, you would find the experience itself easily worth more than the $1k knife you would otherwise buy, from social, educational, networking and life-experience standpoints.
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As much as I agree with your viewpoint, I think I would rather spend the money to go to smaller, more intimate get togethers like Josh's hammer-in. I'm sure that i will also get a great education about knifemaking while I am there.
 
Keith,

LOL, you really think you can learn as much about the custom knives, custom knife makers, custom knife collectors and the custom knife market attending a show with 6 makers....as opposed to the Blade Show??? Not a knock on Josh's show.

No, stop it. You can't.

The thing that annoys me most about the show is how much time I have to spend behind my table.

No show, no hammer-in, not get together, etc can come close to providing a collector with as much knowledge as you can get at the Blade Show.

Only one show should be 3 days...Blade Show. Quite possibly the show could be 4 days.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
 
Les Robertson said:
No show, no hammer-in, not get together, etc can come close to providing a collector with as much knowledge as you can get at the Blade Show.
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Yep. I like the more intimate (ahem) hammer-ins and smaller shows as well and I am sure Josh's event will be most worthwhile in all respects. But there is no equivalent to Blade.

Roger
 
Gene Martin said:
Regarding makers being paid to attend shpws, that is correct. I know makers who are paid to attend Blade. Other promoted shows are no exception. They may receive a free table and expenses, they may receive more, but it is true. That's why some big name makers alwas attend certain shows. It makes the show look like it brings in the top makers all by itself.

That said, I don't have a problem with it. It's part of the promoter's promotion and probably comes out of the advertising budget.

Gene
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Gene, could you name the makers that are being paid to attend and which shows also. I've been in custom knives for over 25 and have not seen/heard prof of this. Rumors yes but no prof.

Joss, thank you! I may be wrong but I usually do not agree with the media. They never paint the complete picture, no matter the subject. I stay in touch with at least a dozen makers and we're all busier than ever have been.

One thing that I really want to do and have been trying to, is offer knives on my site on a regular bases. One, once or twice a month would be good. But orders and shows keep getting in the way. Once my backlog of orders is more manageable, I will be able to do this.

I will continue to do the Blade show, the Chicago show and maybe one other. Shows are worth the expense and much fun :)
 
Good point, guys. Aside from the social aspect of shows like Blade and SICAC which are tons of fun, the shows get the knifemaker out in the public eye and let the buyer/collector meet evryone and overfill their brains with information even if they don't buy anything. As for a maker, you should go to a big show like Blade even if you don't have a table. The opportunites for gaining knowlege and especially for buying supplies are well worth the trip.
 
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