Lately I’ve been seeing less and less knife tables at gun shows. When I do it’s usually el cheapo Chinese stuff. Kind of bummed over this as the feeling of walking out with something hand picked (sturdy lockup, perfect blade centering, nice walk & talk, etc..) is very satisfying. Anyone else noticing this?
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Knives at gun shows?
- Thread starter rampco88
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Never a lot of knife tables in the few remaining gun shows here in this part of New York. Two do come to mind, though. One guy sold quality knives, some custom, others from first-line manufacturers. The other guy sold the tackiest Asian tacticool crap you ever did see. I mean the stuff was enough to embarrass a mall ninja.
Alas, gun shows are becoming an endangered species in these parts.
Alas, gun shows are becoming an endangered species in these parts.
First no guns, then no ammo and now no knives at gun shows?
What's left, just beef jerkey?
I haven't been to a gun show for over a year but gun shows essentially died in CA when the State began to require all private firearms transfers to be handled by a dealer and subjected them to background checks and the 10 day waiting period.
I forget when that started exactly but it was back in the 80's about 40 years ago. Of course, it hasn't helped much to stem the possession of firearms by "criminals" (including convicted felons) nor the occurance of mass murders or other "illegal" use of guns in CA.
On top of this, ammo supplies have almost entirely dried up and not much can be found at a gun show either. The last time I tried to buy any, I could only buy 2 boxes (200 rds) of 22LR at my local Sportman's Warehouse What a joke! I use to buy 5k cases of 22LR and 1k cases of 9mm/45ACP at a time.
CA also now requires all private ammo transfers to go thru a dealer as well, which likewise has done nothing to stem "crime."
Fortunately, for me, I have all of the guns/ammo that I'll ever need for the rest of my life. I'm in the same place w/respect to knives now too. So, they can ban knives too for all I care.
But, I feel sorry for you youngsters who never got to experience a gun show in its "hey day."
Go to a table buy or trade for a gun with just a handshake and piece of paper w/the sellers name/DL# on it, then go to another table and do the same over and over again until you ran out of firearms you wanted to buy/trade or just got plain wore out. Or walk up to an ammo table where you'd buy so much ammo that you needed to borrow their dolly to move it to your car.
Yeah, those were the days but are just a distance memory now.
What's left, just beef jerkey?
I haven't been to a gun show for over a year but gun shows essentially died in CA when the State began to require all private firearms transfers to be handled by a dealer and subjected them to background checks and the 10 day waiting period.
I forget when that started exactly but it was back in the 80's about 40 years ago. Of course, it hasn't helped much to stem the possession of firearms by "criminals" (including convicted felons) nor the occurance of mass murders or other "illegal" use of guns in CA.
On top of this, ammo supplies have almost entirely dried up and not much can be found at a gun show either. The last time I tried to buy any, I could only buy 2 boxes (200 rds) of 22LR at my local Sportman's Warehouse What a joke! I use to buy 5k cases of 22LR and 1k cases of 9mm/45ACP at a time.
CA also now requires all private ammo transfers to go thru a dealer as well, which likewise has done nothing to stem "crime."
Fortunately, for me, I have all of the guns/ammo that I'll ever need for the rest of my life. I'm in the same place w/respect to knives now too. So, they can ban knives too for all I care.
But, I feel sorry for you youngsters who never got to experience a gun show in its "hey day."
Go to a table buy or trade for a gun with just a handshake and piece of paper w/the sellers name/DL# on it, then go to another table and do the same over and over again until you ran out of firearms you wanted to buy/trade or just got plain wore out. Or walk up to an ammo table where you'd buy so much ammo that you needed to borrow their dolly to move it to your car.
Yeah, those were the days but are just a distance memory now.
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I wish I could transport myself back to the eighties. Gun shows in NY were great. Great selection of firearms,ammunition,surplus, all kinds of cool gear. Not much in the way of junk or china made. Tables full of Randalls, Reeve hollow handled, all kinds of great blades.
CT too. I remember in the 80’s before the first federal ban. The National Guard armory in Stratford had a huge annual gun show every spring. It was a smorgasbord of everything. Table after table just loaded up. Then after Columbine it was reduced to an antique firearms and military memorabilia show only. But quality knives could still be had. By the late 90’s the governor banned all weapons on state property so the shows all ceased to exist. Glad I was able to experience it in it’s heyday.
Down here in FL where I currently reside we still have them. The good ones are a 1-2+ hr ride from me. There is a smaller one close to me. But that is the one I’m complaining about with the little to no knives available.
Edit: Wanted to add this was an ongoing show for many years.
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I haven’t been to many gun shows over the last 10-15 years. The last one I took a long ride to a Vermont gun show several years back and it was pitiful. Almost no blades of any kind. The only thing good available was beef jerky
Funny, a guy on the other forum just posted that he was seeing more knives at gun shows! I myself seem to see fewer good knives at many of the gun shows I have frequented for fifty some years. Same thing with flea markets and auctions. Knives are easy to ship so many have gone to ebay and other internet sales sites and I think many more go that way anymore. My closest gun show here in lower NY turned into a "beef jerky show" and although the jerky seems to have disappeared there are many tables selling jewelry, cheap flashlights, dental tools, cheap Chinese knives and other junk, stuff that belongs at a flea market not a gun show.
Gastonknife
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Seems like when the liberals get to be in charge of an area or state gun ownership by law abiding citizens is attacked at every turn. knives and ammo are next on the list. However if you are a criminal you get released early, no bail, or not prosecuted. Covid and overreaching mandates crushed many long term shows and dealers. In NC we still have some decent shows, but the quality of guns and knives has deteriorated. In Charlotte though, there has not been a major gun show in about two years. I used to see many custom knifemakers years ago but in recent years its been less. Much more junk knives and flea market stuff. Kind of sad.
The gun shows around me have changed, but it's rare that I don't find some nice stuff, and I still find buyers when I'm selling. It's true that there is more Chinese stuff than ever before, but I think that's mostly a function of who is manufacturing knives more than anything. Buyers have changed too. The internet has created a lot of buyers who consider themselves to be 'discerning'. They want perfect centering, perfect edge grinds, bolsters that you can see yourself in. And they want it for forty bucks. But they won't pay 1982 prices for Case...
I buy the old stuff, mostly names from years ago, as opposed to names that have been bought up by manufacturers who turn out dubious reproductions at premium prices. And whose buyers make excuses for less than perfect centering, grinds, pins... I do just fine.
I buy the old stuff, mostly names from years ago, as opposed to names that have been bought up by manufacturers who turn out dubious reproductions at premium prices. And whose buyers make excuses for less than perfect centering, grinds, pins... I do just fine.
I bought my first Chris Reeve knife at a local gun show 13 years ago.
Now 13 years later that venue won't host gun shows anymore and the last show I went to had only a 2 tables of quality knives , the rest were junk.
As someone mentioned NY gun shows are becoming extinct and when you do find one , everything is overpriced.
I spend part of the year in Myrtle Beach SC , they have a big show there. I want to check it out.
Now 13 years later that venue won't host gun shows anymore and the last show I went to had only a 2 tables of quality knives , the rest were junk.
As someone mentioned NY gun shows are becoming extinct and when you do find one , everything is overpriced.
I spend part of the year in Myrtle Beach SC , they have a big show there. I want to check it out.
I remember when the Del Mar Fairgrounds used to have freakin' AWESOME gun shows! There were two dealers that always had at least a few interesting knives at their tables. I used to go to every show and could score Benchmade, Spyderco, old Gerber, original Al Mar, and I saw a few Randall's (that I couldn't afford at the time) at these old shows.
Fast forward to 2022 and there are no more gun shows at Del Mar thanks to the @#$% city of Del Mar, and most other public venues in CA won't let a gun show be held either.
Fast forward to 2022 and there are no more gun shows at Del Mar thanks to the @#$% city of Del Mar, and most other public venues in CA won't let a gun show be held either.
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I'd be extremely wary of any knives at gun shows. Spydercos, Benchmade, Chris Reeve, Microtech, ZT, and some other companies have far too many counterfeits out there, and I don't know enough about them to trust myself or the sellers to know if something is legit or not. You could see a table with some mediocre or mid-level stuff, plus a Microtech Scarab with a $300 price tag. You might think "wow, this guy doesn't know the true value of this MT, and I'm about to score a fantastic deal". But the other knives are subterfuge and the Scarab is fake that he's hoping you'll buy. And when you do, he places a new fake one on the table waiting for the next rube.
Local custom knife makers are a different story, of course. There's other exceptions. But I'd avoid anything that is known to be counterfeited.
Local custom knife makers are a different story, of course. There's other exceptions. But I'd avoid anything that is known to be counterfeited.
brownshoe
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Yep.
But like a blind hog I've found some chestnuts
In the last year I got a vintage NIB Spyderco Terzuola for 125, a AGR Benchmade, used but not abused, for 20, a new Buck Alumni for 10 and Benchmade NIB Fact from a dealer for 25 less than the internet.Used to be 2-4 custom dealers, now none
That is one sad, sad pair of sentences strung together, but I suppose it speaks your truth.......Fortunately, for me, I have all of the guns/ammo that I'll ever need for the rest of my life. I'm in the same place w/respect to knives now too. So, they can ban knives too for all I care.
Yeah, those were the days but are just a distance memory now.
I used to hit that Stratford NGA show back in those days, when I was stationed up in Groton. I used to work part time at Lebanon Sports Centre in the late 80's - 90's as well. And I remember going to the Springfield, MA show and I thought it was huge. A great mix of old and new, with plenty of S&W and Colt stuff, as well as a fair amount of knives. That HAS to be gone now, 'course it's been 20+ years since I've been up there.
Like that show, wife and I went late last year, I thought there was PLENTY of knife dealers there, many that were "pros", with 20+ tables, nice displays, and matching prices (as in pretty darn high). The trick is to find the little guy that is just selling a few, but beware the fella that goggled his up and is absolutely going with the highest asking price he saw, + 10%!
Sadly, I remember walking by one table over and over again, at the old Charleston, SC show, where a guy had over a dozen Ruanas, and they were high back then (mid 80's), but not like they are now... Shoulda, woulda, coulda... I've STILL snagged some excellent deals on knives at gun shows, but you have to look, and be lucky.
I hate going to gun shows. The only reason I ever go to a small one is because that's the only place I get to see my favorite knife dealer and what he has that is new an awesome. I only go to his table, so I have no idea what else is there (or isn't).
I've been seeing this same thing in FL more recently. Very few tables have decent knives, and many with very high prices if they do, or at least what I can buy the knife online for. Many tables are now selling the Cobratech type setups and trying to say they are better quality or the same as MT and such! Lots of cheap Chinese knives also sadly like M-tech etc. Even 4 years ago I feel like I was finding at least a few per gun show that were a great deal, rare, and American made autos, like I look for. This is around the Tampa Bay area. I also found a small show I never new existed around St. Pete and they had more tables with quality knives than the Tampa Gun Show at the State Fairgrounds.