My letter to Blade Magazine

L

Lavan

Joined
Nov 8, 2000
Messages
2,301
I sent the following just now.

To Whom It May Concern,

I have written before concerning the ever later delivery of Blade magazine. I am a subscriber and the August issue only says one thing: "Make sure you get your information from Internet forums."

It is unconscionable that your coverage of the 2007 Blade show arrives too late to take advantage of any of your "go see this" comments sprinkled all over the magazine. Not even someone living across the street from the show would know of it in time to go from the late delivery of the information in your magazine.

This is terrible performance for the "leading" knife magazine. All advertising referring to the "Blade Show" by your advertisers was completely wasted.

I am very disappointed in your magazine for such poor planning.


Cordially,

This is abominable for a magazine of Blade's stature. Whatever you think of the magazine, such poor timing affects the whole knife community.

I am pissed.

If you are too, their email addy is"

Blade@krause.com <Blade@krause.com>

:grumpy:
 
I quit getting the useless print knife/blade magazines years ago.

They can't keep up, their content seems terribly skewed toward advertisers even though they claim otherwise, they feature crap knives regularly like they're good, they promote thieves (eg: knifemakers that don't deliver).

Is there some good in them, yes, usually the articles by knifemakers about how to do something.
 
I stopped getting Blade, but I think its the best knife mag out there layout wise. I think Knife World has more substance. My free subscription was there on time every month. I am a subscriber to Backwoodsman magazine, and that magazine, while not just about knives, is always about a month late. I usually wait a month, if nothing shows up, I call and get a replacement. That is worth waiting for though.
 
The August issue of Blade didn't even get on to their website until June 14th, yesterday, which was a week after the show was over. Way too late to be of any use for those going to Blade, either as exhibitors or attendees. It is a shame that a complete listing of Blade Show events didn't appear in an earlier issue. The advertisers that added the "See Us at Blade, booth #---" to their adds know that there can be delays in publishing, so they start putting that tag in their adds a few months before the show.

As far as Blade magazine is concerned, they have lots of articles that I find to be of interest. However, do the limitations that are part of magazine publishing, much of the information found in them is old news that has already been discussed on the internet for months.
 
Lavan,

There are free copies of blade avaiable outside the Show entrance, you can read while you wait for the doors to open! If any of the articles I write hit you as skewed etc, please contact me or the magazine. It is not intentional I promise. I can use all the feedback/help I can get!

Dan Farr
 
Dan, I have no problem with the articles or the free copies.

My complaint is the timeliness. Blade magazine cheated all its advertisers AND subscribers by planning the issue that has comments of what to see at the show to not reach subscribers til AFTER the show.

The magazine owes HUGE refunds to all advertisers who planned to have some benefit from the pre-show issue ads. Many of the ads in this ....LATE.... issue are the main ads some of the advertisers plan on for to get people to come to their booth at the show.

It is the thickest and therefore I assume MAIN issue of the year for the mag. It should be in hand BEFORE the show.

It may be a good magazine, but it is BAD business.
 
I got mine on Monday, but in Blade's defense the August issue was distributed for free at the show (as is the Blade Show issue every year). This is the first year where I got the Blade Show issue in the mail after the show.

I treat the information the the mags the same as I do information from any source, I weigh it against my personal experiences. Like SHS, I find the Knife World is the best source of info, but still read Blade cover to cover.

My usual routine is to check out the pics of customs and go straight to Ed Fowler's article then start reading the rest from page 1. Yes there is fluff and slant in any publication for the masses. There is info too. Sometimes there can be a lot of information in what is not said or pointed out. ;).
 
I don't get Blade mag, and never have. I didn't even get a free one while at the show, but I am considering getting it in the future.

Do you mean to tell us that the August '06 issue of the magazine did not arrive until june '07???!!!

I'm used to getting the August '07 issue of [any magazine] in june '07.

And if you are saying that a june '07 arrival of a august 07 issue is late...then what calendar are you using?

Maybe I'll check out knife world.
 
I like Blade mag. I am a subscriber. However, it has been arriving later and later and upon complaint I get information that it is on the way or they give me a date. Which has been later than it ...used to be.

Now this doesn't bother me. I read the rag for the articles, for info, and for something to take to the pot.

BUT! Dammit, don't send me NEWS after something happens.

Yes, I knew about the show. Because I haunt these BladeForum halls.

But the magazine (the August issue....just received) tells you what to see and where in the show. And the information that I PAY FOR and THE ADVERTISERS PAY TO TELL ME.... is frikkin LATE!

This is crummy.
 
therulebookman said:
And if you are saying that a june '07 arrival of a august 07 issue is late...then what calendar are you using?
Click to expand...

The magazine contains information on what is happening at the Blade Show, and what people should check out while there. The show was over when the magazine got to subscribers, newstands and even on Blade's own website. That is the reason the issue was late. It doesn't have anything to do with what month it is, and what month is on the cover.
 
Hey Guys...

If I had dropped any dead presidents on ads I'd be asking for my money back..
Those ads Aren't cheap...

LOL

That's Funny though!!!

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
i get Blade for the pics of all the knives. personally i read TK magazine for any sorta review. If they cover the Blade show, it will be in the coming months as they review certain knives that were introduced at Blade.
 
Normark said:
Hey Guys...

If I had dropped any dead presidents on ads I'd be asking for my money back..
Those ads Aren't cheap...

LOL

That's Funny though!!!

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
Click to expand...

Since Blade Magazine was FREE for anyone attending Blade, the advertisers probably got more exposure in this issue than they would have gotten in any other issue.
 
the advertisers probably got more exposure in this issue than they would have gotten in any other issue.
Click to expand...

Well, that's just SWELL! And here all along I thought the magazine was published for sales and subscriptions. Darn, how could I be so dense?

Guess I should cancel my sub and just let someone who goes to the show every year bring me ONE.

:mad:
 
i have a similar problem.i've received 2 issues of my subscription a few weeks back, paid the subs nov/december last year.but i'm in s africa,should that make much of a difference?
 
I really enjoy the magazine, but living out of the country where the mail system is sub-standard, I will definitely not become a subscriber until a fully digital online subscription is offered (without having to also subscribe to the paper copy). In this day and age it should be a dead easy thing to post an exact copy of this mag as a printable pdf online for a reasonable price.

Sorry I guess this is a bit off topic .... !
 
Lavan said:
Well, that's just SWELL! And here all along I thought the magazine was published for sales and subscriptions. Darn, how could I be so dense?

Guess I should cancel my sub and just let someone who goes to the show every year bring me ONE.

:mad:
Click to expand...

FYI, I was addressing Normark's question of whether the advertisers got their money's worth in the current edtion.

I'm not qualified to address the lack of service you and your familiy have suffered, due to poor planning and logistics, though.
 
I understand that. I don't like getting the mag late. But it doesn't do any actual ..harm.

I'm sure a lot of advertisers got some benefit of the free copies at the show, however I am a retired coin dealer and the people who picked up the free copies of Coinage at shows were at best very modest buyers. I consider the free copies to be incentive to SUBSCRIBE to the magazine.

What galls me is seeing a fairly low volume market abused by a late copy of an issue purporting to be a PREVIEW of the largest blade show.

I have had plans that I have altered to attend shows for both coins and knives that weren't in my original plans, but I added them after seeing the announcements in the press.

I don't ...know... but I would guess that the main buyers from ads in the magazine are people who get all worked up over a design or article and actually order and buy a knife based on what they saw in their latest issue. And I consider prosperity of the makers to be a benefit to all of us knife nuts.

........maybe......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top