Word around the campfire from multiple and unrelated sources is that this show is dying a slow, slow death.
That is a freakkin' shame, I'll tell ya, 'cause I broke my cherry at that show in 1986, at the ripe old age of 19, and it was a winner!
I met Jim Kelso, Dan Maragni, Chuck Stewart, Pat Crawford, Larry Page, Russell Easler, Al Polkowski, Ron Gaston, Mike Zscherny, Michael Reape, Barb Cricchio(sp?), Jim Schmidt. Jack Feder......all for the first time at the show.
Most of you might not know it, but the New York Custom Knife show was the crucible that the Ashokan gathering of the New England Bladesmith's Guild began to get formed in. Jimmy Fikes, Don Fogg, Dan Maragni, Louis Mills and the late, great Jim Schmidt were all table holders at one point or another at the Custom knife show, and this is back in the day when it was held at the Roosevelt Hotel, certainly not a super place to go, but it sounds better than the current venue.
Looks like the winner is ECCKS in March, and that is historically speaking, a bummer.
Best Regards,
STEven Garsson