The Bladeshow saves me money again

Triton · Jun 9, 2014

This seems to happen without fail. As do many of you I suspect I purchase a good bit of my knives and gear on line. This is due to a variety of reasons but the main one is that there aren't any decent brick and mortar knife stores in the immediate area and even if they were the chances of them carrying whatever strikes my fancy at any given moment is pretty small.

I was very close to ordering a particular knife. On paper it looked like it was exactly what I was looking for. Right size, right mechanics, right steel, even a choice of snazzy anodized handle colors. Then I remember that the show is coming up and figure I'll try one out and buy it there. I get there, I find the booth, I try it out... and I hate it. The ergonomics aren't very good, the thing is a beast to try to open and the lock is an equal pain to disengage to get it to close. This one goes right off my list. 350-400 dollars saved. If I had ordered on line I would have been stuck trying to sell the thing because I wouldn't have felt right returning it to the retailer because I picked the wrong knife.

There's no substitute for seeing them in person, thanks Blade!

Anyone else have similar experiences?

shandrydan1 · Jun 9, 2014

Yep, I was able to cross a couple off of my want list.

On the other hand I got a chance to check out a couple that I previously wasn't interested in and found out they will be ones I pick up at some point. It doesn't necessarily save money, but does end up saving time and hassle of possibly having to sell off or exchange items.

Ken44 · Jun 9, 2014

What knife was it ?
That info may save me some money too

LionSteel ?

Triton · Jun 9, 2014

Ken44 said:
What knife was it ?
That info may save me some money too
LionSteel ?

Dang! I thought I was being all oblique and stuff. Got it in one! I should caveat that by saying that they may well be fine knives (apparently they won an award this year), but they are NOT fine knives for ME. Just as I noted I found this difficult to operate and less than impressive despite their good looks.

mrdeus · Jun 9, 2014

Ken44 said:
LionSteel ?

I also thought of lionsteel

ISKski · Jun 9, 2014

Whilst I thought this would be the case for me, it wasn't. I picked up a gift knife for my brother at a manufactures booth - amazon sells the exact same knife for $48 less than what I paid. NEVER buy direct from the manufactures booth at BLADE show - lesson learned.

Though it was great to handle all the other knives from that company, because of the list of 5 I was considering I ended up with the last one on the list.

Moxy · Jun 9, 2014

Triton said:
If I had ordered on line I would have been stuck trying to sell the thing because I wouldn't have felt right returning it to the retailer because I picked the wrong knife.

I feel the same way. I've never returned a knife if I don't like. I just sell it on the forums and take the hit on my wallet.

Ken44 · Jun 9, 2014

Triton said:
Dang! I thought I was being all oblique and stuff. Got it in one! I should caveat that by saying that they may well be fine knives (apparently they won an award this year), but they are NOT fine knives for ME. Just as I noted I found this difficult to operate and less than impressive despite their good looks.

The award is what caused me to think about buying one, so they were on my mind. But after much searching yesterday I found some saying the same things you did, some that had their lock sliding over when pushed lightly, and I think they made the Hest folders that so many had problems with a first. I'll pass.

Triton · Jun 9, 2014

ISKski said:
Whilst I thought this would be the case for me, it wasn't. I picked up a gift knife for my brother at a manufactures booth - amazon sells the exact same knife for $48 less than what I paid. NEVER buy direct from the manufactures booth at BLADE show - lesson learned.

Though it was great to handle all the other knives from that company, because of the list of 5 I was considering I ended up with the last one on the list.

Wow! I don't understand that one. Many folks there claimed to be offering "show discounts." That aside, I rarely buy knives at the show, although I will check them out there. I find that its smart to let the furor die off and think "do I really want to spend that much money on that knife." Wish I would have done the same with some of the gadgetry I bought this year. I've got a couple of things going onto the exchange in short order. Not because they are bad, but because in the end I would rather use the money for something else.

Triton · Jun 9, 2014

Moxy said:
I feel the same way. I've never returned a knife if I don't like. I just sell it on the forums and take the hit on my wallet.

Good on you. I don't like taking advantage of generous return policies unless there is an actual defect. It's not the manufacturer or the retailer's fault that I picked the wrong thing.

Triton · Jun 9, 2014

Ken44 said:
The award is what caused me to think about buying one, so they were on my mind. But after much searching yesterday I found some saying the same things you did, some that had their lock sliding over when pushed lightly, and I think they made the Hest folders that so many had problems with a first. I'll pass.

To me they just don't seem to be up to the same standard as other folders in that price range, but what do I know?

crom · Jun 9, 2014

I have the SR1A and can vouch for the lock being stiff but I wouldn't say it's hard to disengage. Everything else about the knife is pretty spot-on. Some people like soft detents, some hard, different strokes. As far as build quality goes, my example is above any other knife I've owned or handled except for the possibility of CRK.

JuJu- · Jun 9, 2014

ISKski said:
Whilst I thought this would be the case for me, it wasn't. I picked up a gift knife for my brother at a manufactures booth - amazon sells the exact same knife for $48 less than what I paid. NEVER buy direct from the manufactures booth at BLADE show - lesson learned.

Though it was great to handle all the other knives from that company, because of the list of 5 I was considering I ended up with the last one on the list.

I actually got good deals and so did a few others I was with. Guess it varies by manufacturer.

ares1488 · Jun 9, 2014

I apologize if this is derailing the thread ... I did not make it to Blade this year (or last). Which sucks becuase I live no more than an hour away. I'm broke though...

Anyway, are knives actually cheaper at the show? I can think of plenty of other reasons to go even if they aren't. I was just curious.

cncpro11 · Jun 9, 2014

The exact same thing happened with me last year. I came so close to buying one and thought to wait till Blade.
It wasn't just Lion Steel but there were a few others.
Not sure if I saved money as I still spent more than a month's wages.

Triton · Jun 9, 2014

ares1488 said:
I apologize if this is derailing the thread ... I did not make it to Blade this year (or last). Which sucks becuase I live no more than an hour away. I'm broke though...

Anyway, are knives actually cheaper at the show? I can think of plenty of other reasons to go even if they aren't. I was just curious.

It looks like it might depend on who you are buying th knife from. As I mentioned I got offered some "show discounts" by some of the production guys, and it's always easier to bargain with the custom guys when you are actually there...

Luis G. · Jun 9, 2014

Ken44 said:
What knife was it ?
That info may save me some money too
LionSteel ?

Triton said:
Dang! I thought I was being all oblique and stuff. Got it in one! I should caveat that by saying that they may well be fine knives (apparently they won an award this year), but they are NOT fine knives for ME. Just as I noted I found this difficult to operate and less than impressive despite their good looks.

I was just thinking of lionsteel while you were talking about it. And here comes Ken44 getting it right on the nail.
What a coincidence.

Hairlesstwinkie · Jun 9, 2014

I've learned that check out production companies for prototypes. There's no sense in buying from the manufacturers since they'll be at full MSRP.

When I buy from Blade, I only buy customs or manufacturers putting their stuff on sale so they don't have to pack them back with them. Thursday night, Friday, and Sunday are the best days to buy stuff from Blade.

Lost Cosmonaut · Jun 9, 2014

I have a lot of LionSteel products (several DPx HEST/Fs and fixed blades, a customized SR-1, a Blackwater Aculus, a PM-1 and a LionSpy) and they seem to have their issues, but they are definitely getting better as time goes on. The only thing I don't like about my SR-1 is that it's slippery when I use it.

Triton · Jun 9, 2014

Luis G. said:
I was just thinking of lionsteel while you were talking about it. And here comes Ken44 getting it right on the nail.
What a coincidence.

Just to reemphasize I'm not on some sort of crusade against Lion Steel or anything, I'm sure they are wonderful folks trying to make a quality product, they just didn't do it for me to my disappointment.