What to look out for in a knife show?

golok

golok

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Oct 20, 2000
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I haven't been to a knife show yet but I am preparing for a day when I will visit one.

So for a new visitor to one of these shows, what do the seasoned visitors recommend?

There would probably be scores of tables with all kinds of knives on display. A knife collector can easily be swayed in his selection choices as he moves from table to table.

In order to get the best buy with the best prices, how does one even begin to go about it?

Is it going to be one of those strategic forays into an uncharted territory? Do I have to be very clear in what I want?

Besides making friends with the makers themselves, the objective is to buy the best knives with a limited budget.

What steps are recommended in a case like this?
 
At the major shows, you'll find alot of the big-name makers. Make it a point;) to step up to their tables and say hello. You'll find that they are a very friendly lot and very anxious to have you handle their wares and talk knives.

You'll also find many other knifenuts including many from the Forums. Say hello, wear a nametag so they know who you are and hang out at the show and even after for food/drinks.

As far as purchases, you're not generally going to be able to find price discounts from the makers. They have priced their knives at what they feel is a fair price and that's essentially what you are going to pay.

Just go to look, enjoy, handle and talk knives and have fun. It's well worth it. And spend a few $$$.:)
 
Be aware of some knife show etiquette.

Don't just walk up to a table and grab a knife off of it. The makers and purveyors want to get a feel for you as you look at the wares - ask a question or two and you'll be invited to touch.

Some people bring their own rags to wipe the blades down with, but that makes some makers nervous - they don't know if your rag has some grit on it that will spoil a nicely finished knife.

If a "deal" is going down and you're an onlooker, don't blurt in with your feelings about things - it might blow a sale for the seller.

Don't support "brown-baggers - folks who were too cheap to rent a table and who try and hawk thier wares in the aisles and outside the show confines.

Do try and get an overall survey of what's happening and what's available. One the one hand, you have situations where you didn't act fast and lost out on a nice peice - on the other hand, if you buy right away, you'll turn a corner and then spot the knife of your dreams and won't have the scratch to pay for it.
 
To continue Boink's list...

Don't "flick" open any folders

Don't test the sharpness of the knives by cutting everything in sight

Do find out in advance which makers will be showing and try to hit your favourite makers first (some "big name" makers might be sold out in under an hour...in fact, dealers and other VIPs with early access usually get first pick)

Do realize that if you hesitate then your knife might be sold by the time you come back for a second look

Do take lots of pics and post them on BF!!!!!!

Ok, now onto my post...I have attended a few shows and I must say that my perspective changed...in the first show that I attended, my objective was to see as many knives as possible...in the second show, my objective was to get to know the makers...in the third show, my objective was to NOT come home empty-handed :)

Prices usually don't change until the end of the show...usually when all the good stuff is gone...don't worry too much about prices though...keep in mind that you can usually shop "tax-free" and of course you don't pay any shipping...best of all, you get a little "insurance" in the sense that you can handle the knife (and check for flaws) before purchasing (something you CAN'T do by ordering on the Net!)...best of all, you avoid the wait time!

RL
 
So for a new visitor to one of these shows, what do the seasoned visitors recommend?
Click to expand...

Wear comfortable shoes.

Bring your own bottle of water (at Bladeshow, water is $2 for 12 ounces).

Prices start high at the beginning of the show and slide down as the show progresses. Selection and availability starts high and slowly slides down as the show progresses.

If you buy a production knife, DO NOT even look at the same knife on any other tables. Don't do it. It will be less than you paid for the one you got and you'll feel bad. You felt it was fine when you bought it. You wouldn't have paid for it if you didn't. Be happy with what you have.

Speaking of what you have, bring some sort of bag, a knap sack or something to carry your stuff in. You'll run out of pockets fast. Also, bring a knife roll or some pouches or something to put your new purchases in so that they don't bang together.

Pictures? If you can, but some shows don't allow them (let's face it, there's one table at every show that has the most outrageous-, most dangerous-looking crap knives all displayed on a tablecloth with a skull and crossbones screen-printed onto it or something, just the image we want to portray to the public and that's the table that the press is going to take a picture of for their article about the evils of knives and knife shows. So, it is necessary for some shows to prohibit photography. Otherwise, it is considered good behavior to ask permission before photographing displayed knives or people.
 
Some truly excellent advice so far.
I'll reiterate what others have said by saying be polite. Don't interrupt a sale in progress.

Another thing is don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed at ALL of the awesome knives spread out in front of you and sitting behind them are the famous artisans you've been reading about for years. My first visit to the Guild Show was dizzying. If I had $60,000.00 on me, I'd have left penniless and lugging a suitcase full of knives behind me. No kidding. I saw literally dozens of knives I REALLY wanted.:rolleyes:

Try to visit the makers your most interested in first.

Resist that huge urge to buy the first knife(knives) you see when walking in the door(if you can). This can be truly difficult. For example, at the Guild Show, Al Pendry was the first table you saw when you walked in the door. Frank Centofante was next to him. Warren Osborne was two tables to Pendry's left and between them was Mel Pardue!:eek: GEEZ! GIMME A BREAK!

If you spot the knife of your dreams on the table of the maker you idolize, you better jump on it then and there. If you don't, you'll come back later and it'll be gone and the end of that maker's waiting list your gonna be on to get that same model is two years long.:eek:

If you can, make a quick sweep of the room before getting down to some serious buying and talking and gawking.:D

Good Luck and ENJOY!!
 
I didn't expect so much sound advice from my learned colleagues here.
Still, it is a very pleasant surprise.
 
If you are like me, then money is pretty tight. I find that some of the Retailers (we don't get too many custom makers in Kansas City) will take trades. They will probably only give you the value they would pay at wholesale, so you may lose money on some deals. I've been lucky enough to find several deals on the internet that have translated into great deals in a trade. I try to only trade up in knives, i.e. trading several lower value knives for one higher value. I have ended up with a DDRalph custom Apogee, a MT LCC D/A, and a Large Sebenza that way, as well as a beautiful custom automatic.

If you have money, then all that I have just said won't be much help, and just Enjoy yourself! All the other advice given, so far, has been great!

DD
 
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