ARTICLE – We get pleasure from reviewing knives right here at The Gadgeteer, however there may be one factor that’s higher than a evaluate: placing your palms on a knife and giving it a check. The very best place to see knives, each new and outdated, is at Blade Present 2024 in Atlanta, the most important knife present on the planet. I attended this yr’s present, and listed here are a couple of of the highlights for me.
There have been almost 1,000 distributors, and most had been, not surprisingly, promoting knives. Some bought mass-volume knives (assume Kershaw or Benchmade), some bought hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind knives, and a few bought outdated collectible knives that that they had refurbished. The second commonest sort of vendor was people who bought knife-making provides, like specialised deal with supplies, to knife makers. Distributors had been additionally promoting swords, machetes, maces, backpacks, and knife sharpeners.
This present is a good place to speak with folks. I talked with distributors whose knives we now have reviewed, like Tekto and Vosteed. It was nice to see and deal with knives that I had solely seen on YouTube in addition to model new knives that I had by no means heard of; in reality, I used to be so impressed with the model new Chupacabra from Tactile Knives that I picked up one for myself. Everybody I met was blissful to speak about their knives, present them off, and let me strive them out. Effectively, not fairly everybody. Some knives had been very specialised and distinctive, and their homeowners didn’t need folks enjoying with them. The most costly knife I noticed was for $30,000, and I noticed a number of others that ran a couple of thousand. For these type of knives, I used to be content material to have a look after which maintain strolling. Blade Present attracts distributors from throughout, and I met folks from as distant as Germany and South Africa.
The good factor I noticed was a man who makes knives with liner locks designed for lefties! In case you’re , search for knives labeled LEFTY at TW Worth Designs.
The weirdest factor I noticed was birthday cake-themed knives; I’m undecided why this is able to be a factor, but it surely was! Not everybody was promoting knife-related objects. One vendor was promoting picket ashtrays, and a few girls had been promoting silver jewellery; I even purchased a 3D-printed, fully-articulated, two-toned dragon from one man, simply because it was cool.
The very best a part of the present for me was getting the prospect to speak with folks and be taught new issues. The worst a part of the present was most likely the parking–it was a nightmare to get in and to get out–although it could have been a realization that not all distributors are sincere. I had one man attempt to promote me a knife for $25 whereas claiming the deal with was G10, when it was clearly some sort of plastic. Fortunately, this man was an outlier, not the norm, and this little run-in wouldn’t detract me from coming again. I’m already wanting ahead to subsequent yr!
