ARTICLE – We enjoy reviewing knives here at The Gadgeteer, but there is one thing that’s better than a review: putting your hands on a knife and giving it a test. The best place to see knives, both new and old, is at Blade Show 2024 in Atlanta, the largest knife show in the world. I attended this year’s show, and here are a few of the highlights for me.
There were nearly 1,000 vendors, and most were, not surprisingly, selling knives. Some sold mass-volume knives (think Kershaw or Benchmade), some sold hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind knives, and some sold old collectible knives that they had refurbished. The second most common type of vendor was those that sold knife-making supplies, like specialized handle materials, to knife makers. Vendors were also selling swords, machetes, maces, backpacks, and knife sharpeners.
This show is a great place to talk with people. I talked with vendors whose knives we have reviewed, like Tekto and Vosteed. It was great to see and handle knives that I had only seen on YouTube as well as brand new knives that I had never heard of; in fact, I was so impressed with the brand new Chupacabra from Tactile Knives that I picked up one for myself. Everyone I met was happy to talk about their knives, show them off, and let me try them out. Well, not quite everyone. Some knives were very specialized and unique, and their owners didn’t want people playing with them. The most expensive knife I saw was for $30,000, and I saw several others that ran a few thousand. For those kind of knives, I was content to take a look and then keep walking. Blade Show attracts vendors from all over, and I met people from as far away as Germany and South Africa.
The coolest thing I saw was a guy who makes knives with liner locks designed for lefties! If you’re interested, look for knives labeled LEFTY at TW Price Designs.
The weirdest thing I saw was birthday cake-themed knives; I’m not sure why this would be a thing, but it was! Not everyone was selling knife-related items. One vendor was selling wooden ashtrays, and some ladies were selling silver jewelry; I even bought a 3D-printed, fully-articulated, two-toned dragon from one guy, just because it was cool.
The best part of the show for me was getting the chance to talk with people and learn new things. The worst part of the show was probably the parking–it was a nightmare to get in and to get out–though it may have been a realization that not all vendors are honest. I had one guy try to sell me a knife for $25 while claiming the handle was G10, when it was obviously some type of plastic. Thankfully, this guy was an outlier, not the norm, and this little run-in wouldn’t detract me from coming back. I am already looking forward to next year!
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The venders were 5 Star all the way.
The administration / promoter were about a 1/2 Star.
They made everything as difficult as posable.
They treated attendees horribly.
The venders said they were also treated badly. When they complained the were assigned a table in the back as punishment.
Directions and signage were often contradictory.
Their attitude was also a mix of apathy and hate.
Go for the venders but know you will be treaded like crap to get to the vendors.
My experiences were exactly the opposite of yours. Nothing was as difficult as possible. I was never treated horribly. I didn’t see any contradictory signs or directions.
It is true that there was a super long line at 10am when the doors were opened, which was expected, but they moved us through the line quickly and we got our bracelet without any fuss. The only problem we experienced was parking, and that’s on Cobb Galleria for just not having enough space in their decks.
I spoke to many many people and they all agreed with me or told me a story worse than mine.
I guess you are just very lucky.
The parking is a problem and that is on the Galleria but they can go somewhere else, or set up some remote parking. (I know that is a big ask but something needs to be done.)