After missing a couple years of Blade Shows Kay and I were in high anticipation to see our friends and enjoy the buzz of one of the largest knife shows on the planet. From the moment we arrived at out hotel we began seeing familiar faces in the lobby.
We also realized that we had lost an hour due to time zone change and were going to be rushing things to get to the CKCA banquet held at Maggiano’s , however we got there and enjoyed a fine meal and kicked off the Blade Show in good form.
Friday morning is when the testing for ABS Mastersmith and Journeyman takes place and I traditionally station myself outside the testing rooms to support the applicants in this stressful occasion. I remember the way I felt when I was taking the tests myself and determined to be there in support of others since. Several others did the same and I snapped photos of a few of the ones gathered outside the judging rooms.
Chris Wu passed his JS test. Shown with son Andrew, wife Tammy and Lin
One of the JS applicants, Chris Wu of Taiwan had me officiate his JS Performance Test, which he passed, and went on to pass the second part of the test by submitting his five knives before the judges. He also passed this as well. My congratulations goes out to Chris as well as the other successful applicants.
I had a good show, partly due to the fact the one of my knives was on the cover of the June 2018 Blade Magazine released at the show. However, the show seemed a bit slow in general. There was a new management and this may require a year or two develop momentum. It’ll be interesting to see what exciting things are in store.
Kay and I always enjoy the Blade Show but it does take its toll on our energies and while we regret leaving our friends behind, it was great to get back home and unwind. After processing the events as well as the photos, I’ll share a few.
I have photos of so many people from the Blade Show that are special to me. There’s not room for them all here. After experiencing the loss of one our dear friends and fellow knife maker, Bruce Bingenheimer, and seeing the show table set up in his memory, I was determined to get as many photos of people instead of knives. Life is fleeting and sometimes a photo can become very important in the blink of an eye. I wish I had taken even more.
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