I’ll be attending and blogging from the Blade Show in Altanta next month.
The Blade Show isn’t really a trade show like the SHOT Show. Yes, large orders will be placed and taken by different vendors and company representatives, but it’s really a show for knife lovers. They will also have the annual cutting contest.
It’s true. Name an activity and somebody will make a contest about it. I’m told that NASCAR has its roots in bootleggers outrunning the feds. I don’t know if it’s true, but makes for a great story.
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| A tough lie. It's in the rough and it looks partially buried. Must have been soft ground. |
I don’t know the roots of the Blade cutting contest, but contestants have a variety of objects that have to whacked off, cut through, bisected, and separated from the rest of it. The knives are closely regulated. I remember discussions with participants over the best place for a lanyard. I remember several older winning designs that had points. Most of the knives today have round noses because there is no stabbing event and the point was wasted knife. They don’t look like the kind of knife you would carry for daily use.
The general comment seems to be that the cutting contest will result in the design of better steels, blade grinds and theories about how things are cut. All of which will improve your knife. Hmmm, that’s a lot to ask.
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| Tougher than you think. A golf ball cut with a single swing. |
I worked for a tire company that used to claim what they learned from making essentially 500 miles of left hand turns with tires designed differently for each of the car's wheels produces a better passenger car tire.
That’s BS. It produces advertisement and brand recognition. So with that background in mind let’s just say I’m cynical about blade improvement from cutting golf balls and hacking through a 2x4.
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| I saw this ball cut in half with a single chop. Impressive as hell!!!! I wonder if the ball has a cut proof guarantee? |
Still it’s amazing to watch!!!!
My friend bought this at a gun show. The seller had a box of them and was selling them significantly below wholesale. All the knives were without boxes. It looks like one of Spyderco’s SLIPITS. All the markings look good.
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| Looks like a Spyderco SLIPIT. For those cities and nations that think locking blades are TOO DANGEROUS for the common man. |
And the price! It was just so good that he couldn’t resist. The problem is the price was too good. Is it or is it not a real Spyderco?
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| The flip side. Still looks good to me? |
I’m taking it to the Blade Show to ask Spyderco.
Stay tuned for more…………
