Salt Lake City’s BLADE Show West to Takeover

Blade Show West in October will see knife enthusiasts and makers from all over the world descend on Salt Lake City. A seminar on a new pattern technique for canisters that could revolutionize knife manufacturing and the 3rd Annual West Coast Flipping Championships are just a few highlights of BLADE Show West, Oct. 7-8 at Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. The show was last held at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California. Doors will open at 10 a.m. and close by 6 p.m. The Stars of Blade Show West will feature the latest wares from leading custom and factory manufacturers, knife accessory companies, and suppliers of various materials and equipment. Friday’s schedule opens at 1 p.m. with a seminar on how to restore your blade from dullness by Clay Allison of Wicked Edge Precision Sharpeners. Ron Hardman and Steve Schwarzer, ABS master smiths, will present 3D printing for canister patterns. Ron and Steve will present a seminar exclusively for BLADE Show West. They will discuss how 3D printing can play a role in bladesmithing, as well as how it may impact the future of the craft. 3D printing is now more affordable than ever. It’s also easy to source printing materials and software. Steve & Co. will show you how to do it. They will also compare and contrast the different methods of creating patterns, the types and how to set up a 3D printing lab. He will show you how to make knives in the Symmetrical Quillon dagger design that he won. The gang was there for the 2nd Annual West Coast Flipping Championships, and many are expected to compete in this year’s 3rd Annual Squid Industries rendition. (group shot courtesy of Squid Industries)Saturday’s seminars kick off with Let The Pros Critique Your Knife, the latest in the BLADE Show’s series of discussions in which some of today’s leading makers examine one knife of one or more show attendees. The panel consists of Bill Ruple, a member of the BLADE Magazine Cutlery hall-of-fame(r), Enrique Pena, a slip-joint maker, Jason Knight, past Forged in Fire judge, and Will Stelter, a bladesmith. Shane Magnussen will then follow that up with a rerun of his popular seminar, How To Texture Titanium Knife handles. Contestants from ages 15 to 30 will compete in a series timed balisong-flipping contests. All show ticket holders are welcome to attend. The factory knife and custom knife judging competitions will take place at a time to be determined. The custom knife category includes the Best Slip Joint, Most Locking Folder and Best Damascus. Categories in the factory knife category include: Best Folder, Best EDC and Best Hunting Knife. Best Tactical Knife is the best. Best In Show is the best. The BLADE Show Awards After Party presented By Black Rifle Coffee will announce the winners at 8 p.m. Friday. The party’s exact location can be found in the show program or by the show staff. New Venue for Blade Show West Tobin Hill will exhibit slip-joints. His folding-guard hunter is made from CPM154 stainless blade steel with a hollow grind. It also has an amber stag handle. A similar knife costs him $2,500. (SharpByCoop photo) Many excellent restaurants and watering holes can be found within walking distance of Salt Palace Convention Center. This venue is cutting-edge in terms of exhibitor space as well as other amenities. The area is also home to an energetic nightlife scene, national parks, museums, and other attractions.Meanwhile, there will be raffles and giveaways, vintage custom and factory knives on display, knife swapping galore, old friends renewing acquaintances, and new friends making new ones–all at BLADE Show West 2022.. . .BLADE West Seminar ScheduleFriday October 71-to-2 pm. BACK FROM EDGE OF DULLL–Meeting room 150: Sharpening your knife on a regular basis is essential to maintain a sharp edge. The problem is that not all knives can be sharpened and your edge may become almost completely dull. Clay Allison, Wicked Edge Precision Sharpeners says that his company has the tools necessary to restore your blade from being dull. Let Clay Allison show you how. 2:30-4:00 p.m. 3D PRINTING OF CANISTER PATTERNS – Meeting Room 150: Learn how 3D Printer Technology can be used to create canister damascus pattern. Ron Hardman and Steve Schwarzer, ABS master smiths, will show you how to use this revolutionary technology to forge patterns previously unimaginable. And all of this on a tight budget. SYMMETRICAL QUILLON DAGGER 101–Meeting Room 150: ABS Master Smith Neels Van Den Berg takes you through the making of a Symmetrical Quillon Dagger, including design, proportions, aesthetics, materials, fluting and finally the entire production process, sharing useful tips and tricks to save you time, money and frustration.Saturday, October 81-to-2 p.m. LET THE PROS CRITIQUE YOUR KNIFE–Meeting Room 150: Award-winning knifemakers share their decades of knowledge and experience in critiquing your custom knife. Jason Knight, Enrique Pena and Bill Ruple will review your knife and give you their opinions on how to improve it. This event is limited to one knife only. Only one knife is allowed. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. He will cover the setup and techniques of sculpting freehand or by using a fixture, provide the information needed to safely use and select a grinder for sculpting, and outline the mechanics of varying angles, wheel size and abrasive belt options, and how they influence the finished look of the materials.4-to-6 p.m. 3rd ANNUAL West Coast Flipping Championships–Meeting Room 150: Hosted by Squid Industries, the championships will feature head-to-head live blade flipping in an elimination bracket-style competition.