Going to a Knife Show – Advice for the Handmade Knife Collector
by Ronald C. Pearlman

The days I attend a knife show are some of my favorite days. I am like the proverbial “kid in a candy store.” Knife shows are the best place to buy a handmade knife. You have a chance not only to see the knives in person, but also can handle them and feel the fit and see the finish up close. Shows like the Art Knife Invitational, the New York Custom Knife Show (usually held in New Jersey), the Solvang Knife Show, and the Blade Show bring the best custom knifemakers from across the country and around the world to one place.
Since most of the best knifemakers are in the same room and want to impress you as well as other knifemakers, they bring the best examples of their craft. Competition in both quality of craftsmanship and design is at its highest. The only problem with going to a knife show is if you are taking air transportation, placing a knife worth several thousand dollars in your luggage and hoping it will arrive on the luggage pickup belt without damage can be anxiety producing.
After going to knife shows for several years I have developed a method of perusing the show that has worked for me. Here are some of the methods I use to make the show successful for my collecting needs.

This article appears in the May 2022 issue of KNIFE Magazine. Click the blue button to read the whole thing.