This is an odd choice. California knife laws are a mess. No autos over 2″ is the one that comes to mind first, but the real problem lies in the panoply of prohibitions on so-called “exotic” handle materials. Not only is legally obtained antique ivory banned, this extends to mammoth ivory because everything is stupid. Mark also explained to me how even more mundane materials like elk antler need to have documentation of where it was harvested.

I suppose long term this might catch on because of the size of the Southern California knifemaker community. Blade Show has become more of a custom than a production show over the years, but Vegas would have been a better choice if you wanted to bring in folks from back east.