2019 FREE DEMOS (2020 INFORMATION TBA)
At Blade Show West, we offer a variety of demos and presentations that are free to all ticket holders.
FRIDAY DEMOS
"BACK FROM THE EDGE OF DULL"
Maintaining a keen edge on your knife requires sharpening on a regular basis. However, that isn’t always done and the edge may go almost completely dull as a result. According to Clay Allison of Wicked Edge, his company has the tools to bring your knife back from the edge of dull. Let him show you how.
Above: Clay Allison of Wicked Edge
"KEEP DRUG CARTELS OUT OF YOUR BACKYARD"
Lt. John Nores (retired), team leader for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marijuana Enforcement Team, describes his team’s fight to stop the cartels from destroying U.S. wildlands. Emphasizing the cartel’s use of highly toxic EPA-banned poisons, stolen firearms and homemade anti-personnel and anti-K9 blades, Nores outlines their widespread use throughout black market trespass grow operations nationwide. John covers the health and safety issues associated with these toxics when encountered, identifies grow site indicators for the outdoor enthusiast to be aware of, and highlights the positive relationship developed with the legitimate cannabis industry to aid in this fight. Nores is an author of the "The Hidden War" and has been featured on televisions, podcasts, and more.
Above: Nores on the Joe Rogan Podcast
Learn More About Nores & "The Hidden War"
SATURDAY DEMOS
"HOW TO MAKE A SINGLE-BLADE TRAPPER"
Award-winning knifemakers Luke Swenson and Bill Ruple will show you how it’s done based on Swenson’s video tutorial “Slipjoints with Luke Swenson.” Basic setup, assembly, tang geometry, spring tension, fixtures and tuning, including the Ruple Gauge and the Elite Folder Jig from Metal Head Tools, will be among the highlights.
Above: Bill Ruple Knife
Above: Luke Swenson Knife
"COMBAT KNIFE DESIGN: WORLD WAR II TO TODAY"
Celebrating 40 years as a maker and designer of knives, Bill Harsey worked closely for 14 of those years with Col. Rex Applegate, retired OSS operative and bodyguard for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, designing and making combat knives. Bill takes you through Col. Applegate’s mindset in creating folding and fixed-blade daggers, the smatchet and other combat knives, and how that mindset was influenced by the actual use of the knives. Harsey also details how Col. Applegate has influenced him in his creation of combat knives for Gerber, Chris Reeve Knives, CRKT/Ruger, Spartan Blades and more, a number of which have won BLADE Magazine Knife-Of-The-Year Awards.
"STAG HANDLES: TIPS, TRICKS & MORE"
Last year ABS master smith David Lisch demonstrated how to make a flowed-in “S” guard for one of his stag-handle fixed blades. This year he will “cap off” the process by demonstrating how to pin the buttcap to the stag handle, shape the buttcap to the stag tips and other tricks of the trade.
"PUUKKO: FIRST BLADE OF FINLAND"
The all-purpose Finnish puukko knife is famous for tackling any number of bushcraft and other utilitarian cutting chores, and Jeremy Spake’s custom puukkos are stunning examples of the genre. Join him as he shares his personal story of falling in love with the design early in his knifemaking journey, and his quest to learn as much as he can about making these fascinating knives.
Above: Puukko by Jeremy Spake
SUNDAY DEMOS
LET THE PROS CRITIQUE YOUR KNIFE
Have a panel of award-winning knifemakers share their decades of knowledge and experience in critiquing your custom knife. Murray Carter, Bill Harsey, David Lisch, Bill Ruple, Brian Tighe and Mike Tyre will go over every square inch of your knife and tell you what is good about it, what is not and how you can make it better. This will be a limited seating event. Bring one knife only. Questions from attendees will be entertained throughout. Sign-ups will be held onsite.
1:00pm - 2:00pm - "BOWIE'S BOWIE: THE BEST CANDIDATE" - Author of the book, The Knife Behind the Curtain: The True Story of Actor Edwin Forrest, James Bowie, and the Blade that Binds Them, Dale M. Larson will outline a knife a number of James Bowie authorities agree belonged to Bowie. Larson will discuss the controversies and myths that surround the knife. He will provide documented evidence to support the validity of Edwin Forrest’s claim that Bowie gave Forrest a knife circa 1830, and what is now known as the Forrest Bowie or Forrest Knife is that knife. Larson will have the Forrest Bowie at his exhibitor table during the show.
OTHER EVENTS
