Brave New World: the E-show

Although public life is cautiously resuming, large-scale events are still banned or subject to strict rules in many European countries. At least 25 knife shows have been cancelled since the beginning of March. The end is probably not yet in sight.
Of course these are terrible dilemmas. Cancelling a knife show means a substantial loss of income for the organization. Not cancelling is also a risk. The organiser of a knife-exhibition has to provide something interesting to exhibitors, who only come if they expect sufficient sales. This means that there must be sufficient customers. If somewhere in the chain too many people drop out for fear of contamination, the show collapses fairly quickly – with the subsequent problem to find someone who is willing to pay for the damage.
In addition, there is the risk of being responsible for a resurgence of the corona pandemic. What is allowed may not always be wise.
The decision is different for each fair. A regional show has other problems than one that is hoping for an international presence. And, of course, the venue also plays an important role. The Belgian Knife Society, which organises the annual knife show in Gembloux, where the average distance normally does not exceed twenty centimetres, has already decided to postpone the November fair for a year. The two competing knife shows in Paris, two months earlier, are still on green. However, it is unknown whether it will be possible to travel freely again in September, and to what extent knife makers and visitors are willing or able to take the risk.
And then there are - last but not least - the knife makers themselves. Especially for the professional knife makers, those whose income depends on the sale of their knives, the disappearance of the fairs is a big problem.
Fortunately, there are several initiatives to help them. Both the Coutellia in Thiers and Knife 2020 in Solingen (both cancelled) have organised a digital show. For the Coutellia this is on Facebook 'Le Salon Virtuel du Couteau' (the virtual knives fair). At the last count 128 most French knife makers had uploaded an album there, each with somewhere between 1 and 100 photos and contact details.

 

Knife 2020 has a separate page on the website, on which 61 custom knife makers, knife manufacturers and material suppliers offer their products, with one or more photos and contact details. (www.knife-solingen.de/knife-online-en)

 

And European Blades Mag? Well, according to our plans we would have visited at least ten of the knife fairs so far, for a show report. To make up for that, this and the next issue will have a report of an E-show, a digital knife fair, which we have baptised Corona 2020. On Facebook and Instagram we asked knife makers to send in a few photos and a description of one of their most recent knives. The ones that were the quickest to respond are on the following pages. It is surprising to see some knife makers we had never met before, and it is really nice to see most knives pictured by the knife makers themselves.
 
In the next issue (ED 35)we hope to show a lot more recent work. Only European knife makers please, and high-resolution (300 dpi) photos if possible. Text and photos can be sent to bas@europeanblades.com.
 

The “Apex” by French maker Louis Kapnist (Sü-Sol). The notched slip-joint folding knife has a home-made

 

 

The “Aspic” by French maker Alex Dubois. Notched slip-joint with a carbon Damask blade and Mammoth

the liners are nickel silver

 

Two classics by Czech maker and organiser of the Prague knife show Zdeněk Janča (Jancaknife). The

blades are selectively hardened CX 100, the handle materials are Sambar Deer antler and Amboina wood.
 

 

Belgian knife maker Fabrice Delbart (Forge Celtique) made this fixed blade from C105 with a hamon of

parkerised steel, and a Gidgee handle.
 


Dutch knife maker Joost Franken (JF Knives) made this spring-assisted folding knife. The blade and

 

   

 

 

Guillermo Garcimonte from Madrid (Spain) is a Journeyman Smith from the American Bladesmith Society.

Damask sides and has a tapered tang, the bolsters are Copper and the scales are Mammoth.

 

Richard Spitzl from Germany (an interview with him in European Blades Mag. 29) made this modern

Beech wood.
 
 

Belgian knife maker Christophe van Lochem (CVL- Artisan Coutelier) made this hunting knife with a

stabilised Walnut Burl with a mosaic pin depicting a deer. The overall length is 260 mm.
 
 

The “Taurus” folding knife by Carlos Queirós (Minotaur Knives) from Portugal. The blade is Elmax

ceramic detent ball.
 
 

Alkiviadis Tsafos from Athens, president of the Greek Knife Maker’s Guild, made this Chef’s Knife. The

blade is RWL34 steel, the handle is stabilised Oak Burl wood.
 
 

Mladen Kosovec is a knife maker from Croatia. One of his latest knives is this bushcrafter. The blade

with 3 stainless steel Corby bolts and a Carbon Fibre lanyard tube.
 

 

Dutch knife maker Theo van Leeuwen (Lion Design) made this folder, which has a Niolox blade and a handle from coloured Titanium with TechStab silver strings overlay. The overall length of the knife is 19 cm.
 
 

A fixed blade by Belgian maker Jean-François Colla. The knife has a Damask blade and Palisander

wood handle.
 

 

 

Lithuanian knife maker Modestas Skirmantas (MS Knives) focusses on three different knife models:

The overall length of the Shark is 270 mm.
 
 

Dutch maker Dan Adriolo made this “Hellbot”. The blade is Niolox, the handle scales are

Fat Carbon Lava Flow.