Dutch Knife Exhibition 2022

The Netherlands has only one knife show, the annual Dutch Knife Exhibition (DKE). Like most other shows, the last edition was in 2019. So it was not easy to pick up the thread, also because the usual location of the DKE was no longer available.
 

For the 2022 edition, the Dutch Knife Exhibition had to find a new location: accessible and affordable, suitable for holding an exhibition, and where people do not frown on hearing the word 'knife'.
Eventually it became the ‘Evenementenhal’ in Gorinchem, a centrally located, multi-purpose complex with several halls. In one of those halls, the DKE 2022 was held on Saturday 23 April.
The location in Gorinchem turned out to be the opposite of the one in Tiel: light and spacious. The hall was not even half full (which leaves plenty of room for expansion) and the set-up was more playful: 'islands' of four tables in a diamond shape, with spacious aisles in between, instead of rows of tables side by side. This arrangement was chosen partly because of the uncertainty about the prevailing Covid measures. These had been almost completely abolished in the Netherlands just before the fair, but of course this was not yet known during the preparations.
In 2019, there were more than 100 exhibitors. That number was far from being achieved. Sixty-seven exhibitors had registered. The reason for this was not always clear. Still fearful of Covid? Difficulty of getting back into the swing of things? Who knows, but both exhibitors and visitors were generally positive, especially because of the fact that they could finally meet again face to face.
The Dutch Knife Exhibition has always had a very varied participation: artisanal knife makers, dealers and importers, collectors, suppliers of sharpening machines and materials, and the Dutch-language knife platform on the Internet. This ensures a lot of variety and also a very diverse level of quality, from advanced amateurs to phenomenal professionals. The accompanying photos give an idea of the variety.
 
Prizes
The Dutch Knife Exhibition has a number of prizes. The winners of the 2022 edition are:
Best of Show                    Gotscha Lagidse
Best Art Knife                   Hans Luiken
Best Fixed Blade              Erik Markman
Best Folding Knife            Bartosz Herman (knife) and Monika Kalla (engraving)
Best Newcomer               Timo Verschuren
Best Production Knife       Adola (Buck 110 Hunter Sport Pro)
 

The prize winners. From left to right: Hans Luiken, Jerko van den Hazel (Adola), Gotscha Lagidse,

Erik Markman, Monika Kalla, Bartosz Herman and Timo Verschuren.
 

A linerlock folder by Aad van Rijswijk. The blade is Balbach damask, the handle material is Gold Lip

and the bolster is inset with a Ruby.
 

A skinner by Achim Wirtz. The blade is his own ladder damask, the handle is Stag.
 

A dagger by Achim Wirtz. The blade is ‘Grosse Rosen’ (large Roses) damask steel, the handle is

Stag, with the guard made from Medieval ‘Renneisen’ from the Aachen cathedral.
 

Spraying twenty years of graffiti means a thick layer of paint. Someone got the idea of scraping it off,

Wall knife. The steel is Russian GDS-D2.
 

Dutch company Emergo Designs produces oyster knives such as this ‘Hugo’. The knife is made from

 

A slip joint folder by Belgian knife maker Filip de Leeuw. The blade is Cumai steel, the handle Mammoth

ivory with Titanium liners, and the knife comes with a Ostrich leather pouch.
 

The ‘Airman’ by Gert van den Elsen. The 14 cm blade is from 07 Carbon steel, the handle is

Westinghouse Butterscotch Linen Micarta. The knife comes with a hand-stitched leather sheath.
 

The ‘Kennebec Hunter’ by Gert van den Elsen. The 12.5 cm blade is Lohmann Niolox, the handle is

from Walnut Burl with a Thuya spacer.
 

A pendant with two folding knives, made by Hans Luiken. The pendant is Titanium

and Silver inset with a large Jade stone. The blades fold completely into the pendant.
 

A large Bowie by Hans Luiken. The blade is his own damask, the handle is stabilised bone and the sheath

is made from wood, silver and Ostrich leather.
 

 

The ‘Slim’ by Polish knife maker Bartosz Herman. The linerlock folding knife has a San Mai blade

 

 
Belgian knife maker Jan Dox has developed an extensive line of hand-made kitchen knives. This

from coloured and stabilised root wood. The blade is 60 mm high to allow a more comfortable handling.
 

A linerlock folder by Martin Annegarn. The blade is Damasteel, the handle is Ivory and Fatcarbon, with

filework on the liners and spacer.
 

 

Two versions of the linerlock ‘Genesis’ by Michel Timmermans. One has a Damasteel Bjorkmans twist

bolster and black Micarta handle scales.
 

The ‘Treas’ by Michel Timmermans. The blade is Damasteel Bjorkmans Twist, the handle is Mammoth ivory.
 

Pim de Graaf is known for his scrimshaw work, but recently he started to make complete knives. This is his

of a flying dragon.
 

The ‘Findus Flipper’, a framelock folder by Belgian knife maker Simen Stryckers. The blade is 1.4528

(similar to N690), the handle is Titanium, with stippled bolsters.
 

The ‘Large Compound’ by Simen Stryckers. This framelock folder has an M390 blade, and a combined

titanium and blue/black G10 handle.