Blade Show

Landed an opportunity to run a program in Atlanta...just so happens to coincide with Blade Show Granted, I will be busy till about 5 or 6pm on Friday, but I finally get to be there!! Looking for some insight from those that have participated in the past.

What events are a must (days / times)?

Best places to stay? Preference for Sheraton or Embassy? What's closest to the action?

Besides mentally preparing for the trough stomp...what else should I consider as a show newb?

Thanks!

Ishi, the show runs from Friday through Sunday afternoon. The first hour on Friday usually offers a 10% discount for the first hour only, then regular show prices. Saturday is a great day to be at the trough for the "feeding frenzies", usually every two hours. Later on after the show closes for the day, Busse rents out the Jocks & Jills restaurant for a nice buffet style meal, then the fun begins! Inductions, and you never know what else Jerry might come up with. Then in the patio area are games/contests for shop credit prizes and socializing with fellow Dogs, Rats, and Hogs. You DON'T want to miss it...LOTS of fun!

There's a LOT of hotels/motels near the Cobb Galleria to choose from. I usually go cheap and stay at the Extended Stay Homestead motel, about 1 mile or so from the Cobb
Galleria. I would rather spend my money on knives than a motel room I won't see much of! It's also about 1/3 the cost of the Rennaisance Waverly next to the Galleria. Just Google Smyrna Georgia hotels and motels or Atlanta hotels/motels for location, cost, etc.

It really is a great experience that every knife afficianado should attend at least once in their life!

I should add that the Cobb Galleria is way in the northwest corner of the Atlanta area, practically in Marietta. Nicest place to be for Atlanta!

Remember decent footwear!

Last year, I had on some crappy, but cool shoes, which killed my feet.

And have a good time!
Look out for this Tom Kanik caracter, though!

Lucky Dog!

Not that I've gone, but I say have fun touring all the other knife makers as well...

Check out Winkler Knives hawks please...I need info!!

Thanks guys! So, other than the 10% discount, looks like I will be ok. Looking forward to the opportunity.

Have fun

I think that ANYBODY who attends the Blade show has fun!

I am surprised Blade West didn't pick up enough momentum to stick around. As you mention blade sounds like a blast. We need more blade shows.

I hope that we can keep the Blade show in Atlanta in light of all the doom and gloom the economic experts are predicting! It always draws a HUGE crowd!

True, I have read some doom and gloom articles but there is always room for the right knife

I always carry some sort of small backpack or manpurse to a show like Blade (haven't been to blade, but use to frequent the huge 1500+ table gun shows) so I can keep my hands free while still acquiring some goods.

That is an excellent suggestion; a lot of folks have packs or bags to hold their goodies.

At Blade it's fun wearing a chopper all day.

Great ideas...thank you. It just so happens my addiction to knives is about as prevalent as my addiction to rucks...so, I'm set there.

SWEET! A fellow pack addict!!!!

Actually I am a pack addict as well, but most of mine come from flea markets. I only have four what I would call Good Quality packs.

1. Maxped Fat Boy
2. 511 Push pack
3. Maxped Condor II
4. Grey Ghost 3 day assault pack.

The first two of course aren't really Packs, but they work for hauling around limited items with the 511 being about half again as large as the Fat Boy.

You need to test them out at Blade Randy!