On day three of the Blade Show, I decided to spend most of my time strolling through the aisles checking out cool knives.  There were approximately 900 booths at the show this year, making it virtually impossible to see everything, but here are a few of my highlights.

The Sabersmith

Picture this:  You’re standing in line at the grocery, waiting for an elderly woman to tediously count out the dozen or so coupons she brought to save $3 on oatmeal cookies and eggs.  It’s agonizing, and when things couldn’t get any worse, she remembers that she has additional coupons in her car and heads out to the parking lot, walking at a snail’s pace, to retrieve them.

How could you expedite this process?  Well, demanding that the clerk check you out first by waving around a 5-foot medieval mace would be a good start.

The Sabersmith (real name Tim Lawler) crafts a number of “beyond battle-ready weapons,” such as axes, swords, hammers and daggers.  His booth is quite an eye-catcher, as it resembles a a medieval torture arsenal.

Neck Knives

The neck knife works just like it sounds.  A great tactical and outdoor knife, this uniquely-shaped blade can be easily hung on a sheath around the neck for quick access. Neck knives are often issued to the military, because they are excellent tactical weapons in dangerous situations.  Neck knives are also popular with policeman, who use them frequently during rescues.  These neck knives are made by Spartan and retail in the ballpark of $200.

A dao suited for a monk

The CAS Hanwei booth had some pretty sweet knives, but I was particularly interested in this Jie Dao, which is used by Shaolin monks.  The dao doesn’t have a sharp point, as monks are forbidden from carrying weapons, and it is used primarily for domestic purposes, such as gathering firewood, clearing a path in the forest and even shaving.

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Day two at the Blade Show culminated with the World Cutting Championship, in which knife-wielding competitors dashed through an obstacle course while slicing targets to pieces.

It was obscenely hot in the courtyard of the Cobb Galleria at 4 p.m., yet despite the scorching weather, close to a hundred spectators had gathered to watch 13 knifemen chop though wood, water bottles, golf balls and rope in the hopes of being crowned the 2011 champion.

The course took competitors approximately 45 seconds to compete.  Time was a component of scoring, but more important was whether or not participants cut through the various obstacles completely.

The favorite was Donavon Phillips, who was coming off a recent victory at the U.S. National Championships in Mountain View, Arkansas. Phillips, who appeared to be at least 6 foot 3 and in the neighborhood of 300 pounds, cut an intimidating figure in the courtyard.

Sporting a black cowboy hat, dark sunglasses and a long goatee, he paced with nervous energy before unsheathing his knife—named Delta’s Edge—and bombing through the course and to the top of the leader board.

However, Philips reign was only short-lived, as Gary Bond would later nudge past him and take the crown.

If you ever have the time, The Blade World Cutting Competition is definitely worth checking out.  Scope out the video below and let me know what you think.

The annual Blade Show is the Super Bowl of the knife world, and I’ll be covering it from Atlanta all weekend.  This year, the show features over 900 exhibitors, in addition to a full schedule of speakers, demonstrations, contests and other events.  The exhibition hall opened at 2 p.m. today, and I spent the afternoon wandering through a sea of sharp objects.  Here were some of the highlights.

Interview with New Hampshire State Representative Jenn Coffey

A rising star in the world of knife advocacy and libertarian politics, Rep. Coffey was the driving force behind the recent passage of New Hampshire’s pre-exemption knife bill, which legalized knife possession across the state.  A former EMT, Coffey talked about her work in the New Hampshire Legislature and how she was driven to activism and politics by the influence of her husband.

Coffey said that on the job she used rescue knives, such as SOG’s and Benchmade knives. She added that “knives that can open quickly, like gravity knives, are extremely important. ”

Coffey was signing copies of her recently released book, Knife, Liberty and Lipstick, which is a call to arms for a return to liberty.  A portion of the proceeds for the book are going to Camp Constitution, a summer camp that teaches kids about “our American heritage of courage and ingenuity the genius of the United States Constitution.”

As for her knife advocacy, Coffey encouraged legislators and citizens to move past the glamorization of knives as dangerous weapons.

“I have dangerous knives in my kitchen,” she said, adding that anything, even an umbrella could be used as a deadly weapon.  “The emphasis should not be on tools, but on actual criminal acts.”

Getting Medieval with Albion Swords

It’s difficult to cruise by the Albion table without stopping.  These guys, based out of New Glarus, Wisconsin, carry a pretty big selection of medieval swords.  They’re pricey, most of them all over 1k, but you can play with them for free.  The swords range from French to Irish to Italian, most of the designs were carried by knights during their time.

Albion swords have been featured in a few different movies and their full stock of movie swords can be viewed here. Scope out the Conan the Bararian sword, it’s a must see.  Here are a few other burly-looking swords in their selection.

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