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Blade Show West Finds New Venue for 2021

October 7, 2021

Blade Show West, the fledgling second show under the Blade Show banner, is back and opening its doors this weekend. In a major shift, this year’s show is taking place in a different state than the first two.

Compared to the venerable Blade Show, which has been running for decades, Blade Show West is a mere sprat. It first ran in 2018 in Portland, Oregon – an obvious choice for a west coast knife show, given that Portland is one of the knife capitals of the world, with companies like Benchmade, Kershaw/ZT, and Gerber all in the neighborhood. In 2019 it was the same, but after the expected 2020 hiatus, the third annual Blade Show West has been relocated to Long Beach, California.

In an official press release, Blade Show director Alicia Newton has this to say regarding the move: “Many exhibitors and attendees who joined us in Portland, Oregon, for the past two West shows suggested ways we could improve on the experience. We listened and started looking for alternative locations. The Long Beach area has so much going for it that this was an easy decision.”

Over 200 exhibitors will be in attendance, including both production companies like We and Spyderco, and custom makers like Liong Mah. So far in its short lifespan, Blade Show West has not been a major source of big release announcements, but given the 2020 hiatus and the community’s desire to return to some degree of normalcy, this year may be different.

Regarding COVID, it is important to note that, in accordance with Los Angeles county mandates, all attendees must provide proof of vaccination to enter, and face masks must be worn at all times when not eating or drinking. For more details on this you can visit the Blade Show West COVID-19 page here.

Blade Show West runs October 8th and 9th, and takes place at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Knife in Featured Image: Liong Mah Designs KUF EDC 4.0

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