The 'Gun and Knife Show' experience

[Lynn LeFey]

I went to the 'Gun and Knife Show' at the convention center in my home town today. Apparently, even though I'm sort of on the very edge of the St. Louis metro area, this is one of the big shows for the whole area. There were a LOT of people at the show. It was almost too tight to move and foot traffic stopped frequently at bottlenecks.

If I had to give a guess, and I think I'd be pretty reasonably in the ballpark, I'd say there were 100,000 knives in that room. It was 'needle in a haystack' searching. I walked the entire floor on one pass before buying anything. ONE dealer had a stash of like 10 multitools. There were, I'd guess, another 15 spread around. There were a large number of Swiss Army Knives, maybe 200 or so scattered through the show. Found a REALLY good condition old Huntsman the guy wanted $15 for. I had to pass. I already have a Huntsman. There were what looked like REALLY old 1890-style Swiss Army Soldier knives, but I couldn't get a look at them with other people crowding the booth. And since they were likely to be expensive anyway, I decided to pass on them.

Two vendors had a good number of the Camillus 'demolition knives', the U.S. equivalent to the Soldier SAK. I had a guy offer to go as low as $25 for one in great condition, but I passed on it. I'm only 'kind of vaguely interested' in them.

Aside from MTs, one booth had about a hundred different Spyderco knives, which I love. Not a Byrd in sight, though, and I don't have the money for a spyderco right now.

Another booth had nice flashlights, mostly nitecore, but some others. I was very tempted to get a Tube, but decided against it. I thought the $10 price sounded great, but looking online, they're less than that on Amazon. (shrug)

At one booth, there was a barrel of old military pouches and stuff. Like 3/4 full. I could have spent an hour digging through it. '$5 each'. I KNEW there had to be treasure in there, but with the crowd pressing and the more-than-faint scent of mildew in the barrel... (shrug).

There were two custom knife makers there, whose work was amazing, and I couldn't afford.

This is the kind of thing that I could, and would spend every cent I can afford at. I went in with cash, and a very set amount. I walked out with a pristine Leatherman PST and a pair of insulated gloves (for my hubby). I ALMOST got a jar of homemade salsa, but they were too crowded. I also almost got a slingbag. I think it was similar to the one Grant posted about a while back, but was just short on funds, and the guy wouldn't come down.

Strangely, I didn't really even look at the guns this year. All out of my price range. Well, that's not 100% true. I did check the price on a Chipmunk rifle. Which was STILL out of my price range.

There were... I'm telling ya... a LOT of knives there today. I should take pictures next time.

[The Lone Wanderer]

Lucky your shows are large, here in my area we have shows once every once in a few months and its always the same 15-20 vendors and NOBODY has SAKs except for one knife booth guy who has some really old stock Wengers he wants too much money on.

[Lynn LeFey]

Mostly, it seems the best bargains are in the booths that have a little bit of everything. Those guys tend to either go way too high or way too low on their Swiss Army Knife prices. I just pick the 'way too low' ones.

There are a lot of strictly knife vendors who overprice their SAKs. Like, ridiculously. 'I could buy this new for less' overpriced. Then there were a couple where the prices were REALLY good. It just takes a lot of searching. But i kind of think of it like a treasure hunt, and find it super fun.

I WISH I could go in with about $500. I'm sure i could leave with $1500 worth of goodies given enough budget. I know some folks are really against haggling. I kind of like it on occasion.

[Poncho65]

I have always been back and forth wanting to go to a Gun and Knife sow around here but it would be a hour and a half or 2 hour drive and I do that daily and don't want to on my days off

I may try it now though just to see how they are around here

[ThePeacent]

you're lucky to have Gun shows at all. 
In my country there's no gun show  to speak of (and knives and guns go hand to hand, so no knives at all either)   

[ThundahBeagle]

you're lucky to have Gun shows at all. 
In my country there's no gun show  to speak of (and knives and guns go hand to hand, so no knives at all either)   

Yes, Peacent, I agree we here are fortunate to have our Constitution acknowledging the rights we have. It does come at some price, for sure. We see that cost rear it's ugly head in the news now and then. However, I do subscribe to Ben Franklin's famous quote relating to both these rights, and the cost of them..."Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety". Historically, it was not made to describe what we are talking about here, however, the quote does seem  to fit.

[Lynn LeFey]

I made a second pass through the gun and knife show today.

Again, I had wished I had a bigger budget. I found a Surge I probably could have talked the seller down on, and it would have been a pretty smoking deal, but was out of my reasonable budget.

It seems like all the old Original Soldier knives disappeared. I didn't even get a chance to ask about the price, even assuming they were out of my price-range.

I picked up a slingbag labeled 'Nexpak'. I think it's officially the 'Tactical Messenger Bag'. Chinese made, but seems super solid.

One guy was selling bayonets. You ever have that moment where you're standing there looking at an M1917 sword bayonet, and half of your brain is screaming 'Get it! GET IT!' and the other half is saying 'Juuuust keep walking'. I could just see explaining to hubby, coming home with a frickin' bayonet the size of a short sword. 'But honey, it matches the decor!' 

And sadly, yes, it WOULD match our decor.

The crowd was much lighter today. I had a lot more time to look at specific items. There was a lot of junk. A LOT of junk. And a few gems. I think I've seen enough Chinese SAK knockoffs to last me a lifetime now.

[Douglas]

....
The crowd was much lighter today. I had a lot more time to look at specific items. There was a lot of junk. A LOT of junk. And a few gems. I think I've seen enough Chinese SAK knockoffs to last me a lifetime now.

Keep Butch away from that show, he wouldn't be able to help himself.  He can't seem to resist the CAKs.
 

[Lynn LeFey]

I can't resist digging through the 'everything $1' piles of garbage myself. I'd probably buy a few if i didn't already have like... what? 5 of them?

I have shame. Deep... DEEP shame... and CAKs. CAKs of shame. 

[Gerhard Gerber]

 -worthy as the thought of a gun & knife show is..........I would probably become obsessive and end up being taken away in an ambulance 

[Pacu]

Man , I love a good gun show. Around here we have the Dallas market hall and a few other big ones like the Mesquite, Tulsa, Tyler. It takes all day just to do one pass. Usually if you see a killer deal snap it up. It wont be there later. Go on Saturday to get the low priced treasures you happen up on. Go Sunday to haggle prices as dealers are more willing to make bank later in the day.

I saw an Al Mar multi new in the box at a Dallas gun show. Never seen one in the wild just laid out for sale. I admired it, looked at the price, then promptly shuffled away.

[Lynn LeFey]

I admired it, looked at the price, then promptly shuffled away.

Yeah. There's a lot of that for me at gun/knife shows. "Man, that's nice". (Lynn looks at price, Lynn wanders off) 

 

[Gareth]

Sounds like you had fun.  Personally I'd have gotten the bayonet.  My wife is kind of used to me coming home with stuff that serves not more purpose than to make me happy.

[Lynn LeFey]

I was SERIOUSLY tempted.