Sydney Knife Show 2024 with photos

Rosehill Gardens hosted the Sydney Knife Show 2024 the weekend of 10th and 11th of August.

KAA runs a great show

The biggest knife show in Australia was on again a couple of weekends ago, here are some photos from the show. As always Kevin Slattery and the others in the KAA are putting on a well organised show, this year was no exception. Andrew Smith is a master organiser, juggling more balls every year with ease. It is easily overlooked when going to an event that someone has spent a lot of time and energy making it look this easy, and you are in safe hands when it comes to the KAA shows.

Get inspired - follow the makers

Below are some photos from the show with social media tags to follow some of the makers we spoke with at the show. Click the links and follow the makers to get more photos in your social media stream to help inspire your next project.

Full show -  tables all sold out!

This year has been a difficult year financially for most Australians and the show had a natural decline in sales this year according to many makers and suppliers we spoke with. But everyone we talked with during the weekend were happy to be there for the show. And as a testament to how well regarded the Sydney Knife Show is - all exhibitor tables were sold out prior to the opening!  

84Engineering was there of course, showing their Australian-made grinders and tools and helping makers with tips and advice on how to get the most out of their tools. Ewan, Sarah and the rest of the team took the trip up from Cooma with a loaded trailer this year. 

Big weekend for Jaden

Jaden Ward from Ward Edgeworks won his table at the Sydney Knife Show by taking out the Best In Show top prize of the Australian Knife Making Awards this year. Not only were his knives well received at the Sydney show, but Jaden also took the opportunity to successfully pass his Australian Knifemakers Guild entry assessment. Well done, Jaden!

Ginger beards and Sausage Man

Brad and Jess Stone from Ginger Beard Blades brought them family for the show, as was Jamie Bishop from Sausage Man Forge with Lillie helping out for the weekend, also managing the table while Jamie was off cooking sausages and handing out freely to everyone. It is a popular activity at Australian knife shows, Jamie running around with his frying pan, making sure the people behind the tables get a snack and a laugh. 

Can you forge a pc?

Sheree Hageman took her hairier half to show as well again this year, hanging out at the Eveleigh Works table where they had something quite special; a FORGED PC. This was a pc with a forged stand with monitor, keyboard, mouse and controller attached. Very cool!

Your chance to handle some amazing knives

Another great thing about going to a physical knife show is that you get to see and handle some amazing knives in person. Pick them up -after asking permission - and feel how they handle, have a closer look at the fit and finish and really get a feel for the knives in a way photos will not match. 

Tobi Bockholt from Metal Monkey Knives had flown in from Tasmania, and Billy Pearce from Saehrimnir forge was sitting behind a table of fewer and fewer knives as the weekend progressed. These were only a few of the makers present, but some we got some snaps off while running away from the Nordic Edge table now and then.

Best makers in the country gathered in one location for the weekend

One of the coolest things about going to a knife show is being able to walk around and speak with the actual makers rather than see their work on Instagram or wherever. It is a different experience when you can pick something up and discuss with the maker their thinking behind the design, material selection, ask questions on finish and design. At the Sydney Knife Show you have some of the best makers in the country gathered under one roof for the weekend, and it is an opportunity not only to buy a handmade knife but to learn more about the person behind the knife and the work they do.

Mert Tansu from Tansu Knives was present as every year, showing his classy culinary knives made in the Hunter Valley, here seen speaking with Jason Ellard, another maker from Tasmania taking the trip to Sydney for the show. 

Rod and Sharon Hoare brought a full team for Rod Hoare Knife Images to the show this year, being busy all weekend taking professional photos of knives. This way the maker not only gets a lasting memory of the knife, but also get some very professional looking photos to showcase their best work for future clients.

Photo credit: Every single knife photo in this article is taken and/or edited by Rod Hoare, thank you Rod!

Knife as raffle prize - Jason Heineman and the Guild

Another of the truly excellent knife makers we have in Australia is Jason Heineman. He donated an amazing knife to the Australian Knifemakers Guild for the raffle prize at the Sydney Knife Show this year! In the photo Mark Barrett who won the prize is holding it, with Jason on the right. 

Yep, you read that right. Jason donated an amazing dagger with damascus blade and woolly mammoth tooth in the handle to the raffle for the Guild. What a prize to win! 

Jason also won the Best of the Rest Award at the Show with a stunning gladius sword. Photo credit Rod Hoare.

Time for some knife p0rn?

Every KAA Knife Show has a knife making competition on the morning of the first day, before the show opens to the public. This show was no exception and there was a very high quality of knives presented. The Judges had their work cut out for them, crowning some stunning knives this year.

Jason Ellard from Ellard Blacksmithing who won the Best Damascus Knife was another maker with a free table this year paid by Nordic Edge as he took out the Best in Show prize at the 2021 AWARDS and finally now got to claim his prize. Jason brought hand made hammers as well as knives to the table, and took out the Best Damascus Knife Award at the Sydney Show this year!

Jason Heineman won the Best Of The Rest Award with a Roman Gladius sword, truly spectacular.

The Best In Show AS WELL AS Best Art Knife were both won by Adam Fromholtz from Fromholtz Knives with a complex steampunk barrel knife with antiqued brass, copper, damascus steel - and a steam valve (!).

Photo Credit - all knife photos by Rod Hoare Knife Images. 

Dmitriy Popov of DPC Custom Knives is another well-known maker who attended the Sydney Knife Show again this year, taking out the 1st prize in Best Chef's Knife.

Liam Walla from Walla Knives took out the Best Forged Knife Award with this stunning bowie blade, coming over from New Zealand for the show and making it worth his time by winning not one BUT TWO AWARDS at the show.

And coming over from Western Australia Bruce Barnett from Barnett Custom Knives won the Best Folding Knife Award for his beautiful work with his own damascus steel.

Luke Berkelmans from Make Smith in Queensland took home the Best Utility Knife Award at the Sydney Knife Show this year, always a popular award with good entries.

Liam Walla won his second Award of the day with the Best Hunting Knife, packing two trophies on the trip back to NZ with this excellent hunter.

Last today but certainly not least was Best New Maker Award here handed out by KAA President Kevin Slattery which went to Thomas Kelly "The Thomas Kelly" for a clean, well executed chef knife.

Photo credit (all knife photos on this article) goes to Rod Hoare at Hoare Knife Images., this article would not be much fun without Rod's work.

Thank you to everyone who came by our table at Nordic Edge over the weekend! It is the biggest weekend of the year for us as so many others in the Australian knife making community, and a chance to put faces to names of new and existing friends.

From Marie, Riley, Chris and Bjorn at Nordic Edge, thank you to the KAA for putting on such a great show. 

Hope to see you there next time! 

Bjorn