The last part of Blade for you to experience is the Flea Market aspect. There are several different components to this but I look at this as the silly side of Blade. Displays or pieces that amused or bemused me.

You can't have a flea market without a table full of ninja stars and gas station knives! Speaking of gas station knives...

Ok, so that one might just looks like it should be sold in a gas station.

and

Over the top displays and gimmicks are also another staple of flea markets. Seriously though, the Busse booth is so big, it makes you wonder if they are compensating for something.

Whenever you have a large group of people gathered in one place, there will always be tangentially related items trying to glom on in the name of making money. This lady was doing cooking demos the entire weekend trying to sell people cheap pots and pans.

That was my experience at Blade 2016. I can't recommend going highly enough. It's a pilgrimage worth making no matter what your proclivities are in the knife community. There is something for EVERYONE. Hanging out in the pit in the evenings is worth the trip in and of itself. Starting around 9pm, everyone piles into the lobby of the Renaissance Waverly hotel and proceeds to consume large amounts of alcohol until the early morning. It's amazing anyone can still function by the end of the weekend. It's a great way to connect up with friends, meet some of your favorite makers or maybe even run into a minor celebrity or two. This year, I ran into Alan Kay who was the winner of the fascinating survival show, Alone. He wasn't there promoting any knives or even the show, he just lives a few hours away and drove down for the day.

And with that, I leave you with a giant Case Swayback.