South Africa’s blade lovers descend on Brooklyn Mall

A love of blades and axes attracted collectors from as far as the Cape to the Capital City to marvel and appreciate the craftmanship.

December 4, 2023

Sipho Jack 1 minute read

Hendrik Wallace, Ean JV Rensburg and Jacobus Theron

Blade lovers gathered together under one roof at the 11th annual Brooklyn knife show this past weekend.

The three-day event celebrated the art of knife making.

Knife collector Justin Smith said he has been attending the show for years, adding that every time he attends there’s always something that excites him.

“The best part of the show is meeting and connecting with renowned custom knife makers and some of the blade smiths. One also gets to explore a diverse range of knives, swords and axes for collectors,” said Smith.

PJ Gouws, a knife maker at the event, said the show gave him the much-needed exposure.

Gouws said making a knife was not as simple as many thought it was, saying that it took a lot of time and effort.

“It could take about six months to create one and that would also depend on the type of knife. My knives last long because they are made of carbon.

They are also easy to clean, one can just use olive oil and they remain sharp for many years,” he added.

Neels van den Berg, organiser and one of the 115 Bladesmith Society Masters in the world, said he was proud of how the show had grown.

“We started very small 11 years ago, but look at us now, we have tables running up to the roof – that’s how big the show has grown.

The idea to host the show here (Brooklyn Mall), we were able to hit two birds with one stone, as we can bring husbands and wives into the mall,” he said.

Van Den Berg creates knives of the highest quality and designs that are functional. With this level of recognition and awards to his name, he is considered one of the most accomplished and respected knifemakers in the industry.