Brno Super 2018

The XXVI spring Brno Super Exhibition, held on the 17th of March 2018, featured 67 exhibitors from half a dozen countries. The quality of the craftsmanship was excellent, and so was the food.
 
Text and pictures Martin Helebrant
 

Brno is a town that offers many charms and surprises. The meteorologists in early March were predicting a warm spring, but their capability to see the future evidently was limited. This is what passed through my mind, while I was stomping my way through the fresh snow-covered sidewalks to the historical Town Hall of Brno, where the exhibition is traditionally held.

The XXVI spring Brno Super Exhibition was held under the patronage of Mr. Vokřál, Lord Mayor of Brno, and he has been worthy of the patron. There were 67 exhibitors, most of whom were presenting knives. By my count, eight tables offered materials for knife makers, starting from steel and raw blades to high grade materials for the handles and scales. When seen from the nationality perspective, 42 exhibitors were Czech (and Moravian, of course – there always has been a slight friendly rivalry between these two nationalities), 15 came from Slovakia, four were Ukrainians, two were from Hungary, two from Poland and two from Russia. As usual the exhibition was held in the Via crucis of the former Dominican monastery, the arcade that surrounds the inner yard. The arcade is relatively narrow and creates an intimate atmosphere between the exhibitor and visitor while the large vaulted windows provide enough light even for the smallest details of the exhibited knives.

 

The slightly narrow space has an intimate atmosphere.

Most of the exhibited knives were fixed blades; the folders presented a distinct minority, smaller in proportion then for instance in Prague or Příbram. At least this is my intuitive feeling and I have no specific explanation for it. When I went to Brno, I expected a well-organized exhibition with presence of plenty of Slovak knifemakers. This was the true, but there were not only knifemakers from Slovakia. Mr. Maďarič, the organizer and spiritus agens of the exhibition, was able to attract a good couple of exhibitors from Hungary and Ukraine and added a true international taste to the exhibition. What I did not expect was such a high number of extremely creative, perfectly made knives. There were some names I already knew, but there were also names that I never heard before. Shame on me! What a piece of work and there was so much creative ingenuity present in these, so far, unknown names! Just one from many: let me to mention Master Boris Schubert, awarded the best freshman prize of the exhibition.

 

largest blades.
 

Some people say that the Brno knife exhibition is plagued by Awards of different kinds. It is true that it has more awards than usual for an exhibition of this size. But there is a lot of effort invested into evaluation of the exhibited knives and once this is done, it is good that this effort is utilized to the maximum extent. And it is a Brno tradition and a friendly gesture and an additional motivation for the knifemakers to come.
Last but not least, Brno is capital of Moravia, a rich agricultural land with splendid soil. It is no surprise then, that the quality of the food in the plentiful restaurants in vicinity of the exhibition, and even the sausages sold as a fast food right on the venue, was excellent. The same concerns the wines selected as premiums for the awarded knifemakers. Good soil is a source of good food and good men who made blessed blades. So shall it be.
 
List of Awards
The Award of Brno Lord Mayor – Arpád Bojtoš (SK)
The Best Design of 2018 Award – Lubomír Majan (SK)
The Best of the Exhibition Award – Štefan Albert (SK)
The Best Engraver Award – Jaroslav Čech (CZ)
The Award for the Fixed Blade Utility Knife – Miloslav Veselý (CZ)
The Award for the Fixed Blade Hunting Knife – Sándor Debreczény (HU)
The Award for the Fixed Blade Combat Knife – Lubomír Maďarič (CZ)
The Award for the Artistic Fixed Blade Hunting Knife – Robert Kováčik (SK)
The Award for the Utility Folding Knife – Kislinger Miloš (CZ)
The Award for the Artistic Folding Knife - Ladislav Máté (SK)
The Award for the Daggers – Karel Borecký (CZ)
The Award for the Swords –Aleš Karban (CZ)
Special Award for the Collection of Miniatures – Julius Mojžíš (SK)
The Visitor’s Award – Richard Chromý (CZ)
The Best Freshman of the Exhibition – Boris Schubert (SK)
 
 

 

 

cherry and apple tree, box from walnut and maple. Blade length 158 mm, overall length 295 mm.
 

  

spring steel 14 260, fork material 14 260, handle carved stag.
 

folded length 112 mm.
 

350 mm, overall length 497 mm.