The 26th edition of the knife exhibition of the Corporazione Italiana Coltellinai, the Italian Knifemakers Guild, is on the horizon and we can give you some advance information on the knifemakers who have already confirmed their presence at the Hotel Melià in Milan, the new home of the "CIC Show" as it is known in short.
For the time being, some forty masters of the Corporazione Italiana Coltellinai have already confirmed their attendance. Among them are the Americans Rick Dunkerley, Frank Edwards and Tony Baker, who will be joined as a guest by Patrick Antuzzi, a true flintknapping artist, who makes obsidian blades of extraordinary beauty. From Brazil will also come Rafael Fiori Vanuti, a craftsman of Italian origin who makes forged knives in which Latin American lines and Italian tradition merge. And speaking of traditional blades, artisans such as Daniele Maraga, Vito Aquila and Paolo Castangia will worthily represent the vast cultural heritage linked to the regional and historical blades of Italy.
The Guild masters will be joined by four probationary masters: Andrea Bertini, Nicola Conforti, Claudio "Mondo" Ercoli and Andrea Giupponi. The final list of exhibitors is not yet 100 per cent ready, but we will publish it soon and update this page. In the meantime, we can reveal some rumors that we have collected exclusively.
CIC Show 2024: the Crossroad section and other novelties
Created to broaden the horizons on the blade world, the Crossroad section, designed to offer visibility also to those who make other types of blades or workmanship, will host artisans of scissors, axes, and engravings. Among the names already confirmed are those of engraver Francesco Salvadori and Dario Di Chiara, who will be proposing scissors, cigar cutters and other sharp tools.
But that's not all: Sandro Forgiarini, one of the greatest experts on Indonesian Keris, has also been confirmed as a guest. The Keris, which is also and above all known to us as the Kriss, is one of the most mysterious and fascinating exotic blades, a dagger charged with spiritual value, so much so that it coincides with the very essence of its owner. This is also why the Keris was declared intangible cultural heritage by Unesco in 2005. Sandro Forgiarini will be present at the exhibition with his book "Lo strabiliante Keris" (The Amazing Keris) and will display some pieces from his equally superb collection of Indonesian blades.
Video: clips from the 2023 CIC Show
In this video we have collected some clips shot during the 2023 edition, where you can get an idea of the knives on display and the craftsmen present, who were always very willing to explain their small masterpieces in detail.
VIDEO: an anthology of the 2023 CIC Show
Fair hours and admission price of the CIC Show 2024
We at all4shooters.com will be on site and will allow you to take a virtual tour of the exhibition with our Facebook posts, but nothing beats being able to admire in person the beautiful craftsmanship that will be on display at the CIC exhibition and getting to know their makers. Our advice is to come and see the exhibition in person, also to soak up some of the wonderful atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie that binds knife makers and blade enthusiasts.
The Hotel Melià is easily accessible by car (paid parking next door) and by public transport. The Lotto metro station of the Milan underground (Red Line) is a hundred meters from the entrance to the venue.
To summarise: CIC Show 2024, 26th exhibition of art, hunting and collectible knives of the Corporazione Italiana Coltellinai, Milan, 30 November/1 December 2024 at the Hotel Melià, via Masaccio 19.
Hours: Saturday from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. - Sunday from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: 10 euro.
Here you can download the pdf with the exhibitor list.
To find out more visit the website of the Italian Knifemakers' Guild.
