Invitation to the 19th Spyderco Amsterdam Meet

[Red Leader]

Wow, I like the prototypes, I will take that top one please :D:D. TBH I like the designs of all 3, especially the blade shape of that bottom one. The hump-less spine and no-choil is a winning combo on these IMO.

Is that a ‘mini’ Schempp bowie I spy, or is the camera angle playing tricks?

Sign me up!

[Ramonade]

Wow, I like the prototypes, I will take that top one please :D:D. TBH I like the designs of all 3, especially the blade shape of that bottom one. The hump-less spine and no-choil is a winning combo on these IMO.

Is that a ‘mini’ Schempp bowie I spy, or is the camera angle playing tricks?

Sign me up!

The acrylic ones are designs prototyped by @Mushroom , I asked if he was ok for sharing it with everyone. I like them all ! The bottom one being my favorite . I'd like to see what either of them would look like in steel and all

Oh, and it is the "normal" Schempp Bowie !

[Red Leader]

Wow, I like the prototypes, I will take that top one please :D:D. TBH I like the designs of all 3, especially the blade shape of that bottom one. The hump-less spine and no-choil is a winning combo on these IMO.

Is that a ‘mini’ Schempp bowie I spy, or is the camera angle playing tricks?

Sign me up!

The acrylic ones are designs prototyped by @Mushroom , I asked if he was ok for sharing it with everyone. I like them all ! The bottom one being my favorite . I'd like to see what either of them would look like in steel and all

Oh, and it is the "normal" Schempp Bowie !

Wow, bravo Nick!

[WilliamMunny]

Those are some awesome prototypes! Great job Nick, love the one on the bottom, looks like a small fixed blade.

[Mushroom]

Wanted to start this post by extending a big THANK YOU to Eric, Wouter, Lisa, and Spyderco for hosting such a fun, unique, and insightful meetup!!! Eric’s presentation was captivating from start to finish. It really was a dream come true for me as a Spyderco enthusiast and even though it lasted all day, it went by way too fast in my opinion. I could attend a week long Spyderco seminar and not get bored!

I know I’m not the only one that reads this thread every year with excitement, anticipating the sneak peak photos from Wouter! It’s one of the best parts of the year.

After so many years of feeling like I was missing out, I am so glad I pulled the trigger and joined the fun! I had a long list of expectations based on what I had heard from past meetups but this whole experience exceeded those expectations and then some!

I wanted to put together a “post-meetup” post sooner but my flight home after the meet got delayed three days because of a blizzard in the northeast United States. It was a blessing in disguise though because it gave me a few more days to hang out in Amsterdam and go into full tourist mode. I quickly learned there are worse places to be stuck! Amsterdam is a beautiful city and a lot of fun. The people here are so welcoming and friendly, they really made the whole trip that much more enjoyable.

Speaking of, I met so many awesome people. It was a lot of fun to connect with Spyderco Enthusiasts from across the pond! We may live worlds apart but we have a lot in common.

Wouter @Mr Blonde, it was so good to finally meet you in person. Thank you for providing us with quality photos over the years and keeping all of us enthusiasts eager for more. Also, thank you helping coordinate and host such an awesome meetup this year. Everything ran smoothly! I had an incredible time, I learned a lot, and would love to return for next years meetup as well. Thanks again for the “greased wheels” award too! It is much appreciated!

Robin @Ramonade it was a pleasure meeting you! Thanks for bringing your prototype Precision folder to show off. Excited to see how it goes after you add a clip to it. Wishing you the best of luck moving forward with the design!

I met so many great people! Thiers, Robin, JD, Guillarme, Nemo @Nemo3000, Geoffrey, Tom, Tim, @DutchBlades, Sjoerd, Harley - you guys helped make this such a great experience!

During the meet, Spyderco was gifting attendees awards for trivia and small challenges. Trivia such as “Who named the Manix?” Or “What was the first steel used by Spyderco” and challenges like “Who has the most Spydies in pocket?”, “Who has the oldest Spyderco in pocket?” I was lucky enough to win the challenge for “Who traveled the furthest to attend?” and received one of Spyderco’s new shirts, a hat, and a bandana!

Spyderco also generously gifted goodie bags full of Spyderco gear to every attendee there!

The bag itself has a Spyderco 50th Anniversary logo printed on it. Inside was the 2026 Product Guide, the Reveal v20 catalog, 2026 Calendar, a few stickers including the 50th anniversary sticker, a full size Bodacious vinyl patch, Charisma hat pin, 2026 Amsterdam Meet Spyderco Coin, and a Spy27 Endela!!!

Seriously, THANK YOU SO MUCH Spyderco!


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Also wanted to give a big shoutout to Otto with the shop “Ricasso Knives” in the center of Amsterdam! Otto was very receptive and welcoming when I stopped by. Zen and I hung out there for, literally, hours talking shop and Spyderco! His shop is located a few blocks down the same street that the well known “ The Old Man” outdoors store was located on. Otto used to work at The Old Man but since they have closed, he has picked up the torch selling knives again!

On top of being in a prime location, Ricasso Knives has a large selection in general but they have an abundant stock of Spyderco models. They have a lot of awesome deals on some very hard to find Spyderco’s at the moment too, so if you’re in Amsterdam (or nearby) do yourself the favor and stop by Ricasso Knives as soon as possible!

The Old Man had a well established relationship with Spyderco and had received some awards for “Outstanding Sales” in the past. Otto currently has these on display in Ricasso Knives.

He also had a stack of old promotional posters that he had turned into a couple of collages. I forgot to take a photo of the second one. Awesome wall art for a knife store.

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@Red Leader Thanks Dave! That’s only three of four models that I submitted. Technically submitted five designs total. I have a lot more where those came from too! Fingers crossed!

@WilliamMunny Thanks William! Now I just have to hope and pray that Spyderco finds enough value in them to pursue them further!

[Mushroom]

I had plenty of time to be a tourist after the meet too. Spent most of the time sightseeing and eating tasty foods. No mystery where I spent the rest of the time.

Cappuccino from “Bakers and Roasters.” This was the most picturesque cup of anything I’ve ever drank…

@JoviAl I’m so glad I didn’t skip stopping at Winkel 43! Well worth the stop. The apple pie was delicious!

Also stopped at Fabel Friet for some Parmesian and Truffle Mayo fries. They were also delicious!

Did a whole lot more too but I’ll spare everyone from the rest of my reminiscing and leave it at that. Amsterdam is a a beautiful city, it’s a lot of fun, and the local people are very welcoming. As much as I’d love to see one of these meets in the US, I’d love to attend the meet here in Amsterdam again.

[Ramonade]

@Mushroom You could definitely ask Guillaume but meeting you was one of the most anticipated "event" for me this year !

And it wasn't any year, it was my first year attending as a knifemaker. Words are falling short but the interaction with Eric, even if it wasn't my first one, was worth the travel alone. Meeting you, seeing your "way of knifemaking" too and talking quite a lot was as good as the rest of the trip

[WilliamMunny]

@Mushroom love the pictures and the round up of the event. Looks like it was a ton of fun and well worth the trip.

[Wartstein]

Sounds like a perfect event once more, glad for all you guys who obviously enjoyed it so much (again)!

I'll really have to try next year that ski touring does not prevent me from trying to attend too.

Of course, like probably pretty much the whole forum, I can't wait for the Wouter pics...

[Manixguy@1994]

Thanks all for sharing ! I always look forward to see pictures of the Amsterdam event . Dan

[Ramonade]

@Wartstein I'd really love for you to come join the frey next year. And it would be the 20th Amsterdam Meet, too !

[Wartstein]

@Wartstein I'd really love for you to come join the frey next year. And it would be the 20th Amsterdam Meet, too !

Will you be there?

[Ramonade]

@Wartstein I'd really love for you to come join the frey next year. And it would be the 20th Amsterdam Meet, too !

Will you be there?

Of course! Even if I'm working on Monday I'll simply drive home early. It's not convenient at all and the 1400km in one week-end is tiring but it is one of my favorite event of the year. The previous 2 years I was working the next day and my co-workers could tell

[Mushroom]

@Mushroom You could definitely ask Guillaume but meeting you was one of the most anticipated "event" for me this year !

And it wasn't any year, it was my first year attending as a knifemaker. Words are falling short but the interaction with Eric, even if it wasn't my first one, was worth the travel alone. Meeting you, seeing your "way of knifemaking" too and talking quite a lot was as good as the rest of the trip

Thank you, Robin, that really means a lot! It was an honor to meet you as well, especially now that you are an established knife maker! I am hoping we get to hear Eric present one of your designs next year!

I really enjoyed our conversations. Meeting fellow Spyderco enthusiasts who share a similar passion made the whole trip worthwhile for me too.

@Mushroom love the pictures and the round up of the event. Looks like it was a ton of fun and well worth the trip.

It certainly was. Enough to convince me to go back again next year!

[MrGibson]

@Wartstein I'd really love for you to come join the frey next year. And it would be the 20th Amsterdam Meet, too !

Oh! Maybe next year is the year I’ll finally make it happen. 20th anniversary seems like fun!

[Ramonade]

Thank you, Robin, that really means a lot! It was an honor to meet you as well, especially now that you are an established knife maker! I am hoping we get to hear Eric present one of your designs next year!

I really enjoyed our conversations. Meeting fellow Spyderco enthusiasts who share a similar passion made the whole trip worthwhile for me too.

I might faint if this really happens ! I'll keep working to be worthy of that

I know a number of spyderco fans in France, but none are really active on the forum. Going to the Amsterdam Meet lets me put faces on nicknames/names of people I've been talking to for years. It's not often you can talk with someone from Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden, USA.... It's a true experience, filled with kindness !

[sal]

We're pleased that the Meets are still going and are well received. When we tried the concept, it was a gamble. We hade more staff than visitors for the first Meet. Spyderco has done a few things unique to the industry, Meets, Mules, etc.

Glad you guys enjoy it. Also proud of Eric for picking it up and improving it.

sal

[Ramonade]

We're pleased that the Meets are still going and are well received. When we tried the concept, it was a gamble. We hade more staff than visitors for the first Meet. Spyderco has done a few things unique to the industry, Meets, Mules, etc.

Glad you guys enjoy it. Also proud of Eric for picking it up and improving it.

sal

My only regret is not being able to participate sooner to meet you in person.
But regret doesn't bring anything, I'm glad things went how they did, participating last year is what finally made me start knifemaking. I've always wanted to, but hearing Eric told me to draw a design for this year. I had to answer that I would not only draw, but create.

It was sort of a first step for me, the kind of moment you remember.

[DutchBlades]

@Mushroom Great write-up and well said! Nice meeting you, and had yet another amazing year myself as well! A big thank you to everyone over at Spyderco for making this a fantastic day once again :D

[Wartstein]

@Wartstein I'd really love for you to come join the frey next year. And it would be the 20th Amsterdam Meet, too !

Will you be there?

Of course! Even if I'm working on Monday I'll simply drive home early. It's not convenient at all and the 1400km in one week-end is tiring but it is one of my favorite event of the year. The previous 2 years I was working the next day and my co-workers could tell

For me the journey would actually be more convenient: Just about 1000 km, like 9 hours by car (though train or plane would be valid options too)- and I am pretty flexible when it comes to my work, so I could most likely take off monday...
PLUS the 20th Meet and getting to know you and some other great guys? Sounds like there are not many "excuses" left (Except I love skitouring so much that time of year...)

I just pictured getting to attend the 20th Meet while carrying the 50th anniversary Native (which should obviously be out there at that point)... though in the end I´d probably choose a folder more "typical", familiar and with long sentimental value to me (btw.: I am generally not really familiar with Dutch knife laws resp. don´t know if at the actual Meet one can carry any Spyderco they want....?)