About Us

We are now planning the 2023 show at the Massillon Knights of Columbus, May 20th and 21th.

Famous and soon-to-be-famous custom knife makers will display their creations and a wide range of old, new, and collectible knives are offered for sale or trade by a host of collectors and dealers in quality cutlery. Your collection can be evaluated and pieces sold or traded with our vendors. We hope to see you at our 2023 show, May 20th and 21th at Massillon’s KofC.

Our History

In 1977, several workers from PPG Industries discussed starting a knife club in Barberton, Ohio, as knife collecting was beginning to grow in the area.  They were able to meet in a conference room of the Firestone Bank (now Chase) in Barberton.  With 18 people in attendance, the first meeting led to the organization of the Club. The following officers were elected: Jorgen Nielson-Mayer, President; Alan Esterday, Vice President; Dick Konkle, Treasurer; Jim Gainer, Secretary.  The Western Reserve Cutlery Association was the first knife club to be organized in the state of Ohio!

In 1986, the Club lost its meeting room in the bank and moved to the Village Hall in Doylestown, Ohio. The Club now meets at the Gene Daniels Community Center in Doylestown on the second Tuesday of each month.

From this 18 the membership continues to grow.   The club offers life memberships as well as junior memberships to encourage younger members to develop an interest in knife collecting.  WRCA has issued yearly club knives since its inception, as well as anniversary knives to commemorate each fifth year anniversary of the founding of the Club.

WRCA club knives have consistently grown in value as time goes by. This is in large measure due to the decision to choose high quality, unusual and unique knives for the Club knives in recent years, along with choosing handcrafted, custom knives for the special anniversary editions. The Club issued a 'show knife' to commemorate each Knife Expo begun in 1989.  The club voted to discontinue issuing a expo show knife in 2016 due to rising cost.

The Expo was originally known as the Western Reserve Cutlery Association’s Knife Expo or 'The Dover Knife Show' and this annual event was originally held on the grounds of the Warther Museum in Dover, Ohio in mid-summer.  Growth caused us to move to the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds in Dover for a few years and returned to the Warther Museum for several years for a mid-winter show.