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I thought this would be a good place to mention the IWA & OutdoorClassics show held every March in Nuremberg, Germany. If you are planning a visit to Germany it woud be an excellent activity to work into your schedule or better yet plan your schedule around as I did.
In 2011 I traveled to the IWA fair with Fellow engraver Scott Pilkington and publisher Steve Fjestad. Scott and I also made a side trip to Suhl and Zella-Mehlis which is due North of Nuremberg.
I can best compare the IWA to the SHOT show in the USA but for GGCA members and visitors to this site, I think you will find the IWA to have far more of interest. All of the famous names of the German and Austrian gun trade are well represented from the bigs like Merkel and Krieghoff to the custom makers like Johann Fanjoi and Peter Hoffer. Really all of the European makers are there from Blaser to Zoli. However I didn't see much representation from the British gun trade.
The IWA is not something you visit for a couple of hours like a local gun show, it is enormous and even being selective you can easily spend three days. I should note that IWA is not open to the public but requires some connection to the trade which you can probably arrange with your favorite dealer. I was there on press credentials through Blue Book Publications.
IWA & OutdoorClassics has been the world’s leading exhibition for hunting and sporting guns, outdoor articles and accessories for almost 40 years. The exhibition in 2012 excelled with a record number of 1,204 exhibitors and 36,004 visitors from 109 countries. The share of international visitors was 60 % – so IWA & OutdoorClassics in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg is a truly multinational occasion for the industry.
Here is a web link to the event: http://www.iwa.info/en/
And here are a few pics I took while at IWA.
The entrance/registration area of IWA
Engraver Jean Francois Dubois of the Leon Mignon engraving school in Liege, Belgium demonstrating his skill at the school's booth.
Engraver Diter Kaminski, Roger Bleile, and Klaus Hagedorn who supplies engraving tools to European customers.
Engraver/gunmaker Pierre Chapuis, MOF from France.
The Swarovski blimp flying around the entrance hall.
In 2011 I traveled to the IWA fair with Fellow engraver Scott Pilkington and publisher Steve Fjestad. Scott and I also made a side trip to Suhl and Zella-Mehlis which is due North of Nuremberg.
I can best compare the IWA to the SHOT show in the USA but for GGCA members and visitors to this site, I think you will find the IWA to have far more of interest. All of the famous names of the German and Austrian gun trade are well represented from the bigs like Merkel and Krieghoff to the custom makers like Johann Fanjoi and Peter Hoffer. Really all of the European makers are there from Blaser to Zoli. However I didn't see much representation from the British gun trade.
The IWA is not something you visit for a couple of hours like a local gun show, it is enormous and even being selective you can easily spend three days. I should note that IWA is not open to the public but requires some connection to the trade which you can probably arrange with your favorite dealer. I was there on press credentials through Blue Book Publications.
IWA & OutdoorClassics has been the world’s leading exhibition for hunting and sporting guns, outdoor articles and accessories for almost 40 years. The exhibition in 2012 excelled with a record number of 1,204 exhibitors and 36,004 visitors from 109 countries. The share of international visitors was 60 % – so IWA & OutdoorClassics in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg is a truly multinational occasion for the industry.
Here is a web link to the event: http://www.iwa.info/en/
And here are a few pics I took while at IWA.
The entrance/registration area of IWA
Engraver Jean Francois Dubois of the Leon Mignon engraving school in Liege, Belgium demonstrating his skill at the school's booth.
Engraver Diter Kaminski, Roger Bleile, and Klaus Hagedorn who supplies engraving tools to European customers.
Engraver/gunmaker Pierre Chapuis, MOF from France.
The Swarovski blimp flying around the entrance hall.
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