2025 CPK get together

[Gusbuster]

Did anyone find a lighter in a leather skin?

Thanks Yoko. I'll go out tomorrow when it's daylight and look.

Gus lost it. I'll go down by his campsite tomorrow.

Hey Jo Jo the Machinist and Chad cpirtle , sorry I made you look for my lighter. I found it in my car.

 

[Comprehensivist]

Sorry for the late reply on this thread. I had another trip right after getting back to CA and I am still catching up on a few things.

This was the first time for my wife and I to visit a gathering at the CPK compound. It became a bucket list trip for me after reading all the positive comments from folks who went to the first two. My wife got to fulfill one of her wishes too because we flew in early Tuesday ahead of the event so we could spend three days visiting one of her good friends on the outskirts of Burlington who she had not seen in about twenty years.

Once we made it to Mooresville, it was awesome to finally meet and spend some quality time with a bunch of like minded CPK forum members. The camaraderie started Friday night with introductions at the group dinner at Duckworth’s Grill and continued with a campfire back at the compound that night.

Saturday’s festivities started with the sanctioned Bladesports Cut for the pros.

Here is a link to a short video I took of Jo the Machinist making her run:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i...hR6Xx3QR4Cpd3HmsxRLzP/1280/i-DhqGh2j-1280.mp4

The Outlaw Cut for sixteen amateurs was next. It took several hours to work through the necessary safety training and resetting each station on the course with fresh boards, bottles, rope., etc after each competitor’s run. That left plenty of downtime between runs for conversations and joking around while everyone waited for their turn. One of those jokes got started when yoko said to me and Fonedork that we looked so much alike to him.

Mrs. toker who was nearby apparently overheard his comment and approached Fonedork and I later to ask if we were related. Fonedork jumped on this opening to say that I was his dad. She bought in to the story and commented how nice it was that a “father and son” had travelled from different parts of the country to share this experience. Meanwhile I am nodding while trying to keep a straight face. The gag lasted until later when Mrs. toker was talking to my wife Melissa (on the right) and ask how many children we had. When Melissa said “zero”, she realized that she had been played. Too funny…

Getting back to the Outlaw Cut, Nathan and Dan were kind enough to offer amazing loaner knives to those of us who travelled from afar so we could compete. I used a K18 for my run as did several other folks. What a powerful and impressive tool that is. It demands your full respect and attention in safe use to prevent any Black Knight auditions for a MP&THG sequel!

Big shout-out to PolRoger for documenting everyone’s runs in some great photographs.

The big knife sale tent event was next featuring a great mix of models and options to tempt everyone. There was enough time before the sale started for everyone to check out the options and decide which one(s) to target when your name was called. Again, thanks to PolRoger for recording the table inventory list so well in photographs and text for the benefit of those who couldn’t make it to the event.

Here is a shot of Mike157 telegraphing his interest by fondling the merchandise while Grenock , V vkp78 , and surfkiev stand behind him formulating their own strategies. That’s me in the background checking out Chad’s cpirtle amazing leather creations and Mr. Daniel O’Conner’s beautiful kitchen knives.

When it was time for the sale to begin, I was lucky to have an early pick by virtue of an unexpected decent performance in the Outlaw Cut. My choice was the only DEK on the table which was described as: “DEK1 Delta3V (no mark), satin hollow grind, acid washed perimeter, black canvas micarta, gold titanium, & no sheath.”

The acid washed perimeter adds a nice contrast to the satin flats and primary grind.

Immediately after making this score, I moved over to Chad’s cpirtle 's table and picked up one of his handsome Multi-Carry sheaths to carry it in.

When my name came up again in a later lottery, I grabbed a very cool “satin swedged EDC1.2 in MagnaCut with Crusty Vintage micarta & shiny titanium.” I always regretted not requesting a swedge on my pre-order, so this was a very nice score.

The EDC’s and DEK’s have long been my favorite CPK & Lorien collaborations, so it was a pleasant surprise to luck into acquiring special variations of each at the event.

The dinner Saturday evening could not have been nicer. After all the hyping about Nathan’s steaks and Jo’s collard greens, we came into the evening with high hopes. It only took one bite of each to know that this was an exceptional meal that exceeded our expectations. Enjoying it with great host and good friends in a special setting was one of the highlights of our trip.

The rest of the evening was hanging out by the campfire with good beer and a full belly and some great conversations when I was not trying to catch up with CPK Mark to try to score a CR35. I just missed the “Mark” on that quest.

The next morning we got ready to head back to the compound for the shooting event. Before that, we headed downstairs for coffee and a bite at La Quinta. We couldn’t have ask for a better group of smart, knowledgable, and funny friends both mornings to start the day with.

(L to R: Mr. & Mrs. PolRoger Grenock , Richard338 , me & my wife.)

 

[Comprehensivist]

The shooting contest back at the compound was to hit a bottle cap offhand at 25 yards to win the money the hat that everyone contributed to. Nathan required that first time shooters at his range and those that would use a borrowed gun qualify first at about 25 feet. Out of the dozen or so participants, I was the only one who didn’t qualify. Per the rules I was out. If someone had told me at the start of the weekend that I would do well with the sword and poorly with the pistol, I would have said no way. Results don’t lie, so I own the fact that I was “off” that day.

The upside of being disqualified was that it gave me a chance to join my with wife in some great conversation with Mr. & Mrs. toker and Jo the Machinist as we watched the shooting from a distance. I wouldn’t trade that time for all the money in the hat.

Later when the shooting wrapped up and Melissa and I started to get ready to head out, I had the chance to talk to Nathan the Machinist for a few minutes about a nagging question I had about his reasoning for choosing a particular process result vs. another in his manufacturing process. It should come as no surprise that his answer was concise, well explained as to the result he prefers and why, and consistent with his excellence in knife performance philosophy. Thanks Nathan’s for the insight.

Our last stop on the way to our car was the big tent to see Grenock ’s display table to check-out a sampling of some of the nicest and rarest CPK’s out there from his vast collection. Of course his Integral Dagger is a sight to behold and sublime experience to handle. The other one that captured my attention was the Behemother with the rare natural micarta and rubber handle scales. Those scales are an impressive machining accomplishment to achieve the finishes that Nathan & Jo did. So many other beautiful and unique knives to take in too. Thanks for the show and tell my friend!

I’ll close by thanking a few other members I didn’t already tag above:

• Thanks Non.Nisi.Te for the advice to stand closer to the target than I think is necessary for the Outlaw Cut. I also appreciate you bringing your DIY knife for show & tell. That is my favorite story on the forum in the last year. You did a fantastic job on it.
• Thanks SwarthyGnome for sharing your knowledge and encouragement over the weekend. Congratulations on being the top amateur two years in a row on the Outlaw Cut. I look forward to seeing what you make in the DIY project that you chose for your prize.
• Congratulations DrBC for your 2nd Place finish in the Outlaw Cut. You are a fierce competitor. Of course you win 1st Place for longest distance traveled to come to the gathering.
• It was great to finally meet you Gusbuster . I have known you longer on the forum than anyone else I had not met in person.
• Congratulations S stagatha on scoring the last CR35. I am a little jealous but very happy for you. I hope the nose is healing up OK.
• It was nice to meet you Burton Knut . We didn’t get to talk to much this time, but I will prioritize that if we get a next time.

The biggest Thank You of course goes to Jo, Nathan, Mark, Harrison, and Abigail for your generosity in welcoming us into your home and workplace and coordinating such a super fun event. We had a great time!

All the best!

Phil & Melissa

P.S. - I remember everyone's' first names in addition to your screen names. I know some folks like to maintain their privacy as much as possible in the age of AI, so I stuck with screen names for most everyone.

 

[yoko]

Sorry for the late reply on this thread. I had another trip right after getting back to CA and I am still catching up on a few things.

This was the first time for my wife and I to visit a gathering at the CPK compound. It became a bucket list trip for me after reading all the positive comments from folks who went to the first two. My wife got to fulfill one of her wishes too because we flew in early Tuesday ahead of the event so we could spend three days visiting one of her good friends on the outskirts of Burlington who she had not seen in about twenty years.

Once we made it to Mooresville, it was awesome to finally meet and spend some quality time with a bunch of like minded CPK forum members. The camaraderie started Friday night with introductions at the group dinner at Duckworth’s Grill and continued with a campfire back at the compound that night.

Saturday’s festivities started with the sanctioned Bladesports Cut for the pros.

Here is a link to a short video I took of Jo the Machinist making her run:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i...hR6Xx3QR4Cpd3HmsxRLzP/1280/i-DhqGh2j-1280.mp4

The Outlaw Cut for sixteen amateurs was next. It took several hours to work through the necessary safety training and resetting each station on the course with fresh boards, bottles, rope., etc after each competitor’s run. That left plenty of downtime between runs for conversations and joking around while everyone waited for their turn. One of those jokes got started when yoko said to me and Fonedork that we looked so much alike to him.

Mrs. toker who was nearby apparently overheard his comment and approached Fonedork and I later to ask if we were related. Fonedork jumped on this opening to say that I was his dad. She bought in to the story and commented how nice it was that a “father and son” had travelled from different parts of the country to share this experience. Meanwhile I am nodding while trying to keep a straight face. The gag lasted until later when Mrs. toker was talking to my wife Melissa (on the right) and ask how many children we had. When Melissa said “zero”, she realized that she had been played. Too funny…

Getting back to the Outlaw Cut, Nathan and Dan were kind enough to offer amazing loaner knives to those of us who travelled from afar so we could compete. I used a K18 for my run as did several other folks. What a powerful and impressive tool that is. It demands your full respect and attention in safe use to prevent any Black Knight auditions for a MP&THG sequel!

Big shout-out to PolRoger for documenting everyone’s runs in some great photographs.

The big knife sale tent event was next featuring a great mix of models and options to tempt everyone. There was enough time before the sale started for everyone to check out the options and decide which one(s) to target when your name was called. Again, thanks to PolRoger for recording the table inventory list so well in photographs and text for the benefit of those who couldn’t make it to the event.

Here is a shot of Mike157 telegraphing his interest by fondling the merchandise while Grenock , V vkp78 , and surfkiev stand behind him formulating their own strategies. That’s me in the background checking out Chad’s cpirtle amazing leather creations and Mr. Daniel O’Conner’s beautiful kitchen knives.

When it was time for the sale to begin, I was lucky to have an early pick by virtue of an unexpected decent performance in the Outlaw Cut. My choice was the only DEK on the table which was described as: “DEK1 Delta3V (no mark), satin hollow grind, acid washed perimeter, black canvas micarta, gold titanium, & no sheath.”

The acid washed perimeter adds a nice contrast to the satin flats and primary grind.

Immediately after making this score, I moved over to Chad’s cpirtle 's table and picked up one of his handsome Multi-Carry sheaths to carry it in.

When my name came up again in a later lottery, I grabbed a very cool “satin swedged EDC1.2 in MagnaCut with Crusty Vintage micarta & shiny titanium.” I always regretted not requesting a swedge on my pre-order, so this was a very nice score.

The EDC’s and DEK’s have long been my favorite CPK & Lorien collaborations, so it was a pleasant surprise to luck into acquiring special variations of each at the event.

The dinner Saturday evening could not have been nicer. After all the hyping about Nathan’s steaks and Jo’s collard greens, we came into the evening with high hopes. It only took one bite of each to know that this was an exceptional meal that exceeded our expectations. Enjoying it with great host and good friends in a special setting was one of the highlights of our trip.

The rest of the evening was hanging out by the campfire with good beer and a full belly and some great conversations when I was not trying to catch up with CPK Mark to try to score a CR35. I just missed the “Mark” on that quest.

The next morning we got ready to head back to the compound for the shooting event. Before that, we headed downstairs for coffee and a bite at La Quinta. We couldn’t have ask for a better group of smart, knowledgable, and funny friends both mornings to start the day with.

(L to R: Mr. & Mrs. PolRoger Grenock , Richard338 , me & my wife.)

It was great to meet you and Melissa in person!

Hope to see you next year!!!!

 

[JJ_Colt45]

Sorry for the late reply on this thread. I had another trip right after getting back to CA and I am still catching up on a few things.

This was the first time for my wife and I to visit a gathering at the CPK compound. It became a bucket list trip for me after reading all the positive comments from folks who went to the first two. My wife got to fulfill one of her wishes too because we flew in early Tuesday ahead of the event so we could spend three days visiting one of her good friends on the outskirts of Burlington who she had not seen in about twenty years.

Once we made it to Mooresville, it was awesome to finally meet and spend some quality time with a bunch of like minded CPK forum members. The camaraderie started Friday night with introductions at the group dinner at Duckworth’s Grill and continued with a campfire back at the compound that night.

Saturday’s festivities started with the sanctioned Bladesports Cut for the pros.

Here is a link to a short video I took of Jo the Machinist making her run:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i...hR6Xx3QR4Cpd3HmsxRLzP/1280/i-DhqGh2j-1280.mp4

The Outlaw Cut for sixteen amateurs was next. It took several hours to work through the necessary safety training and resetting each station on the course with fresh boards, bottles, rope., etc after each competitor’s run. That left plenty of downtime between runs for conversations and joking around while everyone waited for their turn. One of those jokes got started when yoko said to me and Fonedork that we looked so much alike to him.

Mrs. toker who was nearby apparently overheard his comment and approached Fonedork and I later to ask if we were related. Fonedork jumped on this opening to say that I was his dad. She bought in to the story and commented how nice it was that a “father and son” had travelled from different parts of the country to share this experience. Meanwhile I am nodding while trying to keep a straight face. The gag lasted until later when Mrs. toker was talking to my wife Melissa (on the right) and ask how many children we had. When Melissa said “zero”, she realized that she had been played. Too funny…

Getting back to the Outlaw Cut, Nathan and Dan were kind enough to offer amazing loaner knives to those of us who travelled from afar so we could compete. I used a K18 for my run as did several other folks. What a powerful and impressive tool that is. It demands your full respect and attention in safe use to prevent any Black Knight auditions for a MP&THG sequel!

Big shout-out to PolRoger for documenting everyone’s runs in some great photographs.

The big knife sale tent event was next featuring a great mix of models and options to tempt everyone. There was enough time before the sale started for everyone to check out the options and decide which one(s) to target when your name was called. Again, thanks to PolRoger for recording the table inventory list so well in photographs and text for the benefit of those who couldn’t make it to the event.

Here is a shot of Mike157 telegraphing his interest by fondling the merchandise while Grenock , V vkp78 , and surfkiev stand behind him formulating their own strategies. That’s me in the background checking out Chad’s cpirtle amazing leather creations and Mr. Daniel O’Conner’s beautiful kitchen knives.

When it was time for the sale to begin, I was lucky to have an early pick by virtue of an unexpected decent performance in the Outlaw Cut. My choice was the only DEK on the table which was described as: “DEK1 Delta3V (no mark), satin hollow grind, acid washed perimeter, black canvas micarta, gold titanium, & no sheath.”

The acid washed perimeter adds a nice contrast to the satin flats and primary grind.

Immediately after making this score, I moved over to Chad’s cpirtle 's table and picked up one of his handsome Multi-Carry sheaths to carry it in.

When my name came up again in a later lottery, I grabbed a very cool “satin swedged EDC1.2 in MagnaCut with Crusty Vintage micarta & shiny titanium.” I always regretted not requesting a swedge on my pre-order, so this was a very nice score.

The EDC’s and DEK’s have long been my favorite CPK & Lorien collaborations, so it was a pleasant surprise to luck into acquiring special variations of each at the event.

The dinner Saturday evening could not have been nicer. After all the hyping about Nathan’s steaks and Jo’s collard greens, we came into the evening with high hopes. It only took one bite of each to know that this was an exceptional meal that exceeded our expectations. Enjoying it with great host and good friends in a special setting was one of the highlights of our trip.

The rest of the evening was hanging out by the campfire with good beer and a full belly and some great conversations when I was not trying to catch up with CPK Mark to try to score a CR35. I just missed the “Mark” on that quest.

The next morning we got ready to head back to the compound for the shooting event. Before that, we headed downstairs for coffee and a bite at La Quinta. We couldn’t have ask for a better group of smart, knowledgable, and funny friends both mornings to start the day with.

(L to R: Mr. & Mrs. PolRoger Grenock , Richard338 , me & my wife.)

Great pictures and stories ... Thanks for sharing!

I hope to make it to one of the gatherings its a busy time of the year, but it would definitely be a great trip.

 

[toker]

The upside of being disqualified was that it gave me a chance to join my with wife in some great conversation with Mr. & Mrs. toker and Jo the Machinist as we watched the shooting from a distance. I wouldn’t trade that time for all the money in the hat.

We had a great time with both of you. My wife especially loved all the great conversations with your wife.