- Joined
- Apr 16, 2012
- Messages
- 3,544
I recorded a pretty decent amount of footage at Blade Show (not just of the Kai booth), so that will be published soon after I get home. My best friend and I are still in Georgia, and we're not leaving until Tuesday. That being said, now that the show is over I wanted to share a few thoughts of my experiences with the Kai folks.
We spent a decent amount of time at the Kershaw/ZT/Shun booth, and got to (of course) see the new models that were announced. I was floored at handling the 0454, although admittedly not very surprised when I saw it.
Being able to handle the knives I've read about and seen was an amazing experience, and even though I'm pretty happy with the footage I captured, it sill cannot and will not do justice to these works of art that I was fortunate to fondle for extended amounts of time. The rest of the show was a very cool place, almost overwhelming in its expanse. The setups for places like Knifeworks, GoingGear and Rick Hinderer were amazing, and the smaller tables for places like Todd Rexford and Gavkoo were really fun.
The real fun of this trip was had after the show hours. We spent an inordinate amount of time hanging out in the pit of the Renaissance Western hotel (I think that's the name...) along with some of the Kai crew and many other people from the show. Walking through that concourse placed me in a massive mingling area with the knifemakers and industry stars. It's a sight that cannot be done justice with words, and those who missed it did so at a great loss I think.
A large amount of the pit nights were spent shooting the breeze with Dave (kershawguy) and his friends, along with Andy (mqqn) and his buddy as well. They were amazingly cordial gentlemen with fantastic stories and conversations. It felt good to just relax and exchange opinions on knives, life, and the goings on of the forum communities. Insight and perspective are precious things, and in this case more valuable than any of the knives I've put my hands on this weekend. I can gladly say now that not only is Dave my go-to dealer and knifecotic pusher, but my friend.
Being joined by Thomas, Jim, and Glenn sweetened the pot of conversation. Thomas is a pure class act, and my buddy's new hero. The honesty and passion that poured from Mr. Welk is not easily rivaled, and talks we all had in the pit gave cause to my buddy to seek out and buy another ZT. Hearing from Thomas about the philosophy of Kershaw and ZT as well as the people who work together to make everything happen is a very different experience than anything one could get from reading words on a forum or magazine. It is another experience that I think people are best not to do without. Similarly, being in the presence of Mr. Jim MacNair brought genuine chills and goosebumps. Jim is a rising star in the knife world, and you'd be foolish to not keep your eyes on him. From his manly boots to his perfectly kempt goatee, Mr. MacNair exudes a type of lumberjack toughness that is perfectly paired with an inviting intelligence. Much of these nights was spent inflating his ego.
Rick Hinderer and Todd Rexford joined us all last night for a group discussion (which was filmed), and stayed around to shoot more of the breeze afterward. Todd is a riot, and a brilliant knifemaker. Rick certainly needs no introduction and it's always a pleasure to hear what he has to say.
Being around these people, being treated like family, and being a part of these talks were really life-changing events. I usually try to stay away from hyperbole, and so I can say this with a decent amount of literalism. I'll also say that the amount of ball-busting and jokes borders on psychopathic, and the phrase "good times" is permanently glued to this weekend in my mind.
A sincere thank you to everyone that I've met and spent time with, and a sincere thank you to Kai for welcoming my friend and I, and making us feel like family.
Here are a couple photos of what's sitting in the hotel right now. A couple of them are...special. Very special. Cheers!
0560CBCF (black clip, signed by Rick)
Under my pillow...
We spent a decent amount of time at the Kershaw/ZT/Shun booth, and got to (of course) see the new models that were announced. I was floored at handling the 0454, although admittedly not very surprised when I saw it.
Being able to handle the knives I've read about and seen was an amazing experience, and even though I'm pretty happy with the footage I captured, it sill cannot and will not do justice to these works of art that I was fortunate to fondle for extended amounts of time. The rest of the show was a very cool place, almost overwhelming in its expanse. The setups for places like Knifeworks, GoingGear and Rick Hinderer were amazing, and the smaller tables for places like Todd Rexford and Gavkoo were really fun. The real fun of this trip was had after the show hours. We spent an inordinate amount of time hanging out in the pit of the Renaissance Western hotel (I think that's the name...) along with some of the Kai crew and many other people from the show. Walking through that concourse placed me in a massive mingling area with the knifemakers and industry stars. It's a sight that cannot be done justice with words, and those who missed it did so at a great loss I think.
A large amount of the pit nights were spent shooting the breeze with Dave (kershawguy) and his friends, along with Andy (mqqn) and his buddy as well. They were amazingly cordial gentlemen with fantastic stories and conversations. It felt good to just relax and exchange opinions on knives, life, and the goings on of the forum communities. Insight and perspective are precious things, and in this case more valuable than any of the knives I've put my hands on this weekend. I can gladly say now that not only is Dave my go-to dealer and knifecotic pusher, but my friend.
Being joined by Thomas, Jim, and Glenn sweetened the pot of conversation. Thomas is a pure class act, and my buddy's new hero. The honesty and passion that poured from Mr. Welk is not easily rivaled, and talks we all had in the pit gave cause to my buddy to seek out and buy another ZT. Hearing from Thomas about the philosophy of Kershaw and ZT as well as the people who work together to make everything happen is a very different experience than anything one could get from reading words on a forum or magazine. It is another experience that I think people are best not to do without. Similarly, being in the presence of Mr. Jim MacNair brought genuine chills and goosebumps. Jim is a rising star in the knife world, and you'd be foolish to not keep your eyes on him. From his manly boots to his perfectly kempt goatee, Mr. MacNair exudes a type of lumberjack toughness that is perfectly paired with an inviting intelligence. Much of these nights was spent inflating his ego.
Rick Hinderer and Todd Rexford joined us all last night for a group discussion (which was filmed), and stayed around to shoot more of the breeze afterward. Todd is a riot, and a brilliant knifemaker. Rick certainly needs no introduction and it's always a pleasure to hear what he has to say.
Being around these people, being treated like family, and being a part of these talks were really life-changing events. I usually try to stay away from hyperbole, and so I can say this with a decent amount of literalism. I'll also say that the amount of ball-busting and jokes borders on psychopathic, and the phrase "good times" is permanently glued to this weekend in my mind.
A sincere thank you to everyone that I've met and spent time with, and a sincere thank you to Kai for welcoming my friend and I, and making us feel like family.
Here are a couple photos of what's sitting in the hotel right now. A couple of them are...special. Very special. Cheers!
0560CBCF (black clip, signed by Rick)
Under my pillow...
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