- Joined
- Oct 4, 1998
- Messages
- 4,131
I am sorry to be so late with this review, but I got a call Monday morning that my aunt had passed away that morning unexpectedly. My family is very close and I grew up ¼ of a mile away from my aunts, uncles and cousins. To this day we are quite close.
For me the Blade show started with picking Mo up from the Marta station a couple of miles from my house on Wednesday evening. I met Mo last year at a get together Stab1 (Don E.) hosted last year, but you really get to know a person when they stay at your house. Mo is a fine person and A.G. and crew have another good one representing them.
It was off to work Thursday morning, but I had plans to take ½ a day off to get to the show, pick up badges, meet friends and help with set-up. I left the office at 11:30 and while driving home to pick up Mo my alternater died. Now it is important to understand that I look forward to this weekend more than any other weekend of the year and here I am stuck on a busy atlanta road with a dead electrical system. After a 3 hour delay I was on the way again. Headed to the Galeria complex with Mo in tow and checked in with the Blade staff sequestered in the registration office where it was so cold you could hang meat for storage. (a side note, These folks from the top down who organize and sponsor the Blade Show are the greatest. They are in there wearing sweaters on a hot humid weekend.)
Walked into the hall where workers were putting the finishing touches on the carpet laying and some of the large factories were setting up. Touched base with John and Dawn Fitch, Pete Peterson, Ron Newton, Walter Brend, Dick Atkinson, Gavin Dickerson and Bobby Branton. Bobby mentioned that Walter had a couple of knives available, so I hi-talied it back over to Walter and made my first purchase.
Hung around the hall and saw Darrel, Les and Bob Neal as well as other Calvin Cooledge, B*b H&$#W(%@ and other friends. (Most embarassing part of the show for me was calling Les Bob.)
Then my second father showed up (Sava Damlovac) with his son. It was the first time I had met Guy and I felt as if I had known him for years. Sava makes knives as a hobby but his work is awesome. He only makes a handful of knives a year does not take orders and makes what he wants to make (in the words of several M.S. holders flawlessly). Wandered down to the pit and saw of all things Rob Simonich on a cell phone (did not know they had those in Montana.
Looking up, it was great to see Bill Moran on the fist floor room balcony talking to Jay Hendrickson.
John, Sava and I had made plans a couple of months ago to go out to dinner on Thursday evening after set up. Ron Newton joined us along with Johns wife Dawn , Audra and Mike Draper, Pete, soon to become Journeyman Smith Reggie Barker, Mo, Guy, Mike Bauer and Steve.
After a little hesitation when we started waving around a knife or two the wait staff and owner took to us pretty well and insisted that we come back next year. John and Ron as well as others had us in stitches the whole time. After dinner we invaded the Fitchs room to take a look at knives and talk some more. Of course many wanted Ron to take a look at their work and get his thoughts on improvements. Mike Draper had some very nice folders and Audra had an unusual all damascus integral dagger that was too cool to pass up. Ron had a slip joint pistol combination that he had finished that was also an awesome piece.
I ended up buying Audra's dagger.
It is starting to get late so we broke up and Mo and I dropped Sava and Guy off at their hotel before heading home. Don was waiting in my driveway after the 14+ hour trip from Texas. We stayed up and talked for a while until I wimped out on them around 1 or so. Up at 5 the next morning to toss a stick of dynamite into Mos bedroom, shower and head for daily ritual breakfast with Sava and Guy.
After breakfast it is off to the hall to meet more friends. Vince and Grace Evans were in early (their table is right next to Savas with John right behind us in the row and Ray Kirk a couple of tables down with his usual excellent selection of forged knives at great prices. I have Blues to thank for introducing me to Ray last year. Vince had some swords and Scottish Daggers on his table that would take your breath away. Ken Durham was a couple of tables down from Ray with some unbelievable bowie reproductions that he had forged. Such a nice guy putting out very noteworthy knives. A major collector friend of Savas and mine came by with a matched bowie and dagger by Larry Fuegen in pearl and carved damascus. The picture that was made is bound to show up in a publication in the near future. Needless to say the set was something very special and I will post a picture as soon as my copy gets mailed to me.
By this time the hall is beginning to get filled up with makers and I walked around saying hello to Kit, Larry F., Ed Fowler, Bub Worrell, Jerry H., Richard Rogers, Joel Chamblin, Dellana, Van Barnett, Tony Bose, Dan Burk, Tim Foster, P.J. Tomes, and many others. Took a walk outside to drop off some V.I.P. passes and meet some folks and ran into Samhell, Jeremy, Pam and others ready and waiting for the doors to open.
(to be continued).
For me the Blade show started with picking Mo up from the Marta station a couple of miles from my house on Wednesday evening. I met Mo last year at a get together Stab1 (Don E.) hosted last year, but you really get to know a person when they stay at your house. Mo is a fine person and A.G. and crew have another good one representing them.
It was off to work Thursday morning, but I had plans to take ½ a day off to get to the show, pick up badges, meet friends and help with set-up. I left the office at 11:30 and while driving home to pick up Mo my alternater died. Now it is important to understand that I look forward to this weekend more than any other weekend of the year and here I am stuck on a busy atlanta road with a dead electrical system. After a 3 hour delay I was on the way again. Headed to the Galeria complex with Mo in tow and checked in with the Blade staff sequestered in the registration office where it was so cold you could hang meat for storage. (a side note, These folks from the top down who organize and sponsor the Blade Show are the greatest. They are in there wearing sweaters on a hot humid weekend.)
Walked into the hall where workers were putting the finishing touches on the carpet laying and some of the large factories were setting up. Touched base with John and Dawn Fitch, Pete Peterson, Ron Newton, Walter Brend, Dick Atkinson, Gavin Dickerson and Bobby Branton. Bobby mentioned that Walter had a couple of knives available, so I hi-talied it back over to Walter and made my first purchase.
Hung around the hall and saw Darrel, Les and Bob Neal as well as other Calvin Cooledge, B*b H&$#W(%@ and other friends. (Most embarassing part of the show for me was calling Les Bob.)
Then my second father showed up (Sava Damlovac) with his son. It was the first time I had met Guy and I felt as if I had known him for years. Sava makes knives as a hobby but his work is awesome. He only makes a handful of knives a year does not take orders and makes what he wants to make (in the words of several M.S. holders flawlessly). Wandered down to the pit and saw of all things Rob Simonich on a cell phone (did not know they had those in Montana.
Looking up, it was great to see Bill Moran on the fist floor room balcony talking to Jay Hendrickson.John, Sava and I had made plans a couple of months ago to go out to dinner on Thursday evening after set up. Ron Newton joined us along with Johns wife Dawn , Audra and Mike Draper, Pete, soon to become Journeyman Smith Reggie Barker, Mo, Guy, Mike Bauer and Steve.
After a little hesitation when we started waving around a knife or two the wait staff and owner took to us pretty well and insisted that we come back next year. John and Ron as well as others had us in stitches the whole time. After dinner we invaded the Fitchs room to take a look at knives and talk some more. Of course many wanted Ron to take a look at their work and get his thoughts on improvements. Mike Draper had some very nice folders and Audra had an unusual all damascus integral dagger that was too cool to pass up. Ron had a slip joint pistol combination that he had finished that was also an awesome piece.
I ended up buying Audra's dagger.
It is starting to get late so we broke up and Mo and I dropped Sava and Guy off at their hotel before heading home. Don was waiting in my driveway after the 14+ hour trip from Texas. We stayed up and talked for a while until I wimped out on them around 1 or so. Up at 5 the next morning to toss a stick of dynamite into Mos bedroom, shower and head for daily ritual breakfast with Sava and Guy.
After breakfast it is off to the hall to meet more friends. Vince and Grace Evans were in early (their table is right next to Savas with John right behind us in the row and Ray Kirk a couple of tables down with his usual excellent selection of forged knives at great prices. I have Blues to thank for introducing me to Ray last year. Vince had some swords and Scottish Daggers on his table that would take your breath away. Ken Durham was a couple of tables down from Ray with some unbelievable bowie reproductions that he had forged. Such a nice guy putting out very noteworthy knives. A major collector friend of Savas and mine came by with a matched bowie and dagger by Larry Fuegen in pearl and carved damascus. The picture that was made is bound to show up in a publication in the near future. Needless to say the set was something very special and I will post a picture as soon as my copy gets mailed to me.
By this time the hall is beginning to get filled up with makers and I walked around saying hello to Kit, Larry F., Ed Fowler, Bub Worrell, Jerry H., Richard Rogers, Joel Chamblin, Dellana, Van Barnett, Tony Bose, Dan Burk, Tim Foster, P.J. Tomes, and many others. Took a walk outside to drop off some V.I.P. passes and meet some folks and ran into Samhell, Jeremy, Pam and others ready and waiting for the doors to open.
(to be continued).
