Canadian Knifemaker Guild Show Review...70+ pics!!!

[RL]

Not even SARS could keep us knife knuts away from another Canadian Knifemakers Guild show! We were out in full force at the pre-show, knife knut dinner, and both days of the show…for those of you who weren’t able to make it, we are pleased to bring you this multi-part review…special thanks go out to roving photographers Murray White and cockroachfarm…collectively we took over 150 pics so we can’t post all of them here…if you need more pics, feel free to e-mail us (this applies especially to the makers!)…now, without further ado…

Shades of déjà vu…we start the pre-show show review with a picture of me receiving a knife (errr, axe) from Greg Lightfoot. I ordered the Lightfoot Combat Axe with black powdercoat, green camo G10, and Greg’s Hog Hide on the Bladerigger shoulder harness a couple of months ago…Greg was able to turn over my order in record time so that it would be ready for the show (THANKS Greg)…once again, I was BLOWN away by the final product! This axe has quickly become one of my favourite pieces in my collection!

Here’s Greg with Brian Tighe, Brian’s son, and another gentleman (sorry, didn’t catch his name).

After hanging out in the hotel lobby for a bit, we headed down to a local buffet for dinner. Attendees included knifemakers Brian and Leonnie Lyttle, Matt and Cathy Stocker, Kirby Lambert, Brian Russell, George Tichbourne, Mike Mossington, Garth Thompson, Brett, Ed Storch and knife knuts Murray and Phyllis White, wyrm, cockroachfarm, and RL

Going around the table…Wyrm, Garth Thompson, George Tichbourne, Matt Stocker, and Phyllis White

Cathy Stocker (Matt in the foreground), Mike Mossington, and Brett

Leonnie Lyttle, Brian Russell, and wyrm

After dinner, we headed back to Murray’s place for a little pre-show…

Here Murray shows Kirby Lambert a piece from his extraordinary collection

 

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Murray and Phillys White along with Leonnie Lyttle

Ed Storch and Brian Russell

Brian Lyttle, Kirby Lambert, and Ed Storch look at Murray’s collection of Wolfe knives

James McGowan showed us a few of his knives

including this dressed up tactical

The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of Brian Lyttle’s new knives and his “sharpness” demonstration… BTW, Brian surprised us when he withdrew the 9” tanto (none of us could make out the shoulder rig)…Brian swears that “tacticals don’t have to be ugly”…I beg to differ…then again, I’d take these “tacticals” any day!

oh no, I like an art knife! Here’s a STUNNING piece from Brian Lyttle

 

[RL]

Our show coverage begins with some recognition of fellow forumite, HJK who became an honorary member of the guild…hopefully HJK will jump in with further details

Next, I checked in with Greg once I had the axe fully “installed”…

Greg had a new version of his Predator with a unique chisel grind…it is a combination of hollow-grind and flat grind…very trick and VERY nice…you can see Greg’s Marauder and a utility version of the axe in this pic

cockroachfarm also took delivery of one of Greg's new 'Marauder' tacticals. Cockroachfarm was delighted with the knife - said it's one of the best handling knives he's ever experienced

Greg, James McGowan and I having a good time

Next I ran over to Proedge’s table in the hopes of catching that Bladerigger spike listed on their website…I was not disappointed J (You can see the spike in the foreground, next to the Strider AD)

 

[RL]

All shopped out, I started to make my way around the show…here’s Matt Stocker holding one of his new tactical designs and flanked by two lovely ladies, his wife Cathy and Mike Mossington’s daughter Elizabeth

Of course, Matt makes fixed blades too!

While at Matt’s table, I met fellow forumite Tig and his friend (speaking of lovely ladies!)...apart from being a stuntman, Tig is a very experienced and skillful practitioner of FMA…he showed me some VERY cool moves (thanks Tig!)…here he is with a Laci Szabo custom UUK (a very intimidating knife!)

Mike Mossington had some fine hunters and neat neck knives at his table (I almost walked away with the skeleton necker J )

Kirby Lambert brought some beautiful dressed-up tacticals…here he is showing them to fellow knifemaker Brett

a closeup of the knives…I love the top one!

 

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and Brian Tighe brought no less than 6 My Tighes! (love that silver G10!)

James McGowan had a great assortment of cord-wrapped pieces, including two with build in pry-bars at the butt-end

Brian Lyttle (flanked by wife Leonnie and Murray White, both seated) and his ultra-sharp, ultra-beautiful knives

turning the camera…Brian Lyttle and cockroachfarm

and a Brian Lyttle folder

Darren Chard with his son, a budding knifemaker holding his first knife

Darren holding his first fixed-blade (now owned by cockroachfarm)

 

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George Tichbourne managed to surprise us yet again with our first glimpse of liquid metal

Thomas Haslinger in his traditional attire

with a non-traditional dagger

and his new folders

a customer talks to Murray St-Amour

they might have been talking about this piece

 

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Eric Elson had some great little “box cutters” (wink, wink) with static-cord sheaths and a nice big “limb lopper” (err, I mean a “large box” cutter)

and here’s Eric with wyrm and a Weston family member

Speaking of Bud Weston…

Lenard Perry had a mix of hunters and tacticals with some beautiful carved and dyed leather sheaths

Speaking of beautiful sheaths, Paul, from Tandy Leather had some on display along with some stunning leather artwork

Back to knives…Lloyd Fairbairn

 

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James Wade

J. Downie

Normark manning Jeff Diotte’s knives

a closeup of Diotte’s knives

Randy Doucette

CKG President Peter Wile

 

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Walt Stockdale

Two hunters by George Robertson

Oops, almost forgot these Westons

Rick Frigault

The CKG knife, a joint effort of several makers and raffled off to a lucky winner

our very own cockroachfarm talking to Paul Johnston (you can see Wolfgang “Wolfe” Loerchner seated in the blue shirt) followed by Paul’s table

and a closing shot of Murray and me.

And that’s a wrap! As always, thanks to the knifemakers for making this all happen!!!!

RL

PS You can visit Murray’s website for some additional pics of individual knives.

 

[HJK]

Outstanding report and photos!! Thanks!!!

 

[Keith Montgomery]

Rl, your reports are getting better and better. The picture quality is excellent. Thanks once again for the fantastic show report.

 

[cockroachfarm]

Another great job, RL! (I can't figure out how you get around so quickly gathering knives for the photographs. Must be those new Adidas GSG-9 booties!)

 

[Jose Reyes]

RL,

Thanks, great report & photos. Almost as good as being there...

-Jose

 

[RogerP]

Great job on the report RL! And Murray, the knife pics are very well done as always.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[Boink]

You make one of the best "embedded reporters" I have ever known. Photography by Murray and you is outstanding as usual.

 

[bansidthe]

Excellent review. Nice meeting you as well (as you were grabbing that ugly )) little knife from edge pro).

It was a great show...good to see both makers and fans present in such numbers. I bough one of Mike Mossingtons canoe tripping fixed blade...nice knife but the dege had to be thinned down some.

 

[SharpByCoop]

AAAbsolutely a first-rate report!

My hat's off to ALL of you guys, especially you Robert for taking the time to edit upload and post, and Murray for his famous clear pictures.

I'll come back in tonight with a list of faves...

Off to work,

Coop

 

[Tactical Man]

Thank you, great summary and pictures.

Brett

 

[Joss]

Originally posted by RL
While at Matt’s table, I met fellow forumite Tig and his friend (speaking of lovely ladies!)...apart from being a stuntman, Tig is a very experienced and skillful practitioner of FMA…he showed me some VERY cool moves (thanks Tig!)…here he is with a Laci Szabo custom UUK (a very intimidating knife!)

Hm... I think I'm in love - with all due respect.

 

[golok]

RL, once again you have captured our imagination with your fine photography.

Well done, friend. Thanks.