OKCA What A Good Time

D lisch

D lisch

Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
2,466
Well I am back from the show and unwinding from my trip it is a lot to process. I shared a room with my ABS JS class of 09 class mate Mike Quesenberry. We had a very good time at a BBQ on friday at Gunners place, that boy knows how to BBQ. Thanks John. Mikes dagger won Best Art Knife and Best of Show. Ray Richard won Best Hand Forged, Bruce Bump won Best Damascus and I won Best Bowie. Mike's dagger was without a doubt the best knife in the room, the judges did get it right. I go to this show to see friends and make new ones, the show changes a little every year but what is the same is the folks that come to the show. I have come to think of them as family and with family you take the good with the bad and this was about as bad as I have seen it for sales. I sold two. I think Mike sold two, I know Ray sold at least one. I did not sell either of my high end knives, and some of my friends did not sell a knife at all and they make some nice knives. But, I did not see anyone one that was not having fun, talking with their friends. This show is a bit like big flea market for knife lovers and with that in mind I bring a variety of wears to sell- jewelry, knife blanks and a bit of blacksmith wears. It was good to have Mike Q come to the show it's a step in the right direction for the show if more custom makers came to the show I think more collectors would start coming to the show and then custom sales would improve. this year I had a new maker next to me and I bought a knife off of him as I could not believe that he could sell a knife like the one I bought at the price I paid for it. When I have time I will do a thread on him, tell a little about his story and show the knife. I bought this story will change the way you look at custom knife making without a doubt and perhaps the way you pick your next custom knife butt for now I will leave you with a few pics of the show get a little well over due pay back and keep reflecting on what and why I keep making the 5 hour drive every year to what I will tell you is a really fun show. I do hope to see a few of you back next year okray.jpgokjn.jpgokmq2.jpg comments welcome and thoughts welcome thanks
 

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nice! Sorry to hear sales were slow, but sometimes a good time is worth the price of admission- life's too short to not make the best of it!
 
Lorien I had a good time and thats why I keep going back. Mike Turner with a big new blade he is working onokmt.jpg
 
Hey Dave it was great seeing you again hope to make it up for your swap meet this year, sales were down but at least we got to see friends we have not seen in awhile and had lots of fun.
 
Dave, What the hell did you do to my neck? I use to have one when I had the beard.

I do go to this show with the hopes of selling a few knives and that was the case until 2007. That's when my sales started falling off due mainly because of the shortage of expendable money.

I had enough sales to cover pretty much what I had already spent on supplies so I broke even. I had a good time. I've gotten to watch several new makers advance in there skill levels over the years, one who is just right across the isle from me at the show. Fellow by the name of Dave Lisch. And then there's this fellow Quenceberry who must turn into some kind of knifemaking machine when he goes to his shop. I'm not even going to say how good his knives have become. Bruce Bump, Chuck Richards, and my good pal Eric O Bergland, we all go there just so we can age together. I met Eric within a year or two from my first show at Eugene. He's been into Scandinavian style knives ever since I had know him. Found out he was an X Marine who served a few years earlier than I did in Nam. He's also a great story teller......

A really good picture of Dave Lisch.
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A picture of my pal Eric O Bergland
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Wayne Goddard set up a trap for me, he'd baited it with some really nice sambar stag that he had purchased in the 70's. Its always nice to see both Wayne and Phyllis!
 
Ha ha. Very nice guys. Thanks for the report, Dave. Kim leaned over my shoulder and asked why Ray's pictures were so blurry, and I said they weren't! Suppose that wasn't very nice of me was it, Ray ;-) (I'm sure I owed you one for something.)

So, Dave, which comes first at a show like that: the chicken or the egg? Custom makers would definitely go if there were collectors spending money and collectors would definitely go if custom makers were there with, say, 4+ knives on the table. How do we fix that? Hmmmm...

Maybe, this thread could be the place to start a bit of a commitment for the OKCA show: So, here goes - I'll go next year and have at least four knives for sale on the table.

Who is next? Any collectors willing to chime in?
-M
 
Kaye and I had a good show and noticed sales were down a bit from last year. I sold just slip joints this time and took a couple orders for next years delivery. I showed a collection of 27 Bump knives in a locked case and got to go around to visit and look for good stag. I did find a primo set on Goddards table but he sure wasnt givin anything away. I still think for a fun time and a million knives of all kinds, especially antiques to view and handle this is the best show. I know in the past there were big name makers and big time collectors but there are still some over the top customs there to buy. I,m going back for sure next year. The people do make the show for me.

Here is one I sold to Mike Turner as a birthday present to Barb.
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Sounds like everyone had a good time. Sorry to hear of the slow sales as reports have been generally pretty good for shows so far this year. We're coming up on Blade show, will be interesting seeing how it goes this year.

Thanks for sharing the experience with us Dave.
 
I will be there again and will have at least 4 knives on the table. I started out with 5 and sold 4 so i am pretty happy. I wish I could have sold that last one but that's ok. 3 of my sales were to one great customer but still it was better than average for me. I also had a few bare blades, some wrought iron anchor chain and some equipment to sell. I did manage to spend everything I made buying belts, handle material including a bunch of MOP. Charles Turnage made me an offer I could not refuse. So for me it was a great show and I hope we can turn it around with some new blood and get the collectors coming too.
 
Thanks for the report guys! :)

Mike Q just spent the day here with me in the shop and I had a great time. Two obsessive compulsive knife makers in the same shop all day sharing ideas and techniques must be a sight for an outside observer--- LOL :D

This guy is a FREAK'N GREAT MAKER....but even better is he is an even better guy to have as a friend. I got to look over his knives very closely and they are simply outstanding. I feel it's very safe to say that there are not many makers that can or do put out work at the level of absurd cleanliness that Mike is doing... just awesome stuff. I am still a little pissed at him for bringing his new TW-90 into my shop and allowing me to convince myself how badly I need one!!! ;) :D
 
Chuck It is good to hear you had a good show thanks for the oil and those where some fine looking blades you had on your table.okchuck.jpg
 
Thanks for the report Dave, and the great pics everyone. I sure wish I could have made it out, hopefully next time.
 
For those of you out there who have not met Dave Lisch in person let me tell you he is extremely passionate about his knifemaking. He helped me to look at the damascus making process in a whole new light. His ability to look at damascus and visually see the pattern while its still in bar stock is pure genius. He goes 100mph all day but not until he's had his coffee:). Dave, I had a great time hanging out and hope to do it again soon.
 
Mike I am glad you made it home safe I to had a good time hanging out and learned a good bit just talking with you. I hope you will think about doing this show again. Here are two pictures I took at John Jarrett's BBQ I think Mike was having a good time I know I was
 

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This is the third year that I have had a table at the OKCA knife show and it was the best I have had so far. I sold several knives and got two orders to do and mail off. But by far it was not the selling that made it a great show for me but all the conversations I had with other knife makers. It is always nice to meet new people and I met several this year including David Lisch and Rocco Chicarilli.
 
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