MacHete
Hair Cropper & Chipmunk Wrangler
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2000
- Messages
- 2,559
I had never been to a Knife show. I have been to lots of "Gun & Knife" shows and a good number or "Arts and Crafts" shows where knives (or at least KSOs) were available.
So, I was very excited that I would be able to attend this year's Ohio Classic, and also very excited that my wife Kathy was willing to come along. Our Anniversary was a week or two before, and we hadn't been able to do anything really special because of my impending surgery and other schedule issues.
Now, Kathy and I met here on BladeForums, and she does like knives, but a knife show is still not her idea of a romantic weekend getaway. To make the trip more appealing to her, I booked our stay for the weekend at a really nice Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge, rather than at one of the motels listed on the event's website. (This worked out very well.)
My goal for the weekend was to meet, and see in person the work of, several makers whose knives I have admired in photos posted here or elsewhere. In particular:
Karl Andersen
Matt Bailey
Pete Crowl
Herb Derr
J. Neilson
Kathy's goal was to get her Christmas shopping for me done. I was happy to help.
Knife People are a gregarious bunch, and it seems that most tableholders spent more time visiting other tables than minding their own.
It took awhile, but we were eventually able to have very long and pleasant chats with the makers on my list as well as several others with whom I was previously unfamiliar. Notable among these good folks was Harvey King of Kansas, as well as many others from my own state of West Virginia.
Kathy was very impressed with the overall friendly atmosphere, but she was most moved by what she told me towards the end of the show, "I really like that they are talking to me, and not just to you." She was grateful that her questions and comments were not dismissed because of her gender, and that she was treated with courtesy and respect. I hadn't thought about it before, but I realized that she probably would not have had the same pleasant experience at a "gun" show.
So, thank you to all of those at the Ohio Classic Knife Show, and to the greater knife community in general for being the truly awesome people that you are. :thumbup:
BTW- Here's what followed us home:
L to R: A Matt Bailey Straight Hunter in 1084 with stabilized maple burl and a lovely hamon; Harvey King Personal, Small Game and #5- all in D2 and with stabilized burl. The #5 is dyed and is Kathy's 2nd custom, but the first she's picked out herself.
Enjoy!
So, I was very excited that I would be able to attend this year's Ohio Classic, and also very excited that my wife Kathy was willing to come along. Our Anniversary was a week or two before, and we hadn't been able to do anything really special because of my impending surgery and other schedule issues.
Now, Kathy and I met here on BladeForums, and she does like knives, but a knife show is still not her idea of a romantic weekend getaway. To make the trip more appealing to her, I booked our stay for the weekend at a really nice Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge, rather than at one of the motels listed on the event's website. (This worked out very well.)
My goal for the weekend was to meet, and see in person the work of, several makers whose knives I have admired in photos posted here or elsewhere. In particular:
Karl Andersen
Matt Bailey
Pete Crowl
Herb Derr
J. Neilson
Kathy's goal was to get her Christmas shopping for me done. I was happy to help.
Knife People are a gregarious bunch, and it seems that most tableholders spent more time visiting other tables than minding their own.
It took awhile, but we were eventually able to have very long and pleasant chats with the makers on my list as well as several others with whom I was previously unfamiliar. Notable among these good folks was Harvey King of Kansas, as well as many others from my own state of West Virginia.Kathy was very impressed with the overall friendly atmosphere, but she was most moved by what she told me towards the end of the show, "I really like that they are talking to me, and not just to you." She was grateful that her questions and comments were not dismissed because of her gender, and that she was treated with courtesy and respect. I hadn't thought about it before, but I realized that she probably would not have had the same pleasant experience at a "gun" show.
So, thank you to all of those at the Ohio Classic Knife Show, and to the greater knife community in general for being the truly awesome people that you are. :thumbup:
BTW- Here's what followed us home:
L to R: A Matt Bailey Straight Hunter in 1084 with stabilized maple burl and a lovely hamon; Harvey King Personal, Small Game and #5- all in D2 and with stabilized burl. The #5 is dyed and is Kathy's 2nd custom, but the first she's picked out herself.
Enjoy!
