Show review!!

Well..I`m not quite sure what you want to hear but I believe there was about 20 makers including me,Bob Lay, Peter Martizelli, Frank Niro, Jim Buchan, Roger Hatt, and our very own Thomas Haslinger (very nice guys).
There was artists,engravers,guns,you name it!The knife makers had a seperate room it was great!
I sold two knives which is better than I thought I would, learnt alot and also taught alot..nobody that I know of makes there own damascus or forges there except me, and most people were amazed at the fact that I make my damascus under the hammer and anvil, and the time it takes to make a damascus knife from start to finish(roughly 38 hours..25 of it just making the bar!)
Peter and Frank make some real awesome folders, and I got some real good tips from them!
I seen what had to be the most impressive damascus Bowie that I have ever seen...Devin Thomas stainless damascus,the knife was made by Bob Lay, just plain AWESOME!!
Man! I could go on and on...to say the least I had the best time i`ve had in a long time!
I`m in charge of getting a show together in November of this year along with the saskatoon muzzle loader club! hope it will be a good one, I would like to see grinding competitions, forging demonstrations, and best knife awards!
I couldn`t believe that no one forges and every one uses 440 and ats 34, I hope to bring a little more flavor to the saskatchewan knife show! as I was the only one who forges!
One thing I wasn`t too impressed by, was one guy(I won`t name names)told me that the only way I`ll get anywhere in knife making is to get out of carbon steels or tool steels and use stainless...But..I don`t want to do that and I don`t think I have to there were certain people who wanted, say A-2 and 1095 but no one had it! unfortunately I had no knives completed from A-2 as I would have sold one fer sure!
All in all it was a great expierience and I plan to do more shows in the future, I believe there is a show in Montana in june or something that I plan to attend!
A LOT of people really liked that damascus trout and bird..I just wish I had more damascus blades for sale!

Ron,
If you see the unamed individual who told you that the only way you'd make it in knifemaking is to get out of carbon steels or tool steels and use stainless, please ask him to inform the following ABS Mastersmiths. They probably need to know that they can't make it as knifemakers...

ANDERS, DAVID
ANDERSON, GARY D
BARNES, GARY
BARNES SR. AUBREY G
BARTON, ALMON T
BARTRUG, HUGH E
BATSON, JAMES L
BUCKNER, JIMMIE H
CAFFREY, ED
CASHEN, KEVIN R
CLARK, HOWARD F
COLTER, WADE
CONNOR, MICHAEL
COOK, JAMES R
CORDOVA, JOSEPH G
CROSS, JOHN M
CROWELL, JIM
DEAN, HARVEY J
DERINGER, CHRISTOPH
DIETZEL, BILL
DRAPER, AUDRA L
DUNKERLEY, RICK
DUNN, STEVE
ELLIS, DAVE
FIORINI, WILLIAM
FISK, JERRY
FISTER, JAMES O
FLOURNOY, JOE
FOGG, DON
FOWLER, ED
FUEGEN, LARRY
FULLER, BRUCE A
FULLER, JACK A
GASTON, BERT
GODDARD, WAYNE
HALLIGAN, ED
HANCOCK, TIMOTHY J
HAYES, WALLY
HAYNES, CHARLIE E
HENDRICKSON, E JAY
HETHCOAT, DON
HUDSON, C ROBBIN
KEESLAR, JOSEPH F
KILBY, KEITH
KNICKMEYER, HANK
KRAMER, BOB
KRETSINGER, PHIL
LAMBERT, J D
LANGE, DONALD G
MARAGNI, DAN
MARKS, CHRIS J
MASSEY, ROGER D
McCRACKIN, VICTOR J
MILLER, HANFORD
MITCHELL, WM DEAN
MORAN JR., WILLIAM F
NEELY, GREGORY T
NEWTON, RON
OCHS III, CHARLES F
PENDRAY, ALFRED
PETERSEN, DAN L
POTIER, TIMOTHY
REXROAT, KIRK
SCHMIDT, JAMES A
SCHWARZER, STEPHEN C
SENTZ, MARK C
SMITH, J D
SMITH, JOUSHA J
SMITH, RAYMOND L
ST CYR, H. RED
SZILASKI, JOSEPH
TAYLOR, SHANE
TOMES, P J
WALKER, JAMES L
WILLIAMS, MICHAEL L
WINKLER, DANIEL

Let's make sure that our own Ed Caffery is informed -- we need to take care of our own.

Whaaaaa ha ha ha ha ...

Ron, we've got your back brother!

Alex

Ron,
You may have run into the same one I did a year or so ago.Thats alright if it is .I am just hard-headed (and red-necked)enough to get my name put with the list above or at least be recognized as a good maker that uses "HIGH CARBON".
Every dog has his/her day. :

The only person's opinion that counts is the one with cash in his hand buying one of your knives or the one who puts the cash back into his pocket when you do not have the type of knife he wants. To say that you will not change is a little premature, a lot of potential orders for a certain steel can make a difference if you could use the work.

The customer determines what they will buy and if you need the sales.....

Ron,
Glad to hear that your first show was a success and that you had such a good time.
Hope your show this fall is a success as well.
I may be in Saskatoon next November. Thinking of booking a hunt for for one of your BIG Saskatchewan whitetails. Texas has some big antlers, but not like you have up there.
If I book it maybe the timing will work out to where I could come to your knife show, that would be an added plus to the trip.
Good luck,
Mike

hey guys thanks!...for a while there I was thinking of selling my anvil, forge,parts for the press, and all my O-1,A-2,1084,and 15N20 real cheap!........I DON`T THINK SO!!
It takes a real closed minded individual to think you can`t make excellent knives by forging..heck that damascus trout and bird is my own hand forged damascus and I was right competitive with the big dogs that use nothing but stainless and stock removal! I find alot of Canadians (not all of`em) but alot are very close minded to knife making and are not willing to tell you how they do stuff.
Nobody there makes there own damascus,darn near every one uses brass(not that there is anything wrong with that)and I also seen alot of that hideous handle material that we all know too well!
I`m not bashing them,heck I`ve been there,I would just hope that maybe I opened some minds last weekend!
The "heat and beat" crowd rocks! and there`s no stopping me!

I`m going to about 4 to 8 auctions in the next 2 months as there are 8 anvils to be auctioned any where from 75lbs to 175lbs..put your orders in now and I`ll see what we can come up with!