Was it a success? I’m taking a page from Bill Clinton. It depends on your meaning of success. If success means getting friends and other knife aficionados together under one roof, it was a success. If you define success as high attendance and foot traffic resulting in sales, the answer is no. Reasons and excuses aside, attendance was down. But it was still great fun!
For those who did attend, great deals, wonderful knives and outstanding sausage sandwiches were available. Here’s some of what you missed.
Communication was difficult in the large open room we occupied. We soon came to depend on the man known as The Voice.
I didn’t know you could still buy Warther combat knives with the metal sheath. They are, I’m told, a special order but one can be made for you.
James Pengov was set up at one table with his lovely engravings and tools. James makes knives, but his engravings are spectacular.
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| Work in progress Jim@pengovinc.com |
My spies tell me (I talked to his father) James is working on achieving national recognition and is close to completing his apprenticeship. Expect his prices to jump, but they will still be worth it.
I showed you one of Jack Hatton’s miniatures in a previous post. Here’s one of his small decorative knife handles. (For reasons not understood by me at least, Jack's miniature is at the bottom of this blog, at least it was in my previews.) Jack can be e-mailed at hattongwy@aol.com
I can't begin to figure out how someone carves a figure this small and so nicely.
Warther knives were quite well represented; after all it was the Dale Warther Memorial Expo. I didn’t know Dale very well, but he always said hello and I miss seeing him at the knife club meetings.
I am always surprised at the stories people tell of finding a Warther treasure at a yard sale or flea market. You see them on eBay once and a while, but these knives have developed quite a following in Ohio. It was a great chance to see the displays.
But don't let me confuse you. There were plenty of other knives.
If you couldn’t find something to your taste, well, you weren’t looking hard enough.
And if by some strange chance you have acquired all the knives you want (How can this be?!?), there were wood cases to display your collection.
Well-made wood boxes and cases always remind me of my mother’s father. He was an old-world cabinetmaker. He came over after the First World War and could make magic with wood. He would have never allowed it, but I sometimes wonder if I should have taken a year or two off between high school and college to study under him. Boy, talk about paths not taken and only dimly understood.
Even in the middle of the hubbub and excitement, you could find knife makers lost in thought thinking about their next creation.
See you next year!
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