A Mustache Gathering

 G-10 Rainbow Layered Stache

We are just back from Las Vegas.  Anyone who knows me, knows Vegas is not my scene.  The only reason I went, was to see all the people from the USN Forums.  I never left Planet Hollywood for 3 days.  One doesn't have to.  I kvetched, and moaned all over Facebook before we left. But I went, and am glad I did. As usual, it all went too fast.   As our plane landed, Bob got a message that Bob Loveless had died.  Bob loveless was like Obe Wan Kanobe of knives to my Bob.

 Toni Nealy and I

I had not planned on bringing any jewelry to the show.  It's a social gathering.  I looked at it as a 2 day party.  So I wanted to bring something fun to put on the table.  I had a couple of pieces of horn on my bench that I had been pushing around for weeks while working on other things. It looked like a wavy mustache to me.  I also had this "moon glow" acrylic sheet and a rainbow sheet of G-10.  I've seen mustaches on Etsy, I wouldn't be the first or the last.  So I made a batch of mustache necklaces  out of scraps and the afore mentioned materials.  I had so much fun.  Each one I finished, I would hold under my nose to show Bob.  Who shook his head.  However, he said nothing when I put them on his table.   10 Minutes after the show opened, he was sold out.  So we needed something to fill the space!!

Val and Allen Elishewitz at their booth. His hot new knife project with Hogue behind them.

Allen felt pretty much the same way Bob did about them, so he used a banana!

Owen was all over it!

The Moon Glow mustache sold first.  Bob sold it while I was away from the table.  The night I made it, I went outside the shop door and had him take a photo with the iPhone.  It really glows green! I've had this material since last December. Lucas Burnley, a New Mexican knife maker turned me on to it.

Here's a new knife Luc made with Pat Pruitt for the show.  Pat is a master CNC jeweler. It's Pat's first knife, and Luc's first CNC project.  They made an edition and each guy used their own handle materials.  I really love this layered G-10. Luc also gave me the layered G-10 I used in the top photo.
Luc has a forum on USN: Burnley Knives...check 'em out.

On a more serious note...there was a Brazilian knife maker at the show.  Bob has been oohing and aahing over this man's work on the USN Forums.  Gustavo Thome Cecchini.  I'd like to think his half Italian genes are why his knives are exquisitely designed: and getting an A+ in form and function.

Not only are his knives beautiful...but he is too!

Ladies, he has a stunning wife.

This brings me back to the beginning.  Cecchini's knives are on par with Bob Loveless' work.  I really felt a circle complete Loveless -> Cecchini.  No one can replace Bob Loveless in the knife world. But some will carry the torch.  To see his knives: GTCKNIVES.com .

Thanks for reading!

Every day is a gift: open now.

xo

Suz

PS. Remember the knife I had dinner with  in Atlanta by Todd Begg? Best in show here. I know, I'm just the "knife wife" :-) 

Blade Show 2010

This little boy was a so cute!  I love it when the blade is bigger than the person!
His Dad took me to the ER. 

I am one of the few wives of knife makers who love the Blade show.  It's huge, it's crowded, and noisy.  I always go away realizing conversations were interrupted, sentences unfinished, good byes forgotten, and people I missed because they weren't at their table when I came by.  Bob doesn't have a table there any longer.  He's busy delivering special orders,  dreaming up collaborations with production knife companies, seeing prototypes, and buying supplies.  But this year I was graced with sharing a table with Allen and Valerie Elishewitz.  Allen usually sells out within the first moments of the show.  So within an hour I was placing my jewelry on their table.  I had little stock as Mother's Day had emptied me out. No complaints.

 Awesome bookmark for E&H new knives

Allen has partnered with Hogue to make some of the best factory made knives I have seen.  The price point, quality and materials are impressive.  Allen did a great job with his design, and Hogue did a fabulous job in production.  Bob praised them highly.  They have their own forum on the USN website where you can read all about them, and ask questions. (you need to sign up a user name)  Please check out Allen's website:  http://www.elishewitzknives.com/default.asp  for all his latest and greatest.  I had a ball with Val at the table.  They had bookmarks printed and cut out of the new E&H knives.  I hung mine from my chain around my neck like a neck knife!  I kept tell people they "only get a paper cut" with this knife.  :-)  Fun...very creative idea to have them die cut.  Bravo!

Elishewitz/Hogue knife: they run $180-$220

We had dinner the first night with Todd and Tanya Begg, and Neil Ostroff of True North Knives.  Todd brought some new knives to the restaurant that were pretty wild and amazing.  They are folders...but fantasy folders...which means not really pocket knives! Cool none the less. He has his own forum on USN also, as does True North Knives.

Todd Begg's newest

Bob wants to cut his meat with Todd's blade

iPhone photos don't quite do details justice

A Long time collector of Bob's from Florida brought a set of Bob's knives in a case he had made.  He had the original knife that Bob had made for the cover of Bob's book.  He added others and calls the set: "Cover Girl and Her Three Sisters."  Black Coral, Green Jade, Ivory, and Cocobolla are the 4 handles. 

Then there were knives Bob delivered. 3 fixed blades went to the "3 Tenors."  Four guys from Switzerland, and Milano came to the show.  We had met them in Milan at a dinner that Fausto set up for us.  We went to dinner with them, and as always...they are a blast.  One funnier than the next, and constantly teasing each other. We no doubt will spend time with them in Milano this November.

Badass: Fausto, Stephano, Christian
Middle photo has Bob's posse: the "3 Tenors" and Paulo!

Bob delivered a knife that had an entire handle made of superconductor.  It was very heavy, and I call knives like these "doorstops."  :-)

The superconductor knife above.
Bottom: 5" Athena for Josh Lee from Strider

Some of our New Mexico Knife Knuts were there:  Luc Burnley, Al Trujillo, Eddie Baca and Richard Rogers.  I barely had time to talk to any of them. Luc has a forum on USN: Burnley Knives.  I bought one of Luc's first fixed blades that is a small surgical style knife I use in my studio almost daily.
Time flew as usual.

Our next show will be the Gathering in Las Vegas the first weekend in September (9/3-5).  I hope to be able to fly by then.  At the moment health issues are keeping me from doing so.  But Bob will be there for sure.  Until we meet again...  XO to all the "knifies" in my life, near and far.

Thanks for reading. I'm still amazed that you do!

xo
Suz