April Meeting

[mrsjoan]

This Saturday is the April meeting for the NC Guild. I always look forward to making the trek north for these. There are so many memories I have of the trips John and I took together and it makes it nice to spend the drive thinking of these.

I'm not sure my traveling buddy, Avery, will be going with me tomorrow. He wants to go, so if his mom can get all the logistics worked out of early morning tests for him at school, baseball practice rescheduled from Saturday and of course getting him packed, then he just may make it. Knives and riding the motorcycle were the 2 things Avery and his Pappy did together. So I do my best to keep him in the knife part of all this.

I can't wait to see all of you guys. I hope the weather is going to be much better than the
Weather Channel predicts but rain or shine I will still enjoy being there with ya'll.

[mrsjoan]

Today was the NCCKG's April meeting. It was held in Denton, NC at the home of Guild President, Bill Bisher. I really had a GREAT time and enjoyed visiting with old friends. John and I always enjoyed going to NC to the meetings. The friendships we developed there and the encouragement John received was the inspiration for beginning a Guild in Georgia.

The meetings are getting easier to be at. It is almost like John is still here, just around the corner of the shop talking knives with someone. The Friday night get together, of those of us who have to arrive early because of distance, is the hardest part of the meetings for me. At these it is so very obvious and painful that John is not here to take part.

But you could ask for no better friends that Tony and Carol Kelly to help make sure I am well taken care of.


Saturday, the meeting for the guys, was all about knives----making a ribbon forge--as demonstrated by Bill Bisher


Or forging a billet--as demonstrated by Tim Scholl


Or creating Mokume--as shown by Tommy McNabb


But for me it was all about seeing the folks who meant so much to John. What Jim Small was to getting John started making knives, these 2 guys (who were closer than a brother to John) were the mentors and friends---as far back as when The Blade Show was still at the Stoffer Waverly. To see Tommy McNabb and Travis Daniel sitting around talking knives, their friendly banter back and to, and quick wit is something I shall always treasure.


And what would a meeting be without Wayne Whitley (shown here with Tim Scholl) sharing his wisdom, if not on knives, on what he would do to solve the world's ills


And for the "off-beat" you never know what you will see at a meeting. Here is Danali, the working dog of Norm and Marge Gervais, having a drink of cool water.

Norm said as soon as Danali gets the hang of using a fork and knife he gets to eat at the table with them

All in all, it was a very good meeting. Avery was able to go with me and he did his part by taking care of the Iron-In-The-Hat ticket sales, under the watchful eyes of Carol Kelly and Tommy McNabb.


It is great that the guys are willing to include Avery and help him develop his interest in knives.

The next meeting will be July 21-22 in Chocowintiy at the knife shops of Travis Daniel and Wayne Whitley. This is a combo that is hard to beat in putting on a knife meeting. I'm already looking forward to that weekend.

[Andrew McLurkin]

Joan, it was really good to see you and Avery as always. What's up with Avery winning "Iron in the Hat" at every meeting. I'm going to have to start visiting him to get my knifemaking supplies. Thanks for posting the pictures. It turned out to be a very good meeting and we couldn't have asked for a nicer day or a better place to have our April meeting. Thanks again Bill!

[AcridSaint]

Thank you for putting up the pictures Joan, I'm glad I could make it out to this one. It was a great meeting with a bunch of great folks. Thanks to you and everyone else for making it happen.

[mrsjoan]

Andrew, at TrackRock a couple of weeks ago, Carl Rechsteiner helped Avery forge out a nice little skinner. He told Avery that at the next Georgia meeting he would help him put handles on it, but Avery had to bring the handle material. From the minute items were put down on the Iron-In-The-Hat table he started looking over the handle material for the pieces he wanted for his skinner. He meant he was going to have handle material to bring back to Georgia---and he did---several pieces.

Gotta tell Carl it looks live Avery is going to hold him to his promise.