Well, 2009 went by pretty quietly. The time I spent out in the shop really increased and I'm getting more proficient with my blade grinding and handle making.
November 7th, Leslie and I went up to Nashville to check out the Nashville Gun & Knife Show. My reason was to see how many knifemakers were represented at the show and how big it was. There was only one custom knife-maker selling at the show, but the show tables were all booked up through 2010. As luck would have it, the NKCA-National Knife Collectors Association was showing in an adjacent room. After talking with a NKCA board member we learned they were only showing 3-4 times a year along side the Gun & Knife Show. The NKCA did not have any knife-makers present at this show and seemed glad to have a knife-maker willing to sell his custom knives there in the future. Hopefully this will turn out to be a rewarding situation for us both.
December 12, 2009 was the first show I sold at. It was sponsored by the Artisans of Wayne County and held at the Columbia State Community College in Clifton, TN. Many talented artists and artisans were selling interesting things for Christmas gifts. I set up my table with fire stix, bullet starters and lots of knives. This being the first show of the AWC, there really wasn't a great deal of traffic. However, even with limited customers, I managed to sell 8 of my knives. Doug & Claudia Kalmer of Sunart@netease.net said they were happy I did so well and I should start gearing up for bigger and better shows.
2010 has started off with a wild cold snap. The shop has been too cold for me to work in. I have been spending a great deal of this down time on www.KnifeDogs.com knife forum. There are so much information on knife making in the forums. I'm trying to get more involved with the forums to help get my name out there.
Yesterday I got a fire going in the shop and worked for 4 1/2 hours. A lot of the time was spent tending the fire but I got 11 knife blanks cut out. That was the first time I'd been out to the shop in a week. Soon this cold spell will end and more time can be spent on my knives.
The thought of doing more shows like the Meriwether Lewis show on the Natchez Trace and First Fridays in Florence, AL has me looking for new things to make. My plan is to make some knife display stands, jewelry, leatherwork, more muzzleloading or re-enacting gear and walking sticks. Leslie bought me a 10x10 tent so I can have my products covered and maybe even look professional. Most of these venues like to have artists demonstrate their crafts, so I'm also trying to figure that angle out.
I'll try to keep the blog updated in 2010. There should be a lot to report.
