Jerry Fisk's 2017 Scoundrels & Scalawags Symposium - a pictorial review

[HTMD]

note - images of knives sold at the event can be seen here:
Fisk Micro Show 2017
Discussion in 'Custom & Handmade Knives' started by Logan Pearce, Oct 9, 2017.
Logan is also working on a video of this year's event.

Fun time at Jerry's this year! Five great makers, each with 5+ knives for their drawings, the best food anywhere, excellent knife-craft shop demos, outstanding group of collectors, beautiful rural setting, cutting rodeo and endless show-n-tell about custom knives. Here's how my camera saw it.


Informal dinner at Fisherman's Cove Thursday night before the show starts on Friday:

Gather at Jerry's place: (Makers Terry Vandeventer L and David Lisch R)


Ax-throwing:

Time for some great demo's (they don't call these guys mastersmiths for nothin'):
Dave Lisch

Lin Rhea

Now the makers get to show what they have for Saturday's drawings followed by a big feast.
Jerry Fisk

To be continued.

 

[SharpByCoop]

I love this event, and what a treat seeing it so clearly. Keep it going!!

 

[JParanee]

Looks like a wonderful group of people and great event

 

[jjtjr]

Buddy,

Great photos!

Do you have more?

Jim

 

[HTMD]

Continuing...
David Lisch

Having examined what will be offered, everyone returns the next morning for breakfast and the actual sales. Each maker presents and the drawings are held.
Jerry Fisk

JR Cook

Terry Vandeventer

David Lisch

Lin Rhea

Winners rejoice!

Later we were treated to a terrific magic show by Mike Bliss who has appeared in Branson, MO, on TV with Penn & Teller etc. Mike Bliss was amazing and everyone laughed harder and longer than any of us could remember in a long time.
Her watch is already off her wrist and in the bag. She has no clue!

He doesn't realize what Mike just pulled out of his jeans pocket.

Mike removed his belt and gave it back but removed his watch in the process!

To be continued.

 

[HTMD]

Then there was the cutting rodeo, which was a blast as always!
JR Cook shows how to cut a water bottle with style.

Lin Rhea executes the rope cut, dropping the cut end into the bucket.

As does David Lisch.

Others give it a go.


Lin Rhea cuts the plastic worm.

Slicing the straw without disturbing the block was tricky.

The rolled paper cut was nearly impossible.

And the winner came all the way from China! He told me, "In my country we don't have opportunity for practice." He won anyway!

 

[Lhpanther]

Thanks for the pics! It was such an awesome experience. Everything, from the food to the hosts to the group of collectors, was first class top notch.

 

[mb>]

Thanks for sharing. If you told me Mr. Lisch was related to Hulk Hogan I might believe you. haha

 

[SharpByCoop]

100% enjoyable, 110% professional. Rocking!

Great idea bringing in an entertainer as well. Nice to see!

Props to Jerry. Props to ALL!

 

[Kohai999]

Good stuff.....Going out to Jerry's is on my bucket list.

Thanks for the post, Buddy!

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[HTMD]

Glad some of you are enjoying a look-see at this very unique annual custom knife event. I didn't get pictures of everybody doing everything since my wife and I were there to have fun (Logan Pierce was the official chronicler and he was fine with my posting these pics here). However, here are a few more random shots that I liked. Here's the thing - I had just finished a terrific photography workshop with several Denver Post award-winning photojournalists. They have a very different approach to getting good 'news' images and I was excited to try and incorporate some of their tips. Unlike shooting knives where everything is under your control, shooting events and people is about getting a good 'story' picture without being able to control anything except camera settings and the moment you choose to click the shutter.
Collector engages JR and David with knife pics on his phone:

David forged this tool for Jerry as part of his demo:

When Jerry and JR are together the laughs never end:

Jerry's lovely wife Lorraine, a.k.a. 'Bob', is instrumental in making this event run smoothly:

People always bring cool stuff to share while at the show. Lin brought this pre-production copy of A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America from the Arkansas History Museum in Little Rock by Bill Worthen (then the museum director-now retired) and Mark Zalesky (editor of Knife Magazine (correction) and Bowie knife expert). I photographed over 100 antique Bowie knives for this book, on location in the museum basement with the assistance of Mark, Lin and museum staff. The book will be available for purchase @ $69.95 (clarification) from the museum and through Knife World Books (clarification) after December 4, 2017.

Foldout of an exhibition folder that is over 6 feet long when open. One must think of it as a finger guillotine when o-so-carefully opening it.

 

[Jonathans]

Thanks for sharing. If you told me Mr. Lisch was related to Hulk Hogan I might believe you. haha

Dave would kick Hogans ass........if he had that sword on him!

 

[fisk]

Buddy, those were some excellent quality photos. There are some good people there that I do not get to visit with much. It's more than about selling or collecting it's about people and you caught a few moments in time. Thank you.

 

[SharpByCoop]

Buddy, I sure noticed the distinctions you incorporated. Very few shots are taken at 'eye' level, and that gives a prominent visual upward perspective. Candids are so compelling. I've been instructing my son on his photo journey to stretch down or up. (Me: I still hover.... )

The real smiles you caught are unforgettable.

 

[mwschilling]

Great pics of great event. Thanks for taking and sharing these.

 

[Mark D. Zalesky]

Those are some great photos, Buddy. I hope to get out there one of these days.

Just a quick clarification on a couple of things:

The book "A Sure Defense: The Bowie Knife in America" will be released Dec 4th, available from Historic Arkansas Museum and through Knife World Books. I believe retail is $69.95. Hardcover, over 440 pages and printed right there in Arkansas -- not China! We will be doing book signings at the museum Dec. 3rd, and also at The Arkansas Knife Show in Little Rock next February.

Also, KNIFE WORLD became KNIFE MAGAZINE with the November 2015 edition -- it's the oversized glossy, full color, monthly magazine you've been seeing at the shows and elsewhere -- I think there were some sent to Jerry's event. You can still find us at knifeworld.com but knifemagazine.com also works. Our current website stinks, new website coming soon. Magazine comes first, conquer the rest of the world later!

 

[HTMD]

Thanks for clarifying Mark. Sorry for my mis-statement (corrections/clarifications added). KNIFE MAGAZINE is, IMHO, the very best of the knife magazine publications and the only one I keep.

 

[HTMD]

Candids are so compelling.

And it's so hard to actually capture truly candid moments.
Here are a couple more from Jerry's event that have that have that candid quality:
Jerry consults with a collector.

Lin at the forge with assistance from Ricardo Vilar from Brazil, a fine bladesmith trained by Jerry who has now moved to Arkansas with his family. Ricardo's story is interesting and illustrates how difficult life becomes when freedom is limited by incompetent and corrupt governance.

 

[Don Hanson III]

Nicely done, Buddy! I sure like this show!!!

 

[HTMD]

Thanks Don and everyone who has enjoyed this thread.
Just a few more for the record...
David Lisch is a top notch joker - very funny guy. Before he actually cut the rope he pretended he would cut the rope and send the end shooting out into the bucket which he placed accordingly in the foreground. Everybody was in stitches. I thought he might actually try and do it but eventually he settled down and just nailed it as shown in one of the images above.

Jerry's event is perfect if you want to bring your spouse along as there is much to enjoy for everyone. You saw Terry Vandeventer's wife in the first Mike Bliss photo above. He snatched her watch while dancing around with her. I was impressed as she can really dance! Here's a shot of Ricardo and his wife on the right and my wife on the left:

I'll close out the pictures with this one - Jerry's famous motto and logo painted on one of the outer doors of his shop: