Tim, for now the wife is up for it, (she has family there) but it will all depend on the weather. I am not going to drive down 94 in a snowstorm. Been there and done that too many times. That is the worst road to drive in snow and ice, and they sometimes just close it down and you make-do wherever they force you off, for how long it takes to reopen it. March can be a very bad time for show up here. I am about 7 hours north. The last time I drove that road was in March and I had to take 3 busses down to Janesville and back in an ice storm.
Tim, for now the wife is up for it, (she has family there) but it will all depend on the weather. I am not going to drive down 94 in a snowstorm. Been there and done that too many times. That is the worst road to drive in snow and ice, and they sometimes just close it down and you make-do wherever they force you off, for how long it takes to reopen it. March can be a very bad time for show up here. I am about 7 hours north. The last time I drove that road was in March and I had to take 3 busses down to Janesville and back in an ice storm.
Would be great if you could make it but yeah it can be rough traveling then, Last year there was a major (record) snow fall while at the show. But it started meltng right away.
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein
At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".
Welcome to the 'Fire. Yeah it is a pretty good show, but I have not been to any other real knife show so not able to do a comparison. PM me with real name and I will look you up, Thanks Tim
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein
At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".
Lots of you knife guys read like you are pretty high on this show. Tease me a little about what a guy would see there? Janesville isn't all that far away for a WI. retired guy. Is there lots of repetition of standard Cabela's type stuff or more custom made high priced knives? Will there be trinkets and stun guns like what some of the gun shows have morphed into? Understand that this is coming from a cutlery uninformed consumer who never met a walleye, whitetail or a ribeye that he couldn't get through with something that he already has.
My other auto is a .45
The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory
This is a dedicated 3 day knife show. Floor space about the size of three basketball courts full of tables. Mix of pretty good makers, retailers, and some material suppliers, Minimal junk if any. Makers are a mix of forgers and stock removal. A nice way to spend some time and possibly some money. A couple of Forged in Fire contestants will be there if that sort of thing is of interest to you. Just my 2 cents, Tim
Last edited by michiganroadkill; 03/14/24.
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein
At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".
I can hardly wait to drive around Gary and Chicago in the blizzard at zero dark thirty Friday am.
Looks like we are going, snow or no snow. We'll leave Thursday morning and choose a route based on where the snows goes. I have AWD and ABS so it may not be too awful bad. I am leaning towards heading south through Wisconsin along the Mississippi and then across over to Janesville on 14. Don't know which day(s) I will be at the show yet, that sorta depends on what Susan has planned for visiting family.
Have a fun weekend. I have a lot going on so can't make it but did meet Tim there a couple years ago and ended up with another of his great knives. Safe travels and enjoy the start of "Spring".
The trip down should be easy. The trip home will be problematic. What I saw earlier on the news was saying 16-18 inches of snow. Up here, that is not usually so much of a problem, but it can be. I think I will have everything ready here at home to handle a couple of feet, and then just hope that the plows make it through the roads at least once brfore I have to drive on them Snow ruts with six or so inches is nowhere near as bad as rutted up roads 18 inches deep. MNDOT usually gets enough plows on the roads to get a plow through every couple hours at the worst, or they just shut them down. That last two miles might be a little hard though.
I get to drive down Thursday morning and be in the BnB before it gets there. I think that it might not be so bad coming home. Starting to sound like a lot less going to hit here. I Think I might be stuck coming Friday, noonish. I would really rather spend more time there on Saturday, but we might have to head home on Saturday to beat the storm, and the wife wants some time to visit family.
I am down in Janesville now. No snow, not rain. The roads are pre-treated. My guess is that iy won't start snowing until morning. If you have my cell number call if you want the latest info if you do not have my cell, reply here and I will call you so that you have it. If you would like some help setting up let me know and I can show up early.
Thanks for the offers. I am pretty well organized for set up, but you are definitely welcome to come early. I will probably get there around 10:00 am WI time Friday. One two wheel cart in and 6 cases to set out.
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein
At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".
Got to meet Tim yesterday. Great person! The Badger show is HUGE! Had dinner with Tim and 4 other knife guys, but they worry me. All knife guys with access to decent blades and the use those wretched, serrated, flimsy blade, plastic handled, thing that restaurants call knives, to cut their meat. I hate those knives, and wouldn't use one to cut my asparagus, much less meat.
Yeah, it was good to get a face to face. Enjoyed the company and the jerky is pretty darn good.
Met 3 24hr guys at the show. I will let them give their own views/opinions.
I really like that show, but am glad to have the drive around the south end of the lake over with. I had a good show and signed up for a table in 2025.
Thanks Tim
"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein
At Khe Sanh a sign read "For those who fight for it, life has a flavor the protected never knew".
Enjoyed seeing you at the show again Tim. Missed the opportunity to meet Miles58 by a whisker - maybe next year. It was a good show, but I'm a Badger Knife Club member, so maybe I'm biased. Glad you made it here and back home safely and I'll see you next year, Lord willing.
Sorry to miss connection, but with 400 miles north to go and a nasty storm coming back home in Mn I Figured getting that nifty little M4 blade from Tim I had done good and I still needed to grab some Green County Baby Swiss and Land jaeger over in Monroe. I have had more than my share of driving on 94 in ice and snow and I ran while the getting was good. Have a foot of heavy wet here but had dry roads all the way home.
I am trying to talk Tim out of a cute little thing in S35VN but he's fighting storm over in Michigan.