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Booshway
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Anybody been to the CLA show before? Looking like I may finally get a chance to go this summer. Work and money finally lined up right, major withdrawal from no shows in my region the past covid year, etc. Think I'm going to take the whole week and hit the show, explore some possible new hunting areas, cruise with the top off the Jeep and just have a nice little vacation.
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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I went several years ago. I think it was wonderful then, and I think it has grown more so since then. Prices are high, but so is the quality. Lots and lots of stuff to see.

I am planning to attend again this year. It is about a 4 hour drive north, straight up I-75 for me to get there. I'll probably get a motel room somewhere on the outskirts of Lexington for one night.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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I'll drive up to Lexington tomorrow and attend the show on Friday.
If anyone is there from this forum; I will be wearing my navy ball cap with the name of my old ship on it. USS Manley, DD 940.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Heh, a tin-can sailor! My Dads' last ship was USS Waddel(sp?) DDG24.


Beer is proof that God loves us,and wants us to be happy-B. Franklin
 
Posts: 2014 | Location: Oreegun Territory | Registered: 24 March 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Well, I went to the CLA show. Sad to say, but I was disappointed. This was the 25th anniversary of the show and it was supposed to be a big deal. It was a good show, but in my opinion it was no better than many other shows I have attended. It did not meet my expectations.
In all fairness, I suppose the covid thing probably put the bite on it and kept some vendors and the general public from attending. Then again, I was there the morning of the first day (Friday the 13th) and left by noon. Maybe things picked up after that. I hope so.
I did bump into a couple of acquaintances of mine and had a short chat with each of them. I bought $15. worth of raffle tickets for a fancy longrifle, and some flints for my fowler. That's it.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Boartooth; yep, tin can sailor, the galloping greyhounds, a destroyer. I was a quartermaster. For you sodbusters, a navy quartermaster is a navigator. The captain told me where to go - but I told him how to get there. Smiler
Boartooth your dad was on a DDG, a guided missle destroyer. My ship, the Manley was a conventional destroyer during my time on her. After I separated from active duty in 1969 she went into drydock and was converted into a DDG by removing #2 gun mount and replacing it with a missle launcher.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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I was there all day Thursday. Had planned on Friday, but made it out earlier than expected. Wasn't sure what to expect, as the info said it was open but also setup day? I was there 11am to almost 7pm and it was fun. A few set up early, look at those and talk to folks, walk around and a few more arrived and set up, and so on all day. I got to see probably 80% of everything that way, miss the bigger crowds and got first crack at all the goodies. I wouldn't have stayed later than late morning on Friday if I went back, doubted anyone that wasn't there late Thursday would have gotten in and set up overnight. I did get to talk to everyone I hoped to see, picked up a few neat items for my kit, a new book, a couple small scrapers and supplies and, the big reason I went, three really nice stock blanks. I thought the arena was very nice and easy to get to, much better than I expected. I was worried Lexington would be like downtown Baltimore, but nothing that bad. The auction and hoopla with that don't really interest me as much and are beyond my wallet so I wasn't worried about missing those later in the show.

First time in Kentucky, passed through some pretty country on the way there. Some really good looking deer country in spots, also in southern Ohio. I must say I never saw any of that blue grass though, still skeptical on that one! Smiler

Best plunder. One is a tiny little powder measure for my squirrel kit - empty brass casing holding 30 grains with a carved squirrel on top. I found a knife I liked that was very reasonable, hand carved handle and sheath done as a rattlesnake with a 3" patch knife, really cool looking. Grabbed a copy of Hankla's Into the Bluegrass book, nice. And the wood. Two from Harrisons, one red and one sugar maple, both with the sort of curl that really grabs me - tight striping that curls down around the buttstock. And what had to be the steal of the show I got a blank of claro walnut from Dunlap that is WOW. Nice figure, birdseyes scattered in the butt and only $100! He had to have mis-priced it, straight grained black walnut blanks cost more. Should be a nice fit to the Jaeger parts I've got on hand waiting to be a gun. Smiler Smiler Smiler

I hope to go back some year, but the timing is so close to Dixon's and that is only 4 hours from me. Excited to see the new venue for that next year, too.
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Looking back at my first post, nooo, didn't do any top off the Jeep cruising. It was over 90 degrees every day and I like AC!!
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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It sounds like you left quite a bit of cash there.
I talked with Mel Hankla also. He promoted his book, but I didn't buy it. I've been acquainted with Mel for many years through the Alvin York chunkgun shoot.
Also David Wright, the artist, who I also spoke with at the show. Very nice affable guy. I bought one of his paintings many years ago at another show in Georgia.
I run into both of these guys now and then at various shows around the south.

I'm going to mention another name who I think should be noted as a gunmaker. Paul Swanson, of Rockford, Illinois. No, Paul was not at the CLA show and he doesn't promote his gunmaking, but he certainly is good.
Paul made my chunkgun for me. He also made a copy of Alvin York's hog rifle and presented it to Alvin's youngest son, Andy. That was years ago. Paul makes some beautiful longrifles. Unfortunately, he is getting up in years now, like many of us, and he is slowing down.

Driving up there to Lexington on I-75 we noted several huge traffic jams in the southbound lanes. Traffic was at a standstill for miles and miles and miles due to road construction work.
We didn't want to get stuck in that mess on the way home, so I took Rt. 27 from Lexington south through the rolling bluegrass hills and small towns of Kentucky and into the heavily forested mountains of Tennessee. It sure is a winding, twisted highway in places, but at least we kept moving. It only took us an extra hour or so of travel time to get back home here in Tenasi.

One more week and then my grandson and I are going down to Jekyll Island, Georgia for some camping, beach combing, and lots of surf fishing.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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I try and avoid interstates and took old state routes through lower PA, western MD, 50 through WVA and Ohio and then dropped down through the hills toward Maysville and then south. Neat drive, and found some great looking deer country.

One of the coolest tables I found was the Fluke brothers and all the carved antler primers and european powder flasks. The ones I liked were way out of my budget, but very neat stuff. Sitting here now staring at an elk shed I picked up out west one year, giving me all sorts of ideas.
 
Posts: 429 | Location: Delmarva | Registered: 22 December 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Oh yes, the Fluke brothers table. Even my wife was sorely tempted there with the fine carvings.
Amazing, just amazing what some artisans can do.


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pilgrim
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Rancocas - another tin can sailor here, USS Philip, DD-498. Deck force, then Sonar. Since I later became a land surveyor, I have often wished I had gone for a quartermaster rating. Ah well, the decisions we make aren't always the best, in hindsight. The Philip was decommissioned in 1967, sold for scrap, and went down with the Radford in a typhoon while being towed to Taiwan to be broke up. It did my heart good when I learned that!

~Kees~
 
Posts: 70 | Registered: 07 January 2022Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Winter Hawk;
Yep, USS Manley DD-940, 1967-1969. QM3. WestPac, North Atlantic, and Med cruises.
Before that I was a SN in 1st div. (deck force) on the old USS Everglades AD24, a destroyer tender. One Caribbean cruise on the 'glades.
Both the Everglades and the Manley were decommissioned and scraped long ago. Sometime in the 1980's I flew in to Philadelphia. As the plane passed over the Philadelphia Navy Yard, I spotted the old Everglades sitting there. It was just a stripped down hulk.
What I learned as a navigator has helped me doing my wilderness wanderings through the years, but it sure did not do anything to advance my career in law enforcement.
Cool


Know what you believe in. Fight for your beliefs. Never compromise away your rights.
 
Posts: 1296 | Location: Cherokee Land, Tenasi | Registered: 06 January 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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