Thread: south WI and north IL meet up? please

[IMG] DSCN2952 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG] DSCN2954 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]


[IMG] DSCN2955 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

Knightwolf, Utopian , Geezer

[IMG][url=http://www.flickr.[IMG] DSCN2958 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG] DSCN2956 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]


Geezer , Utopian

[IMG] DSCN2959 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

Randydance062449 & Obie

[IMG] DSCN2961 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG] DSCN2964 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

Utopian, N8N, Geezer, Knightwolf, Obie

[IMG] DSCN2966 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG] DSCN2965 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

Geezer honing on a Thuringian

[IMG] DSCN2967 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]


Utopian & N8N (Nate)
[IMG] DSCN2969 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

Obie & Utopian

[IMG] DSCN2970 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

Utopian...this is the slurry stone I purchased from JimR

[IMG] DSCN2972 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG] DSCN2973 by randydance062449, on Flickr[/IMG]

Here is a link to all of the pics.......

Wisconsin Razor Meet 2011 - a set on Flickr

Thanks for the pics Randy!

Ladies and gentlemen:

I knew Randy (Randydance) and Ron (Utopian) would attend and I wanted to meet them and to learn honing from them. I did both. And I was also delighted to meet the others, about a dozen or so, including Geezer, and Knightwolf whose dedication and generosity was responsible for setting up the meet.

So thank you, Ben, for your hard work. You were a joy to be around and chat with.

I had taken several razors with me: 9/16" Hess 44, 11/16" Hess 44, both stainless steel, 13/16 Otto Busch "Weltmeister" and 5/8" Thiers-Issard silver steel. The two Hess 44s were recent acquisitions and my pride and joy, but my inept honing had not improved what Randy thought were factory edges. Nor had I succeeded in tightening the loose pins on the razors. The "Weltmeister," also new, was not sharp enough for me. The Thiers-Issard, although a gorgeous razor, had never been a good shaver.

Ron offered to hone the 9/16" Hess 44 and Randy the 11/16" Hess 44. He also worked on the "Weltmeister." (In Randy's photos, you'll see the "Weltmeister" in the red scales and the red tape.) The Thiers-Issard I tackled myself toward the end of the evening, after having observed Randy and Ron and bombarding them with questions.

Randy spent more than three hours on the Hess 44, with frequent breaks for conversation, and Ron a little longer on the Hess 44 and the "Welstmeister." The more gregarious of the two gentlemen, Ron kept the amusing stories and educated analysis of the razor world rolling. Randy, the quieter of the two, was equally amusing and educational but in a more subtle way. What I had not expected from these two gentlemen was an astonishing sense of natural humor. They were funny.

What impressed me about them was their vast knowledge of hones and honing, and their willingness to share and teach everything they knew. I learned from them, yes, and I am grateful. Perhaps what I admired most about them was a good heart framed in a firm handshake. That meant the world to me.

Something else I discovered was that my small stack of mysterious barber hones included a top-line Thuringian in perfect shape. Randy even lapped it for me and showed me how to use it, and when.

Geezer held a little pinning tutorial, but I was so immersed with the honing display that, unfortunately, I missed it. Geezer, however, had a selection of double edge razors, and today I own two of his refurbished Gillette Fat Boys. They are as handsome as is Geezer. By the way, Geezer, an old Navy man, turned out to be master of the one liners that kept cracking me up.

By 10 p.m., when Ron was finishing my "Weltmeister," five of us were left in the motel conference room, where the event was held, including Ben, Randy and Geezer. Being around them was like enjoying several nightcaps of cognac. Finally I left at 10:30 rich with new friends and a strong base of knowledge about honing. My razors were sharp and the pins tight.

I don't remember all the names of those who attended, but I will always remember their faces and the warmth they brought to the event.

Later that evening, as I feasted on ham, eggs, hash brown potatoes and coffee at a roadside restaurant, I was happy and grateful for an unforgettable day.

Thank you all for making that possible.

Regards,

Obie

What a day it was! It was fantastic to meet everyone and I'm thrilled to have been a part of the first (of many I hope!) WI/IL meet. A fantastic group of guys I tells ya!

Thanks again, Eric for getting the whole thing going. I had a blast and learned a ton from watching a couple of real experts hone a few razors. I only wish that I could have stayed longer

Randy and Ron, thank you so much for making such a long drive to come and share your knowledge and make for such an incredible day.

Best,

Mark

Glad to hear it was such a success. Maybe next years' gtg will be after Easter so I can make the trip over, see family, and get to meet you guys.

It's great to get some faces for the names here on SRP too. I never knew what a Hollywood face looked like before!