Does anyone remember or know.,,.

[pipascus]

Back around Late December/Early January 2004 or so I visited a lady friend in Michigan. She took me to some kind of gun show for muzzleloading in a wooden building. I can’t remember where it was but I think it was sort of near a university and we had lunch at a place called Bilbo’s Pizza.
I still have such a fond memory of walking past the bare trees, everything covered in white as snow fell gently.

inside, the place was full of all sorts Rev-War and F&I War flintlocks, hatchets, clothing, accoutrements of every kind, and people wearing them. Everyone was super friendly.
I met a fellow who had started a muzzleloading magazine and subscribed. He was called Moose or something like that. The magazine sadly went under but the issues I did get were great!
We were going to visit the fort up by the UP but turned around because of the heavyvsnow
I had such hopes to get involved in all this but life again got in the way.

Just wondering if there are still shows like that, and where to look for them.

That hour or so is so big in my mind! It was like stepping into a fantasyland of treasures of all sorts!!!

 

[pipascus]

So how do I find shows lie that: basically a gun show for muzzle-loading?
And does anyone remember that magazine and the man who started it? He was a big guy with a beard, young. I remember some were really ticked because they subscribed and the magazine went under, but I never thought he did anything deliberate. Seems like things just happened and he couldn't fix it.
Can't remember if the magazne was called Muzzleloader or something similar. I have lie four issue somewhere and they were very well produced.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Like this?

 

[Stophel]

Never been there, but the one I thought of is the Kalamazoo Living History Show. It's supposedly a pretty large affair. Of course, it ain't happenin' now, thanks to the plandemic and the wonderful gubernor of Michigan.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Never been there, but the one I thought of is the Kalamazoo Living History Show. It's supposedly a pretty large affair. Of course, it ain't happenin' now, thanks to the plandemic and the wonderful gubernor of Michigan.

YES Has to be the KALAMAZOO LIVING HISTORY SHOW the largest indoor living history show in the country...

KALAMAZOO LHS

LD

 

[Keb]

What town, city were you near? Lapeer & Oakland University use to have shows in southeast Michigan. I think the Lapeer show is still going but I believe the Oakland show went belly up. But if it was a huge show, one so cramped you couldn't even get to a table, it was the Kalamazoo show as stated in previous posts.

 

[Dave Marsh]

Bilbo's Pizza is in Kalamazoo so you must have gone to the Kalamazoo living history show. I only know because my daughter and son in law live there. OK pizza too. Show is usually in March.

 

[pipascus]

Now that y'all mention it, I believe it was in Kalamazoo. But I could have sworn it was sometime near Christmas. It was like 18 below when I got to the airport and snow everywhere. I looked at the google map image and the grounds look different, but then maybe they built a new building since then.
This is very frustrating.
Also trying to remember the name of that magazine!!! And the guy who tried publishing it. Wondering if it ever got back off the ground.

Unfortunately I won't be off of work until after May, so that show in Tennessee is not possible. Very frustrating!!!

And THANK YOU! to all for the help!

 

[Rudyard]

I would suggest try' Smoke& Fire News' it listed all sorts of events mostly mid west & Eastern States but not Entirely '
Rudyard

 

[No Deer]

Now that y'all mention it, I believe it was in Kalamazoo. But I could have sworn it was sometime near Christmas. It was like 18 below when I got to the airport and snow everywhere. I looked at the google map image and the grounds look different, but then maybe they built a new building since then.
This is very frustrating.
Also trying to remember the name of that magazine!!! And the guy who tried publishing it. Wondering if it ever got back off the ground.

Unfortunately I won't be off of work until after May, so that show in Tennessee is not possible. Very frustrating!!!

And THANK YOU! to all for the help!

The magazine was "Buckskinner" and the guy was Chris. We were pretty good friends, but after his problems with the magazine, I did not hear much from him, and it has been at least 15 years since I last heard from him. Yes, people were VERY upset with him, but, in my opinion, he did not intentionally do anything wrong, he was just a very poor business manager. IF he had had someone with the capital and business knowhow behind him, he would have had a very good and successful magazine I believe.

 

[Jaeger]

Never been there, but the one I thought of is the Kalamazoo Living History Show. It's supposedly a pretty large affair. Of course, it ain't happenin' now, thanks to the plandemic and the wonderful gubernor of Michigan.

The Kalamazoo show is wonderful, and is huge. This is the second year in a row that it has been cancelled, and this has been devastating for us reenactors in Michigan. The governor of Michigan did not cancel the show. Covid has hit Michigan particularly hard, and the fact the KLHS has been so wildly successful for many years, with HUGE crowds of people tightly-packed in attendance, made it impossible to have. Believe me, negotiating your way through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds of people is the last place you'd want to be during the pandemic. Disease epidemics are not convenient or choosy about whom they hurt.

 

[pipascus]

The magazine was "Buckskinner" and the guy was Chris. We were pretty good friends, but after his problems with the magazine, I did not hear much from him, and it has been at least 15 years since I last heard from him. Yes, people were VERY upset with him, but, in my opinion, he did not intentionally do anything wrong, he was just a very poor business manager. IF he had had someone with the capital and business knowhow behind him, he would have had a very good and successful magazine I believe.

YES!!! That’s it!!! THANK YOU!!!
What a shame because the magazine was very good!!!
I subscribed to the magazine at the show and he gave me an issue there. He was with a couple of friends at the booth and they were all dressed up. I was really looking forward to doing trekking up there and making friends. It’s really sad that happened. Sad also that the enthusiasm overall seems to have waned, but maybe and hopefully I am wrong.
Anyway...
Seems like Chris got overwhelmed and maybe handled it badly. He was very friendly and seemed genuine.
I hope he is doing well now. Would be great to see that magazine come back to life, but maybe he chose exile over redemption.

I should still have the four issues I received somewhere. Just moved so hopefully will find them eventually. Would be nice to read them again. My goodness I just realized how long it’s been, and all the stuff that has happened.

 

[pipascus]

The magazine was "Buckskinner" and the guy was Chris. We were pretty good friends, but after his problems with the magazine, I did not hear much from him, and it has been at least 15 years since I last heard from him. Yes, people were VERY upset with him, but, in my opinion, he did not intentionally do anything wrong, he was just a very poor business manager. IF he had had someone with the capital and business knowhow behind him, he would have had a very good and successful magazine I believe.

No Deer, I wish I knew what happened to Chris. Were you one of the guys with him at the Kalamazoo show back in 2004? He seemed like a good fellow and was really enthusiastic about muzzleloading. I've been kind of sad all day thinking about what happened, even though I only met him once and corresponded via email. We lost some subscription money, and some people lost more than that, but I hear he lost his dream, his money, his house, his friends, and his reputation. Even the muzzleloading community. That's terrible and I really don't think he meant for this to happen.
Anyway, I hope he shows up back on his feet.

 

[No Deer]

No Deer, I wish I knew what happened to Chris. Were you one of the guys with him at the Kalamazoo show back in 2004? He seemed like a good fellow and was really enthusiastic about muzzleloading. I've been kind of sad all day thinking about what happened, even though I only met him once and corresponded via email. We lost some subscription money, and some people lost more than that, but I hear he lost his dream, his money, his house, his friends, and his reputation. Even the muzzleloading community. That's terrible and I really don't think he meant for this to happen.
Anyway, I hope he shows up back on his feet.

No, I was not with him at the show. He was a really good guy to be around. As I said before, he did not intentionally do anything wrong, just really poor business decisions. He did not have the capital to support the magazine and did things like taking product in trade for advertising. Now having things like axes and knives to play with was fun, but it could not pay the bills. I personally did not have any financial investment in his magazine, but some other friends did, and they feel like he screwed them. He left abruptly without telling anyone, which made it look like he was sneaking away (which may have been the case), and this only increased the hard feelings against him. Last time I talked with him, at least 15 years ago, he had completely left muzzle loading. I have had no contact with him since then, but often wonder how he is doing.

 

[pipascus]

Sad.
When I met Chris it was during a time when I was trying to get back on my feet and wanting to get into muzzleloading. The following years were somewhat chaotic and I always thought of muzzleloading and that day at the show.
Unboxing my rifle again after all this time made me remember the magazine and, although I knew some things had gone wrong, I didn’t know it was that bad.

Anyway, God bless and thanks!
I hope Chris pops up again and redeems himself.