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Who went to the CLA in Lexington KY?

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Another thought; I saw Jim Kibler closely examining a few Hawken rifles (as I breezed through the show ); so maybe a Hawken kit will be his next offering.
 
Picked up a cool horn from bill Willie..
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I spent the day down at the CLA show today. I'm curious were any of you there?

I got to watch Jim finish this SMR in .36 which later one lucky guy one in a raffle.
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Mike Miller was there displaying some of his works of art.
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Here's a few pics of some rifles that caught my eye.
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I went on Friday. 1st time that I've been there. I'll take more $ next year. Great people and artwork/resources!
 
My wife and I, along with a close friend and his wife who used to rendezvous all over, and had been to the show about 20 years ago, took the motorhome down for a couple weeks in Kentucky with the show as one of the attractions to see. We also spent time in Land Between the Lakes as well as the greater Frankfort/Lexington area exploring civil war museums and sites and other historical things like the old Boonesborough site. The tour of the Lock Master's house in Boonesborough park was exceptional! Our guide was a grandson of the old Lock Master and our tour was filled with personal stories of the history of the place and spending lots of time there. Also hit the Kentucky International Horse Park/Museum. My wife and I have been to Kentucky numerous times and never are bored for lack of things to see and do.

We went to the CLA show on Friday. Hatchet....I almost bought a full set of those different scrapers that I see you picked up a couple of.

I saw three guns that I really liked. One was a plain-jane .54 whose form was nothing short of pure art. I was talking to the builder, whom I think was from Oregon or Washington, and he commented it was "just a plain one." My response back was that fancy stuff doesn't help a poorly architected rifle, but a plain rifle with all the correct proportions is a beauty to behold! If I had been in the market for a new hunting rifle, that one would have certainly gotten my vote. It was as sleek as could be and balanced perfectly. Another was a .410 double flinter that was the cutest little shotgun one could imagine. I talked to the owner, who I think was there on behalf of the NMLRA. The gun was just on display and not for sale.

I spent a considerable amount of time talking to Don Getz about brass barrels. I've always been interested in learning more about them and just how "tough" they are vs an iron or steel barrel. He was a wealth of information. I talked to a number of others as well and Mike Miller's little gun he built for his daughter was certainly a show-stopper! I seem to remember that gun being mentioned in the "Muzzleloader" article on Mike, but cannot remember for sure. Somehow I already knew about it and it was fun to hold.

But....for pure artistry at it's peak....I have to give my vote to what I'll call the "Hummingbird Rifle." The gun has, if I recall correctly, 46 hummingbirds on it. I'm a big believer in using guns, but I think even I would have to just hang this beauty on the wall! The guy who had it there was not the builder, but he mentioned the builder had done another one with something like 54 butterflies. I cannot imagine the patience and skill it takes to decorate a rifle like that. Enjoy!

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My wife and I, along with a close friend and his wife who used to rendezvous all over, and had been to the show about 20 years ago, took the motorhome down for a couple weeks in Kentucky with the show as one of the attractions to see. We also spent time in Land Between the Lakes as well as the greater Frankfort/Lexington area exploring civil war museums and sites and other historical things like the old Boonesborough site. The tour of the Lock Master's house in Boonesborough park was exceptional! Our guide was a grandson of the old Lock Master and our tour was filled with personal stories of the history of the place and spending lots of time there. Also hit the Kentucky International Horse Park/Museum. My wife and I have been to Kentucky numerous times and never are bored for lack of things to see and do.

We went to the CLA show on Friday. Hatchet....I almost bought a full set of those different scrapers that I see you picked up a couple of.

I saw three guns that I really liked. One was a plain-jane .54 whose form was nothing short of pure art. I was talking to the builder, whom I think was from Oregon or Washington, and he commented it was "just a plain one." My response back was that fancy stuff doesn't help a poorly architected rifle, but a plain rifle with all the correct proportions is a beauty to behold! If I had been in the market for a new hunting rifle, that one would have certainly gotten my vote. It was as sleek as could be and balanced perfectly. Another was a .410 double flinter that was the cutest little shotgun one could imagine. I talked to the owner, who I think was there on behalf of the NMLRA. The gun was just on display and not for sale.

I spent a considerable amount of time talking to Don Getz about brass barrels. I've always been interested in learning more about them and just how "tough" they are vs an iron or steel barrel. He was a wealth of information. I talked to a number of others as well and Mike Miller's little gun he built for his daughter was certainly a show-stopper! I seem to remember that gun being mentioned in the "Muzzleloader" article on Mike, but cannot remember for sure. Somehow I already knew about it and it was fun to hold.

But....for pure artistry at it's peak....I have to give my vote to what I'll call the "Hummingbird Rifle." The gun has, if I recall correctly, 46 hummingbirds on it. I'm a big believer in using guns, but I think even I would have to just hang this beauty on the wall! The guy who had it there was not the builder, but he mentioned the builder had done another one with something like 54 butterflies. I cannot imagine the patience and skill it takes to decorate a rifle like that. Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing your experience and appreciation for Kentucky!
 
I was able to make it out both days, had a great time with great people. Looked to me like the crowds were decent, many artists were pleased with turnout and sales. Hoping next year is the same and better.

 
I was able to make it out both days, had a great time with great people. Looked to me like the crowds were decent, many artists were pleased with turnout and sales. Hoping next year is the same and better.


I ran into you and said hello. Keep up the great work on those videos!
 
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