What an exciting week-end of the sharpeners and vendors and the NBTSG convention in Newark New Jersey DoubleTree hotel! Much was accomplished in "Advancing the Art of Sharpening" from workshops to certifications to information shared.
The keynote speaker was Michael Torgau from Jaguar Shears. Sharpeners enjoyed his German accent as he carefully explained metallurgy with the help of powerpoint photos. It was video taped and will be available soon to all sharpeners everywhere.
In addition to Michael Torgau, Dennis Brooks from Sharp Edges answered some questions concerning clipper blades and correct set of the blades. Once again, this was video taped and will be available soon to the sharpeners.
Workshops were attended in small groups by the sharpeners and included classes on shear sharpening, clipper blade sharpening, clipper repair, dental tool sharpening, razor sharpening and pivot screws. Workshop instructors included Bonnie Megowan, Dennis Brooks, Jim Odonnell, Steve Pailet, Michael Torgau, Jason Sturm, and Dayna Schluefer.
On Friday the board of directors met and made changes for the future. Scott Bornea of Sukutto Scissors was nominated for replacing Jim ODonnell who asked to rotate off the board due to church commitments. Scott was also appointed by the board as the new secretary to replace Jesse Hockett who will stay on the board but step down as secretary. Jason Sturm will head up a benevolence committee to help sharpeners in need and Lou Gean will explore a Chicago location for the convention in 2017. The 2016 convention was decided for Kansas City, Mo again with Craig Swanson as hotel liaison since he lives in the area.
The statistics and numbers on the convention are as follows.
The keynote speaker was Michael Torgau from Jaguar Shears. Sharpeners enjoyed his German accent as he carefully explained metallurgy with the help of powerpoint photos. It was video taped and will be available soon to all sharpeners everywhere.
In addition to Michael Torgau, Dennis Brooks from Sharp Edges answered some questions concerning clipper blades and correct set of the blades. Once again, this was video taped and will be available soon to the sharpeners.
Workshops were attended in small groups by the sharpeners and included classes on shear sharpening, clipper blade sharpening, clipper repair, dental tool sharpening, razor sharpening and pivot screws. Workshop instructors included Bonnie Megowan, Dennis Brooks, Jim Odonnell, Steve Pailet, Michael Torgau, Jason Sturm, and Dayna Schluefer.
On Friday the board of directors met and made changes for the future. Scott Bornea of Sukutto Scissors was nominated for replacing Jim ODonnell who asked to rotate off the board due to church commitments. Scott was also appointed by the board as the new secretary to replace Jesse Hockett who will stay on the board but step down as secretary. Jason Sturm will head up a benevolence committee to help sharpeners in need and Lou Gean will explore a Chicago location for the convention in 2017. The 2016 convention was decided for Kansas City, Mo again with Craig Swanson as hotel liaison since he lives in the area.
The statistics and numbers on the convention are as follows.
- 11 vendors
- 10+ types of sharpening machines for shears, clippers, knives & dental tools
- 5 shear companies and 1 knife company
- 5 people attempted blade certification
- 4 different brands of clipper sharpening machines were used
- 3 of the 5 certified with all 3 at Master level
- 19 points spread between 1st and third place for blade certification
- 60% of those who attempted blade certification passed
- 9 people attempted master shear certification
- 5 different machines were used in the shear sharpening certification
- 7 of the 9 certified with 4 at master status
- 6 points spread between 1st and 3rd place for Master Shear Sharpening certification
- 78% of those who attempted shear sharpening certification passed
- 11 Friday workshops
- 60 attendees
- 1 person attained Grand Master meaning they reached master status in shears and blades
Final Certification Results for 2015
Shear Sharpening
Certified Level: Steve Gross, Joseph Poole, James McGrew
Master Level: Robert Miller, Loren Dalla Betta, John Kuipers, Dayna Schleufer
Blade Sharpening
Master Level: James McGrew, Dayna Schleufer, Steve Gross
Top Scores
Shear Sharpening:
- Robert Miller 1st place Millers Sharpening Service, New Castle, PA
- Loren Della Betta 2nd place DB Shears, Pittsburgh, PA
- John Kuipers 3rd place, Wicked Sharp Shears, Jupiter, FL
Blade Sharpening
James McGrew 1st place On Point Sharpening by James, Arlington, NE
Dayna Schleufer 2nd place Scissor Mechanix, Charlotte, NC
Steve Gross 3rd place Sydney, Australia
Grand Master - certified Master in Blades and Shears
Dayna Schleufer Scissor Mechanix, Charlotte, NC
Official certificates, ID cards, and photographs of the show will be coming soon. Look for a new updated website by the end of October.
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