Nashville Sharpeners Workshop by Kuda Report

As always we enjoyed the Kuda workshop, this time in Nashville, TN. There was a good attendance including several "newbees."

There were several classes on clippers, etc going on during the workshop which was a little strange because people were coming and going and I don't think I ever saw everyone there at the same time.

We met Jason with EdgePro. We picked up some literature from him for our upcoing sharpeners Jam since he is selling clipper parts at great prices but also in stock and with charts and lists of the parts. Clipper sharpeners be sure and ask for this at the Jam.

Gene watches Lenny Pietrzak as he kicks off the Kuda Workshop. Lenny's stories of his early days in sharpening brought some laughs and groans. Did he really say his first stop had 800 shears? He said his next stop had 1500! He also said he had no idea what he was doing. The second shear he was given was a lefty pinking shear. Now that I can believe!

Click on the title to see all the photos I took at the workshop. I liked Lenny's 4 in 1 Shear Adjusting Tool. We will have this at the Jam and a chance for the folks in the Bending Class on Saturday to actually try out hands-on. The Bonika Shears Shear Sharpening Jam is only a few days away. Have you made your hotel reservation yet? There are plenty of last minute flights on special. Check the travel websites. Remember the Jam is FREE and the other costs are low as well. Although the cost is free the education is beyond value. There is no sharpening convention, workshop or gathering with as much information as the Jam. Can I say it is "Jam-packed?"

Kuda - San Francisco

Gene and his brother Harry are at the Kuda Certification in San Francisco this week-end. Harry is supposed to be taking photos for me to post. I will also let you know who certified on Bonika Shears and became eligible to be on the Find-a-Sharpener look-up.

I have had a lot of training lately and will have a training tomorrow. The rest of the week will be crazy since we having new carpet installed. It is time we got some commercial grade carpet for the extra foot traffic we get since our residence became a business location. We had a new roof put on a few weeks ago. I think we will wait until Tim Lau comes to Georgia again and let him do any new landscaping since he enjoys the heat so much.

Jay, my son-in-law and local sharpener will travel to Chicago this week along with Carissa (our office assistant) and Chuck and Teresa Bigalow. They have a booth at the America's Beauty Show. We wish them luck. They will miss out on the carpet installation. I don't know why Mystie timed our new carpet for the week the crew was gone.

Sharpening Workshop in Altamonte Springs, FL

From kuda fl 08

From kuda fl 08

Four sharpeners each from different states certified as a Bonika Shears technician through the Kuda Workshop. Congratulations to these four sharpeners: Lenny Dicarro, Fred Reppart, Mark Peterson, and Roland Kappelman. Each correctly sharpened a Bonika Jazzy and explained how they would sharpen a Fishbone, Texturizer, Thinning Shear, Curve Shear, Beveled Shear and a Serrated Shear. They are are eligible to be listed on our Find A Sharpener look-up if they are distributing Bonika Shears.

Vendors at the Kuda workshop included Nina Inc, Shark Fin, Sukotta, Nebraska Blades and Kuda. Click Here to see photos from the Kuda Workshop in Florida.

Kuda Workshop Finale

Yesterday the Kuda Workshop wound up. We've already had phone calls from at least one sharpener we met at the workshop and set up some new distributors. Five sharpeners were certified on sharpening Bonika Shears. I'll have their names listed once released by Kuda.



I had a chance to look at the Kuda system and of course I think our Scimech is superior, I was impressed. Everyone who tried to certify sharpening Bonika Shears that used their system passed. I wished their clamp did a full convex rotation like our Scimech but I like the torsional compensation and the cool technological look. The Scimech is a little less complicated and the scissor twist has been addressed in the new method of sharpening I plan to demonstrate at the sharpeners Jam here in Atlanta in July. Our equipment is more ergonomic, especially for those with back or hand problems like arthritist or carpal tunnel. However, in the past I've often told people that if they did not buy the Scimech I would recommend Larry Brook's Hamurguri machine, but I think I will now include Len's Kuda equipment as well.



I was super impressed with Mike Borsch nipper sharpening machine. It is simple, but effective in correcting all type of nipper problems. We will be talking by phone tomorrow about including his machine as part of the equipment line we will be providing to sharpeners. We hope to have me thoroughly trained and ready to sell and train on the machine by the Sharpeners Jam. I was really impressed by Mike's nipper knowledge and plan to dive into his brain and be teach and communicate his knowledge to future nipper sharpeners. The equipment should run less than $1300.00. It would take a little over 200 nippers to pay for the machine at $6.00 each and about 160 at $8.00 each. That is not quite as good as our Scimech Scissor Flathone which breaks even at 116 shears at the going rate of $25.00 per pair sharpening, but if you sharpened 10 nippers per day the equipment would be paid for in just one month. It is also more portable, quieter and cleaner than clipper blade sharpening.

Kuda Sharpening Workshop - Friday Night

Friday night at the Kuda Sharpening Workshop.

I didn't know Wilkes-Barre and Scranton were such small places. We flew in a puddle jumper jet from Atlanta to the Kuda Sharpening Workshop here in Wilkes-Barre. I met some new sharpeners and became reacquainted with old friends. I took a few snap shots of Len Pietrzak's van and sharpening set up. Also got some snaps of sharpeners. I look forward to the week-end with these sharpeners and talking shop. Bob Schiessl is here from Nebraska Blades and Bob Tanner of Be Sharp. More about the workshop later.

Coming Events

I haven't posted but will try to be more diligent. We stay so busy but there are so many things happening with our company this year that I need to annouce and chronicle them.

1. Baby is due. Probably next Wednesday the 23 which is when the doctor will induce if baby Brooke is not born. Not my baby. For those who don't know me, my daughter Mystie is my office manager and her husband is my sharpening manager. It's her second baby that is due. Being a family business it disrupts things, but we are excited about the new bundle of joy.
2. IBS New York. We will leave on Friday (2 days after the birth) and have two booths and two classes there. If you are coming to the show stop by our booths. Also catch the classes. Sheila Tate is teaching classes. She has a great DVD coming out that will be available for wholesale by the middle of May. Its Barbering for the Cosmetologist. She taught this class at the Miami International Hair Show last week end and will teach it again in Orlando for the Premiere Show. I think her DVD will sell very well.
3. Phasing in new shears and phasing out old ones. We are switching manufactuers for some shears, discontinuing the slower selling ones and replacing with new designs and completely revamping some of our other shears. We are excited about the new items. Any left over old models we will sell at a discounted wholesale price at the Sharpener's Jam in July. We are working now on some great bargain boxes for the shapeners who attend.
4. Back in stock, if you were waiting for them T14. Also take a look at the new EDT Shear and tell me what you think. We will be distributing this shear.
5. Last item today is the Kuda Workshop We were asked to speak on how to sell shears. I will be taking the seminar and using Lenny's machine. I thought it was impolite to bring and market ours. I'm intrigued to use it. We will also be certifying sharpeners for our Bonika Shears. We will probably bring some discounted Jazzys for sharpeners to certify on and possilby some texturizers and a Fishbone. for directions on sharpening a Fishbone click here.