Trip to WOL-2002-A Great Success-LONG

Thor · 03-04-2002, 11:45 AM

Well.....what a thrill to get to do this all over again.

Thursday-The road trip to Phoenix as quick was I couldnt help but think about all the great people I was getting ready to meet and all the Lugers and P.38s awaiting my trembling fingers....I was excited. A thermos of coffee and an Elvis CD helped to ease my jitters or at least distract me.

Friday-A first breakfast with Luke Smithwick and Bob Tracy got things off to a great start, then off to Ralphs for Luke's Navy purchase. Luke really did this right, made arragements with Ralph and set aside a couple of hours to get just the right Navy from Ralph's great selection-The three of us had a great time and Luke ended up with his Navy and another Luger and a great looking Pre War-PPK (I was very envious) he did very well indeed. Ralph took us all to lunch at the Country Club and we enjoyed discussions with him about Luger collection/shooting/gunshows. What a great time-Thanks Ralph! Then off to GTs that evening-What a thrill-Ron Wood brought a fantastic collection of Minty top of the line Collection Grade Lugers including a Michael Krause 45 reproduction Luger-WOW. Ralph and Nancy Shattuck were there also and it was fun talking to them. GT and Carol had a great feed and bier bash for all to enjoy. We were loving this a lot. GTs son Gerry was there too, a great young man with a thirst for gun collection too. I met lots of people in person for the first time. Really a thrill to meet DOK, and see his fantastic work, he brought along Luke's case for an Imperial Luger complete with the Imperial German Eagle on the top of the case-FANTASTIC To see Dok's work in person is an incredible thrill, it is simply awesome! I was getting really pumped about this next project-A presentation case for my Baby Luger. Ed Tinker was a kick too, he has a great personality and sense of humor!! GT's fantastic P.38 colleciton was availabe for review and I especially liked the baby P.38 that John Martz made for him. It was also very interesting to hear from GT on his wood bottom making and up coming endevours. GT gave away some great prizes and we all hated to leave.

Saturday-The breakfast meeting was great and more neat people to meet. My new friend and client Bill Stanley and lovely wife Linda were there and I really enjoyed talking to them. Hugh and Minta Clark were a delight as well and Hugh gave me another strange looking Luger to rework for him with a long 30 Luger barrel made from a rifle barrel I think. He also returned three sets of Grips he had worked on for me and as I have come to expect, they were all perfect. On To Ralph and NAncy's place. The trip to WOL didnt take long at all from the restaurant and Ralph and Nancy greeted all with a big smile and warm welcome! They really rolled out the red carpet for us all and Ron Wood brought some great cotton white gloves for the visitors to use while handling the super Luger Inventory. It was very satisfying for me to see so many of my friends finally get to experience the thrill of Ralph's place and getting to meet him and Nancy is every bit as great IMO. Well, I took some pictures and looked a several Lugers and just loved to watch the guys go nuts pulling Lugers and checking them all out. I was in the first "wave" and I know several Lugers were purchased in that meeting. Ralph and I kidded John Dunkle that I was going to trade my Luger collection to Ralph for a minty Krieghoff or two to see if I could shake John up a bit! He QUICKLY saw through my ruse and of course was a ver good sport about it!! I think the second wave was equally sucessful with several Lugers bought then two. All in all a most wonderful visit by the forum to the WOL. Then off to the country club that evening for drinks, and really good food courtesy of Ralph and Nancy Shattuck! Thanks so much for a great time. John and Jen Dunkle did a FANTASTIC job on this Luger convention and Ralph and Nancy opened up their hearts and homes to all. They are so gracious and warm people! So nice to all their friends. Thanks to everyone for making this such a great trip and meeting, it was a THRILL! This trip was memorable for Natalie and I and the Lugers were great and so were all the Luger people. The forum has brought together some of the nicest and most interesting people that will continue to enrich each other's lives for some time to come I think. What a thrill to be part of it! Thanks again! IT WAS GREAT!! ~Thor~

03-04-2002, 11:45 AM	#1
Thor User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rio Rancho, New Mexico Posts: 4,583 Thanks: 958 Thanked 970 Times in 276 Posts	Trip to WOL-2002-A Great Success-LONG Well.....what a thrill to get to do this all over again. Thursday-The road trip to Phoenix as quick was I couldnt help but think about all the great people I was getting ready to meet and all the Lugers and P.38s awaiting my trembling fingers....I was excited. A thermos of coffee and an Elvis CD helped to ease my jitters or at least distract me. Friday-A first breakfast with Luke Smithwick and Bob Tracy got things off to a great start, then off to Ralphs for Luke's Navy purchase. Luke really did this right, made arragements with Ralph and set aside a couple of hours to get just the right Navy from Ralph's great selection-The three of us had a great time and Luke ended up with his Navy and another Luger and a great looking Pre War-PPK (I was very envious) he did very well indeed. Ralph took us all to lunch at the Country Club and we enjoyed discussions with him about Luger collection/shooting/gunshows. What a great time-Thanks Ralph! Then off to GTs that evening-What a thrill-Ron Wood brought a fantastic collection of Minty top of the line Collection Grade Lugers including a Michael Krause 45 reproduction Luger-WOW. Ralph and Nancy Shattuck were there also and it was fun talking to them. GT and Carol had a great feed and bier bash for all to enjoy. We were loving this a lot. GTs son Gerry was there too, a great young man with a thirst for gun collection too. I met lots of people in person for the first time. Really a thrill to meet DOK, and see his fantastic work, he brought along Luke's case for an Imperial Luger complete with the Imperial German Eagle on the top of the case-FANTASTIC To see Dok's work in person is an incredible thrill, it is simply awesome! I was getting really pumped about this next project-A presentation case for my Baby Luger. Ed Tinker was a kick too, he has a great personality and sense of humor!! GT's fantastic P.38 colleciton was availabe for review and I especially liked the baby P.38 that John Martz made for him. It was also very interesting to hear from GT on his wood bottom making and up coming endevours. GT gave away some great prizes and we all hated to leave. Saturday-The breakfast meeting was great and more neat people to meet. My new friend and client Bill Stanley and lovely wife Linda were there and I really enjoyed talking to them. Hugh and Minta Clark were a delight as well and Hugh gave me another strange looking Luger to rework for him with a long 30 Luger barrel made from a rifle barrel I think. He also returned three sets of Grips he had worked on for me and as I have come to expect, they were all perfect. On To Ralph and NAncy's place. The trip to WOL didnt take long at all from the restaurant and Ralph and Nancy greeted all with a big smile and warm welcome! They really rolled out the red carpet for us all and Ron Wood brought some great cotton white gloves for the visitors to use while handling the super Luger Inventory. It was very satisfying for me to see so many of my friends finally get to experience the thrill of Ralph's place and getting to meet him and Nancy is every bit as great IMO. Well, I took some pictures and looked a several Lugers and just loved to watch the guys go nuts pulling Lugers and checking them all out. I was in the first "wave" and I know several Lugers were purchased in that meeting. Ralph and I kidded John Dunkle that I was going to trade my Luger collection to Ralph for a minty Krieghoff or two to see if I could shake John up a bit! He QUICKLY saw through my ruse and of course was a ver good sport about it!! I think the second wave was equally sucessful with several Lugers bought then two. All in all a most wonderful visit by the forum to the WOL. Then off to the country club that evening for drinks, and really good food courtesy of Ralph and Nancy Shattuck! Thanks so much for a great time. John and Jen Dunkle did a FANTASTIC job on this Luger convention and Ralph and Nancy opened up their hearts and homes to all. They are so gracious and warm people! So nice to all their friends. Thanks to everyone for making this such a great trip and meeting, it was a THRILL! This trip was memorable for Natalie and I and the Lugers were great and so were all the Luger people. The forum has brought together some of the nicest and most interesting people that will continue to enrich each other's lives for some time to come I think. What a thrill to be part of it! Thanks again! IT WAS GREAT!! ~Thor~