Workshop Registration Required for Attendance/Admission Registration for the Convention is NOT required to attend the Workshops.
Guild Workshops Shear, Grooming, and Clipper Blade Certification Preparation Classes

Workshop A
12:00p-3:00p - Topic: Shear Certification Preparation
If you plan to certify on beauty shears or grooming shears, this class is a must! This class will cover line by line on the score sheet. The expectations of a finished shear for scoring, and examples to better prepare for the certification process.
Instructor: Dennis Brooks

Workshop B
3:00p-6:00p - Topic: Clipper Blade Certification Preparation
Description: If you plan to certify on clipper blades, this class is a must! This class will cover line by line on the score sheet. The expectations of the finished blades for scoring, and examples to better prepare for the certification process.
Instructor: Jason Sturm

Workshop Registration Required for Attendance/Admission Registration for the Convention is NOT required to attend the Workshops.
7:00-8:00 – Breakfast and Networking
8:00 – 8:15 – Kick off meeting
8:30 – 11:30 – Workshop A
8:45 – 11:00 – Beauty and Grooming Shear Certification – if you have registered for Beauty or Grooming Shear Certification, do not select a workshop from Workshop A options.
11:00 – 12:00 – Boxed Lunch available for pick up (included)
11:45 – 2:45 – Workshop B
12:00 – 2:15 – Clipper Blade Certification – if you have registered for Clipper Blade Certification, do not select a workshop from Workshop B options
2:00 – 3:00 – Break Available
3:00 – 6:00 – Workshop C
6:00 – Dismiss for Dinner

An Additional Workshop Session is offered on Saturday morning. It will be listed as Session D in this list, please not the start time for Session D is 8:00AM on Saturday morning.
Choose one workshop for each session, up to the total number of workshops you have registered for. If you have signed up for a certification, please make sure that you do not sign up for a workshop during that same time slot.

Guild Workshops Morning Session: 8:30AM – 11:30AM
(NOTE: During this time, the Beauty and Grooming Shear Certification will be held. If you are planning to register for Beauty or Grooming Shear Certification, do not select a workshop during this time)

● A1 - Topic: Beginner Clipper Blade Sharpening
We will cover all the nectary steps to confidently sharpen clipper blades. This includes correct grit management, how to hold the blade and recognize the work was done correctly. There will be an emphasis on what pitfalls sharpeners run up against as they get started and even further into their career. We always leave time for your questions.
Instructor: Jason Sturm

● A2 - Topic: Those Shears with the Teeth
A class all about thinners, chunkers, and blenders. Identifying different types of shears and their uses. Recognizing the symptoms. Sharpening techniques and angles along with custom sharpening suited to the customer.
Instructor: Dennis Brooks

● A3 - Repairing Damaged and Improperly Sharpened Shears Quickly and Effectively in the Field
How to utilize multiple machines/grit progressions, polishing products, and other tools to quickly, easily, and effectively restore damaged/improperly sharpened shears back to as close to factory spec as possible. This will include full reconvexing, restoring ride lines, fixing rounded over tips and improperly edged throats, reworking proper set, and more. Bring a note book and questions, we will touch on a lot and will get as many questions answered as we can.
Instructor: Jim O’Donnell

● A4 - Topic: Hand Sharpening Knives
Instructor: Hap Stanley

Guild Workshops Early Afternoon Session B: 11:45AM – 2:45PM

(NOTE: During this time, the Clipper Blade Certification will be held. If you are planning to register for Clipper Blade Certification, do not select a workshop during this time)

● B1 - Topic: Tweaking the Shear, Advanced Setting Techniques
In this two-part class we will be addressing one of the most important geometries. (set)
We will identify set issues and use hammering, bending, and twisting techniques to improve cut and performance.
Part 1 – Understanding shear geometry.
Part 2 – Applying set techniques.
Tools needed: shear check plates, hammer, anvils, slotted block, handle bender, etc. If you don’t have it let me know and we will make it work.
Instructor: Dennis Brooks

● B2 - Topic: How to Sharpen Free Hand on Your Flat Hone.
Build proper technique and muscle memory into your process for the best results every time. We will look at how to recognize and set up proper freehand angles, how to maintain that angle through the sharpening process, and how to keep from rolling the edge while polishing.
Instructor: Jim O’Donnell

● B3 - Topic: Advanced Sharpening Techniques and Overall Knife Knowledge
The aim of this class is to both make you a better sharpener and increase your confidence in talking
knives with your customers. Its focus will be, but not limited to:
-Brands and styles of Western and Eastern Knives
-Proper assessment of damage, discussion of pricing, and managing expectations
-Pros and cons of stone sharpening vs. machine sharpening
-Thinning knives to establish proper edge geometry
-Fixing major damage
Instructor: Ryan Swanson

Guild Workshops Friday Afternoon Session C: 3:00PM – 6:00PM

● C1 - Topic: Clipper Blade Sharpening
All the aspects of sharpening clipper blades start to finish are explained to help you be the most efficient and profitable while maintaining a consistently high-quality result on all the different blade types. Subject matter will include the effects of heat distortion, burr removal, using a test plate and monitoring the wear of your lapping disc. Method of adjusting spring pressure that measures that actual down pressure rather than conventional slide force reading will also be demonstrated.
Instructor: Mitch Kingsland

● C2 - Topic: Those Pesky Problem Shears
- Curved shears that won’t cut.
- The curved thinners and chunkers that catch.
- How to handle badly torsioned edges
- Quickly and efficiently repair a badly beveled shear that should be convexed.
- Plus discover to how to repair several other pesky problem shears!
Learn to use bending blocks, hammering, rideline disc, buffers, and even belt sanders to tackle those issues.
Instructor: Dennis Brooks

● C3 - Topic: DON'T Leave money on the table.
Build your business and keep your current customers. We will cover tips and tricks to increase your income and customer satisfaction. Customer retention by servicing your customer's needs.
We will have hands on dryer service/repair, clipper service/repair and more.
Instructor: Eric Wunder & Cody Thweatt

● C4 - Topic: Pre-Certification for Knives
Instructor: Hap Stanley & Ryan Swanson

Workshop Registration Required for Attendance/Admission Registration for the Convention is NOT required to attend the Workshops.
Guild Workshops Saturday Morning Session D: 8:00AM – 11:00AM
(NOTE: During this time, the Knife Certification will be held. If you are planning to register for Knife Certification, do not select a workshop during this time)
● D1 - Topic: Odd, Difficult, Wide Blade Sharpening
As the title states we are going to look at the blades that give sharpeners more difficulty than others. We will look at the “why” behind the difficulty and the techniques to solve the problem. The goal is consistency with all the blades that come in to be sharpened. If you have an example of a blade that is giving you problems bring it to class for us to look at.
Instructor: Jason Sturm

● D2 - Topic: Dealing with the Tough Ones! Curved Thinners and Chunkers, No Line Thinners and Slide Cutting Shears.
Some of the toughest shears to deal with in the field are curved convexed grooming shears, especially curved chunkers and thinners. Also, many shears in the field require “particular” knowledge to resharpen them properly, slide cutting shears and no-line thinners are two examples of this. In this class you will learn how to deal with all these shears, how to maintain them in the field, and how to correct them if you find them damaged or sharpened incorrectly.
Instructor: Jim O’Donnell

● D3 - Topic: Shear Technology
Different shears are made to do different things. This requires different methods to sharpen and repair them. Come learn more on the topic of Shear Technology.
Instructor: Alex Lee

Convention Officially Begins 11:30AM
(Admission Registration Required for Attendance)

Registration Check-in 9AM – 11:30AM Foyer

Vendor Room/Tables Open 9AM - 6PM

Silent Auction/Swap Meet 9AM - 5PM Knoxville Room

● Lunch, Welcome & Opening Remarks by Guild President 11:30AM – 1:00 PM

● Speed Networking 1:00PM – 2:30PM
Speed Networking is a meeting format designed to be an organized and accelerated introduction and information exchange. This is a fun and engaging event that will allow all convention attendees to get to know one another or catch up with an old sharpening colleague.

● Ask the Experts (Session 1) 3:00PM-5:00PM
This will be an open format with experts available for several topic. Ask your questions directly to the experts, or bring a problem to them for instruction or advice.

● Sharpening Rig Show 3:00PM-5:00PM
Bringing a rig? Have it ready for some friendly competition at our second Sharpening Rig Show. This is a great opportunity to share your mobile rig set ups, collaborate on issues mobile sharpeners face, and to spark ideas on methods and best practices for your mobile sharpening business.

• Catered Standing Reception 5PM

National Sharpeners Guild Annual Members' Meeting 6:00PM-8:00PM
(Guild Members and their immediate family only)
- Corporate Officer Election
- State of the Guild - President
- Financial Update - Treasurer
- 10 Year Plan - Chairman
- Member Discussions

(Admission Registration Required for Attendance)

Worship Service (Optional) 7AM - 7:45AM

Breakfast Available from 7:30AM – 8:30AM

Vendor Room/Tables Open 8AM - 4PM

Refreshments (Coffee/Hot Tea) 8AM - 12PM Foyer

Kick off Meeting and Announcements 8:00AM - 8:15AM

Group Photo 8:15AM - 8:30AM Registration Table

9:30AM – 11:30AM - Ask the Experts (Session 2)
This will be an open format with experts available for several topic. Ask your questions directly to the experts, or bring a problem to them for instruction or advice.

Catered Lunch 12:00PM - 1:00 PM

1:30PM – 3:00PM Group Session Round Tables

3:10PM – 4:30 PM Meet the Customer

This will include 3 – 20 Minute presentations by common customers of the sharpening industry.

Awards Banquet Dinner 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Hosted by the NBTSG Awards Committee featuring Keynote Speaker, John Carmona, Founder of Sharpening Supplies

- Seating
- Remarks by Guild President
- Grace
- Meal Service
-Keynote Address
- President Remarks
- Remarks by Certification Judges
- Certification Results
- Pictures
- One-on-One time with the Certification Judges