Neanderpundit

when spring is in the air,
And the bald headed birds are whispering everywhere.
When you see them walking southward in their dirty underwear,
That’s the Tennessee Bird Walk.

left the show early on sunday, hoping to get maybe a better flight home, or even a better seat.

And then I went to the passenger irritation lounge waiting area to wait for the originial flight I booked.

And had to move to two different gates before it was all over. All told, three gate changes and delays. When we did get on the plane we sat on the tarmack for a half hour, then made up some time in the air. Where the guy seated next to me used the crapper, making a smell bad enough that people all the way in business class were retching. The poor flight attendant had to stand there. Once on the ground, another delay as they waited for a clear gate. Finally rolled into the driveway at around three A.M..

And promptly turned around and left for my next job. Now I’mtyping from a hotel computer with a sticky spacebar. And off to the grind after breakfast.

I have a thing for doubles. Specifically, side by sides, and most specifically, rifles, though I love double shotguns too.

Two of my favorites are Aya and Fausti. And they were well represented at the show.

But I never expected this.

In the Fausti booth, I got to actually MEET Barbara Edda (Nee Fausti). SHe was there by herself. Signing posters.

She wore a white blouse and a black skirt, which showed off her well-toned muscles quite well (she’s a black belt). She signed a poster for me, rolled it up, and handed it to me. As I held the rolled up paper in my hand, she reached under and over my arms and tied the poster with a piece of chocolate covered ribbon. She leaned forward and smiled, and I’ve been able to think of almost nothing else since.

Fausti shotguns are classics, and they are so because of intensive manual labor. A lot of people make fine shotguns, but they then hand them to galley slaves in the basement and say “put some wood on these, aned make it snappy”. Or so it would seem, because even the fit and finish on Webley and Scott firearms is not what it once was.

Fausti, on the other hand… People in the know who look at the marriage of steel and wood, can see that it looks like they made these shotguns and then planted them in the ground, and waited for the walnut to grow around them, the fit is so good. It is almost frighetening, at that level- you can imagine a craftsman sitting at his bench with dental tools fitting the 200 year old wood to the actions.

And having the company operated by three women who are as attractive as Italian women get…

Yeah, that’s a lot of what the Shot show is like.

P.S.: Fausti shotguns, for all their beauty, are commercial grade. You can buy them at WalMart, for god’s sake. And they are no less beautiful for all that.