Well, while WizardPC is moving out, it would appear as though Dragon Leatherworks is moving in… or, at least, moving nearby:
The family and I (wife and kids) are moving out of New York State. Its too expensive here…taxes are onerous, and the only places where the cost of a home approaches something that could be construed as reasonably affordable are so far from the population centers that pay on the highest scales, that you need to live 70+ miles away, and commute to the better paying jobs.
Which I have done for the past 13 years…each day is an 80 mile commute ONE WAY (yes, you read that right…its a daily round trip of 160+ miles each and every day) just to get a paycheck. The costs of gasoline alone tops $600 a month. Add in the state income taxes paid to NY (for the *cough* privilege *cough*) to live there, and the state income tax paid to NJ for the *cough* privilege *cough* to be allowed to work in *that* state, and my monthly outlay in terms of net dollars is insane. And that’s not even considering the costs of tolls, monthly maintenance on the vehicle, insurance costs, etc.…
Since I still need the day job while the holsters are still gaining momentum (the holster business is finally finding its legs, and that’s a good thing) I’ll be working out of one of the offices in the Knoxville Tennessee area.
Which means that Dragon Leatherworks will also be changing its base of operations to the Knoxville area as well. The two towns that are running in close competition are Oak Ridge (northwest of Knoxville proper), and Maryville (southeast of Knoxville proper).
I have to admit, it will feel great to breathe the free air of Tennessee…up until now, the thought of being able to buy a handgun and not have the state demanding that I register it, and add it to a permission slip that says I’m *allowed* to have it, were just crazy thoughts. And I literally can’t wait to walk into a gun shop, see a 17 round capacity handgun, ask to see it, and not be asked to show my super-secret-LEO qualification permission slip that allows me to even *touch* the gun. Hell….I’m surprised that they don’t arrest folks on the spot here in NY for even *thinking* about a LEO-only handgun.
And making mag carriers for 17 rounders, at least in NY, would make me a felon, because as a non-LEO, I’m not allowed to even *possess* a mag larger than 10 rounds. Can’t properly build/fit a mag carrier if I can’t legally get my hands on the mag.
Dennis would like everyone to be aware that any orders with a September delivery date are on-track for being in the mail by 07SEP11, regardless of their original intended shipping date, and he plans on having his leatherworking shop back up and running by 03OCT11.
If you are not familiar with the name, I took some pictures of a Dragon Leatherwork holster not too long ago, and I have seen nothing but good reviews from fellow gunbloggers.
On a related note, I wonder if any of my numerous fellow Knoxville gunbloggers and commenters would be interested in another get-together while Dennis is in-town and house-hunting? The 4th and 11th of September are available on his calendar at the moment, and we could either hit up Coal Creek Armory again, or go check out their apparently new competition. In any case, we are having some extended family medical issues, so I can make no guarantee about what weekend I will be in town, so if someone else wants to step up and organize this shindig (*cough*cough*cough*), I would appreciate it, and I am sure Dennis would as well.
Good for him! And I think my holster has a September date on it, so good for me too!
Kinda reminds me of my exodus from Commiefornia.
All of those reasons to move to the Knoxville area make me sad, because it’s all true and there are more people who aren’t moving elsewhere who still put up with that bs. Welcome to TN, where we still have work to do, but not nearly as much as NY or NJ!
I want to say that I am humbled by folk reaching out via e-mail to welcome the family and I to the Knoxville area, after they’ve read the post here, over at Robbs (Sharp as a Marble), Borepatch, Say Uncle, and others.
From offers to help on moving day, asking when we have free time for a get-together, being contacted by an instructor for the TN Carry Permit class, and just general well-wishes and welcoming words, I can truly say that the warmth and hospitality is going a long way to already making the wife and I feel at home.
From myself, Rebecca, and our boys…thank you.
Warmest Regards,
Dennis
@ Heather: Win for all parties!
@ the Dude: And mine as well… I did my time, never going back.
@ mrs.wizardpc: Oh, to be certain, while we have a ways to go yet here in TN (and not just related to firearms), our situation pales in comparison to some folks out there. However, by the same token, we not only serve as a beacon for what could be, we also stand as proof that all of these rights and liberties we enjoy are not going to lead to the disasters that the anti-rights cultists would have us believe. I like to believe that helps.
@ Dragon: I think you will find that Tennessee is an all-around awesome state, where most of the people share generally the same attitude you are experiencing here on the ‘Tubes.
Which is an awesome thing in my book
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@ Linoge: I see the gauntlet has been thrown down… I am waiting on the boss to tell me my schedule for early September and I’ll see what I can do from there.
@ Dragon: Dennis – Welcome to the scruffy little town! I hope you like orange!
A blog shoot at Coal Creek would be awesome! And, I think they might be willing to pick up some of the heavy lifting for Dennis and his holsters.
My brother recently opened a small burger joint on UT campus @ 1717 White St.
Grand local farm raised beef and he is kind of a character and fellow 2A friend. He’d love to host and the burgers are great, service may be hit or miss since they are still getting up to speed, but the food is awesome.
His name is Kevin Niceley @ Niceley’s Tavern
http://www.niceleystaverntn.com/
@ Brick: Oh God. The orange.
I do not think I will ever be able to regard that color in quite the same way…
@ Neil McCauley: Hm. A local retailer carrying his holsters? Might be interesting… someone from CCA should contact him
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@ Frank Graham: That would be a bit of a drive from Lovell Road, but once someone steps up to organize (working on that), we will see what they think
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Thanks for the info, Frank. The missus & I have not patronized any restaurants around the Strip in some time, but we’ll find our way to Niceley’s soon.