As for the presenters, it is hard to nail down a favorite, because they were very diverse. Two that stand out are Mike Mahoney and Christian Burchard. They are both great people to talk to and learn from, but polar opposites in their approaches to turning. Christian is more of an artist/sculptor who uses the lathe as a one tool for his artwork. His sessions were based on good form and design, but taking it beyond the lathe, seeing defects as opportunities, and "thinking outside the box."
Mike Mahoney is probably polar opposite on the turning spectrum. Mike is what is known in the turning world as a "production turner." That is, he turns a lot of practical items. A LOT of them. If he is not the most famous production turner in the world, he is in the top 2. He is impeccable at what he does, and his work is highly sought after. His demos were aimed at how he makes things that can be used for everyday kitchen use (Bowls, plates, etc.) choose the right kind of timber, and make it last for generations. He also used a session to turn a very thin Calabash bowl, (more on that in a later blog) and discussed tool design and sharpening.
