In Brooklyn this weekend...

This is one of the greatest events I've been fortunate enough to be involved with. An amazing group of interesting and talented people coming together to appreciate Choppers, music, art and each other. Hope to see you there.

Oil Tank Sight Glass

Can anyone guess what I'm making?

I.L.

8 years ago today, we lost Larry. A great friend and inspiration, not a day goes by that he doesn't continue to touch my life. If there was ever an example of someone "pulling themselves up by their boot straps", over and over again, he was it. Through many highs and many lows, Larry could always regain focus, find his center and find his way. I'm glad, at least, that he had finally achieved the happiness he was searching for before he had to go. He had an often wacky and conversley, a sometimes violent exterior, but beneath it all was a quiet wisdom that I always loved and admired. You had to look for it. You had to wait for it. But it would affect you without realizing it. I think many of you know what I mean. Larry was complicated and special. I'll always miss you my friend....

Two Wheels Brazil....

Paulo and the Boys of Brazil are putting on another great event this year. It's coming up soon and I can't wait. Gonna be great!

American Iron feature

Here's a shot of my new cover feature in American Iron magazine. It's of a bike I named Damian that I built for the CEO of "Kiehl's 1851" here in NYC. Right when I finished it, we did a 500 mile break-in ride together from Vegas through the desert and up the coast to LA, that will be covered in a later issue...

Tail of the Dragon...

A couple weeks ago, I was invited to participate in Liferide 2012. This is a yearly charity ride put on by Kiehl's of New York City to raise money for Amfar, an organization that supports Aids and HIV research. By the end of the ride, a check for $115,000 was presented to the charity. This year, the ride was an 1,800 mile route starting in Miami and winding West into Tennessee and ending up in D.C. One of the many highlights was a beautiful section of mountain road called Tail of the Dragon. We took a longer route and had over 40 minutes of constant cornering. The last time I road this stretch of twisting pavement was in 2004, in the opposite direction, on my way to North Carolina with my friend Larry. It would be the last ride we had together...

 This is a short clip I made with music by Aes Dana.

Thursday night. If you're in NYC, stop by

Paul Cox Industries
493 Leonard St.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
p/f 347-689-9556
www.Paulcoxindustries.com
Paulcoxindustries.blogspot.com

8 new pieces ready for heat treating!

Picked up this Famco #51 punch press. Rockin machine...

Stop using "gifted" as a verb. You sound like an idiot!

NYC Marathon passing my apartment in Brooklyn. Inspiring...

Gallery opening Dec. 1st. These are a few of the knives I'm doing for the show.

Fairing finished

Ducati fairing progress 2

Ducati fairing progress

 
This is the skeleton so far for a Ducati fairing I'm doing. I'll have the sheet metal hammered out by tomorrow. Then I can finish and final mount the fairing/ headlight mount/ computer mount. The whole bike is getting blacked out...

Santoku-Cleaver Hybrid...

New from the Lab...
440-C stainless steel blade.
Wine linen micarta handle
Nickel silver bolster.
Mosaic pins.

New Riser out of the Shop...

Seat for the bike I'm showing at the Brooklyn Invitational this weekend

Today...

  It’s Sunday morning on September 11th, 2011. I’m sitting in my apartment in Brooklyn with a cup of coffee, thinking about what we all experienced 10 years ago today. Getting angry, getting anxious...sad, all the emotions of that day come washing back over me. I think about how amazed I still am at the way the people of this city, and this incredible country, came together as one to help each other stand up, rebuild our lives and move ahead.
  As these memories return, I look out my window in the direction where the World Trade Center once stood. Each year, on the anniversary of 9-11, they set up huge spot lights that send two bright beams straight up into the sky representing the location of the towers. I never thought about it until now, but those lights remind us exactly where the towers stood, viewed from any part of the city, so we never forget. Never forget the attacks, but also, never forget the physical presence of those buildings that were representational of the strength of this great country, and part of the identity of this incredible city.
  As most of us involved with motorcycles and machines that go fast tend to push the limits of ourselves and the world around us, I always feel like goodbye’s, no matter how casual, are important. Important because you never know when that may be the last thing you say to someone. Ironically, we would never consider someone with a desk job at the World Trade Center to have a “high risk lifestyle”, but ten years ago, that all changed. Ten years ago, a few thousand people walked out their doors that morning on their way to work with a peck on the cheek or a wave from a window, and didn’t think anything of it. When my wife walked out the door this morning, to go to a job in Manhattan, I kissed her and told her goodbye... then asked her to come back. I felt like I had left something undone or incomplete. I kissed her again and held her for an extra few seconds, before saying goodbye.
  I don’t get paranoid and weepy when days like this roll around, it’s just another day like any other. Work needs to be done, life needs to be lived...to the fullest. High alert...low alert, anniversary or not. I’ve always felt this way and try never to dwell on the past, or let anything slow me down. Days like today do stand, though, as reminders of the friends and family we love and have loved, and to appreciate them.
  Kiss your wife, hug your kids, shake your friend’s hand and pet your dog. They’ll appreciate it.
  As I write this, my daughter is asking me to read her a story. I still have tons of work to do today, but taking time for a story is much more important right now...