G-11 — the unofficial face of USN Gathering 11
Rick Maverick never tires of delighting the knife community with his brutal lanyard beads. The founder of Starlingear Corporation designs each piece himself — then the jewelers at the brand's Los Angeles workshop step in to handcraft those famously irreverent skulls.
G-11 is no ordinary character in the Starlingear lineup of deadheads. This skull is practically the unofficial face of the 11th Usual Suspects Network Gathering — USN Gathering 11 — held in Las Vegas in early September 2019.
USN Gathering is the most representative and heartfelt event for custom knife makers and enthusiasts from around the world. What sets this gathering apart from other popular knife shows is its warm atmosphere of unity and brotherhood among knife fans. This show is less of a commercial event and more of a true get-together of like-minded souls.
The name of Maverick's character incorporates the knife-world abbreviation for Gathering 11. It's hard not to recognize MotherFacker (MF) — one of Rick's favorite characters in recent years. This time around, MF is sporting a seasonally trendy Panama hat. And not just any hat — it's adorned with signature Starlingear gears styled like Mickey Mouse ears. At the center of each gear sits the number one — together forming the ordinal number of the 2019 USN Gathering.
The grim visage of MF G11 is cast from a metal renowned for its corrosion resistance and hypoallergenic properties. Its face is polished to a cold, cynical gleam, with only the empty eye sockets and the pit of the mouth darkened with black patina. On the base of the skull, you'll find the famous S-Gear mark — the gear with the Latin "S" that serves as the brand's signature emblem.
The gears resembling the ears of Disney's famous mouse, along with the trendy Panama hat, are crafted from a copper alloy. The same material forms the half-smoked cigar clenched in the skull's iron grip. The hat's finish features a textured "orange peel" surface with an "antique" blackening.
Needless to say, these beads were released in a limited edition exclusively for sale at USN Gathering 11.
G-11 is a stylish accessory that would put many pieces of jewelry to shame.
