ABS Forum???

I also collect mostly ABS MS knives, yet I feel that this idea would damage BF without actually attracting more ABS makers. Now, if BF was charged officially by the ABS to host the ABS suite of forums, maybe with some parts with a restricted access for ABS members, etc, then maybe it would indeed add value for the ABS makers. For the moment, I fail to see how simply adding a forum called ABS would suffice to attract makers. Note that the ABS' site webmaster is Don Fogg, who is very knowledgeable about the internet, and obviously interested in forums (he's got his own.) If he's not put one together for the ABS, there's probably a good reason for it.

Just adding a forum doesn't mean more people are going to come. To think that the ABS will get more press because BF has put together a forum for them is wishful thinking....
 
A bladesmith forum can be very successful and attract many participants. The previously mentioned (by me) Outpost on the CKD Forum is a prime example. I can not see how a forum like this could damage BF. Does anyone think that a forum like this would be divisive and cause problems between some of the members here? I don't see it myself. Will it possibly take some posters away from other forums? I suppose. It is quite likely that the traditional knife forum and the balisong forum and any one of at least a dozen other forums here have done that as well.

It does seem that there are some very strong opinions on this topic. It is very interesting to see the opinions of others, but to this point I have not seen an arguement that would convince me that an ABS or a general bladesmith forum would be a bad idea. Maybe I am missing something that will be pointed out in a future post, but at this point I am still fully in favour of Anthony's proposal.
 
Joss,
This forum has 20,000 registered members and 20X the traffic of any other knife website.

If you think that would not drum up positive attention for the ABS, you sir are sadly mistaken.

The fact is that there is not a decent ABS related message board on the Internet. We could have one here. For free. I am sure that Don Fogg would rather be making knives than administrating a message board.

Your pessimism puzzles me.
I want to see more pics of ABS knives and learn how they are crafted and I would like Bladeforums to help ambassador the art of the forged blade as it does for tactical knives, auto knives, balisongs and other niches. Darby has succeeded in getting some highly-regarded ABS makers to join, I believe we should embrace them and give them a comfortable place to hang out.

You claim an ABS forum would damage Bladeforums?
Did I read that correctly? Explain that one to me....
I think that BF is a lot more resilient than you think.
 
All,

What I've tried to express is not in any way something I feel that strongly about. I'm just trying to make my point clear, but at the end of the day, I'll go with the flow on this - it's just not worth that much time. Both me and BF will survive any decision taken on that point.

I'll remind everyone that there is already a bladesmithing forum here - and it's well frequented by many smiths, including some top ABS makers like J. Fisk, Ed Fowler, B. Bradshaw, etc. If we add an ABS forum, what are the threads that are going to go to the ABS forum, and what are those that will go to the bladesmithing Q&A forum, or the gallerie? This is what I mean by divisive. There are many reasons why BF has more frequentation than CKD, and one is probably that it's still easy to find your way around. On CKD, I never know if I should ask a general "how to" knifemaking question on Steve Johnson's or Ed Caffrey's forum.

Regarding the frequentation of BF, I would be willing to bet that most of those are already knife fanatics, and that they are aware of the existence of the ABS. If the ABS could get a dedicated forum in a mainstream art & craft venue, that would be otherwise.

I am not going to speak for Don here, but it happens that the bladesmithing forum on Swordforum already was a development of Don's old forum. Yet Don has felt the need to put together one more forum. Obviously, something happened to his forum when it got mainstream which diminished his interest in it. Maybe he got tired of getting thousands of uneducated visitors and wanted to keep something smaller focused on the smith's needs? I don't know. The sure thing is that the assumption that all it needs to get a flurry more smiths here is yet another forum is too simplistic.

I'd love to get Jerry's opinion on that. He generally has some pretty clear views on things like that.

JD
 
Keith and Anthony,
Have you actually visited the Shop Talk - Bladesmith Q&A forum more than once? It has alot of really great makers, both new and old, as I said earlier. It polices itself, which is a nice thing for DDR and I. Sure, there are new guys there that ask some boring questions, but I was in that position once, along with 100% of the other makers that I know. Give me a break.
Get some dialog going with the makers that post on it. Customer input is a wonderful thing for a maker. Invite the ABS new members to come visit it and post.
IMHO, we don't need the prima donna forum that you guys want. We need one to help the new makers, share information, get customer input, and show what we make. We have that at Shop Talk....
 
Actually Kit, I have visited the Shop Talk forum dozens of times. It is very informative and enjoyable. It is just that I find it more the domain of the maker and not the collector. I don't find anything wrong with that, but I would like a forum that would be as interesting to collectors as it would to makers and users. The fact that I am personally drawn to the forged blade makes this a very desirable forum as far as I am concerned. I can understand why many will feel that there is no need for a specialized forum such as this. I on the other hand would enjoy it very much, and I am willing to bet that many others would as well. As far as boring questions are concerned, I remember being new to knives. These questions are being asked because the asker doesn't know the answer. If I do, I am glad to pass on whatever knowledge I have, without I hope, making the person feel that I consider the question as boring.


Joss, you are correct in posting that just because we start an ABS forum that it will necessarily mean that ABS members will take to it. However, I do have a feeling that there are a few ABS members that I personally know that don't take part now that would if a forum such as this were started. Would it mean that bladesmiths like Tai Goo would take part? I doubt it, since I don't think he cares much for organizations like the ABS. From what I have read there are others that are of the same mind as he.

What I would really like to see is a bladesmith forum that all felt comfortable taking part in. ABS and non-ABS bladesmiths, collectors, users and those that are just interested in learning more about the forged blade. The Shop Talk forum covers some of this, but in my opinion is too general in nature.
 
Maybe the question of whether or not we should have an ABS style forum would better be put another way - specifically, what aspects of ABS style knifemaking aren't being covered already in the Shop Talk forum? Being relatively ig'nant myself about Bladesmithing in general, and not being a frequent visitor to Shop Talk in particular, I'd like to hear what you guys have to say.
 
Spark, it is not just the making of the forged blade that interests me. That part of it is covered very well in the Shop Talk forum. If I want to learn more about making knives I will ask more questions, buy more books and tapes and take in a few hammer-ins and symposiums. It is the people, the knives, the rich history of the knife that so many of the ABS people have been willing to share that is of far greater interest to me. I just want to get as many of these people taking part here as possible. The knowledge they have is absolutely amazing and I think it would be of great interest to many of the other members here as well.


*Edited because even I couldn't quite understand what I was trying to say.
 
And I would too, Keith. Invite them to the Shop Talk Forum. Lots of makers there would like to hear it too. It would fit right in with all those makers that forge their blades and post there.
 
Originally posted by Spark
Maybe the question of whether or not we should have an ABS style forum would better be put another way - specifically, what aspects of ABS style knifemaking aren't being covered already in the Shop Talk forum? Being relatively ig'nant myself about Bladesmithing in general, and not being a frequent visitor to Shop Talk in particular, I'd like to hear what you guys have to say.
Click to expand...

This is exactly the way to go about it. And I don't think that this idea - as it has been proposed to date - responds to this question. I'm sure that Keith doesn't mean it quite that way, but when I read his post, I get the feeling that what he wants is not the ABS' forum, but Keith' forum.

I'm all for getting in more ABS makers, or non ABS bladesmiths for that matter, but you have to put together a value proposition that will truely attract them. I.e., you have to find which of *their* needs (not yours, Keith) are not fulfilled by the correct forums / fora, and then maybe modify the forums accordingly.

JD
 
Actually Joss, you are kind of correct. In a way an ABS forum would be my forum, at least to me it would, because it would be the one that would be of the greatest interest to me. The fact is though that many other people would be very interested in having this forum as well. Maybe I should check with the ABS members that I know and see if there is sufficient interest on their part.

It is my view that an ABS forum would be far more than just a place to learn about how to forge a blade. If that is all it is going to be then I can agree that it is not needed. I can learn that in many other places including the Shop Talk forum.

Anyway, I think I have made it more than clear how I stand on this topic. My feelings are not going to change.
 
Good idea or not they already have a forum with Jerry as the Moderator here..
http://pub1.ezboard.com/fknifeartcomforumsforgedabsbladesforum

I am with kit on this one sorry guys.I am a member of the ABS myself and I feel that the shop talk forum is all we need as it helps to edjucate the new makers as well as the older ones.We used to have allot of collecters that hung out there and would put there input into what some of was doing or the direction we were taking with our knives.I don't know why they left,as it was great to hear from them and not just makers.So collecters please come join in and help edjucate the new makers to what you guys are wanting to see in the work they are doing.Just my 2 cents worth..
Bruce
 
For my .02, I agree with Kit and Bruce.

And it's not just because I'm one of the new makers who's boring questions they always put up with so well. :)
 
I think Keith hit the nail on the head.

Sorry Bruce, we need a forum HERE, not somewhere out in cyberspace.
This isn't about educating makers, it is about educating collectors.

The ABS has provided a valuable service to the knife community.
Why should we turn our back?
 
I agree with Kit, Bruce, Joss, etp777. We don't need an ABS forum here. It would be exclusive rather than inclusive, and take away from an already excellent Shoptalk forum, all for the pleasure of 2 people.:(
 
Mike, I am sure it would be for the pleasure of a lot more than 2 people and if you had actually read this thread you would have seen that more than two people think it would be a good idea, but it does seem that most people are happy with the status quo. Personally I do not think that the Shop Talk forum is geared to the collector and is more of a spot for makers to hang out and discuss things.

I will continue to think that a forum geared towards the forged blade, its makers and collectors, would be a good idea.
 
Why would this forum compete with shop talk?

The idea isn't about having a forum on forging a blade, but rather the FORGED Blade.

Why is it so difficult to comprehend?
 
Like Spark said in his earlier post, it's simply a matter of flicking a switch. Spark, go ahead and flick that switch.
 
Collectors have a place to talk about forged blades, its called the custom forum.
 
I have an idea. Instead of having a forum specifically for the ABS, there should be a forum dedicated to the greatest American knife, the bowie. Most of the best bowies are forged, and i'm sure that the ABS makers that post here make bowies, so we compromise and talk about bowies :) .

David
 
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