I finally got my copy of American bladesmith 2 days ago and got too busy to look things over. Now that I have I want to give credit to Carolyn Hughes for the excellent way she handles submitted material, the article looks fine and I never have to worry about somebody else deciding they can rewrite the article better after it is submitted.
I would also like to take this opportunity to say something that needs to be said about the ABS and its progress and direction. 10 years ago I would have had a hard time recommending a lot of information coming out of ABS based venues since it would not have been much different then the sensationalistic hocus pocus you see being put out in other venues today.
Now The ABS has often come under fire for various issues, and too many of them politically based, but I have had a hard time holding my tongue recently in the presence of some criticism. The criticism that they are less open to new ideas or ways of thinking today is one of the most baseless claims I can think of in light of recent personal experience. The groups stated function is as an educational organization, if new or different ways of thinking are just plain over the top, or lacking substance it is not only in their best interest not to embrace it, it is their responsibility not to promote it.
I challenge anybody to be more openly critical of certain concepts long promoted by the ABS than I have been, even while holding a master smith rating. If ever they should want to silence somebody, I would have to be one of those people. Yet I have still been invited to teach, lecture and demonstrate at countless ABS functions, free to speak any heresy I wish. 10 years ago, magic quenches, edge packing and the strength of low carbon damascus would have been common discussions at a hammer-in. When too many others just dug in and piled the B.S. higher in order to save face when confronted with reality and facts, the ABS has in many ways abandoned erroneous concepts in favor of embracing and teaching the truth.
When so many of the metallurgical principles I have promoted over the years have directly opposed some of the old ideas in the group, they could have washed me away with a P.R. tsunami considering their resources, instead many of them listened and considered what they heard. And recent actions are what prompt me to write this. The group that some would say should resent my writings and presentations invited me to write that article that would go to their entire membership, as well as any other I would like to submit. And in another turn of events that I am unable to hold my tongue about any longer the ABS has shown its willingness to pursue solid information in even more profound ways. In a little over a month I have been invited to bring my presentations and information to return to the ABS bladesmithing school and share it in an instructors only weekend of science based study with the goal of introducing even more metallurgical standards to the curriculum.
I have taken my shots over the years, but I took those shots with sound reasoning backed up with solid facts and data, and many in the ABS listened. While I still have my complaints about some of the petty political issues that almost any such group will have, in recent months I have been very pleasantly surprised at the positive direction the group wants to take in education. I am looking forward to where bladesmithing as whole is going in overcoming sensationalistic infomercial type misinformation with solid common sense, but it wont be easy because even a group like the ABS is dwarfed by the multitudes in the consuming public that has been zombiefied by the pop culture poison.
If the ABS mixes up any Kool-Aid you can bet I will still never be drinking any, but intellectual honesty forces me to give credit where credit is due.
:thumbup::thumbup:
