In recent days I've tried to take some stock of how I've been spending my time and money and I realize that I need to reprioritize some things in my life in order to better love and serve those around me (my church, my family, the folks I work with, etc.).
One of the changes involves spending less time looking at and buying knives. As much as I have come to love and appreciate the folks on "The Porch," I have been forced to realize that my time and money are precious--especially the time, but often filling up the time requires some money, too. I had to ask myself questions, like, "What would have been a better use of time: spending thirty minutes on BladeForums or Instagram, or chatting with my wife, or playing a matching game with my daughter?" Please know that my own convictions about my time apply to myself, and are by no means intended to reflect upon how others spend their time, especially here. But every one of us must make choices about the time and resources we have been given, and, for myself, I know where I ought to be making changes.
That being said, I don't know to what I extent I'll be gone (it won't, I imagine, be for good, but who knows), but I do want to say how thankful I am to everyone who has welcomed me and made the time I have spent here so excellent.
Since I have been the recipient of a great amount of generosity, hospitality, and encouragement from the folks here I want to give back a few of the knives I've been given as a direct result of BladeForums, and specifically, "The Porch."
Here's what I'm giving away:
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Top: a GEC cocobolo white owl that
@traumkommode gave to me. Andrew has been a Porch companion who I've been glad to have some contact with outside of just the forum. We've shared a lot of knife love, and I've really enjoyed his knife modifications.
Middle: a Weidmannsheil scout knife in stag that I won in a giveaway by
@Campbellclanman. Duncan is a gentleman and very generous fellow, as many of you know even better than I do!
Bottom: an Arthur Wright & Sons "big'un" lambsfoot in horn that I won in a giveaway by
@Jack Black. In many ways, The Porch wouldn't be The Porch without Jack Black. He has singlehandedly (it seems to me) popularize what has become my favorite knife pattern: the lambsfoot. The Guardians of the Lambsfoot thread has exploded, and not in small part because it encapsulates all of the best aspects of "The Porch" in one thread.
I'll be going out of town for work later this week, and then on vacation with family, so this is going to be a really short giveaway--I'll pick one winner who will get all three knives on
Monday afternoon/evening and ship the knives out to the winner on Tuesday. Here are the rules:
1. You must be a paying member of Bladeforums.
2. You must have at least 50 posts in in the Traditional Folders and Fixed Blades Forum.
Disclaimer: If you win but cannot get me your mailing information before I can mail the knives on Tuesday, it will not be possible for me to send the knives until early July.
If you do not wish to enter the contest but would like to express your thanks, please do so by nominating a member who you have been encouraged by, and who you think would enjoy receiving the knives.
Untitled by GaryWGraley, on Flickr
