Help me help you - Suggestions for the Knife Maker's Forums

Spark

Spark

HPIC - Hatas gonna Hate
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I've created the section and we've got plenty of room. I'm taking suggestions for forums and other changes to help make this site a bit friendlier to the Knife Making Community.

Let me know.
 
One thing that bothers me is that the "for sale" portion was moved. Will it lose traffic because of it being in the "Knifemaker's Forum?"
 
Maybe if it was the "Meet the Makers" Forum....something to draw people's interests. Then ShopTalk, Gallery, For Sale...as subforums.

I'm not sure what it will mean to have the For Sale separate from The Exchange.....but, why not give it a shot? It's getting pretty low traffic as it is.
 
Most guys have their makings either on the own website, or spread out all over the net. I believe that's why the traffic is slow. Most dont just sell here.


How about separating the for sale sections by forged and stock removal methods?
 
Spark, I'm still relatively new to BF, but I'd like to see a forum like Shoptalk continue. I like my friends here. Other than that, a For Sale By Maker forum is about all I'd ever need.
 
how about a section for sheathing? a separate section for folders and fixed blades? forging? stock removal?
 
Here's what I would like to see. A honest forum with considerate constructive critizism. I know we all don't want to make anyone mad or hurt anyones feeling when they post a picture of a knife and ask for comments. So we all come in and post " nice job" or "keep up the good work" or crap like that when we should be telling that person that posted the knife what we like or dislike about the knife, in a nice and considerate way. I feel like its doing others a misjustice by blowing smoke, I know for myself I would like others to be totally honest with me when I ask for comments , so I can use said critizism to improve my work and make it more desirable for the public. We need to encourage the makers but also add opinions to help them progress, I'm saying this, not because I feel like I can help others but because your comments can help me, as I hope my comments could help others.

I know that when I first started doing construction over 30 yrs. ago, I worked beside my dad that had been in construction for 30 yrs. before that. He told me when I made mistakes and how to fix them so I could become better at what I did. Sure some of his comments hurt a little at the time, but by taking his comments and applying them to the next task at hand made my work even better, and after time my work became almost as good as his. This would not have happened without his guidance and caring comments, no smoke just facts. praise when deserved but also critizism when needed.

This is what I would like to see, a knifemakers forum that truly points out the ways to improve a makers ability.

I do like shop talk and have learned a great deal from other makers on this forum, but I think we could take it another step and help each other more by telling ways that might improve what we're doing, with the understanding that those who post there are in for praise or critizism, or both.

Just my throughts,

Bill
 
I agree with Bill
I'm going to ramble some here..so hang on,,I'm ducking also..
I try to be up front when I can but feel a little funny doing so here.
I want to be told the same.. and it's hard too because of pictures some good some bad. ( like mine)
Questions about how did you fill that or
why did you do it that way?
problem is that I see we are only as good as we are, but still gaining.
is advise given here through experience or what's been heard? I think both

like steel... what is the best?
the best for one guy could be 1095 because that's the only one the guy has tried??
maybe because he's limited to it (money?)...he may never try SS just because
he forges or because the ABS says no to stock grinds, :confused:
a flat forged Damascus billet is stock right?

O1? no I haven't used that one yet but 1095 is the best because
so and so uses it and said so best stuff since sliced bread. :confused:

kind of like edge packing?
would heat treat be the better answer ?
the heat treat certainly would make a bigger difference, right? why?

because that's the way I do it? or that's the way I was taught? or
I'm looking for the best and I won't be stopped because a club says I can't use do that way?

do we fit what we do because of limits or do we know no limits for the best we can do.
honesty would go farther I think like Bill says we don't really need the smoke to better ourselves :footinmou ok Wack me :)
 
I agree with both you, Bill, and you, Dan, but we should start a whole new thread about construction criticism when reviewing each other's work. I'll do just that. :D
 
The constructive criticism should be kept to the construction and quality though, not the design of the knife. You can make the finest knife on the planet and post a pic of it and find gobs of folks that would change the pattern or shape of it, add this, remove that, etc.


OOps, forgot to let ya know what I'd like to see here on the forums Spark.
I agree that the for sale forums would be better placed in the exchange forums, just makes sense. I kinda liked the set up the way it was. The way it is now it looks like knife makers are setting themselves aside from the rest of the members, like a special club or something. The link isn't even posted on the main menu page.

Take care Spark and have a grand week end!!
Michael
 
L-6, thats what I would want them to do, tell me what I need to change shape,pattern, etc. so that it would be more appealing therefore make them more likely to buy. Its easy to make a knife of any and many shapes and sizes, but if there not desireable by the buying public then your making them just for fun. I feel a person should have his or her own style, shapes, sizes, patterns, etc.etc. to always make him or her stand out from others, but I would still like others to tell me what they would prefer. But that would be just part of the forum, if my guard/blade junction wasn't up to high standards I would like others to tell me, or my grinds etc.etc. Its hard to improve ones self if no one tells him or her whats wrong with what their making. Now then again, I think we all have our own ways of producing our products and thats the way it should be, I don't need to do things like others to get to the final product, I just want the final product to be as good as others. Also just because I ask for others opinions on how they would change certain knives to make them more appealing it would still be up to the maker to tweak it any way he or she seen fit and still keep it in his or her own style. I don't want to see knife after knife that all look alike, but even with different opinions I don't think you would.

Again just my throughts

Bill
 
I posted this on the constructive criticism thread, if you have not seen it guys. Idea's?
************

most of this stuff has all ready been said so I'll trying to compile them..

Jeff
1, I agree, it should be done here in shop talk, for now at least.

2, Nick you are right for sure,
we'd have to comment on what we can see and only what we can see.
or ask for a better view of it.

3, I still think asking for comments from The makers of your choice would be best and that would stop or keep down any trolling.

4, positive crit is a plus.

5, now thinking about it, Bill said yes comments to your taste, this may be good if you can pick who you want to comment on it , if not asked, then it would be open for everyone's comment maybe?

6, I'm saying (and not sure if it would happen) but I wouldn't want a new guy
in making, tell me I should use Elmer's glue to use in the place of what I'm using now..he would really need to have had experience with what he is saying/using and has used both idems or just say I can't coment or don't coment.
reg shop talk is for that..

7, if done here ( in shop talk) I'd propose the same name for the thread,
like
for the week maybe?

Crit pit 6/14/2004-dan gray << dan gray's knife
Crit pit 6/14/2004-Bill B << Bill B's knife ,, so on
Crit pit 6/14/2004-Reg ELLERY

next week it starts over.

Crit pit 6/21/2004-jhiggins

8, maybe Kit could just sticky the currant week and see how it goes
rules could be posted as the first post of each weeks crit-pit

if it does well then maybe it could be up for a forum of it's own ??

9, style likes,,, maybe a vote on them,,

10,and if you don't want constructive criticism don't post your knives here.. :)

I or someone could just host a page for the rules to the crit-pit and that link could be posted as such in the first post.
just some I idea's ,,,,,
 
I or someone could just host a page for the rules to the crit-pit and that link could be posted as such in the first post.
Click to expand...

Why not just have it in a sticky post at the top?
 
The "Knives For Sale By Maker" needs to go back under the Knife Exchange...I am afraid it will lose viewers.
 
For sale by maker does need to be where the "sales" are....move back to the exchange section.....
 
Mark Williams said:
Most guys have their makings either on the own website, or spread out all over the net. I believe that's why the traffic is slow. Most dont just sell here.

I don't know about traffic on this site but I check almost everyday for new postings here on BF.

Spark
If traffic is off having a seperate area for knifemakers selling may not be the best idea.
I personally come to this site to see what the knifemakers are posting and then see what private individuals have for sale. The convience of haveing it all on the same page was great. Having knifemakers seperated may actually reduce traffic.

Mark
You said "most don't sell here". You as a knifemaker would know better than I the turnover that BF gives you where as I do not. But I have seen a lot of knives listed as sold here on this forum but this may be due to the multiple listings on different forums by knifemakers.

This is just my $.02 from a lover of knives, fine craftmanship and using knives.

George
Click to expand...
 
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