In Memory of James K Mattis - Please leave your thoughts here.

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I too just found out about this tragedy. While I didn`t really know James I was always touched by the warmth and humanity of his posts here. After reading them for a few years and talking to him via e-mail a few times it was clear to me that he was quite a man,someone to be admired. My prayers go out to Toni and family. James we`ll miss you! Marcus
 
I had the good fortune to meet James earlier this year. I went to his office to pick up a knife. (The trip wasn't really necessary, as he had offered to FedEx it to me at no extra cost. I just really wanted to meet him, and am close enough that it wasn't hard.) He had a hueg number of knives, and was just like a kid in a candy shop, or rather the kid with the keys to the candy shop who wants to share with all the other kids. Had I not been a little strapped for cash, I would have bought any number of knives, his enthusiasm was that infectious.

He was a true gentle man and will be sorely missed. My condolences to his family, and to all of us, his friends.

Dave.

 
James will be surely missed. He took great enthusiasm with his work. He was one in a million. Often posting greatly needed information. I will miss him dearly as surely everone else will.

May you rest in Peace.
Peace be with you forever.

Ronald Bruce
 
James was a man who struck me as knowing how to enjoy life, no matter what life may throw at you. His posts about the vorpal challah blade were priceless as well as many, many others. His sense of humor was outstanding. James' passion and knowledge of many subjects was guaranteed to inject interest into any Bladeforum post.

If any lesson can be taken away from this tragedy, let it be that of James' way of enjoying life.

My condolences to James' family and friends.

Harry
 
I'm cold and empty from this news. My contact with Jim was limited to an exchange of a few friendly emails but I took some pleasure in directing some folks to his site.

There isn't anything more I can write now except to offer a belated and (unfortunately) insignificant goodbye to Mr. Mattis. The only slight relief I have is to note the number of people out there who care.
Jeff
 
My thoughts and Prayers to the family. As a relatively new forum member I cannot say that I knew of James for very long. I will always remember the story he told back in july concerning an experience he had had with his Chris Reeve Kathathu. May God sooth your spirits.
 
While I never had an opportunity to know James I did have the pleasure of meeting him briefly last weekend at the Blade Show West. He seemed like a kind and warm person.

My deepest condolences to the Mattis family.

 
My God.. this came as a complete shock to me.. I haven't been on BFC for quite some time due to workload, and this is definitely sad news...

We'll miss you, Jim.

Dan
 
This is a tough one to write.
The forums will go on, but it will never be the same again. We have lost THE voice of reason. Look back over all the old contraversies, flames etc. You will see the calming force of this place, he was always there, seperating the egos from the facts. His posts would many times make me rethink and choose not to post something that would have made things worse. He was the best example of what a moderator should be like. Sometimes he had to be more of a referee than he probably wanted to be, but he always handled it with class. I hope that when or if the next big conflict occurs, that we stop and think of him and what he may have posted.
It will be a calming thought for me, I'm sure for others also.
To his family, I am sorry for your loss and I will keep you in my prayers.

Donnie Mann
 


Toni,

I know that the sorrow and feeling of loss that I feel is nothing compared to your sorrow and loss. You know that James touched many people he never met. I am one of those people. I am much the richer for having known James here, and much the poorer for not knowing him better. Please know that in some small way we share you loss, and that you and your family are in our thoughts, and in our prayers.

James,

I have been out of town for the last several days. Upon my return I checked my email and then came here to see what was new. When I found this thread I sat here in shock, I could not believe what I was reading. It didn't make sense. There had to be a mistake somewhere, I just couldn't find it

I never met James. I never talked to him on chat. I never called him on the phone, although I intended to more than once. When I think about James I do not see a physical image, I have seen a picture of him, but the photograph does not convey anything to me. It is two dimensional, flat, no depth, I feel like a cat watching TV.

The more knowledgeable, the more jaded among us are quick to point out that the Internet is an artificial community. "No one really knows anyone." Take everything with a grain of salt." "You don't know me, and I don't know you." The little quips and smart quotes are almost endless, and we all use them from time to time.

The James I know is the James here, in our little community at Blade Forums. He was a guiding light. James embodied those qualities that we all would like to see in our selves, the qualities that we would all like others to see in us. He was the model of discretion, humor, knowledge and fairness. A true renaissance man. James was our Rabbi.

James, I think that you have taken our virtual community to the next step. This is not a virtual community to me. The sorrow in my heart, and the tears in my eye are real.


Mike
 
I've know Jim via the phone - email - chat, and felt that we had become close through those means, only wish I had met him in person.

I just got home from my weekend trip and so have been away from any computer since late Thursday night, my wife played a message from a friend in Florida that I had connect him to Jim for the BM 940 that Jim fell in love with, my friend left a message that he was surprised to read about Jim and when my wife played the recorded message I just stood still in my tracks...couldn't believe it, it's too soon!

So I jump on the computer to check it out and had several emails and my friend WAY up in Kodiak Alaska emailed me the link to this thread, and I thank him for that.

James, as others have mentioned, you will be miss, your wit and knowledge made this place an interesting and learning experience and you added a touch of class as well....

Sad G2

 
Rest in peace, Mr. Mattis. I was really looking forward to The Lord of the Rings movie so I could hear you pick it apart. I hope it plays wherever you are and that it lives up to your expectations! I'm really going to miss you around here.

Otto
 
What a loss!

He has been a great help to me personally and to so many here on the forums.

Dexter, thanks for posting the picture so that everyone has a face to attach with his name.

Sincere condolences to the family.

Frank Norman
 
James had a way of making you think even if you did not agree on the line of thought he put forth. Sometimes, you sat staring blankly at the monitor stunned at his brilliance.

Personally, I sat many times, in awe of this Man's intellect and the seemingly bottomless depth of thought that he would put forth. Time and time again.

Mitchell Lake sent me an E-Mail last night informing me of what happened, I sat here for awhile, reading, and I could not make it through this thread.

High Flight

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds -- and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of -- wheeled and soared and swung
High into the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through the footless hall of air.
Up, up the long delirious burning blue
I've topped the wingswept height with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of G-d. ~by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

I don't know what else to say except, I pray his Family finds peace in their time of mourning...and to James, there is no need for an airplane now, you're free.
 
We are so lucky to have had James' influence here in the forums and in the hearts of those of us who met him. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mattis family in this tragic time of loss. Perhaps a good way to ensure that his spirit lives on here is to try to emulate his kind,sensitive,sensible approach in the way we communicate. Just maybe we can make these forums a little kinder and gentler in the way we interact. That would be a fitting tribute to a great man.
David

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AKTI# A000150
NC Custom Knifemakers Guild member
NC Knife Knuts member
 


Even though I did not know him personally. He has helped me in the forums, like many others. I would also like to thank him for what he has done for the forums.

"TO die completely, a person must not only forget but be forgotten, and he is who is not forgotten is not dead"-Samuel Butler

-JOE-

 
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