Is there any hope

I suppose it may just be human nature to want a group to bend or break in order to conform to our own wants/needs, rather than working within their pre-existing requisites... BUT...

There sure seems to be some parallels here to the court cases about the angry little girl that was not accepted into the BOY scouts!!!

If you do not forge your blades, then you do not make knives in the way that the American BLADESMITH Society was formed to protect, promote, and educate.

That is not saying AT ALL that there is ANYTHING WRONG or INFERIOR with stock removal.

It is simply saying that the ABS is, was, and ALWAYS has been about PROMOTING FORGING!!!!!!

Being angry about a society not "accepting you" for YOU NOT COMPLYING with the very reason they were formed, is flat out silly and a waste of energy

Just as a side note, I have long been a proponent of the idea that the ultimate deciding factors in a knife's quality are the person making it and their understanding of crucial elements like blade geometry, heat-treating, and attention to detail.... much more than the forging/stock removal factor.


That said- I LOVE firing up my forge, heating up steel, and manipulating its shape however I wish. It is THE BEST part of the knifemaking process for ME.


Because of that love, I find myself in a spot like this one here, feeling a little push to act as a steward for the ABS.



I was standing outside that room last June with my friend Bill Buxton, and I couldn't agree with him more on the stresses AND sense of self-satisfaction and achievement after going through the Js testing procedure.

But please keep in mind, if the Js and Ms stamps are the "destination" then it really is about the "journey" toward getting to them.
 
NickWheeler said:
I suppose it may just be human nature to want a group to bend or break in order to conform to our own wants/needs, rather than working within their pre-existing requisites... BUT...

There sure seems to be some parallels here to the court cases about the angry little girl that was not accepted into the BOY scouts!!!

If you do not forge your blades, then you do not make knives in the way that the American BLADESMITH Society was formed to protect, promote, and educate.

That is not saying AT ALL that there is ANYTHING WRONG or INFERIOR with stock removal.

It is simply saying that the ABS is, was, and ALWAYS has been about PROMOTING FORGING!!!!!!

Being angry about a society not "accepting you" for YOU NOT COMPLYING with the very reason they were formed, is flat out silly and a waste of energy

Just as a side note, I have long been a proponent of the idea that the ultimate deciding factors in a knife's quality are the person making it and their understanding of crucial elements like blade geometry, heat-treating, and attention to detail.... much more than the forging/stock removal factor.


That said- I LOVE firing up my forge, heating up steel, and manipulating its shape however I wish. It is THE BEST part of the knifemaking process for ME.


Because of that love, I find myself in a spot like this one here, feeling a little push to act as a steward for the ABS.



I was standing outside that room last June with my friend Bill Buxton, and I couldn't agree with him more on the stresses AND sense of self-satisfaction and achievement after going through the Js testing procedure.

But please keep in mind, if the Js and Ms stamps are the "destination" then it really is about the "journey" toward getting to them.
Click to expand...
Actually, Nick, the ABS will accept you as a member even if you are primarily or exclusively a stock removal guy. There are a fair number of members like that and, to my recollection, the ABS even had a board member early on, James Lile, who was known primarily as a stock removal guy. The only thing that a stock removal maker can't do is get a stamp unless he forges the test knives. But there are a number of smiths who have chosen not to go for their MS stamp or even their JS stamp even though they clearly have the skils required. The ABS is possibly the MOST inclusive of all of the major organizations. The ABS is about much more thn just a couple of stamps. That is a good thng because, even though I am qulified to test in '08, I most likely won't. The JS and MS requirements seem to have become a moving target (moving UP) and although I mightbe catching up with them, I'm not doing it fast eough.....lol. So in the meantime, I'll just continue to learn from my fellow smiths and chug along.
 
Joe, my use of the words "accepting you" were in reference to recognizing a person as a Journeyman SMITH or Master SMITH.

Seems to me, that is what the big hub bub in this thread is about--- Not getting a Js or Ms stamp because you don't forge.
 
I agree that setting outside the room will make you very nervous,Everybody said I was a bundle of nerves the year I got my JS....Going for the MS is definately the goal and I feel if I get it I should never back up quality....I agree with everything about the ABS and wouldnt want it to change in anyway....

But we all know great makers that for one reason or another cannot forge their blades but do excellent work,I for one would like to see a new organization develop that would award these makers for their talent and knowledge just as the ABS does us.

I feel we are all Brothers in the craft of making knives,no matter how we make them.Or the style in which we chosse to make.

Bruce
 
NickWheeler said:
Joe, my use of the words "accepting you" were in reference to recognizing a person as a Journeyman SMITH or Master SMITH.

Seems to me, that is what the big hub bub in this thread is about--- Not getting a Js or Ms stamp because you don't forge.
Click to expand...
I know, man. Just wanted the make the point that the ABS is highly inclusive. With all of the hubub aboutthe Guild, nobody has mentioned the fact that it is an option for stock removal folks who want some kind of certification.
 
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